Ichirō Nakatani

The Notorious Bored Samurai 8 (1993)

The two ronin that Sawatari Mondonosuke saved were secret envoys from Ryukyu. They could not stand the tyranny of the Satsuma clan and were trying to appeal to the shogunate. But they were captured by someone afterwards. Mondonosuke's boredom bug started ...

Rainbow Kids (1991)

A wealthy matriarch is kidnapped by a gang of three. She is insulted by the amount of money they propose to demand as ransom, and a strange interchange of roles takes place. ...

The Story of Jiro (1987)

Adaptation of the classic masterpiece about the relationship between parents and their children. ...

Samon’s Hell Revenge: Unauthorised Jutte Records 3 (1983)

After three consecutive days of heavy rain, the water level at Sumida River rises and the newly built Eitai Bridge collapses just two years after its completion. Among the 20 victims is Okou, the lover of Yokichi, a member of the theatrical entertainment d ...

Tange Sazen: The Million Ryo Pot (1982)

Seeking revenge after a brutal attack that left him disfigured, a former assassin gets drawn into a high-stakes conflict over a valuable treasure. ...

Dojo Breaker (1982)

Tomisaburo Wakayama is back with a new take on the classic Yamamoto Shugoro masterpiece "Ame Agaru" as a samurai on the run with his bride who makes a living by challenging dojo masters to a match, then taking money from them to keep quiet about it. Stayin ...

Willful Murder (1981)

The president of the Japanese National Railways is found dead during a period in which train service is plagued by numerous layoffs, strikes and shutdowns. The government says that the president was murdered; the police claim it was a suicide. A quizzical ...

The Imperial Navy (1981)

A lavish retelling of the true story of the final voyage and ultimate destruction and sinking of the battleship Yamato, Japan's greatest flagship during the Second World War. ...

The Last Game (1979)

After the war-time government orders the disbanding of the Big-Six baseball league, the teams of Waseda and Keio universities play one final game before they are drafted into the armed forces and face the hardships of military service. ...

The Fixer (1979)

Political fixer Homei Yamaoka's misdeeds come to light, throwing Japanese politics into deadly confusion. But he's not going down without a fight. ...

Lord Mito (1978)

One of Japan's most popular historical characters, former Vice-Shogun Tokugawa Mitsukuni, whose travels around the nation are legendary has made it to the silver screen in a dynamic and exciting tale featuring megastar Toshiro Mifune as an expert swordsman ...

Blood Type: Blue (1978)

UFOs appear on Earth, and people who actually see them suddenly find that their blood has turned blue. Soon panic and hysteria result in the new "blue-bloods" being persecuted by the rest of mankind, and eventually certain all-too-familiar measures begin t ...

Dynamite Don-Don (1978)

Yakuza Gang War is at the height in North Kyūshū Area in the summer of 1950, particularly between the Okagen Group and the rising Hashiden Gang. Now with the mediation/interference of the Americans, they decide to settle it in a peaceful, *democratic* wa ...

Shogun's Samurai (1978)

Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga bec ...

Sugata Sanshiro (1977)

The story of Sanshiro Sugata, a young man who wants to learn the new art of judo. A wise teacher reveals to Sanshiro that judo is not merely a means of combat nor a demonstration of physical skill, but an art which reveals the artist to himself. ...

Hokuriku Proxy War (1977)

A Yakuza group from Osaka with dreams of national dominance moves into the snowy Hokuriku region, sparking a bloody turf war with local gangs. ...

New Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion (1976)

Once again we focus on Nami Matsushima. This time she has a sister who goes missing and after getting too caught up in doing something about it, our innocent heroine is given a fifteen year sentence for a murder she didn't commit. She's sent to an all wome ...

Human Revolution II (1976)

Dramatic story of one man trying to make a difference. ...

The Fossil (1975)

An industrialist is diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is abroad in Europe at the time, and a glimpse of a Japanese woman in that setting causes him to imagine her as the personification of his impending fate. As his dialogue with his imagined mortality co ...

