Where to Watch
Checking availability in your country…
Cast
Movie Info & Details
Release Year2008
Runtime1h 39m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresHistory, Drama
Votes1
DirectorTetsuo Shinohara
WritersYasuo Hasegawa, Kenzaburô Iida
TypeFeature Film
Rating7.5 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsYamazakura, The Cherry Tree in the Hills
About Yamazakura, The Cherry Tree in the Hills
Based on a short story written by Shuhei Fujisawa (who also wrote Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, Love and Honor), the film depicts the uneasy life of Noe Isomura (Rena Tanaka) with the difficult family she has married into after her former husband passed away. One day as she tries to brake off a branch of a cherry tree, she is aided by a samurai who she does not recognize but who recognizes her. He turns out to be a former suitor that she never met named Yaichiro Tezuka (Noriyuki Higashiyama) and who teaches swordsmanship to the local samurai. Meanwhile, the powerful new chief retainer of the village enacts land policies that threaten the survival of the local farmers.
Directed by Tetsuo Shinohara, Yamazakura, The Cherry Tree in the Hills leans on a strong ensemble — Rena Tanaka, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Tetsuya Chiba — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 2008.
Read More on the Blog
You Might Also Like
More like Yamazakura, The Cherry Tree in the Hills, picked from what people are watching
8.3Samurai Rebellion
1967 8.3
The mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped by the lord. Her husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to rescue her.
Samurai Rebellion
1967
7.3After the Rain
2000 7.3
A group of travelers is stranded in a small country inn when the river floods during heavy rains. As the bad weather continues, tensions rise amongst the trapped travelers.
After the Rain
2000
7.4When the Last Sword Is Drawn
2003 7.4
Kanichiro Yoshimura is a Samurai and Family man who can no longer support his wife and children on the the low pay he receives from his small town clan, he is forced by the love for his family to leave for the city in search of higher pay to support them.
When the Last Sword Is Drawn
2003
8.0Ugetsu
1953 8.0
In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei's desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.
Ugetsu
1953
6.0Samurai Marathon
2019 6.0
When feudal lord Itakura Katsuakira decides to prepare his samurai troops for the onslaught of modernization by having them compete in a marathon, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.
Samurai Marathon
2019
7.0Sekigahara
2017 7.0
The background to and depiction of a watershed battle in Japanese history, at Sekigahara in 1600, when Tokugawa Ieyasu's Army of the East defeated the Army of the West of Ishida Mitsunari. The story includes the intrigues and shifting loyalties of the various retainers, family members, and samurai.
Sekigahara
2017
User Reviews
7.5
Community rating
Loading reviews…
From the Blog
All Posts
News
Lanterns OTT Release Date: DC’s Green Lantern Series Hits JioHotstar Aug 17
DC’s Green Lantern series Lanterns arrives on JioHotstar in India on August 17, 2026. Here is where to watch it, who is in it, and why it is one of the year’s biggest superhero shows.
News
Michael OTT Release Date: The Michael Jackson Biopic Streams August 29
The Michael Jackson biopic arrives on JioHotstar on August 29, 2026. Here is where to watch it, what you need, and why it is one of the year’s biggest music films.
News
Jana Nayagan OTT Release Date: When Vijay’s Film Streams on ZEE5
Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan is headed to ZEE5 for its digital premiere. Here is the latest on its OTT release date and where to watch, updated as news is confirmed.