Harakiri
Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior counselor for the Iyi clan questions the ronin’s resolve and integrity, suspecting Hanshirō of seeking charity rather than an honorable end. What follows is a pair of interlocking stories which lay bare the difference between honor and respect, and promises to examine the legendary foundations of the Samurai code.
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi · Action · Drama · History · 135 min · 1962
Trailer
Director
Masaki Kobayashi
Studio
Shochiku{{sfn / Galbraith IV / 1996 / p=207
Release
1962-09-15
Runtime
135 min
Genres
Action, Drama, History
Full Plot
A samurai, Hanshiro Tsugumo, arrives at the house of the Iyi Clan with an unusual request. Due to his circumstances, he wishes to commit harakiri, ritual suicide, in the courtyard of the house. Turns out this is not such an unusual request: the clan has had such requests before, though the requestor's intentions weren't always honourable. The Clan elder tells Tsugumo the story of the last samurai who made the request and how that ended. Will he still go through with it?
Cast & Characters
Hanshiro Tsugumo
Tatsuya Nakadai
Motome Chijiiwa
Akira Ishihama
Miho Tsugumo
Shima Iwashita
Hikokuro Omodaka
Tetsuro Tamba
Tango Inaba
Masao Mishima
Hayato Yazaki
Ichirō Nakatani
Rentarō Mikuni –
Kei Satō –
Yoshio Inaba –
Yoshiro Aoki –
Did You Know?
Tatsuya Nakadai appears in 4 films in our catalog, including High and Low, Ran.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
In a contemporary review, the Monthly Film Bulletin stated that Masaki Kobayashi's "slow, measured cadence perfectly matches his subject" and that the "story itself is beautifully constructed".
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Harakiri holds 8.4/10 on TMDb (1242 votes). (OMDb had no record for this title — sourced from TMDb instead.)
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on TMDb's aggregated score (8.4/10 on TMDb (1242 votes)), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Harakiri's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Harakiri holds a 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Harakiri's IMDb rating?+
Harakiri has a 8.6/10 rating on IMDb from 90,669 votes.
What is Harakiri's Metacritic score?+
Harakiri has a Metascore of 85/100 on Metacritic.
Is Harakiri good? What are critics saying?+
Harakiri holds 8.4/10 on TMDb (1242 votes). (OMDb had no record for this title — sourced from TMDb instead.)
How long is Harakiri?+
Harakiri has a runtime of 135 min.
Who directed Harakiri?+
Harakiri was directed by Masaki Kobayashi.
Where can I watch Harakiri?+
Harakiri is available to stream, rent, or buy on Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "Harakiri" is divided, with some praising its historical significance and artistic merit. Critics are drawn to the film's non-linear storytelling, strong performances, and themes of revenge and truth. The trailer comments suggest that the movie has gained a cult following, with many fans enthusiastically recommending it, particularly after discovering Nakatani's appearance in "Seven Samurai".
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
This is an amazing Japanese classic written and filmed without flaw. The action unfolds in story-telling within story-telling. This is a film about truth. Whose truth? That is the unfoldment. In a perverted way, this amazing piece of work has become predictive of Western corporat…
badelf · 10/10**It's a film that might scare modern audiences a bit, but it deserves the opportunity we want to give it.** In addition to having a very strong film industry, Japan is a country with a very rich past that we in the West tend to devalue. A somewhat ethnocentric attitude, more typ…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
The greatest Samurai film ever made, and one of my personal favorites. This is cinema at its best.
@LihiLaszlo · 15 likesTruly one of my favorites of all time. I don't think I've ever had my heart torn out watching a film as I did in this one, and the way the revenge unfolds is just so sweet. The previous posters who mention Nakadai's chameleon like appearance in different films are spot on. The Ts…
@Gunbei2 · 5 likesThat's funny. For awhile I had no idea Nakadai was even in Sanjuro - he looked completely different from being in Yojimbo. He also has a very snippet of a part in Seven Samurai where he's a passerby samurai - he still looks different.
@ohworldgirl · 5 likesI need to see this!So far Sword of Doom is my all time fave.
@Moviebro · 4 likesMasterpiece
@JerseyMcgee81 · 3 likesONE OF THE GREATEST!!! X
@michaelnewham6958 · 0 likesPerfect trailer
@Marountube · 0 likesFor all of you who are considering seeing this movie: it's worth it. Trust me. See it.
@Hirfel · 4 likes
