* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Sengoku Jieitai (Film, 1979)
戦国自衛隊
A Japanese film released on 15 December 1979, based on Hanmura Ryō's novel of the same name. Chiba Shinichi starred and served as action director. A modern Self-Defense Force unit is sent back to the Sengoku period.
Description
Overview
Sengoku Jieitai is a Japanese film released on 15 December 1979. It was directed by Saitō Mitsumasa, and Chiba Shinichi starred and served as action director. It was produced by Kadokawa Haruki Office and distributed by Toho. It is based on the novel of the same name by Hanmura Ryō, and the screenplay is by Kamada Toshio.
Plot
Third Lieutenant Iba Yoshiaki and 21 Self-Defense Force members are sent back to the Sengoku period during an exercise. Iba agrees with Nagao Kagetora (later Uesugi Kenshin) to meet again in Kyoto. Some members, led by Yano Hayato, rebel and commit looting, and Iba suppresses them.
Kawanakajima and the Ending
At Kawanakajima the unit fights the Takeda army and has the advantage in modern weapons. But the Takeda tactics wear them down, and they lose vehicles and helicopters. After a one-on-one duel, Iba shoots Takeda Shingen with a pistol, and he also kills Katsuyori, who attacks him with a sword. In Kyoto, Kagetora sets out to hunt Iba, and Iba is shot dead by Kagetora.
Swords and Armor
Iba draws his sword when he confronts Kagetora. The Type 64 rifle and M2 heavy machine gun used by the Self-Defense Force are prop guns, and the Type 61 tank is a replica, built because the Self-Defense Force did not cooperate.
See authentic Japanese swords
See authentic Japanese swordsRelated Content
Seven Samurai
Film七人の侍
Akira Kurosawa's 1954 enduring masterpiece, one of the most influential works in the history of world cinema. Set in the late Sengoku period, its story of seven masterless samurai gathered to protect a village from bandits vividly depicts the social role of the samurai and the practical side of the sword. It is a monumental work that made Japanese swordcraft known to the world, and it influenced countless films, including The Magnificent Seven, Star Wars, and Mad Max.
Nioh 2
Video Game仁王2
A Sengoku-period action RPG released in 2020, developed by Team Ninja and published by Koei Tecmo Games. As a prequel to the earlier "Nioh," it stars a half-yokai protagonist with yokai blood, who crosses swords with demons while encountering real Sengoku-period warlords.
Lupin III (Goemon Ishikawa & Zantetsuken)
Anime & Mangaルパン三世（石川五ェ門・斬鉄剣）
A franchise created by Monkey Punch in 1967 that has spread worldwide as a long-running anime series. The Zantetsuken sword carried by Goemon Ishikawa XIII—capable of cutting through anything—became an iconic symbol of Japanese swords in pop culture. Ranked 3rd in a 2025 anime sword popularity poll.
Nobunaga's Ambition
Game信長の野望
A historical simulation game series developed and sold by Koei Tecmo Games since 1983. It is a national-favorite series in which players control Sengoku daimyo, including Oda Nobunaga, in pursuit of unifying the country. Depending on the title, famous swords also appear as items, making it a historical game series that touches on the bond between Japanese swords and warlords.
This page is intended to introduce Japanese sword culture and is not affiliated with any of the works mentioned.