Junzaburō Ban

The Old Bear Hunter (1982)

After an old man is attacked by a bear in the snowy mountains of northern Japan, he vows to hunt down the marauder. ...

Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories 2 (1981)

Sabu, a low-ranking samurai, finds himself unable to apprehend the ruthless leader of a violent gang of thieves, which leads to a scolding from his fellow friend and leaves him feeling disheartened. Meanwhile, Ichi, a blind masseur is called upon to provid ...

Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories (1981)

In Edo, a group of masked samurai stormed a seafood wholesaler, killing the head clerk and robbing the money. They then crossed paths with Ichi, a blind masseur and master swordman. However, upon recognizing his blindness, they decided to leave without con ...

There Was a War When I Was a Child (1981)

An award-winning Japanese film about a child's experiences during the Second World War. ...

Graffiti Youth: Sneaker Blues (1981)

3 people are fresh and naive so they try to go from wandering around lonely to becoming a lively young bunch. Tanokin's youthful energy explodes! ...

Eijanaika (1981)

The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a ...

The Detective Journey (1980)

A comedy directed by Mitsumasa Saito about a pair of clumsy detectives who solve a case they become involved in by chance. Shosuke Ikashima and Ryuji Kabaya, who repeatedly screw things up, encounter a real robbery during a bank robbery simulation training ...

The Phoenix (1978)

This extraordinarily complex film is not only a send-up of every samurai film ever made, it is also an extrapolation of the value of life. The Yamatai, represented by Prince Susano-O and elderly advisor Sumuke, hire Yumihiko of Matsuro to hunt the phoenix ...

Dog Whistle (1978)

In this crime thriller produced by Toshiro Mifune (who has a supporting role), hard-boiled Shiro Akitsu goes on a relentless search for his abducted 7-year old daughter, with the aid of an Ainu dog summoned by a whistle she gave him. ...

Queen Bee (1978)

To solve the mystery of a murder of an old governess which takes place at a wealthy Daidoji family's country estate, family secrets and lies dating back several generations must be sorted out once and for all. ...

Crocodile, Parrot and Fur Seal (1977)

A comedy farce depicting the noise that occurs when two unemployed circus participants discover a debt bond in a basket with parrots, which they received instead of pension money. At that time, Hiromi Go and Kirin Kiki, who were gaining popularity, play th ...

Proof of the Man (1977)

When an American is murdered in a Japanese inn, Tokyo police detective Munesue follows the trail of the killer to New York. There he is joined by a New York City detective named Shuftan and together they sort out the crime. ...

The Love and Adventures of Kuroki Taro (1977)

Taro Kuroki, 42, is a stuntman with a samurai's heart. He loves adventures, plays pranks with the police, tries to cure a cat lady by reversing her trauma, and finally, rescues his niece who is about to be lured into prostitution. ...

The Three Ginza Rascals (1976)

Three men, all named Masa, join forces to capitalize on each of their unique yet questionable talents against a hyper-competitive Tokyo underworld. ...

Hobo General (1976)

Doterai Man (1975)

Business is a game! A theatrical version of the TV drama that became a social phenomenon starring Teruhiko Saigo. Set in a wholesaler town in Osaka, it depicts the activities of the main character Takezo Yamashita who repels adversity with a man's stubborn ...

It's a Psychic, Everybody Gather!! (1974)

The Black Battlefront Kidnappers (1973)

A taut, economical policier-cum-gang-hostage thriller. ...

Flower and Dragon (1973)

Kingoro Tamai moves with his wife and son to the port city of Wakamatsu. He organizes the Tamai-gumi, a stevedore group, to vie for work with two other powerful groups. Gingo is Tamai's chief rival who falls in love with the latter's wife and tries to kill ...

Wandering Ginza Butterfly: She-Cat Gambler (1972)

Meiko Kaji reprises her role as Nami, a vengeful female gang leader, in the second installment of this high-action series that casts a new actor -- martial arts legend Sonny Chiba -- in the role of Nami's loyal friend Ryuji. This time around, Nami is looki ...

The Awakening (1971)

The Gambling Nun (1971)

A young woman, an experienced gambler, enters a nunnery to atone for some of her father's crimes. When the nunnery runs into debt, she resorts to gambling and challenges the racketeer threatening to sell the place to a game. ...

Kaoyaku (1971)

A detective is charged with investigating a bank corruption scandal. ...