Solar Eclipse (1975)

When bribe money from a rigged election funnels into a dam construction project, collusion, lust, greed and even murder are on the ballot. ...

Shimane Prison Riot (1975)

Japan, 1948: Hiroki Matsukata stars as a man facing a nine year prison sentence. He incites prisoners of Shimane Prison to the biggest riot in jail history. A fighter by heart, he sees a way out of any situation, but will he survive this, the gutsiest ass ...

Battle Cry (1975)

During the military phase of the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Sentaro joins a local militia loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate in order to fight Imperial troops. But Sentaro's friendship with a pickpocket, who switches sides whenever it suits his needs, leads t ...

New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 1 (1974)

Bunta Sugawara is Miyoshi, a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir, family member Aoki attempts to seize power from the boss, and Miyoshi finds himself stuck between the two factions with no honorabl ...

Sandakan No. 8 (1974)

A young journalist interviews an elderly woman about being forced into prostitution in Borneo at a brothel called Sandakan No. 8. ...

My Blood is the Blood of Others (1974)

The Homeless (1974)

Two inmates are simultaneously released from jail, but go their separate ways, only to cross paths again in the nearest brothel. There they make the acquaintance of a would-be prostitute. They help her escape and decide to guide her on her quest for sunken ...

Long Journey into Love (1973)

A beautifully told story of a woman hardened by marriage to a man she doesn't love, after giving herself to another. She dedicates herself to her work, designing and creating plaited cords for kimono. ...

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades (1972)

Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by Yakuza in order to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain. ...

Inn of Evil (1971)

In feudal Japan, when any commerce with the rest of the world is strictly prohibited, an idealist appears at an isolated inn, headquarters of smugglers with stolen money intended to ransom his loved one forced to work in a brothel. ...

The Battle of Okinawa (1971)

The Americans are swiftly closing on Okinawa, an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The Imperial command sends top generals and several army divisions to defend it at all costs. The mission quickly degenerates as vital resources and troops are div ...

Mysterious Thirteen Nights: Chapter 1 - Ghost Story at the Kagamigaike (1971)

First film of "Mysterious Thirteen Nights" series. ...

The Gift of the Fox (1971)

Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess (1971)

Reiko Oshida stars as a young wannabe gangster tough girl, just released from reform school. She tracks down one of her classmates fathers, who runs an auto repair shop that the local Yakuza are trying to force out of business and take over, and starts wor ...

Detective Story: A Brother's Rule (1971)

Iwabuchi of the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division cooperates with Kubo of the Foreign Affairs Division in re-investigating the case of a foreign drug addict's death at the request of Kubo. ...

Banner of the Young (1970)

The final part of the trilogy. It is about a younger brother, Suekichi. He learned well the lessons that life taught his older brothers. Therefore, he does not think to study, but strives for material well-being alone. To make a career, he ruthlessly pushe ...

The Militarists (1970)

This tremendous blockbuster hit from 1970, showing the rise to power of Tojo Hideki, is perhaps the most important film to come out of Japan since the 7 Samurai! Interspersed with actual footage dating back to the 1930's and throughout the Great Pacific Wa ...

Men and War I: Prelude to Destiny (1970)

The upstart Godai family conglomerate plans to strengthen ties with the hardliners in the Kwantung Army as they plan military expansion into Manchuria. ...

The Rokumeikan (1970)

TV drama based off the play of the same name by Yukio Mishima. ...

The Summit of Mt. Fuji (1970)

The Japanese government decides to install a radar on the top of Mt. Fuji, in order to detect typhoons as far as 800 km south of the Japanese archipelago, but the task will not be easy. ...

Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back (1970)

In Meiji Period Japan, the carrying of swords had been outlawed, so Shikai, the Killer Priest carries his sword disguised as a Priest?s staff. One of the strongest entries in the series, Shinkai is badly injured, and must face his worst enemy in what could ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 14: Fylfot Swordplay (1969)

Getting an opportunity to meet with another half-Caucasian swordsman, Kyoshiro finds himself involved in a series of dangerous encounters. ...

