What is "jidaigeki"

n. 1 (context uncountable English) A genre of film and television in Japan based on the Edo period of Japanese history which was from 1600 to 1868 (C.E.), showing the lives of samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of this time. 2 (context countable rare English) A film or programme of this kind.

is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally " period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier— Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. Jidaigeki show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. Jidaigeki films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of jidaigeki. Jidaigeki rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines.