Japan Synopsis
宮本武蔵完結編 決闘巌流島
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.
The 1955–1957 Japan Window
28 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island sits at position #7.
#1Throne of Blood
★ 7.9 · 1957
#2The Burmese Harp
★ 7.9 · 1956
#3Floating Clouds
★ 7.8 · 1955
#4Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji
★ 7.4 · 1955
#5A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era
★ 7.4 · 1957
#6I Live in Fear
★ 7.3 · 1955
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#7Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island
★ 7.3 · 1956
#8Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple
★ 7.2 · 1955
Titles With Overlapping Themes
Films and series that share thematic tags with Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.
Other Titles From TOHO
The 1950s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1950s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island premiered. 76 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #1,580 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (65th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.4 points above the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Action productions specifically: #677 of 1,714 (top 39%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | TOHO |
| Runtime | 1h 45m |
| Release Date | January 3, 1956 |
| IMDb | tt0049710 |