Isuzu Yamada

Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create: 'Throne of Blood' (2002)

Documentary made by Toho for the Masterworks reissue of all of its Kurosawa films. This one focuses on "Throne of Blood" (1957). ...

Kurosawa (2000)

Documentary on film maker Akira Kurosawa ...

Sure Death! Brown, You Bounder! (1985)

When the Shogunates greatest secret is stolen, the fate of the nation hangs in the balance. The Shogunate sends an incompetent cop, Tanaka, to Kyoto to act as a stalking horse. Hoping the thieves will kill Tanaka and the Ninja Spies will kill the thieves. ...

Sure Death (1984)

A group of seemingly ordinary merchants is really a band of assassins for hire. When they discover that all the assassins in Edo are being killed they must act quickly to find the culprit. ...

Suspicion (1982)

A car going at 25 mph plunges into the sea at Shinko Harbour, Toyama prefecture. Inside is the local business magnate Fukutaro Shirakawa, who perishes. Riding alongside him and surviving unhurt is his second wife, Kumako. It soon comes to light that Kumako ...

Arashi Tatsunari (1982)

Can a woman love two men at the same time? Set against the backdrop of Kyoto's rich history, this story depicts a woman's difficult choice for love. Ayako, played by Yukiyo Toake, is an international conference coordinator. Torn between her childhood sweet ...

Japanese Ghost Story Masterpiece Theater: The Ghost of Yotsuya (1979)

Iemon Fukasawa, a masterless samurai, marries Oiwa but is repulsed by a dark mark on her face. He descends into alcoholism and starts an affair with O-hana, a maid carrying another man's child. Together, they conspire to poison Oiwa, killing her and dispos ...

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 ...

Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director (1975)

In 39 interviews with actors and actresses, writers, producers and staff members, interspersed with film excerpts and stills, Shindō recounts the life and career of his friend and mentor Mizoguchi. ...

Woman Boss (1970)

The Body (1962)

The sexual experiences of the passionate Sakiko, from her fling with her boss in her first job to her ending up as a prostitute. ...

The Great Wall (1962)

In 221 BC, Qin Shihuangdi conquered the rest of China. Qin's great accomplishments and also his serious faults are showed in this film. Qin adopted autocratic dictatorship and led a luxurious life: abolition of feudalism and the centralization of power in ...

365 Nights (1962)

A touching drama about a love triangle between a young architect, Koroku, and two women, Ranko and Teruko. Ranko comes from a wealthy family and is offering to repay Koroku's family debts in exchange for marriage, but Koroku is in love with his landlord's ...

Glory on the Summit (1962)

A treasury official passed over for promotion and obsessed with careerism interferes in the lives of his three sons, who seek escape from his relentless pressure in the mortal danger of mountain climbing. ...

Four Sisters (1962)

A story about the lives of four sisters and their manipulative mother who must come to terms with each of their decisions in life. ...

Buddha (1961)

An Indian prince leaves his world of comfort and riches behind to wander and meditate for six years in search of spiritual enlightenment. Siddartha (Cojoin Hong) turns his back on the old religion when people are starving needlessly and holy rituals includ ...

Case of a Young Lord 9: Black Camellia (1961)

Escaping the hustle and bustle of Edo, the Young Lord came to Oshima Island in Izu to take a vacation. Unexpectedly, the island's boss, Amimoto, was brutally murdered with a harpoon. As usual, the Young Lord sets out to solve the case. However, most of the ...

The Orphan Brother (1961)

After their father quarrels with local military men, Anju and Zushio are forced to flee, but they are captured and sold into slavery. When their mother dies, they are sold to Sansho the Bailiff, a cruel man who subjects them to hideous torments. While Anju ...

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 ...

The Shrikes (1961)

I Love Money More Than Anybody (1961)

Japanese comedy film. ...

Daredevil in the Castle (1961)

During the raging war between the Toyotomi and Tokugawa clans, the swordsman Mohei (whose family has been completely decimated) is recruited by Toyotomi to overcome the seat of power, Osaka Castle. Mohei's daredevil skills will be put to severe tests. ...

Deep River Melody (1960)

A poignant story about a young couple, Setsu and Chozo, who are torn apart to save Setsu's father's restaurant. ...

Onatsu Detective Case: Mad Slasher (1960)

Japanese crime film ...

The Lovelorn Geisha (1960)

A woman and her daughter are in love with the same man, a chef at the restaurant that the mother manages. He is slightly crippled from frostbite in his years in Siberian labor camps and considers himself 'already dead'. ...

