Miyamoto Musashi (1961): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1961, Miyamoto Musashi is an action, drama and history film directed by Tomu Uchida, running about 110 minutes.

What it’s about. In this first episode, we are introduced to Takezo, what Musashi used to be before he became the man of legend. His beginning are not exactly auspicious. He sides with the Toyotomi at Sekigahara, and as a result finds himself on the losing side of the historic battle. He and his friend Matahachi manage to escape the slaughter although the latter is wounded in his leg. They stumble across the young Akemi who makes her living with her mother Oko by robbing corpses of their armor and anything else they can sell. Oko takes it into her head to seduce Matahachi, which she does first by skillfully sucking the gangrene from his blood, and then just by sucking.

Who’s in it. Miyamoto Musashi stars Kinnosuke Nakamura as Miyamoto Musashi (Takezo), Akiko Kazami as Ogin, Wakaba Irie as Otsu and Isao Kimura as Hon'iden Matahachi, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.5/10, Miyamoto Musashi has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Miyamoto Musashi page.

If you liked it. Fans of Miyamoto Musashi tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.