is a series of

jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "historical drama, period dramas", it refers to stories that take place before the Meiji Restoration of 1868. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, crafts ...

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

s written by Renzaburō Shibata. The stories were originally serialized beginning in May 1956 in the ''Shūkan Shinchō''. The stories take place during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

under the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

and the rules of

Tokugawa Ienari Tokugawa Ienari (, 18 November 1773 – 22 March 1841) was the eleventh and longest-serving ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office from 1787 to 1837.Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1991) ''Early Modern Japan'', p. 21./ref> ...

and his successor

Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.Hall, John Whitney ''et al.'' (1991) ''Early Modern Japan',' p. 21./ref> Biography Ieyoshi was born as the second son of the 11th ''shōgun'', Tokugawa Ienari and named Toshijirō (敏 ...

. They center on the title character, a sleepy-eyed ''

rōnin In feudal Japan to early modern Japan (1185–1868), a ''rōnin'' ( ; , , 'drifter' or 'wandering man', ) was a samurai who had no lord or master and in some cases, had also severed all links with his family or clan. A samurai became a ''rō ...

'', or masterless swordsman, who is the son of a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

mother (the daughter of a , who commits (see "Female Ritual Suicide" in ''

Seppuku , also known as , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era (particularly officers near ...

'') some time after Kyoshiro's birth) and a

foreign Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United S ...

father, and who was conceived during a

Black Mass A Black Mass is a ceremony celebrated by various Satanic groups. It has allegedly existed for centuries in different forms, and the modern form is intentionally a sacrilegious and blasphemous parody of a Catholic Mass. In the 19th century the ...

(resulting in his fierce hatred for what he considers the hypocrisy of Christianity).AnimEigo
, Series Introduction (December 28, 2007).
at e-budokai.com (December 28, 2006)

Novels

Seven full-length novels and eight short stories in the ''Nemuri Kyoshirō'' series were published in Japan.

Full-length novels

:''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Record of an Outlaw, The Complete Six-Volume Series'' :* #''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Walking Alone, Parts One and Two'' #* #''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Calligraphy Copybook for a Killer, Parts One and Two'' #* #''Nemuri Kyoshiro: The 53 Stations of the Orphaned Blade, Parts One and Two'' #* #''Nemuri Kyoshiro: The Empty Journal, Parts One and Two'' #* #''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Record of an Outlaw, Parts One and Two'' #* #''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Heretical Writings'' #*

Short stories

:''The False Avenger: Nemuri Kyoshiro Urban Legend'' :* :''Kind and Courteous Chronicles: Nemuri Kyoshiro Urban Legend'' :* :''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Kyoto Duel Book'' :* :''The Dangerous Vanishing Weapon'' :* :''The Bride's Neck'' :* :''Wicked Woman's Revenge'' :* :''The Fox, the Monk, and the Ronin'' :* :''Spy Gizmo'' :* :''New Compilation, Nemuri Kyoshiro: Kyoto Duel Book'' (collects short stories and essays) :*

Adaptations

Tsuruta Kōji series (1956–1958)

"Nemuri Kyoshiro" was first played by

Kōji Tsuruta , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese actor and singer. He appeared in almost 260 feature films and had a unique style of singing. His daughter, Sayaka Tsuruta, is an actress. Career Born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Tsuruta was raised ...

in three films released by

Toho is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

: #''Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai Hikae'' (''Journal of an Outlaw'') (1956) #''Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai Hikae Dainibu'' (''Journal of an Outlaw Pt. 2 - Full Moon Cut'') (1957) #''Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai Hikae: Maken Jigoku'' (''The Spell of the Hidden Gold'') (1958)

Ichikawa Raizo series (1963–1969)

From 1963 to 1969, Ichikawa Raizo played "Nemuri Kyoshiro" in the series by

Daiei Film Daiei Film Co. Ltd. ( Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ''Daiei Eiga Kabushiki Kaisha'') was a Japanese film studio. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, produci ...

