Directed by Akira Kurosawa Written by Akira Kurosawa Ryûzô Kikushima Cast Toshirô Mifune ... Sanjuro Kuwabatake / The Samurai Tatsuya Nakadai ... Unosuke - Gunfighter Yôko Tsukasa ... Nui Isuzu Yamada ... Orin Daisuke Katô ... Inokichi - Ushitora's Rotund Brother Seizaburô Kawazu ... Seibê - Brothel Operator Takashi Shimura ... Tokuemon - Sake Brewer Hiroshi Tachikawa ... Yoichiro Yôsuke Natsuki ... Kohei's Son Eijirô Tôno ... Gonji - Tavern Keeper Kamatari Fujiwara ... Tazaemon Ikio Sawamura ... Hansuke Atsushi Watanabe ... The Cooper - Coffin-Maker Susumu Fujita ... Homma - Instructor Who Skips Town Kyû Sazanka ... Ushitora Kô Nishimura ... Kuma Takeshi Katô ... Ronin Kobuhachi Ichirô Nakatani ... First Samurai Sachio Sakai ... First Foot Soldier Akira Tani ... Kame Tsunagorô Rashômon ... Kannuki the Giant Yoshio Tsuchiya ... Kohei Gen Shimizu ... Magotaro Yutaka Sada ... Matsukichi Shin Ôtomo ... Kumosuke Shôichi Hirose ... Ushitora Follower Hideyo Amamoto ... Yahachi Shôji Ôki ... Sukeju Fuminori Ôhashi ... Second Samurai Hiroshi Yoseyama ... Farmer Senkichi Ômura ... Traveler Noriko Honma ... Farmer's Ex-wife Ryusuke Nishio ... Seibei Follower Naoya Kusakawa ... Seibei Follower Nadao Kirino ... Seibei Follower Jun Ôtomo ... Seibei Follower Shinpei Takagi ... Ushitora Follower Akio Kusama ... Ushitora Follower Yasuzô Ogawa ... Ushitora Follower Hiroshi Takagi ... Ushitora Follower Jun'ichirô Mukai ... Seibei Follower Fumiyoshi Kamagaya ... Seibei Follower Ichirô Chiba ... Second Foot Soldier Haruya Sakamoto ... Ushitora Follower Rinsaku Ogata ... Seibei Follower Fumio Kogushi ... Ushitora Follower Yoko Terui ... Woman at Seibei's House Hiromi Mineoka ... Woman at Seibei's House Michiko Kawa ... Woman at Seibei's House Uncredited Cast Jerry Fujio ... Roku - Samurai Whose Arm Is Cut Haruo Nakajima ... Minor Role Mitsuo Tsuda ... Seibei's Henchman Produced by Ryûzô Kikushima Akira Kurosawa Tomoyuki Tanaka Original Music by Masaru Satô

Additional Info Premiere: April 25, 1961 Theatrical Release: September 13, 1961 DVD Release: September 28, 1999 Blu-ray Release: March 23, 2010 Country: Distributor: The Criterion Collection Websites: Alternate Titles The Bodyguard Yojinbo Production Companies Kurosawa Production Co. Sammy Toho Distributors Janus Films   (1961) (United States) (subtitled) (theatrical) Seneca Productions   (1961) (United States) (Seneca International) (subtitled) (theatrical) Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)   (1972) (United States) (TV) Cowboy Pictures   (2002) (United States) (re-release) (theatrical) The Criterion Collection   (2004) (United States) (DVD) The Criterion Collection   (2009) (United States) (DVD) The Criterion Collection   (2010) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD) HBO Max   (2020) (United States) (VOD) (video) The Criterion Channel   (2019) (United States) (digital) (TV) Filming Locations Japan Toho Studios, Tokyo, Japan   (Studio) Tokyo, Japan Rating Stats Overall Rating 8.2 / 10 Our Rating 7.2 / 10 Your Friends -- / 10 Male Users 7.2 / 10 Female Users -- / 10 Site Ranking #1,376 / 20,698 Ratings Breakdown Perfect 4 total ratings Site Ranking #1,372 Penny Dreadful: Season 1 (2014) #1,373 Penny Dreadful: Season 2 (2015) #1,374 The Santa Clause (1994) #1,375 The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016) #1,376 Yojimbo (1961) #1,377 Max Payne (2008) #1,378 Watchmen: Season 1 (2019) #1,379 Willow (1988) #1,380 Halloween (2007)