The Fort of Death (1969)

The second Bounty Hunter film, when master killer Shikoro Ichibei takes up the cause of a group of farmers being driven to despair by the vile Lord Ozeki. The villainous lord has driven them to mounting their last stand at a deserted fort against an army o ...

Shinsengumi: Assassins of Honor (1969)

Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the balance of power shifts from Shogunate towards the Emperor, Japan restlessly awaits the dawning of a new age. But not all are content...The Shinsengumi, a small army of samurai, farmers and peasants, band toge ...

Blood End (1969)

Sentaro is been severely beaten for his defiance of the government and the high taxes during a time of famine. He is befriended by Kada Gentaro, a leader in the Mito Tengu group, which plans to overthrow the shogunate. ...

Kanto Woman Fortitude (1969)

Tenchu! (1969)

A ronin desperately seeks a way out of financial straits; he allies with the Tosa clan under the ruthless leader Takechi, who quickly takes advantage. ...

Admiral Borneo: Betting at the Equator (1969)

Takeo (Kiniya Kitaoji), son of a wealthy car industry executive, is unhappy with his job and goes to Singapore to become a fisherman. At first ridiculed by the local fishermen, he eventually gets their respect but his rebel temper pushes him to find new ad ...

Samurai Banners (1969)

Kansuke Yamamoto is a samurai who dreams of a country united, peaceful from sea to sea. He enters the service of Takeda, the lord of Kai domain. He convinces Takeda to kill the lord of neighboring Suwa and take his wife as a concubine. He then convinces th ...

Outlaw: Black Dagger (1968)

A street war breaks loose between two rival gangs in the Kansai region of Japan. Goro is in the middle of action. Through a knife fight against Sueo, a high profile gangster from Busou-kai, Goro notices a familiar face approaching him from amidst the chaos ...

The Human Bullet (1968)

A soldier has been in the Japanese military for the entirety of WWII, and in that time, his dedication to the army has never faltered. However, as the war draws to a close, his commanding officers become increasingly desperate and push their men to ever mo ...

The Daring Nun (1968)

One of the nuns at Senjuan is Sister Shunko (Michiyo Yasuda). Unlike the usual nun, however, she often goes out to see the world, being of the opinion that nuns should not lead cloistered lives but should see something of modern life. She makes the acquain ...

Admiral Yamamoto (1968)

As Japan joins in a political pact with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is appointed supreme commander of the Japanese fleet. With Japan headed inexorably toward war, Yamamoto, despite his misgivings, believes the only possible vic ...

The Saga of Tanegashima (1968)

Well before "Shogun" as warring clans were fighting for power throughout Japan, a Portuguese vessel ran aground off Tanegashima. Lord Tokitaka helped Captain Pinto repair his ship. The grateful captain offered the lord a gift--a matchlock musket—the firs ...

A Story from Abashiri Prison—Duel in Snow Storm (1967)

Convict son revenges innocent father's death. ...

A Killer's Key (1967)

A lone wolf assassin, masquerading as a traditional dance instructor named Nitta, is called in to avert a potential financial scandal that threatens to engulf a powerful yakuza group with ties to influential figures in the political establishment. ...

Japan's Longest Day (1967)

Following the detonation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese military and the government clash over the demand from the Allies for unconditional surrender. Minister of the Army Anami leads the military officers who propose to fight ...

Samurai Wolf II (1967)

Kiba Okaminosuke finds himself entangled with a group of prisoners being transported to their executions, one of whom oddly looks exactly like his dead father. There are crooked gold miners, a beautiful girl who is unfortunately a complete lunatic and a do ...

Fearless Comrades (1966)

The first film in the Fearless Guy series. Kosuke was part of a huge organized crime group, but decided to leave after his best friend died a brutal death at the hands of the gang leader. He goes on a trip with a guitar in his hand and ends up in Yokohama. ...