Animeigo AnimEigo is an American entertainment company that licenses and distributes anime, samurai films and Japanese cinema. Founded in 1988 by Robert Woodhead and Roe R. Adams III, the company was one of the first in North America dedicated to licens ...

released the first six films of the Daiei series on VHS and the first five on laserdisc under the title of ''Sleepy Eyes of Death''.

later announced that it had renewed their licensing rights to the series and released a boxed set of the first four films on DVD in 2009. A second boxed set containing the next four films was released in summer 2010 (which marked the first official release on DVD in the United States of ''The Mask of the Princess'' and ''Sword of Villainy'' ). The third boxed set came out in 2013.

Sleepy Eyes of Death 1: The Chinese Jade (1963)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō Sappōchō ( Enter Kyōshirō Nemuri the Swordman)'' ''Nemuri Kyōshirō Sappōchō'' Directed by

Tokuzō Tanaka was a Japanese film director. He is well known for directing the ''Zatoichi'' and ''Nemuri Kyōshirō'' film series. Biography Tanaka graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University. In 1948, he joined the Daiei Film, Daiei studio and started workin ...

Starring,

Tamao Nakamura (born July 12, 1939 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese actress. Her father is kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is k ...

Tomisaburo Wakayama , born Masaru Okumura (奥村勝),Leous, G. (''c.'' 2003)Tomisaburo WakayamaRetrieved on May 23, 2010. was a Japanese actor best known for playing Ogami Ittō, the scowling '' ronin'' warrior in the six ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' samurai films.Stout ...

, Katsuhiko Kobayashi

Sleepy Eyes of Death 2: Sword of Adventure (1964)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō Shōbu (Adventures of Kyōshirō Nemuri)'' Directed by

Kenji Misumi (2 March 1921 – 24 September 1975) was a Japanese film director. He created film series such as ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' and the initial film in the long-running ''Zatoichi'' series, and also directed ''Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice'', starri ...

Starring,

Shiho Fujimura Shiho Fujimura (藤村志保 ''Fujimura Shiho'', 3 January 1939 – 12 June 2025) was a Japanese actress. She was given a Special Prize for her career at the 2008 Yokohama Film Festival. Fujimura died on 12 June 2025, at the age of 86. Filmogr ...

Miwa Takada is a Japanese film, TV and stage actress. She has starred in several Japanese movies that are today considered classics (especially in the '' Zatoichi saga'', and the ''Daimajin'' trilogy). Takada also worked as a singer, and the duet she reco ...

Yoshi Katō was a Japanese stage and film actor who appeared in nearly 180 films between 1948 and 1988. Biography After leaving Keiō Gijuku High School prematurely, Katō gave his stage debut in 1934. He later joined the Shinkyo Theatre Company, which was ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 3: Full Circle Killing (1964)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō Engetsugiri (Exploits of Kyōshirō Nemuri)'' Directed by

Kimiyoshi Yasuda (born February 15, 1911 Tokyo, Japan, died July 26, 1983) was a Japanese film director from the 1930s to 1970s. He directed six films about Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman. He signed with Nikkatsu Kyoto studio as an assistant director and started w ...

Starring, Yuko Hamada, Taro Marui

Sleepy Eyes of Death 4: Sword of Seduction (1964)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Joyoken (Kyoshiro Nemuri at Bay)'' Directed by

Kazuo Ikehiro is a Japanese film director. He is known for directing Zatoichi series and the highly acclaimed Malay film Onna Gokuakuchō. In 1950, he joined the Daiei Film and started working as an assistant director under Kenji Mizoguchi etc. In 1960, he ...

