---
title: "Sansho the Bailiff"
year: 1954
canonical_url: "https://www.archytele.com/show/sansho-the-bailiff-1954"
media_type: "movie"
tmdb_id: 20532
imdb_id: null
status: "Released"
runtime_minutes: 124
community_rating: 8.1
vote_count: 0
content_rating: "Unrated"
---

# Sansho the Bailiff (1954) — Television & Cinema Intelligence Dossier

> **Archytele Living Vault Canonical Record**: https://www.archytele.com/show/sansho-the-bailiff-1954

## Executive Summary & Cultural Positioning

Sansho the Bailiff is a film first released in 1954. Catalogued under Drama. Produced and broadcast by Daiei Film. Current status: Released.

## The Hook & The Verdict

**The Hook**: "An exiled governor's family is torn apart by slave traders in feudal Japan."

### Why Watch
- Engaging historical setting
- Emotional family drama

### Caveats & Content Note
- Depicts brutal servitude
- Heavy and somber tone
- Tone & Suitability: The film contains depictions of brutal servitude and family separation.

**Micro-Themes & Vibe Matrix**: dramatic, historical, somber

## Streaming Availability Matrix

Direct streaming licensing updates dynamically. Consult the live tracking interface at https://www.archytele.com/show/sansho-the-bailiff-1954#watch.

## Creative Credits

- **Directed by**: Kenji Mizoguchi
- **Networks / Studios**: Daiei Film

## Key Cast Continuity

- **Kinuyo Tanaka** as *Tamaki*
- **Yoshiaki Hanayagi** as *Zushiô*
- **Kyōko Kagawa** as *Anju*
- **Eitarō Shindō** as *Sanshô dayû*
- **Ichirō Sugai** as *Minister of Justice*
- **Bontarō Miake** as *Kichiji*
- **Yōko Kozono** as *Kohagi*
- **Chieko Naniwa** as *Ubatake*
- **Kikue Mōri** as *Priestess*
- **Ken Mitsuda** as *Prime Minister Fujiwara*

## Canonical Frequently Asked Questions

### Q: When is the film set?
The film is set in 11th-century feudal Japan.

### Q: Who are the main children in the story?
The children are Zushio and Anju.

### Q: What happens to the family?
Following the exile of the governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders.

### Q: Who do the children get sold to?
The children are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho.

### Q: What genre is the film?
The film is a drama.

## Grounded Source Citations

- [Sansho the Bailiff — The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/20532)

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*Generated by Archytele Open Intelligence Systems. Data verified against TMDB and JustWatch APIs.*