Sanshiro Sugata (1943)

A hotheaded youth in 1880s Meiji Japan apprentices to judo master Shōgorō Yano, trading brute jujutsu bravado for discipline and humility. As Sanshirō matures, he proves judo’s spirit against old-guard challengers—including a deadly duel—while falling for his vanquished opponent’s daughter. Based on the novel by Tsuneo Tomita, son of Tomita Tsunejirō, the earliest disciple of judo.

Genres: Drama

Stars: Denjirō Ōkōchi, Susumu Fujita, Yukiko Todoroki, Ryūnosuke Tsukigata, Takashi Shimura