Starring,

Masumi Harukawa , born , is a Japanese actress. Filmography * 1961: '' Girls of the Night'' * 1963: '' The Insect Woman'' * 1964: '' Unholy Desire'' * 1964: '' Kunoichi Keshō'' * 1965: '' House of Terrors'' * 1966: '' The Threat'' * 1967: '' Zatoichi's Cane Sw ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 5: Sword of Fire (1965)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Enjo-ken (The Swordsman and the Pirate)'' Directed by

Starring,

, Michiko Sugata,

Kō Nishimura was a Japanese actor. Known in the Western world, West primarily for supporting roles in such films as Akira Kurosawa's ''The Bad Sleep Well'' and ''Yojimbo (film), Yojimbo'', Kihachi Okamoto's ''Sword of Doom'', Yoshitaro Nomura's ''Zero Focus ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 6: Sword of Satan (1965)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Masho-ken (The Mysterious Sword of Kyoshiro)'' Directed by

Starring, Michiko Saga, Fujio Suga, Machiko Hasegawa, Yoshio Inaba

Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Mask of the Princess (1966)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Tajo-ken (The Mask of the Princess)'' Directed by Akira Inoue Starring, Yaeko Mizutani,

Ichirō Nakatani was a Japanese actor. He attended Waseda University, but withdrew before completing his degree and joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company. In 1959, Nakatani won Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year. Nakatani was well known for his role as Ninja ...

, Ryutaro Gomi

Sleepy Eyes of Death 8: Sword of Villainy (1966)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Burai-ken (The Sword That Saved Edo)'' Directed by

Starring, Shigeru Amachi,

, Tatsuo Endo

Sleepy Eyes of Death 9: A Trail of Traps (1967)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Burai-Hikae masho no hada (The Trail of Traps)'' Directed by

Starring,

Mikio Narita was a Japanese actor. He was most famous for playing villains, and often worked with Kinji Fukasaku. Narita graduated from Haiyuza Theatre Company acting school and joined Daiei Film. His career as a screen actor started in 1963. His film debut ...

Nobuo Kaneko was a Japanese actor. His wife was actress Yatsuko Tanami. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1946 and 1993. Career Kaneko was a versatile character actor, playing roles ranging from comedic buffoons to hardened yakuza bosses. He is es ...

, Haruko Mabuchi

Sleepy Eyes of Death 10: Hell Is a Woman (1968)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Onna jigoku (The Ronin Called Nemuri)'' Directed by

Starring, Miwa Takada,

Takahiro Tamura was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in 100 films between 1954 and 2005. He and his younger brothers Masakazu and Ryō were known as the three Tamura brothers. They were sons of actor Tsumasaburo Bando. Biography Tamura graduated from Dosh ...

Yūnosuke Itō was a Japanese film actor. He appeared in more than ninety films from 1947 to 1979. Career Itō made his film debut at Toho in 1946, and although mostly a prominent supporting actor—playing memorable figures such as the novelist in Akira Ku ...

Eitaro Ozawa , also credited as Sakae Ozawa (小沢栄), was a Japanese film actor and stage actor and director. He appeared in more than 200 films between 1935 and 1988, directed by notable filmmakers such as Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 11: In the Spider's Lair (1968)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Hito hada kumo (The Human Tarantula)'' Directed by

Starring,

Mako Midori is a Japanese actress. Debuting on film in 1964, she won the Blue Ribbon Award for best new face for ''Nihiki no mesuinu''. Beyond appearing in over fifty Japanese language films in the 1960s and 1970s, she has also acted extensively on stage, ...

Yūsuke Kawazu was a Japanese actor. Life and career Kawazu was born in Tokyo on 12 May 1935. While still a student at Keio University, Kawazu signed with Shochiku in 1958 and debuted in Keisuke Kinoshita, Kinoshita's ''The Eternal Rainbow''. He became one o ...

, Fumio Watanabe, Minori Terada

Sleepy Eyes of Death 12: Castle Menagerie (1969)

*''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Akujo-gari (Castle Menagerie)'' Directed by

Starring,

, Kayo Matsuo,

Shinjirō Ehara was a Japanese actor. Ehara joined Toei Company and began his acting career with"Nagurikomi Nijyuohachinin shu". In 1957, he won Elan d'or Award for Newcomer of the Year. He died on 27 September 2022, aged 85. Selected filmography Film *'' Jun' ...