Hanjiro of Kusama: Bird of Passage (1960)

A kindhearted wandering gambler named Hajiro gets involved in a crisis of a village as he passes through and decides to lend a sword in hopes to rescue them. ...

Bonchi (1960)

Kikuji is the scion of an Osaka merchant family whose traditional power is matrilineal. Instructed by his overbearing mother and grandmother to give them an heiress for the family business, he stands by helplessly as his wife is thrown out of the house for ...

Secret (1960)

No overview found. ...

Goodbye to Glory (1960)

A story of an ardent young man who laid down his life for his country. ...

Mission Accomplished (1960)

Princess Sen in Edo (1960)

A gorgeous tragic love picture scroll depicting a beautiful woman who weeps over her strange fate and falters in her search for true love! ...

Pineapple Butai (1959)

The story of the role played by Japanese-American soldiers from Hawaii in the Korean War of the 1950s. ...

Love in the Mountains (1959)

A mother and her daughter who run a quiet mountain hotel, and guests who visit the hotel. A girl who does not know what a broken heart is, the attractive joy of first love, and separation is like parting with life. The mother-daughter duet with Isuzu Yamad ...

The Hidden Treasure (1959)

Shochiku's commemorative 3000th film production; a suspenseful period drama. ...

The Days of Evil Women (1958)

The common-law wife and daughter of a wealthy old man plot to murder him and steal his fortune, with the help of their male acquaintances. ...

The Spell of the Hidden Gold (1958)

Historical drama about a sleepy-eyed ronin. ...

The Undefeated Woman (1958)

The Undefeated Woman ...

Taikoki - The Saga of Hideyoshi (1958)

From birth Hideyoshi was a restless, defiant spirit--a child of the poorest of the poor. Cast out of his peasant cottage, he would live by his wits, driven by his burning ambition to become a samurai and to find a warlord worth pledging his sword to. This ...

The Shop Curtain (1958)

The lives of a family of kelp (kombu) merchants in Osaka across three generations, spanning from the Meiji era through the aftermath of World War II. ...

The Seasons of Love (1958)

A family is slowly falling apart: the father is absent from the start, the mother a kept woman thanks to her children, the son is being cheated on by his wife, one daughter is forced to marry an older man against her will, while the other has retreated int ...

A Boy and Three Mothers (1958)

Down Town (1957)

A woman struggles to raise her young son on her own in postwar Japan, finding companionship with a kind laborer while still hoping for the return of her missing husband. ...

Black River (1957)

A love triangle develops between a benevolent student, his innocent girlfriend, and a cruel petty criminal, all as a point of diagnosis of a social disease that had Japan slowly succumbing to lawlessness during the post-War era. ...

The Lower Depths (1957)

Residents of a rundown boardinghouse in 19th-century Japan, including a mysterious old man and an aging actor, get drawn into a love triangle that turns violent. When amoral thief Sutekichi breaks off his affair with landlady Osugi to romance her younger s ...

A Matter of Valour (1957)

Chushingura has been made into a movie several times before, but this time it will be presented in a widescreen version with all natural colors and a new look. Written by Masato Ide and directed by Tatsuo Osone. This is a magnificent scroll of images that ...

Tokyo Twilight (1957)

Two sisters find out the existence of their long-lost mother, but the younger cannot accept the fact that she was abandoned as a child. ...

The Horse Boy (1957)

A humble page fathers a child by the daughter of a clan official and is banished. Years later, the child, now a stable boy, is reunited with his father, but feudal codes threaten their happiness. Uchida's poignant masterpiece condemns the inflexible class ...

Throne of Blood (1957)

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit' ...

Flowing (1956)

Otsuta is running the geisha house Tsuta in Tokyo. Her business is heavily in debt. Her daughter Katsuyo doesn't see any future in her mother's trade in the late days of geisha. But Otsuta will not give up. This film portrays the day time life of geisha wh ...

Shozo, a Cat and Two Women (1956)

Shozo is plagued by the needs of his ex-wife and his current one, but prefers the company of his cat. ...

How Sorrowful (1956)

The story of a novelist whose wife is confined in a mental hospital. His love for her drives him to write about her, though he runs into trouble when her parents accuse him of cashing in on her misfortune. ...

Farewell to Dream (1956)

A coming-of-age story portrayed as the loss of all youthful illusions. Sixteen-year-old Yoichi dreams of becoming a sailor. His parents are fishmongers, and Yoichi lives together with them and his four siblings in cramped living conditions. His beloved you ...

