The Bushido Blade

The Bushido Blade
Directed by
Produced by	Jules Bass (executive producer) Benni Korzen, Masaki Îzuka (associate producer) Arthur Rankin, Jr. (producer)
Written by	William Overgard
Starring	Sonny Chiba Frank Converse
Music by	Maury Laws
Cinematography	Shôji Ueda
Edited by	Yoshitami Kuroiwa Anne V. Coates (sup)
Production company	Rankin/Bass Trident Films
Distributed by	Aquarius Releasing Saguenay Films
Release date	1981
Running time	104 min.
Country	United Kingdom United States
Language	English / Japanese

The Bushido Blade is a 1981 film, directed by . Sonny Chiba, Toshiro Mifune, Mako, Laura Gemser and James Earl Jones appear in this movie. This was Richard Boone's last film appearance.

The basic plot concept bears a strong similarity to the earlier movie Red Sun (1971), also featuring Toshiro Mifune.

Bushido Blade is a fictional sideline to the true events surrounding the treaty Commodore Matthew Perry signed with the Shogun of feudal Japan. The samurai sword entrusted to Commodore Perry for President Franklin Pierce of the United States by the Emperor of Japan is stolen by factions wishing to maintain Japanese isolationism. The sword is stolen by Baron Zen who is a servant of Lord Yamato who opposes the Convention of Kanagawa about to be signed.

Commodore Akira Hayashi is told to recover the sword and, as a matter of honor, not sign the treaty until it is recovered. Prince Ido has received Hayashi's order to regain the sword and goes to the castle of Yamato alone. Similarly, Perry has ordered Captain Lawrence Hawk to retrieve the sword. Hawk brings Midshipman Robin Gurr and Crew Bos'm Cave Johnson. The three get separated and the movie centers on their stories.