Matsukata Hiroki series (1969)

After Ichikawa's death, the role of "Nemuri Kyoshiro" was then played by Matsukata Hiroki in two more Daiei films: #''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Engetsu Sappo'' (1969) (''The Full Moon Swordsman'') Directed by

Kazuo Mori , also known by his street name , was a Japanese film director who primarily worked in popular genres like the jidaigeki. Mori directed over 100 films in his life. Career Born in Ehime Prefecture, Mori graduated from Kyoto University before join ...

#''

Nemuri Kyōshirō manji giri is a 1969 Japanese film directed by Kazuo Ikehiro. It is based on Renzaburō Shibata's novel series '' Nemuri Kyoshiro''. The lead star is Hiroki Matsukata. He played the role of Nemuri Kyoshiro as a replacement for Ichikawa Raizō. In this fi ...

'' (1969) (''Fylfot Swordplay'') Directed by

Tamura Masakazu series

The role of "Nemuri Kyoshiro" was then played by

Masakazu Tamura was a Japanese film and theatre actor. Profile Masakazu Tamura was born 1 August 1943 in Kyoto, Japan to Japanese actor Tsumasaburō Bandō. Tsumasaburō Bandō died when Tamura was only nine years old. His brothers Takahiro and Ryō are also ...

in a

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

series and later in five made-for-TV movie specials. Tamura also played the role on the stage in 1973 and 1981. #''

Nemuri Kyōshirō is a series of jidaigeki novels written by Renzaburō Shibata. The stories were originally serialized beginning in May 1956 in the ''Shūkan Shinchō''. The stories take place during the Edo period under the Tokugawa shogunate and the rules of ...

'' (1972–1973) a Kansai – Toei production, 26 episodes #''

'' (1989) Directed by

#'' Nemuri Kyōshirō 2: Conspiracy in Edo Castle'' (1993) Directed by Akira Inoue #'' Nemuri Kyōshirō 3: The Man of No Tomorrow'' (1996) Directed by Sadao Nakajima #'' 'Nemuri Kyōshirō 4: The Woman Who Loved Kyoshiro'' (1998) Directed by Akira Inoue #'' Nemuri Kyōshirō: The Final'' (2018) Directed by Tomohiko Yamashita

On the stage

#''Nemuri Kyōshirō Buraihikae'' (1973) #''Nemuri Kyōshirō'' (1973) #''Nemuri Kyōshirō Curuz no Hahano Komoriuta'' (1981)

Kataoka Takao series (1982–1983)

The role of "Nemuri Kyoshiro" was then played by Kataoka Takao in two series of 50-minute episodes for TV Tokyo. The plotline of the first series takes place during the Tokugawa Ieyoshi shogunate with the

Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a ...

clan leading a conspiracy with 13 Western clans against the policies of Council Leader

Mizuno Tadakuni was a ''daimyō'' during late-Edo period Japan, who later served as chief senior councilor ('' Rōjū'') in service to the Tokugawa shogunate. He is remembered for having instituted the Tenpō Reforms. Biography Mizuno Tadakuni was the second ...

; when Satsuma clansmen, believing him to be working for Mizuno, murder his friends, Kyoshiro (who despises both the shogunate and the conspirators as equally corrupt) is unwillingly caught up in events and travels to Kyoto to face the leaders of the conspiracy, followed by and assisted upon occasion by O-ran ( Kayo Matsuo), a female agent of Mizuno's, and Kinpachi ( Shōhei Hino), a ne'er-do-well and occasional pickpocket who's over-fond of gambling and women but with certain unusual skills. A second series, also starring Kataoka Takao, was broadcast in 1983; this series did not have an underlying plot but consisted of individual stories taking place after Kyoshiro has returned to Edo, using the Funasen boat-inn as a temporary residence. #''Nemuri Kyōshirō: Engetsu Sappô'' (1982) (''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Full Moon Swordsman'') – 20 episodes #''Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai refrain'' (1983) (''Nemuri Kyoshiro: Son of the Black Mass'') – 22 episodes

