Jidai-geki: The World of Period Drama

Jidai-geki (period drama) is the single greatest medium for preserving sword culture in visual form. NHK's annual Taiga Drama features different eras, warlords, and swords each year, sustaining national interest in blades. In cinema, Kurosawa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro perfected the art of tate (choreographed sword fighting), while yakuza films like Battles Without Honor and Humanity portrayed the Japanese sword as a symbol that endured into the modern era. Television series such as Mito Komon, Hissatsu Shigotonin, and Onihei Hankacho each explored swords and samurai life from different angles, embedding period drama culture into Japanese homes. Tate, Japan's unique sword choreography tradition, originated in kabuki theater and evolved by incorporating techniques from real sword schools. Through jidai-geki, Japanese aesthetic appreciation for and reverence toward swords has been passed down across generations. At DATEKATANA, we carry authentic Japanese swords from every era depicted in these beloved dramas.