Seven Samurai

Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) is one of the greatest films in cinema history and the landmark work that introduced Japanese warriors and swords to the world. Set in the late Sengoku period, the story of seven ronin recruited to defend a village from bandits vividly portrays the social role of the samurai and the practical reality of swords. The film features diverse blades — tachi, uchigatana, wakizashi — authentically recreating Sengoku-era sword culture. Toshiro Mifune's Kikuchiyo wielding a sword through bamboo is the origin point of the katana in action cinema. The film was remade as The Magnificent Seven and influenced countless works from Star Wars to Mad Max. Kurosawa's jidai-geki became the catalyst for the world's fascination with Japanese swords. DATEKATANA brings authentic swords from the very eras these films depict to collectors worldwide.