Namida no hanamichi (1956)

Nakamura Yukinojō, Edo's most popular actor, discovered that his parent's enemy, Ohara Genba, had changed his name to Isshiki Kurōnosuke and become a hatamoto, a direct retainer of the shogun. Yukinojō's younger brother, Shingorō, traveling to Edo from ...

Ishigassen (1955)

Across the Inagawa River that runs through the center of the village, the children of the two villages scrambled for a swimming pool, and each time a stone battle took place. Takemaru, the only son of the priesthood of Tada Shrine, was weak and was always ...

Such is Life (1955)

Japanese drama film. ...

Christ in Bronze (1955)

Christian converts face persecution in the feudal society of 17th century Japan. ...

Minamoto Yoshitsune (1955)

A historical scroll depicting the story of the tragic fate of the young samurai Minamoto Yoshitsune, based on the novel by Genzo Murakami. The action of the first part takes place in the late Heian period, when the Taira clan came to power, and Genji was o ...

If Indeed One Loves (1955)

The film consists of three short stories. Tomiko, the heroine of the first story, "The Flower Girl" (dir. Kozaburo Yoshimura), is a little girl who bears the unbearable burden of caring for her family. Tomiko's father has been unable to find work for a lon ...

Growing Up (1955)

A boy falls in love with a girl. Neither of them know that she's to be sold to a brothel. ...

The Big Ambition (1955)

Chutaro of Banba (1955)

Based on the play "Mabuta no haha" by famed author Shin Hasegawa, this is the first major starring role for Tomisaburo Wakayama. This heartfelt story concerns a wandering gambler from Banba by the name of Chutaro. Set during the Tenpo Period, Chutaro runs ...

Burden of Love (1955)

The female members of the family of the Minister of Health and Welfare, who has just proposed a program of birth control, become pregnant one after the other. ...

Three Loves (1954)

In a mountain village, Heita, a translator's son, is a gifted boy but is shunned by the villagers. He can imitate birds' cry and befriends another boy who works in a brewery. Heita also finds solace in the village pastor Yasugi and his teacher Michiko, but ...

A Billionaire (1954)

An ethical, young tax collector new to his area encounters increasingly absurd individuals and groups coping with their post-war woes. ...

Hirate Miki the Swordman (1954)

The man is chased by losing the beauty and preciousness of love and the foundation of life without overcoming the hardship of life. ...

Chushingura (1954)

Hiroshima (1953)

Historical fiction about the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on 6 August 1945, and its effects on various civilians, especially children, of that city. ...

Wild Lion (1953)

A gripping historical drama that follows the explosive growth of Katsu Kaishu, the hero of the Meiji era, and the interesting human image of his father, Kokichi, who lived for the common people, his neighbors and his children. A film about paternal and mat ...

At the End of the Clouds (1953)

A movie that depicts the tragic fate of many Yokaren flight-academy pilots. ...

Miniature (1953)

Ginko, a poor cobbler's daughter, becomes a geisha to support her family. She passes from one geisha house to the next, trying to find love and hope in the process. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't escape her sad fate. ...

A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land (1953)

Onna Hitori Daichi wo Yuku (A Lonely Woman in a Lonely Land, Kinuta Production, 1953) was the second feature film directed by Kamei Fumio, who is known as a master of documentary films, and followed his "Haha Nareba Onna Nareba(Become a Mother, Become a Wo ...

Modern People (1952)

A section chief at the Bureau of Construction is in a shady relationship with a construction company. Then a new, young and honest subordinate is assigned to work under the section chief. Once he learns about the shady relationship, however, the new subord ...

Tsukigata Hanpeita (1952)

During the ultra-violent era of the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate one man rose above the rest with his ideas of how to overthrow the corrupt government and end the bloodshed between the Choshu and Satsuma clans which would ultimately lead to the allia ...

Devil’s Statue (1952)

A gallant swordsman takes on the forces of evil with the help of his trusty friends. ...

Castle of Revenge (1952)

The film vividly shows the misadventures of Oishi Kuranosuke and the human dramas inside the castle, which lead to the surrender of Ako Castle after seppuku by its lord Asano Takumi-no-kami and the termination of his family's power. This is the first film ...

The Stand in Hakone (1952)

A period film about a peasant revolt in the region near Mount Fuji, occasioned by high officials' depriving the farmers of their water rights. ...

Become a Mother, Become a Woman (1952)

Satsuma-bikyaku (1951)

Five Men of Edo (1951)

During the 17th Century roving bands of hatamoto were causing trouble in the new capital city of Edo and constantly fought with the townspeople at every turn. The leader of these ruthless samruai was Mizuno Jirozaemon, who despite his high rank was in deep ...

