The Fall of Ako Castle (1978): Cast & Plot
The Fall of Ako Castle is a 1978 historical drama directed by Kinji Fukasaku, starring Ken Nishida as Daigagu Asano, Teruhiko Saigō and Nobuo Kaneko. It runs 2 hours 39 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 39m (159 min)
- Director
- Kinji Fukasaku
- Original language
-
Japanese - Studio
- Toei Company
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Fall of Ako Castle About?
The premise of The Fall of Ako Castle without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Set in 1701‑2, the film dramatizes the legend of the Forty‑Seven Ronin. After Lord Asano is provoked into drawing his sword in the shogun’s palace—a capital offense—his clan loses lands and titles, leaving thousands of samurai and retainers destitute. Determined to avenge their master, forty‑seven ronin plot and execute a daring retaliation against Lord Kira, the official who engineered Asano’s disgrace.
The Fall of Ako Castle Themes & Keywords
· 6 tags- revenge
- samurai action
- martial arts
- sword fight
- 47 ronin
- samurai
The Fall of Ako Castle Cast & Characters
Ken Nishida leads the cast as Daigagu Asano, with Teruhiko Saigō as Asano and Nobuo Kaneko as Kira. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku; 37 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Kinji Fukasaku
- Ken Nishida as Daigagu Asano
- Teruhiko Saigō as Asano
- Nobuo Kaneko as Kira
- Tetsuro Tamba as Yanagisawa
Also Starring in The Fall of Ako Castle
· 33 more- Mieko Harada Hatsu Hashimoto
- Masaomi Kondo Hashimoto Heizaemon
- Yoshi Katō Yahei Horibe
- Toru Minegishi Yasubei Horibe
- Kinnosuke Nakamura Oishi Kuranosuke
- Sonny Chiba Fuwa Kazuemon
- Tsunehiko Watase Kobayashi Heihachiro
- Kensaku Morita Jujiro
- Toshirô Mifune Tsuchiya Michinao
- Hideji Ôtaki Yamada
- Junkichi Orimoto Tokubei
- Mariko Okada Riku Ohishi
- Minori Terada Gengo Ohtaka
- Mikio Narita Kato
- Harumi Sone Torii
- Mizuho Suzuki Narrator
Show all 37 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Hiroki Matsukata Denhachiro Tamon
- Shinsuke Ashida Shikibe
- Yoshiko Mita Akuri
- Sanae Nakahara Todano tsubone
- Kyōko Enami Ukibashi
- Seizō Fukumoto
- Takuya Fujioka Kurobei Ohno
- Jun Fujimaki Yajuemon
- Maki Tachibana Shino Ohtaka
- Ryō Nishida
- Ryo Tamura Uesugi
- Shōji Yasui Uemon
- Yoko Natsuki Osen
- Go Wakabayashi Araki
- Shinsuke Mikimoto
- Yûsuke Satô Yagashira
- Matagoro Nakamura III Date Sakyōnosuke
More from Kinji Fukasaku
More films directed by Kinji Fukasaku, best-rated first: Tora! Tora! Tora!, Battle Royale, Battle Royale II: Requiem and Battle Royale.
The Fall of Ako Castle Plot Summary
What happens in The Fall of Ako Castle from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a tale set against the stern code of the Tokugawa era, the shogunate led by Lord Tsunayoshi imposes a sweeping punishment on 48 samurai, stripping them of their assets and leaving them fearful yet unbroken. The flame of their loyalty is kindled not by revenge alone but by a sense of moral duty: they attend a formal ceremony where the Imperial Sword is presented to the court, a moment meant to memorialize power and propriety. The spark of dissent flickers when the court official Kira hurls insults at Asano, and Asano Teruhiko Saigō draws his sword in a rare display of defiance, only to be stopped before he can strike.
Full summary
The whole story of The Fall of Ako Castle, scene by scene
The Fall of Ako Castle Trailers & Videos
6 videos: 2 trailers, 3 clips and 1 featurette.
- Trailer Masters of Cinema Trailer
- Clip Asano is enraged by insults from the court official Kira
- Clip Three attackers enter Oishi's house
- Clip Raid of the Ako Warriors
How Well Do You Know The Fall of Ako Castle?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which shogun orders the punishment of the 48 samurai at the beginning of the film?
The Fall of Ako Castle Also Known As
12 alternative titles, including “Akô-jô danzetsu” and “Swords Of Vengeance”.
- Also known as
-
- Akô-jô danzetsu
- Swords Of Vengeance
- 47 Blades of Vengeance
- Last of the Ako Clan
- Ako-jo danzetsu
- Akō-jō danzetsu
- 赤穗城断绝
- 47 Mieczy Zemsty. Upadek Zamku Ako
- A Queda do Castelo Ako
- Падение замка Ако
- A Queda do Castelo de Ako
- 赤穗城斷絕
Seen The Fall of Ako Castle?
Movies Like The Fall of Ako Castle
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The 47 Ronin, The Loyal 47 Ronin and 47 Ronin.
The Fall of Ako Castle FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of The Fall of Ako Castle, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Fall of Ako Castle?
The Fall of Ako Castle runs 2 hours 39 minutes (159 minutes).
When was The Fall of Ako Castle released?
The Fall of Ako Castle was released on October 28, 1978.
Who directed The Fall of Ako Castle?
The Fall of Ako Castle was directed by Kinji Fukasaku.
More films by Kinji Fukasaku Who is in the cast of The Fall of Ako Castle?
The Fall of Ako Castle stars Ken Nishida as Daigagu Asano, Teruhiko Saigō as Asano and Nobuo Kaneko as Kira, among 37 credited actors.
Does The Fall of Ako Castle have a post-credit scene?
No. The Fall of Ako Castle has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is The Fall of Ako Castle in?
The original language of The Fall of Ako Castle is Japanese.
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