Backdrop

Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire

IMDb 9.5 2004 165 min DocumentaryWar & Politics

Director

Lyn Goldfarb

Country

US

Plot Summary

Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans—all were part of the Japanese “renaissance”; a period between the 16th and 19th Centuries when Japan went from chaos and violence to a land of ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land closed to the Western world, ruled by the Shogun under his absolute power and control. Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West, and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world.

Top Cast

Luke S. Roberts
Luke S. Roberts Himself - UC Santa Barbera
Richard Chamberlain
Richard Chamberlain Narrator
Michael Auslin
Michael Auslin Himself - Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Michael Cooper
Michael Cooper Himself - Former Editor, 'Monumenta Nipponica'
Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey
Beatrice M. Bodart-Bailey Herself - Otsuma Women's University