13 Assassins

13 Assassins


十三人の刺客
Jūsannin No Shikaku
Thirteen Assassins
Director Takashi Miike
Original Story Shoichiro Ikeyama
Screenplay Daisuke Tengen
Music Koji Endo
Photography Nobuyasu Kita
Lighting Yoshimi Watanabe
Sound Jun Nakamura
Art Yuji Hayashida
Editor Kenji Yamashita
Production Companies TV Asahi, Toho, Sedic International, Dentsu, Shogakukan, Recorded Picture Company, Asahi Shimbun, Asahi Broadcasting, Me TV, Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting, Hokkaido TV, Yahoo! JAPAN, Tsutaya Group, East Japan Films, Shizuoka Asahi TV, Hiroshima Home TV
Release Date September 25, 2010
Runtime 141 minutes

十三人の刺客
Jūsannin No Shikaku
Thirteen Assassins
Director Takashi Miike
Original Story Shoichiro Ikeyama
Screenplay Daisuke Tengen
Music Koji Endo
Photography Nobuyasu Kita
Lighting Yoshimi Watanabe
Sound Jun Nakamura
Art Yuji Hayashida
Editor Kenji Yamashita
Production Companies TV Asahi, Toho, Sedic International, Dentsu, Shogakukan, Recorded Picture Company, Asahi Shimbun, Asahi Broadcasting, Me TV, Kyushu Asahi Broadcasting, Hokkaido TV, Yahoo! JAPAN, Tsutaya Group, East Japan Films, Shizuoka Asahi TV, Hiroshima Home TV
Release Date September 25, 2010
Runtime 141 minutes

In feudal Japan, a prominent lord commits seppuku before the Shogun’s palace in protest of the Shogun’s younger brother Naritsugu, an immature and violent delinquent. Rather than punish him, the Shogun decides to appoint Naritsugu to a senior advisory post on his next visit to the capital. Sir Doi, a ranking advisor, resolves to have Naritsugu dealt with before he can take up the new post. Doi meets with Shimada, a veteran samurai, and convinces him to undertake a mission to assassinate Naritsugu. Meanwhile, Hanbei, Shimada’s old rival and Naritsugu’s chief samurai, anticipates a plot on Naritsugu’s life and prepares accordingly. Shimada recruits his contemporaries and their students, as well as his wayward nephew Shinrokuro, hoping that this mission will redeem him from his drunken gambling habits. Shimada plans the assassination for as late as possible in Naritsugu’s route, so he can play off of Hanbei’s paranoia and strike when the guard grows tired.

Shimada convinces the town of Kiso to enforce an edict banning passage to Naritsugu, forcing Naritsugu’s traveling party to pass through the town of Ochiai. The assassins buy out the town and fortify it for their attack. Hanbei halts the march temporarily and summons more soldiers, until the thirteen assassins find themselves facing down an army of over two hundred. Nevertheless, they continue preparations at Ochiai, grimly expecting to die in the attempt.

Hanbei leads Naritsugu and his men straight into the trap, and a fierce battle ensues. The assassins are struck down, but so are most of Naritsugu’s men. Hanbei has a final duel with Shimada. Shimada beheads Hanbei, and then slays Naritsugu. Shinrokuro tends to Shimada as he lays dying from his injuries. Shimada releases him from his duty as a samurai and bids him to live his life freely.

Top Billed Cast

Koji Yakusho
Shinzaemon Shimada
Takayuki Yamada
Shinrokuro Shimada
Yusuke Iseya
Kimita Kiga
Ikki Sawamura
Gunjiro Mihashi
Arata Furuta
Heizo Sahara
Sosuke Takaoka
Yasokichi Hioki
Seiji Rokkaku
Mosuke Otake
Kazuki Namioka
Rihei Ishizuka
Koen Kondo
Yahachi Horii
Yuma Ishigaki
Gennai Higuchi
Masataka Kubota
Shojiro Ogura
Tsuyoshi Ihara
Kyujiro Hirayama
Hiroki Matsukata
Yoshihisa Kurone
Kazue Fukiishi
Geisha, Upashi
Mitsuki Tanimura
Chiyo Makino
Takumi Saito
Riko Makino
Shinnosuke Abe
Genshiro Deguchi
Seiyo Uchino
Tosho Mamiya
Ken Mitsuishi
Judayu Asakawa
Ittoku Kishibe
Tokubei Miyazuya
Mikijiro Hira
Toshitsura Doi
Koshiro Matsumoto
Yukie Makino
Goro Inagaki
Naritsugu Matsudaira
Masachika Ichimura
Hanbei Kito
Top Billed Cast

Shinzaemon Shimada
Koji Yakusho

Shinrokuro Shimada
Takayuki Yamada

Kimita Kiga
Yusuke Iseya

Gunjiro Mihashi
Ikki Sawamura

Heizo Sahara
Arata Furuta

Yasokichi Hioki
Sosuke Takaoka

Mosuke Otake
Seiji Rokkaku

Rihei Ishizuka
Kazuki Namioka

Yahachi Horii
Koen Kondo

Gennai Higuchi
Yuma Ishigaki

Shojiro Ogura
Masataka Kubota

Kyujiro Hirayama
Tsuyoshi Ihara

Yoshihisa Kurone
Hiroki Matsukata

Geisha

Upashi
Kazue Fukiishi

Chiyo Makino
Mitsuki Tanimura

Riko Makino
Takumi Saito

Genshiro Deguchi
Shinnosuke Abe

Tosho Mamiya
Seiyo Uchino

Judayu Asakawa
Ken Mitsuishi

Tokubei Miyazuya
Ittoku Kishibe

Toshitsura Doi
Mikijiro Hira

Yukie Makino
Koshiro Matsumoto

Naritsugu Matsudaira
Goro Inagaki

Hanbei Kito
Masachika Ichimura