Love and Death (1971)

Yuji, a budding writer, meets and starts falling in love with his best friend's girlfriend, Natsuko. The attraction is mutual but due to the circumstances, they try to not act on their attraction. However, as time goes by, they realise that, perhaps, they ...

Follow the Girls (1971)

Comedy of an entertainment agent and strip-teasers. ...

Snow Country Elegy (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 ...

Live and Learn (1971)

Tetsuko (Eiko Yanami), a high school student, one day, forces Tsuneo, (Kei Wakakura), the brightest boy in her school, to make love to her after school is out and they are caught by the old school janitor. Tsuneo's mother, orders Tetsuko to pay for what sh ...

Dodes'ka-den (1970)

On a Tokyo dump's shantytown edge, interwoven vignettes follow residents scraping by: a boy who "drives" an imaginary trolley, a homeless father and son designing a dream house, a young woman brutalized at home, drunks, schemers, and saints of small kindne ...

A Lively Geisha (1970)

Young geisha Koshizu's wish of reuniting with the man, Yukichi, who helped her ten years ago comes true. When she learns of the trouble Yukichi's business is facing, she stands ready to come to his aid, and thus repay a debt that's long overdue. ...

Kigeki: Ohi Kaenasutte! (1970)

Modern Sorority (1970)

The Final Gamble (1970)

Woman Boss (1970)

The Street Car Game (1969)

Comedy around a motorman and a conductor of a streetcar. ...

Konto 55: Grand Outer Space Adventure (1969)

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami. ...

Your Favourite (1969)

Yosakoi Journey (1969)

A drama by director Masaharu Segawa. ...

Gokudô Petenshi (1969)

A group of one-hit wonder scam artists led by the troubled "Kanpai," dealing with impotence, embark on a lively and poignant societal comedy. They overturn the distorted trends and authorities of modern society through peculiar methods such as taking over ...

Konto 55: Grandson of a Ninja (1969)

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami. ...

Topsy-Turvy Journey (1969)

A drama from director Masaharu Segawa. ...

Rising Dragon: Soft Skin Gambler (1969)

Japanese crime film ...

Sky Scraper! (1969)

A film about the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building, the first high-rise building in Japan. ...

Angel's Lover (1968)

Comedy about two employees who work against their boss. ...

The Woman Gambler's Revenge (1968)

Tenth film in the long-running series Daiei Studio's Woman Gambler with Kyoko Enami starring where she plays the woman gambler Ogin. ...

Blue in Isezaki (1968)

Even If Life Withers (1968)

Night Guy (1968)

Tokyo at night. It has another face, different from the daytime. Gorgeous neon lights and dressed-up women decorate the city at night. And then, there are men who live off of these women. This movie depicts the conflict of sex and desire between a procure ...

The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze (1968)

The film is dedicated to the souls of flight school graduates killed in World War II. Young boys dream about becoming pilots and apply to flight schools. However, the flight schools have extremely demanding, harsh training, and once they finally become pil ...

Rainbow Over the Pacific (1968)

Rainbow Over the Pacific is a tale of romance that moves from the streets of Tokyo to the islands of Hawaii as it weaves the story of two star-crossed lovers--Hideo (Yukio Hashi), an aspiring photographer from Japan, and Reiko (Jun Mayuzumi), a beautiful S ...

School for Thieves (1968)

How to Make a Big Hit (1968)

Japanese comedy film. ...

The Mayor's Secret (1968)

A mayoral candidate and his love child. ...

The Rickshaw Man’s Son (1967)

A roughneck named Komakichi of Kawachi, Osaka, comes back from a three-year training course to become a chef, hoping to be with his crush Tamae, a daughter of a Japanese restaurant's owner. His father is not happy because Komakichi has no intention to beco ...

Parole (1967)

Three men vs. gangsters in a fight involving smuggled gold. ...

Yanagase Blues (1967)

Jiro, a smooth-talking, womanizing bartender, flees from a Yakuza boss to Yanagase. ...

A History of the Japanese Underworld - The Bloody Resistance (1967)

Song of Love (1967)

The life in a small village in Shikoku and the love story between two young people. ...

Flower Cards Chivalry (1967)

A wandering gambler runs into a young swindler woman working with an old man. They are both arrested by a detective. A year later, the gambler is staying with a gangster boss when he comes across the woman and her partner again. The boss lusts for both her ...

The Domain: White Blade (1967)

The Domain: White Blade ...

A Smell of Money (1965)

Banjun organizes a group of con men to fleece the greedy and rich. ...