Rub Out the Past (1966)

A lone wolf tries to eliminate a drug-smuggling operation. ...

The Front Line Showdown (1966)

The Betrayal (1966)

A naively honorable samurai comes to the bitter realization that his devotion to moral samurai principles makes him an oddity among his peers, and a very vulnerable oddity in consequence. He takes the blame for the misdeeds of others, with the understandin ...

Dianas of the Campus (1966)

By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him (1966)

Immigrant gangs terrorize a Japanese town with their threats, loud jazz, and tasteless fashion sense, and only the tough but suave Dr. Amamiya (Ando) can stop them, as long as he gets rid of his silly peace-loving ideals. ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 7: The Mask of the Princess (1966)

The masked daughter of the Shogun wants to kill a samurai who has seen her scarred face. She sends waves of ninja warriors to kill the samurai and plots diabolical schemes / ambushes without much success. ...

The Sword of Doom (1966)

Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It's a way of life that leads to madness. ...

Cash Calls Hell (1966)

Before leaving prison, Oida uncomfortably enters into an agreement with his cell mate: in exchange for a half-share of 30,000,000 yen, he is to assassinate three strangers given to him on a list. However, upon meeting his first potential victim, Oida has s ...

Prison Walls of Abashiri 3 (1965)

Upon returning to his hometown of Nagasaki, recently released prisoner Tachibana Shinichi must rejoin the Asahi gang family in order to pay back a past debt. Trouble brews when the rival gang that was responsible for sending him to prison learns of his ret ...

The Spy (1965)

Based on true events surrounding a Korean student who had entered Japan unlawfully and escaped illegal alien internment. ...

Prison Walls of Abashiri, Part 2 (1965)

Two convicts just released from prison find a green bauble filled with diamonds — and try to prove they didn't steal it. ...

Kwaidan (1965)

Taking its title from an archaic Japanese word meaning "ghost story," this anthology adapts four folk tales. A penniless samurai marries for money with tragic results. A man stranded in a blizzard is saved by Yuki the Snow Maiden, but his rescue comes at a ...

Black Strait (1964)

Newly out of prison after killing his boss' rival, Akio Maki is eager to move on and start a new life with the boss' daughter. However, the chains of the past are not so easily broken and Maki is soon ordered to kill again. ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 4: Sword of Seduction (1964)

A fugitive christian "saint" (female, of course!) and a sadistic drug-addled princess both have their eye on Kyoshiro. The fact that a bunch of ruthless smugglers also want him dead is the least of his problems! ...

Shingo's Final Duel (1964)

After Aoi Shingo, the illegitimate son of Shogun Yoshimune has gained prominence as the finest swordsman in the land, he tries to lead a peaceful life with his mother far away from the seat of government in Edo. Not wanting to inconvenience his father anym ...

Oh, Bomb! (1964)

During the mayoral election, two ex-prisoners decide to replace the lucky pen of an annoying candidate with a mini-bomb. ...

Fight of the Gamblers (1963)

Ryuji Oshima, a gambler, kills Saiga in self-defense, and considering himself unfit to lead men, secludes himself in a temple to atone for his misdeeds. At home, when his mother, the boss of a construction gang, bids for and gets the job of building the To ...

Moonshadow Ninja Scroll: Twenty-One Eyes (1963)

A wave of terror is threatening to unseat Shogun Yoshimune. Police stations are erupting into flames, convicts escaping from prison, houses robbed and vandalized, streets teeming with panicked citizens. Is Ijyuin Tanomo, highly-placed official of Owari cla ...

The Dragon Crest (1963)

A violent story of loyalty and revenge among the many "yakuza" or gambling groups in Japan. ...

Young Swordsman (1963)

This Japanese action-adventure is set in the 17th century when all forms of swordplay were banned. One fighter, an excellent swordsman believes the law is unfair. His brother keeps his opinions about the law to himself. The swordsman vents his frustration ...