Fireworks Over the Sea (1951)

A fishing union depends on two brothers to make up the losses caused by the dishonest captains they replaced. ...

Kurama Tengu: Acrobat in a lion mask (1951)

Two child performers lose their money, but are saved by the masked avenger Kurama Tengu. When the children return the favor in foiling an attempt on the hero's life, they find themselves in need of protection once again... ...

Home Sweet Home (1951)

The Ueki family may not be wealthy, but smiles are never in short supply. The father is awarded prize money for 25 years of service to his workplace, but has it stolen on the way home from the ceremony... ...

The Killing of Otsuya (1951)

The Inner Palace Conspiracy (1951)

A period mystery in which an unconventional priest exposes the truth behind the bizarre death of a maid in the shogun's harem. Kinuyo Tanaka stylishly plays a constantly intoxicated geisha in this all-star entertainment film. ...

A Man from Akagi (1950)

Fencing Master (1950)

Swordfighting instructor Danpei works at a local theater in Tokyo, instructing the actors how to fight realistically. ...

A Mother's Love (1950)

A bar girl tries to pass her three children, each from a different father, to rural relatives. ...

The Motherland Far Far Away (1950)

Directed by Daisuke Itō. ...

Zoku kagebōshi ryūkoaiutsutsu (1950)

A continuation of the prior film (影法師). ...

Kagebōshi (1950)

On the night the shogunate's treasury was breached, the guard Utsugi had already been taken down. His colleague Ryunosuke felt responsible and decided to catch the culprit, not only for the sake of the beautiful wife of Utsugi, Chika, but also for his own ...

Actress (1947)

During the late Meiji period, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Sumako, a country girl, becomes a great actress with the help of Hogetsu, a scholar who brought European realism to the Japanese stage. The relationship leads to the end of his marria ...

Lord for a Night (1946)

In 1887, two businessmen, Echigo-ya and Kitahara, compete for railroad construction authorization from the government. The minister states that a local noble must not object, and his missing younger brother is the only one who could sway him. Meanwhile, Om ...

The Famous Sword Bijomaru (1945)

In 19th-century Japan, a young swordsmith is determined to make the best sword possible after an inferior one he made indirectly led to the death of his guardian. ...

Until Victory Day (1945)

An Invention laboratory is working on the creation of a performance 'bomb' in the shape of a rocket that could be delivered to the front in order to entertain and amuse the national troops. Inside this rocket would be tiny performers. Once launched from th ...

Four Marriages (1944)

Based on a short story by Dazai Osamu, produced under the national film law. The film's hero falls in love with the youngest daughter of a family he is visiting to arrange an engagement for his friend who has been drafted to fight in the war. ...

The Way of Drama (1944)

The Way of Drama unfolds in the world of kabuki in Osaka, but also addresses the politics of popular culture and the rivalry between theatrical styles like those used by amateur actors to dramatise contemporary events. ...

Ongaku dai-shingun (1943)

A 1943 film. ...

The Song Lantern (1943)

A self-absorbed young actor humiliates an elderly Noh performer, who then commits suicide. His act of cruelty compels his father to disown him, leading the once promising actor to a life on the streets. But his desire to win back the respect of his father ...

Kantaro of Ina (1943)

War-time jidaigeki by Eisuke Takizawa. ...

Onna keizu (1942)

1942 adaptation of Izumi Kyoka's novel. ...

The Man Who Waited (1942)

A bizarre murder at a hot springs resort threatens to disrupt an Edo detective's (Hasegawa) vacation. When his hot-blooded wife (Yamada) starts snooping around, however, he finds himself reluctantly drawn in to the case. ...

Musashibo Benkei (1942)

A 1942 Jidaigeki by the veteran jidaigeki filmmaker Kunio Watanabe about the legendary warrior Musashibo Benkei with Hideko Takamine portraying Minamoto no Yoshitsune (who is, of course, a man). The film climaxes in the famous encounter/fight btw Benkei ...

The Battle of Kawanakajima (1941)

This epic depicts the battle between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. The focus of the story is the struggle by the unit leader in charge of the main supply wagons and the supply troops to transport materiel to the Uesugi army. To this are added episodes ...

Schoolgirl Records (1941)

A "slice-of life" film about a group of high school girls in 1940s Japan. ...

Yukiko and Natsuyo (1941)

Adaptation of a novel by Nobuko Yoshiya that was serialized in "Shufu no tomo" between 1939 and 1940. ...

Shanghai Moon (1941)

In 1937 fighting erupted between Japanese and Chinese troops at the Marco Polo Bridge. A team of Japanese spies broadcasting radio programs to promote pro-Japanese sentiment were searching for a Chinese speaking announcer. Only 53 minutes of the film survi ...

