Miniseries · Netflix
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Elijah Bender
Self
6 eps
David Spafford
Self
6 eps
Nathan Ledbetter
Self
6 eps
David Eason
Self
6 eps
Oleg Benesch
Self
6 eps
Tomoko Kitagawa
Self
6 eps
Hiro Kanagawa
Narrator
6 eps
Masami Kosaka
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
6 eps
Hayate Masao
Ieyasu Tokugawa
6 eps
Masayoshi Haneda
Nobunaga Oda
6 eps
Hideaki Ito
Masamune Date
6 eps
Stephen Turnbull
Himself
6 eps
Brian Fukuzawa
Self
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Age of Samurai: Battle for Japan reads strongest on Bingeability, Character Depth and Serialized.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The story
What it's about
Dynamic reenactments and expert commentaries bring to life the tumultuous history and power struggles of a warring 16th-century feudal Japan.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E02
Seizing Power
With much of central Japan under his control, Nobunaga must now fight the powerful Buddhist armies that oppose his bid to rule the nation. Follow him through a monumental battle against his most dangerous rivals yet.
S01E01
The Rise of Nobunaga
Oda Nobunaga launches a blood-soaked bid to seize power over central Japan. Watch the brilliant but brutal Samurai battle rival family members and ferocious warlords along the way.
S01E03
The Demon King
Nobunaga overcomes some of his biggest challenges in his effort to reunite Japan. See how he combats an army of fierce rebels and a plot launched from deep within his inner circle aimed at ending his reign forever.
S01E05
Catastrophe
Hideyoshi is desperate to carve his name into history and become the most powerful man in Asia. See how he risks everything he’s worked for when he launches a bold invasion of mainland China.
S01E06
Birth of a Dynasty
After carefully watching and waiting, a wily veteran Samurai emerges from the shadows and launches his own bid for supreme power. Witness one final, epic battle to see who will rule Japan for the next two hundred years.
S01E04
Complete Control
Follow Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his effort to gain control over central Japan. Watch him use a brilliant mix of force, strategy, and intrigue to become the first man in nearly a century to control the entire nation.
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E01
The Rise of Nobunaga
S01E02
Seizing Power
S01E03
The Demon King
S01E04
Complete Control
S01E05
Catastrophe
S01E06
Birth of a Dynasty
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- David BradyExecutive Producer
- Patrick CameronProducer
- Simon GeorgeExecutive Producer
- Kate Harrison KarmanExecutive Producer
Direction
- Stephen ScottDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
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