| abstract | - Roughly equivalent to 'Feudal Japan', any series set before (or around the beginning of) the Meiji era when the Shoguns were deposed. The time subdivisions most often found in Japanese media include the Sengoku period (the "Warring States" era of civil war, from about 1467-1573), the Edo period (after Japan was united under the Tokugawa shogunate, 1603-1868), and the Bakumatsu/early Meiji era (see above). Think Akira Kurosawa. Jidai Geki, like the American Western, can be idealized or realistic, soapy drama or hardass action, and feature a rich cast of character tropes. Jidai Geki that emphasize swordplay are often referred to as chanbara, especially the live-action movies, and counted on for lots of hot Samurai action (Ninja, Ronin, and Yakuza are also frequent players). Though it may seem American and European directors have been pilfering borrowing these conventions -- sometimes whole plots -- for years, Jidai Geki pieces have long borrowed in equal measure from westerns and noir; Kurosawa himself was known to be a fan of director John Ford. George Lucas took some inspiration from this cross-pollination while writing Star Wars -- guess where he got the word "Jedi". A subtrope of Period Piece. Some notable historical names that have been originating from this era includes:
* Genpei War:
* Minamoto no Yoritomo
* Minamoto no Yoshitsune
* Saito no Yosashibo Benkei
* Taira no Kiyomori
* Tomoe Gozen
* Sengoku period:
* Oda Nobunaga
* Toyotomi Hideyoshi
* Tokugawa Ieyasu
* Akechi Mitsuhide
* Date Masamune
* Fuuma Kotaro
* Hattori Hanzo
* Honda Tadakatsu
* Imagawa Yoshimoto
* Ishida Mitsunari
* Ishikawa Goemon
* Miyamoto Musashi
* Mouri Motonari
* Sanada Yukimura
* Sasaki Kojiro
* Takeda Shingen
* Uesugi Kenshin
* Yagyu Jubei
* Edo period:
* Amakusa Shiro
* The Forty-seven Ronin
* Bakumatsu period:
* Saigo Takamori
* Sakamoto Ryoma
* Sarutobi Sasuke
* The Shinsengumi Examples of shows taking place in this era:
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