The Man Who Disappeared Yesterday (1941)

Feature film. ...

The Snake Princess (1940)

When Sentarô's father is killed by a drunken samurai, Sentarô avenges him. His deed puts him on the run and leaves his sister behind. While running from both the authorities and the assassins, Sentarô meets with the beautiful travelling-actress Oshima w ...

Keshô yuki (1940)

Shinpen Tange Sazen: Sekigan no maki (1939)

Another adaptation of Tange Sazen. ...

The Day Before (1939)

A forceful indictment of the devastating effects of war and nationalistic fanaticism on the average man, who, in the face of the absurdity of violence, is reduced to apathy or victimhood. ...

The Fighting Firemen (1939)

Kichigoro, a firefighter from the Maeda family of the Kaga Principality, rescues Oshimo, the younger sister of Jirokichi, a city firefighter from the Ha-gumi group, from a samurai who is trying to kidnap her. Oshimo has feelings for Kichigoro. At this mome ...

Ichiyo Higuchi (1939)

Japanese film based on the life of writer Ichiyo Higuchi (1872-1896). ...

Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro (1938)

Mr. Tsurujiro is a Japanese folk singer assisted by Ms. Tsuruhachi on the shamisen. The pair is popular, but he often nitpicks her music and so they split. She marries a benefactor, but after a joint show, feels music is above marriage. ...

The Siege of Osaka (1937)

The Siege of Osaka ...

Sisters of the Gion (1936)

A geisha in the Gion district of Kyoto feels obliged to help her lover when he asks to stay with her after going bankrupt and leaving his wife. However, her younger sister opposes this, thinking that they should both find wealthy patrons to support them. ...

Osaka Elegy (1936)

Ayako becomes the mistress of her boss in order to pay her father's debt and prevent him from going to prison for embezzlement. ...

Miss Okichi (1935)

Okichi, a woman trapped in a criminal scheme by two con men, finds her life of deception threatened when she unexpectedly falls in love with the son of a wealthy merchant. ...

Oyuki the Virgin (1935)

When a civil war threatens to break out, two geishas flee from their village with aristocrats. During the long journey, the socially inferior women prove to be morally superior to their betters. ...

The Comb of Oroku (1935)

Once a wealthy local land owner, Toranosuke has long since fallen on hard times. Social ostracism befalls those who neglect communal duties and Toranosuke's life goes down hill by being exiled from the village. The story evolves around brother and sister U ...

The Downfall of Osen (1935)

In Tokyo, Osen is the servant girl of an unscrupulous antiques dealer, Kumazawa, who takes in the penniless Sokichi Hata. Kumazawa mistreats Sokichi and Osen, while swindling some Buddhist monks out of their temple treasures. When Kumazawa is arrested, Ose ...

Happy Daughter (1934)

The Elegant Swordsman (1934)

This film tells the story of a ronin's search for his parents, but primarily is a group portrait of life in a Tokugawa-era tenement. Considered a lost film. ...

Martial Arts Encyclopedia (1934)

Martial Arts Encyclopedia ...

Bangaku no issho (1933)

Yamanaka Sadao's fourth feature film. ...

Tange Sazen - Dai-ippen (1933)

Banquet Under the Midnight Sun (1932)

In old Edo, Kakunojo (Chiezo), a dandy about town, falls in love with Oichi (Isuzu Yamada), whose merchant family is much beyond Kakunojo's status. He nevertheless pursues her until her initial disgust breaks down into fondness, then romantic feelings, ind ...

Professional Killer (1932)

Directed by Mansaku Itami. ...

Yataro's Hat - Comings and Goings (1932)

The Greatest Man in the World (1932)

In the midst of the depression, two ronin rack their brains to come up with a dishonest scheme. Taking a man from the countryside, they fashion him into Ise Isenokami, the finest swordsman under the sun. Pretending to be his followers, they visit various s ...

The Revenge Champion (1931)

Lost film, directed by Tomu Uchida. This film is a very funny comedy that makes fun of the moral code of the samurai Bushido, which has become obsolete and turned into an empty form during the period of feudalism. ...

The 26 Martyrs of Japan (1931)

Jesuit priests in Japan during the 17th century are persecuted by the shogunate to for trying to spread Christianity. ...

In Search of Mother (1931)

His mother abandoned him as a child, so he had no choice but to live outside society. Even so, he grows up determined to reunite with her. Worried that she might be living in misery, he saves his money to help, only to find that she has married into wealth ...