Warring Clans (1963)

A brave, highly principled warrior resigns his post as a body guard to the head of a powerful clan after he learns that his employers have been smuggling arms to the enemy. The remaining samurai try in vain to coerce him back, but their efforts are thwarte ...

The Weed of Crime (1962)

Toho-produced crime drama involving the drug trade. ...

Operation Enemy Fort (1962)

Soldiers on the front lines in China during World War II are besieged by guerrilla attacks and attempt to destroy an enemy fort. ...

Local Reporter (1962)

Farm Girls (1962)

Japanese drama. ...

Harakiri (1962)

Down-on-his-luck veteran Tsugumo Hanshirō enters the courtyard of the prosperous House of Iyi. Unemployed, and with no family, he hopes to find a place to commit seppuku—and a worthy second to deliver the coup de grâce in his suicide ritual. The senior ...

Operation Sewer Rats (1962)

Towards the end of World War II, five men are tasked with freeing the son of a general from Chinese captivity. ...

A Woman's Identity (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

The Witness Killed (1961)

Japanese neo-noir crime drama movie directed by Jun Fukuda ...

A Man in Red (1961)

Takashi, who took the blame when his father shot a gangster, returns home after serving a four-year sentence, only to find it infested with yakuza running a dope ring. Battling gangsters all the way, Takashi searches for his former girlfriend, now a drug ...

Yojimbo (1961)

A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and ...

Obon, The Moll Dipper (1961)

Modern comedy, based on the popular manga. ...

Big Shots Die at Dawn (1961)

Grown up son arrives home to learn his father, the newly elected mayor, has been assassinated. So he journeys down a path to find the assassin and gets involved with two opposing yakuza gangs. ...

The Merciless Trap (1961)

Taut thriller about a too-perfect criminal case against an ex-convict that makes a nosy detective suspicious. ...

Blueprint of Murder (1961)

Yuzo Kayama plays the protagonist, a whale-hunting cannon manufactuing supervisor, whose brother is an automobile tester for Komatsu Motors which has a fatal accident. As his brother investigates the "Accident" with his old college friend (makoto Sato), no ...

The War Without Weapons (1960)

It's a story of the life of a man who advocated the necessity of sex education to children, which was unusual at the time, solely opposed to the amendment of the Peace Preservation Law, and was assassinated by a rightist prior to his opposition speech. ...

Westward Desperado (1960)

In this patriotic WW II drama, the Japanese army demonstrates its courage and willingness to do anything to win as they endeavor to sneak into Communist China to bring back the flag of a defeated enemy regiment. ...

Life of a Country Doctor (1960)

A skilled country doctor's talents are such that he can even perform operations as difficult and novel as removing a patient's kidney for the first time in Japan. Unfortunately for him, however, his wife's addiction to gambling is of such a magnitude that ...

The Blue Beast (1960)

The ruthless and ambitious Yasuhiko uses his charm to manipulate and exploit those around him to climb the corporate social ladder. After securing a position at a prestigious firm through deceit, he callously discards the women who helped him and embezzles ...

The Dangerous Kiss (1960)

Starring Akira Takarada as a lightweight boxing champion. ...

The Last Gunfight (1960)

Japanese police detective Saburo Fujioka is suspected of corruption, demoted, and sent to the city of Kojin. Kojin is the scene of fierce fighting between rival gangs. Fujioka is assigned to investigate the death of the wife of gangster Tetsuo Maruyama of ...

Desperado Outpost (1959)

When Sergeant Okubo's brother is murdered at a Japanese outpost in Northern China during the Second World War, Okubo poses as a war correspondent and seeks out his brother's killer. ...

Rodan (1956)

Mining engineer Shigeru investigates the disappearance and death of his fellow coworkers when prehistoric nymphs are discovered emerging from the mines. After an attack on the local village, Shigeru heads deeper into the mines only to make a more horrifyin ...

The Forest Is Alive (1956)

Film adaptation of the stage version of Samuil Marshak's "Twelve Months" ...

Rebels on the High Sea (1956)

A film by Hiroshi Inagaki. ...