Samurai with swords vs cannons in a star-shaped fort—who thought this was fair?
After the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, there was a series of battles fought while the former supporters of the Tokugawa shogunate retreated to the north where they actually started a sovereign nation that was recognized by more than one European country. Survivors of the Shinsengumi were among the followers of Enomoto Takeaki who took them to the northernmost island of Ezo where they fought their final battle at the star shaped fort, Goryokaku. The Japanese Civil Wars fought in the name of the emperor signaled the complete end of the feudal system and Japan’s entry into the modern world as those brave samurai tried to halt progress and learned that the age of modern warfare and weaponry had passed them by. Swords were no match for rifles and cannons, nor was any man a match for the power of the imperial flag. Japanese loyalty to the emperor has long defined the nation and culture despite the changing times.
Production
Massive star fort set built for authentic 1869 siege
Cinematography
Snowbound Hokkaido landscapes frame inevitable defeat
Acting
Tetsuya Watari's doomed Hijikata steals every scene
Director
Kōsei Saitō
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real Goryokaku fort in Hakodate still stands; you can visit the exact battleground where these characters died.
This film captures Japan's 1980s obsession with 'the last samurai'—romanticizing the very modernization that built the studio system producing it.
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