Hiroshi Kanbe

Mom, Is That You?! (2023)

Akio, an HR worker, visits his transformed mother Fukue in Tokyo. Baffled by her new lively self, he encounters a friendly neighbor. Through these interactions, Akio gains new perspectives, noticing overlooked aspects of life. ...

Nebagiba New World (2021)

A former boxing gym owner and his younger brother rise up to help a boy and his teacher's daughter from a vicious religious group that preys on good people. ...

Ura Aka: L'Aventure (2021)

Machiko can't shake the feeling of emptiness in her day-to-day life as a manager of a clothing store in Aoyama, Tokyo. One day, the casual words of Sayaka, a younger and charismatic store staff, stirs Machiko into creating a secret... ...

blank13 (2018)

Thirteen years after abandoning his wife and two sons by stepping out for a pack of cigarettes and never returning, deadbeat gambler Masato dies of stomach cancer. At his funeral, a motley crew of fellow mahjong players, pachinko parlor employees and forme ...

Hoshi Meguri no Machi (2018)

An old widower who lives with his two daughter runs a tofu store,one day a distant relative comes to his home looking to heal his wounded heart after losing his family in the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami ...

Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura (2017)

Set in an alternate universe, the ancient capital of Kamakura is a vibrant town where fantastical creatures live alongside humans. Akiko is a cheerful publishing assistant who moves into town after marrying Masakazu, a popular mystery writer. Akiko is surp ...

Samurai Hustle Returns (2016)

Masaatsu Naito successfully completes Sankin-kotai (required ritual to visit the shogun). On his way home, he hears that an insurrection by peasants has taken place in his hometown of Yunagaya. Masaatsu Naito knows that it is a counterattack by Matsudaira. ...

Even Though I Don't Like It (2016)

Mixed-up model and bar hostess Kotoko sleeps with her coworker Genki, but can't seem to let herself sleep with the guy she really likes. ...

ANOHITO -THE ONE- (2016)

Four young soldiers raise the orphaned son of their commanding officer. As they each decide to go working in munitions factories, it is up to four women to take care of the boy as they wait for the men to return. ...

Thermae Romae (2012)

The story follows a Roman architect named Lucius, who is having trouble coming up with ideas. One day, he discovers a hidden tunnel underneath a spa that leads him to a modern Japanese bath house. Inspired by the innovations found there, he creates his own ...

Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 (2012)

As the Tokyo Olympics usher in a wave of rapid modernisation, the residents of Third Street face new beginnings as Mutsuko becomes involved with a seemingly perfect young doctor who may not be all he appears, while Chagawa struggles with his stalled writin ...

Our Stardust Dance (2011)

A drab middle-aged man with thoughts of committing suicide and an extraordinary child prodigy plan a fake kidnap in exchange for a ransom of 10 billion yen. ...

Kirato Saw Honorable Death With No Surrender ~ Mizuki Shigeru's War (2008)

Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (2007)

A year has passed in postwar Tokyo, and struggling writer Chagawa enters the Akutagawa Prize competition in hopes of securing a better future for the boy in his care, while the Suzuki family unexpectedly take in a new relative who looks down on their humbl ...

Always - Sunset on Third Street (2005)

In 1958 postwar Tokyo, the residents of a humble Third Street neighbourhood struggle, dream, and grow together as rapid modernisation transforms their lives beneath the shadow of the newly rising Tokyo Tower. ...

Fly, Daddy, Fly (2005)

Suzuki's world is shattered when his teenage daughter is brutally attacked. The assailant, Ishihara, son of a politician, brazenly mocks Suzuki as he throws him cover-up money. Angry, Suzuki finds he has no answer to Ishihara and in venting his anger, lose ...

The Hidden Blade (2004)

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest frien ...

Aiki (2002)

When a promising young boxer is crippled in a car accident, he falls into a life of dissipation and depression. No boxing ring or martial arts club will take him on -- that is, until an aiki jujitsu master helps the young man develop techniques uniquely ta ...

The Twilight Samurai (2002)

Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomo ...

As the River Flows (2000)

2000 live-action Japanese film. ...

Birdcage of Horrors (1999)

A murder mystery told in one-minute clips — one for each day of the year — filmed specifically for the SEGA Dreamcast console. It tells the story of Nao Tsunoda, a 16-year-old schoolgirl who moves to Tokyo's Grauenheim apartment complex. One day, Nao's ...

Samurai Fiction (1998)

A warrior-in-training and his bumbling friends go in pursuit of a stolen sword. ...

Give It All (1998)

Etsuko – a typical Japanese high school student, who's unlucky in love, an academic failure, and plain bored with life. That's until one day, the view of a boat gliding gracefully in the sea inspires her to take up the oar. Since she's rejected by her sc ...

The Rainbow Seeker 2 (1997)

Sequel to The Rainbow Seeker where Ryo meets Katsu on a small island in the south of Japan. There, he falls in love for a single mother. ...

The Rainbow Seeker (1996)

A young man fails his company entrance exams and leaves home to work at a run-down cinema in Tokushima, whose owner lives to bring entertaining films to the residents of his small town. ...

A Class to Remember II (1996)

The story follows the teacher and students of the Ryubetsu Handicapped High School. ...

Kagerô 2 (1996)

An entertainment drama depicting the conflict of yakuza, centering on the female torso and her sister's feud. ...

Love Letter (1995)

Hiroko attends the memorial service of her fiancé, Itsuki Fujii, who died in a mountain-climbing incident. Although Itsuki's mother says that their old house is gone, Hiroko records the address listed under his name in his yearbook and sends him a letter. ...

Tora-san's Matchmaker (1993)

After failing to find a job, Mitsuo becomes a fisherman on a small island, and develops a crush on a young nurse there. Tora-san, dispatched to bring Mitsuo back home, himself falls in love with an attractive but troubled woman visiting her father. ...

A Class to Remember (1993)

A cantankerous but loveable high school teacher teaches a night school in a poor neighborhood for adult students on the fringes of Japanese society. ...

Nowhere Man (1991)

Sukezo, a former manga comic artist, takes up the art rock business by setting up a shop in a shed by the river. He tries hard to be successful, but business does not go well and the family becomes progressively poorer. ...

Until the End of the World (1991)

In 1999, a woman's life is forever changed after she survives a car crash with two bank robbers, who enlist her help to take the money to a drop in Paris. On the way, she runs into another fugitive from the law — an American doctor on the run from the CI ...