A Comedy in Front of the Station: University (1965)

#13 in the Ekimae series of films. Set at Todai University, Professor Sakai (played by Frankie Sakai) mentors a group of university hopefuls. Cut to 25 years later, the students have each settled into their careers and cross paths with Professor Sakai's so ...

The Last Judgment (1965)

Driven by greed and a desire for his cousin's wife, Jiro orchestrates a complex frame-up to have his cousin arrested for murder. ...

My Wife (1965)

Japanese comedy film. ...

A Fugitive from the Past (1965)

Three robbers escape with loot from a heist before one of them kills the others. Their corpses wash up near the aftermath of a maritime calamity, provoking a policeman's interest. ...

Mr. Giant's Victory Flag (1964)

Apparently a baseball drama starring real-life stars Nagashima (The Babe Ruth of Japanese Baseball) and teammate Oh-known collectively as ON-from the Yomiuri Giants. Nagashima nickname was 'Mr. Giants. ...

For Love and Money (1963)

Jolly Barbers (1963)

Fifty-Fifty (1963)

The final film by Yuzo Kawashima. ...

Nonsense Boys (1963)

Japanese comedy film. ...

Hoshikuzu no Machi (1963)

Escape from Hell (1963)

This suspense drama set in the mid 1700's depicts the plan of the Tokugawa rulers to send a number of homeless men to a remote island Sado to perform forced labor. Living conditions on the island are terrible and the men soon become rebellious. Based on a ...

Pachinko (1962)

Comedy directed by Horiuchi Manao ...

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Chinese Restaurant (1962)

The fifth "Ekimae" film set in a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown. ...

Mama, I Need You! (1962)

After finishing the course of junior high school, Kazuo comes up to Tokyo, leaving his mother alone in the unproductive northern district. He finds a job in a small laundry in downtown Tokyo and works hard till late at night. At a nearby restaurant a broth ...

Shin kitsune to tanuki (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

Get Married, Mother (1962)

Gakusei geisha koi to kenka (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

Kyūjin ryokō (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Onsen (1962)

Fourth entry in the Ekimae series, focusing on the restoration of a Fukushima hot spring inn. ...

Ottamage ningyo monogatari (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

Kureji no Hanayome to Shichinin no Nakama (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

Drunkard's Paradise (1962)

A father and son are both heavy drinkers. However, the son dies in an accident at a bar, leaving behind a fiance…. A unique social satire that focuses on why people drink alcohol. ...

A Country Boss (1962)

A country boss gives up his way of life because of his daughter's marriage. ...

Nippon no obaachan (1962)

Two obaachans become fast friends listening to music in front of a record store. They both boast about their loving sons but in reality, one had just escaped a retirement home and the other was looking for an escape from her son and daughter-in-law. With n ...

A Roaring Trade (1962)

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Lunchbox (1961)

Third film in the "Ekimae" series, this time set in Hamamatsu. A widow named Keiko and her brother Jiro run the bento shop, "Goraku." One day, Keiko asks for advice from her childhood friends Kintaro, a textile manufacturer, and Magosaku, an entrepreneur, ...

Snow in the South Seas (1961)

Japanese soldiers stranded in Manokwari, New Guinea, improvise a theater play to keep their spirits up and endure the extremely difficult conditions. ...

Furimuita hanayome (1961)

Japanese comedy film. ...

An Urban Affair (1961)

Follow-up to "Ekimae Ryokan." Set around the Yurigaoka and Nishi-Ikuta stations on the Odakyu-Odawara line, the film takes up the problem of real estate around the expanding Yurigaoka apartments. ...

Hikkoshi yatsure (1961)

Manao Horiuchi movie ...

Osaka Tough (1961)

The film takes place in a dark area of the giant city of Osaka and tells about a group of people who find themselves at the bottom of society, and about the courage of a man who defies the city of violence in search of his beloved sister. ...

Love and the Shop Curtain (1961)

Otami and daughter Yuri run the Matsuoka, a 150-year-old Japanese-style inn in Tokyo which they plan to renovate into a modern hotel before the '64 Tokyo Olympics. Maki, the son of the owner of the Benten Hotel, likes Yuri and wants to get closer to her. S ...

Incidental Murders (1961)

The daughter of the wealthy Soga family is kidnapped and her fiance is murdered. But the kidnappers, Tatsu and Sanko are unaware that Tatsuko is the heiress to a fortune. Two strong-arm brothers, Kosaka and Takeshi, learn of her identity and join the gang ...

