Feature Film
The Last Samurai
2003
Filmed In
Taranaki · Auckland
Towns & Areas
Uruti Valley, Pukekura Park and Port Taranaki, near New Plymouth · Henderson Valley Studios, Auckland
The Story
A sweeping historical drama about an embittered American military officer who is captured by Samurai warriors in 19th-century Japan, ultimately embracing their code of honor.
The Stars
Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe. This pairing carries a story built almost entirely around Taranaki's uncanny resemblance to rural Japan.
Behind the Lens
Edward Zwick. Zwick has built much of his career on large-scale historical dramas set against real conflict.
Why NZ?
Mount Taranaki! The near-perfect volcanic cone of the Taranaki region bears an uncanny resemblance to Japan's Mount Fuji. Combined with the lush hillsides of the Uruti Valley, New Zealand provided the ultimate, tranquil backdrop for this deep dive into Edo-period Japan. On a clear day, the resemblance to Mount Fuji is close enough that it's become something of a standing joke locally. The resemblance between Taranaki and rural Japan remains one of the more striking examples of New Zealand doubling for another country entirely.
On Set
Tom Cruise trained for nearly two years and performed the majority of his own stunts. Ken Watanabe, playing Katsumoto, learned much of his English dialogue on set during filming and earned an Academy Award nomination for the role — a rare feat for an actor working partly in his second language. It remains one of the more unexpected doubling choices in the country's film history.
Legacy
The film drew on real 19th-century Japanese history, loosely inspired by the Satsuma Rebellion, and earned four Academy Award nominations including Best Supporting Actor for Ken Watanabe.
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