Other adaptations

#''Nemuri Kyōshirō Burai refrain'' (1957) a Nippon Television production, starring Wataru Emi (Shuntaro Emi) #''Nemuri Kyōshirō'' (1961) a Japan TV production, starring Wataru Emi (Shuntaro Emi) #''Nemuri Kyōshirō'' (1967) a Fuji TV production, starring Mikijirō Hira

Manga

A manga version of ''Nemuri Kyoshiro'' by Yoshihiro Yanagawa was serialized in the ''

Weekly Comic Bunch was a Japanese manga anthology marketed to a ''seinen'' audience that was edited by Coamix and published weekly by Shinchosha from 2001 to 2010 and became monthly from 2011 to 2024. The collected editions of their titles were published under t ...

'' from the magazine's premier issue in 2001 to issue 43 of 2003. It was collected in ten ''

tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...

'' editions under the Bunch Comics imprint. Portions of the series were translated in the short lived English anthology ''

Raijin Comics ''Raijin Comics'' is a discontinued manga anthology published from 2002 until 2004 in North America by the now-defunct Gutsoon! Entertainment and largely backed by the Sega Corporation at its inception. The collected volumes of ''Raijin Comics' ...

''.

Nemuri X Gackt project

In late 2009 it was announced that Japanese singer-songwriter and actor

Gackt , better known as Gackt (stylized in all caps), is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. Born in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa to a Ryukyuan people, Ryukyuan family, Gackt learned the piano at a young age and was rai ...

would lend his image to a new Nemuri Kyoshiro project, starring as the eponymous protagonist, beginning with

theatre stage play in May 2010, penned by

Kundō Koyama (born 1964) is a Japanese writer. He is best known for scripting the television series ''Iron Chef'' and the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film recipient ''Departures (2008 film), Departures''. Koyama has also worked under the pen ...

. The play ''Nemuri Kyoshiro Buraihikae'' started on 14 May 2010 at

Nissay Theatre The is a theatre in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is located in the Nissay Hibiya Building, designed by the architect Togo Murano. It was completed in 1963 and opened with the Japanese premiere of Beethoven's opera ''Fidelio'' by the Deutsche Oper ...

. The show ran for 120 performances in seven cities until February 27, 2011, with an estimated 150,000 spectators. Its music director and score composer was

Sugizo , born and better known by his stage name Sugizo, is a Japanese musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and violinist of the Rock music, rock band Luna Sea since 1989. Sugizo started his solo ...

. The original soundtrack was released on 14 May 2010 by Gordie Entertainment, while play's DVD recording in February 2011.

Legacy

Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture, Takahata joined Toei ...

said the warrior outfits in '' Pom Poko'' were inspired by Nemuri Kyoshiro. *The ''

Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...

'' anime has the character mimicking Nemuri Kyoshiro's sword technique at one point. *The titular character in the 2011 anime adaptation of ''

Dororon Enma-kun , also known as ''Satanikus!'', is a Japanese horror-comedy anime and manga series created by Go Nagai. It is one of Nagai's most famous works in Japan, although not very well known in the rest of the world. In 2006, it woul ...

'' also pulls off the move in episode 12. *The character named Kyoshiro in the manga "One piece" is named after Nemuri Kyoshiro.

References

External links

Nemuri Kyoshiro at imdb.com

Series liner notes at AnimEigo
(covers first five films)
An introduction to Sleepy Eyes of Death series at WildGrounds

Official Nemuri X Gackt Project Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nemuri Kyoshiro Jidaigeki films Samurai films Japanese film series Fictional samurai Japanese novels Seinen manga Shinchosha manga Daiei Film films Films directed by Tokuzō Tanaka