© 2026 The Couch Critic
Status
Released
Release
1943
Runtime
1h 20m
Available options inUS
A hotheaded youth in 1880s Meiji Japan apprentices to judo master Shōgorō Yano, trading brute jujutsu bravado for discipline and humility. As Sanshirō matures, he proves judo’s spirit against old-guard challengers—including a deadly duel—while falling for his vanquished opponent’s daughter. Based on the novel by Tsuneo Tomita, son of Tomita Tsunejirō, the earliest disciple of judo.
18 Cast Members
Denjirō Ōkōchi
Shogoro Yano
Susumu Fujita
Sanshiro Sugata
Yukiko Todoroki
Sayo Murai
Ryūnosuke Tsukigata
Gennosuke Higaki
Takashi Shimura
Hansuke Murai, Sayo's father
Ranko Hanai
Osumi Kodana
Sugisaku Aoyama
Tsunetami Iimura
Ichirō Sugai
Police Chief Mishima
Yoshio Kosugi
Master Saburo Kodama
Kokuten Kōdō
Buddhist Priest
Michisaburō Segawa
Wada
Akitake Kōno
Yoshima Dan
Sōji Kiyokawa
Yujiro Toda
Kunio Mita
Kohei Tsuzaki
Akira Nakamura
Toranosuki Niiseki
Eisaburo Sakauchi
Nemoto
Ko Yamamuro
Torakichi
Ichirō Ryūzaki
Monma's pupil (uncredited)
