is a
genre of
film,
television, 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.