Shin nitōhei monogatari medetaku gaisen no maki (1961)

Second "Pfc. Story" sequel and the ninth and final sequel to "Story of Second Class Private", the only one in both series not directed by Seiichi Fukuda. ...

Samurai Desperadoes (1960)

The film is about a hatamoto gang during the reign of shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Screenwriter Daisuke Ito adapted Genzo Murakami's novel Okubo Hikozaemon. In this film, Masakazu Tamura first appeared on the screen. ...

The Sun's Burial (1960)

In Osaka's slum, capricious folks without futures engage in pilfering, assault and robbery, prostitution, and the trading of ID cards and blood. ...

Pfc. Story - Behind the Enemy Lines (1960)

First "Pfc. Story" sequel and eighth overall sequel to "Story of Second Class Private". ...

Edo no kaoyaku (1960)

The Three Magicians (1960)

Pineapple Butai (1959)

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

Pfc. Story - The Divine Tempest (1959)

First installment of the "Pfc. Story" series of military-themed comedies from Shochiku, and seventh overall sequel to "Story of Second Class Private". ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: Silver Snake Spell (1959)

The eleventh episode of the Denshichi Torimonocho series. Around the time of Shogun Ienari, a murderer known as a ghost hikyaku appeared in Edo, raping and killing young girls one after another. One night, a notice was recieved that Oichi, the daughter of ...

Farewell to Spring (1959)

Five longtime friends get back together, but are disappointed to find that their bonds are not as strong as they once were. ...

Nitōhei monogatari: Banji yōryō no maki (1959)

Sixth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private". ...

The Hidden Treasure (1959)

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

Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki (1958)

Fifth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private". ...

Dai Abare Tokaido (1958)

An entertainment movie featuring familiar faces of Toyama no Kin-san, Nezumi Kozo, Yaji Kita, and others who traveled around the Tokaido. Written and directed by Kunio Watanabe. A group of samurai rushed into the Sakura Opera Troupe in the mountain villag ...

The Beloved Imposters (1958)

1958 Mito Kōmon film. ...

The Hotelman's Holiday (1958)

Based on the novel "Ekimae Ryokan" by Masuji Ibuse, a longtime hotel employee struggles to bring his old-fashioned ryokan in line with postwar Japanese business practices. ...

Yoku (1958)

Half a Loaf... ...

Botchan (1958)

1958 Shochiku adaptation of Natsume's novel. ...

Nitōhei monogatari: Shindara kami-sama no maki (1958)

Fourth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private". ...

Firefly Light (1958)

Set in the 1860s, the final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, The Fireflies focuses on Tose (Awashima Chikage), the mistress of the Teradaya, a small inn in the Kyoto suburb of Fushimi. She does not have an easy life. Her husband, Isuke (Ban Junzaburo), is ...

Makeraremasen katsumadewa (1958)

Comedy based on the writings of Ango Sakaguchi. ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: Mad Skullwoman (1958)

Detective Denshichi is called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Kishu family's daughter Teruhime and the activities of a dangerous group dressed as skulls and their female leader. ...

The Unbalanced Wheel (1957)

A study of uneasy relationships among the inhabitants of a tiny rural community. ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: The Curse of the Silver Snake (1957)

Kofu duty guard Yamauchi Hinata-kami cultivated illegal drugs and had them sold through Omiya, a drug wholesaler in Edo Muromachi. One day, a strange spell descends on Omiya, killing his wife Osetsu, and then his second daughter Okyo as well. After that, t ...

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 ...

The Detective Denshichi Case Files: The Beautiful Bat (1957)

The head of Oshu, Harumichi Honma, was ordered by the boat bugyo (Commissioner of the board) Tajima Kuze to extract five gold coins to the Shogun family in Edo, and put it into Ryujin Maru. However, Tajima, who was the chief retainer of the shogunate, said ...

Utau yajikita kogane dōchū (1957)

1957 Japanese movie ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: Female Fox Palanquin (1956)

One night in Edo, a mysterious woman in a palanquin appeared at the moneylender Yamashiroya, revealing herself to a beautiful woman. She told the owner, Shigebē, that she had come to collect a life he owed from twenty years ago and then left. The same nig ...

Story of Second Class Private, Sequel (1956)

First sequel to "Story of Second Class Private". ...

The Bride and the Treasure (1956)

Den Shichi of Kurodomon-chō, the best detective in Edo, captured members of a thief gang called "Kitsutsuki," but let three, including the rōnin Daikoku Yajūrō, Tengai Omachi, and Kasumi no Seiji, escape. Among the captured who were exiled, Genta and K ...

