The Entire History of Feudal Japan: 700 Years of Samurai

Editor's Take

Spanning seven centuries of Japanese history, this survey sets out to strip the samurai of their romance and examine the political machinery that produced them. It attends to shifting allegiances, the rise and fall of warlord houses, and the rigid hierarchies that made honour and brutality two sides of one system. The scope is deliberately panoramic, favouring the long view over any single battle or figure. It suits viewers who want the structure of an era rather than its legends.

This film explores the entire history of feudal Japan, looking past the romantic myth of the samurai to the harsher reality beneath it. It covers seven centuries of warlords, shifting loyalties, and social upheaval, examining how honour and violence coexisted in a deeply unequal society. Presented in 4K, it traces the long era from the rise of the warrior class to its eventual end. It is a clear-eyed and detailed account of the samurai age. Free to stream in 4K on Dr Documentary.

Courtesy of Documentary on YouTube. Watch on YouTube ↗

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