The Abe Clan (1995): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1995, The Abe Clan is an action, drama and history film directed by Kinji Fukasaku, running about 94 minutes.

What it’s about. A Choice between Loyalty or Duty of the Samurai! Can the heartlessness of society crush the honor of an individual? In the spring of the 18th year of Kanei, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, feudal lord of the Higo area, died. Although Tadatoshi forbade his vassals to follow him in death before he died, they still committed seppuku one after the other. The new feudal lord, Mitsunao, Tadatoshi's son, also gave the order forbidding seppuku. Abe Yaichiemon obeyed his former lord's last wish but is now being called a coward by his comrades and finally decided to follow Tadatoshi in death in order to save his family's honor. Mitsunao, upset by Yaichiemon actions, punished the Abe family unfairly. Objected to this, the Abe family shut themselves up in their manor as the lords troops moved in. This is the true story of what happened within the Hosokawa clan in early Edo era.

Who’s in it. The Abe Clan stars Tsutomu Yamazaki as Abe Yaich'emon, Koichi Sato as Abe Yagobei, Mariko Fuji as O'ichi and Keizo Kanie as Abe Gonbei, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, The Abe Clan 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 The Abe Clan page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Abe Clan 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.