Private Second Class (1955)

First film in a series of military-themed comedies from Shochiku. ...

The Further Adventures of Genta (1955)

Every Wife Cannot Stand Still (1955)

Denshichi Torimonocho: Vampire Spider (1955)

In the town of Izu known for its hot springs, Den Shichi from Kuromon Town sets off for a healing trip with his companion, a bamboo craftsman with a nose like a lion's snout, at a time when the town is under a tight security network due to a nearby gunpowd ...

Quick Change Tanuki Palace (1954)

This is a paradise of dream and illusion, a country of Raccoon Dogs. The Bat Tribe lives in a neighboring country took a young prince of Raccoon Dogs as a hostage, and try to take a Buddhist saint from the temple by force. ...

The Playful Fox and the Thousand Cherry Trees (1954)

Japanese comedy film. ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: The Case of the Golden Goddess (1954)

A samurai detective film. ...

Unique Sword Technique for Revenge (1954)

Comedy directed by Torajiro Saito about swordsmen in the era of feudal Japan. ...

Road to Hawaii (1954)

A 1954 film. ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: Tattoo Woman Trouble (1954)

During the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one night a carver named Fujijiro was murdered. Immediately launching an investigation, Denhichi, accompanied by Otoshi and Take, toured the entertainment houses of Ryogoku. There, they discovered a connection between an ...

Denshichi Torimonocho: Senryo Human Skin (1954)

In the era of the twelfth Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, a notorious bandit known as "Shippu" (or "Swift Wind") emerged in Edo. Shippu would send a warning message called the "Thief's Summons" before striking, yet despite the magistrate's desperate search effor ...

Great Edo Song Festival (1953)

The feudal lord Kisaragi Yae no Kami (Minami Komyo) searches for a child he had with a low-borne woman, that was sent away from his home 16 years ago while carrying a special seal. At that time, Kanda's detective Zenshichi (Ichikawa Kodayu II) had three da ...

Tokyo Profile (1953)

A motley cast of characters, including a human billboard and a shoeshine girl, help a 5 year old girl after she is separated from her mother on the crowded streets of Ginza. ...

Nonsense - Fireball Boy Thief (1953)

The story of a ghostly thief in Edo who calls himself the fireball guy. ...

Princess Hibari's First Dream Journey (1952)

Bikkuri Sanjuushi (1952)

Journey to the West 2: The Great Rampage of Son Goku (1952)

Sequel to "Saiyuki" (1952) ...

New Journey of Yaji and Kita (1952)

Based on the comic by Machiko Hasegawa ...

Dimple of Tokyo (1952)

Buntaro, the president of a food trading company got tired of the day-to-day routine of life. The new secretary, Nobuko, suggested her "shacho-san" (the president) run away from the job. Nobuko took Buntaro to her home and introduced him to her own family ...

Travels of Lord Mito Pt.2 (1952)

At the transformed Fumaden (Demon Subduing) Temple, with the dynamic efforts of Sukesan and Kakusan, and the appearance of the heroic woman Oshin, Lord Kōmon's ingenious strategy swiftly overcomes the wicked bandits in this exhilarating and unrivaled epis ...

A Girl at Eighteen: Surprised Heaven (1952)

Japanese comedy film. ...

Travels of Lord Mito Pt.1 (1952)

The deputy shogun of the realm, accompanied by his loyal and capable aides, makes a stop at Jigokudani, a place along his journey through various provinces. Here, a lively and entertaining tale unfolds, filled with swordplay where heroes and villains clash ...

Big Hit Pachinko Girl (1952)

Set in a bustling 1950s parlor, a beautiful counter clerk falls for a wealthy businessman's son, only to have their romance derailed by a ruthless loan shark and a mounting family debt. As the parlor faces ruin, the narrative weaves through slapstick antic ...

Blue Sky Angel (1950)

1950 drama film ...

A Color Print of Edo (1939)

The Color Print of Edo is a 1939 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Kazuo Mori. It is a cheerful period drama, sprinkled with comical scenes and tells the story of a loyal and handsome Edo period servant who fights t ...

The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen (1938)

Mitsue is a popular stage actress and the lover of a shamisen player named Seijuro. She jealously murders two other objects of his affection: Okiyo, a young woman from a samurai family, and Kuro, a cat. The spirits of Okiyo and Kuro then merge into a venge ...

Irohagana Yotsuya Kaidan (1937)

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 ...