Saburo Date

Takeshi: Childhood Days (1990)

A story of childhood life during wartime Japan. Takeshi, the intelligent son of a fisherman, is the schoolyard bully. When his cousin comes to stay with his family to avoid bombing raids, Takeshi at first treats him well, then begins bullying him too. Take ...

Luminous Woman (1987)

A hulking man from the country pursues his beloved to the underworld of Tokyo nightclubs, where he finds work as a sideshow wrestler and becomes involved with a faded opera singer. ...

Lost Chapter of Snow: Passion (1985)

Iori, taken from an orphanage by a family for domestic work, runs away and is adopted and raised by two young men. Ten years later, she crosses paths with her former step-sister, who is soon poisoned to death, Iori being the prime suspect. ...

Typhoon Club (1985)

Offering a caustic immersion into the lives of disaffected junior high students on the cusp of adulthood, the film takes place over the 5-day period before, during, and after a ferocious, seemingly liberating typhoon, which six of the students endure while ...

The Bored Samurai (1983)

Saotome Mondonosuke is Hatamoto (a high-class warrior who is allowed to see the Shogun in person) who has a crescent-moon-shaped scar on his forehead with flashy clothes and a handsome face, and is proficient in all the military arts and called Bored Hatam ...

Lowly Ronin (1981)

Reprising his role from the popular TV series "Koya no Suronin" (The Lowly Ronin), Mifune Toshiro stars in this full-length, stand-alone made for TV movie. The wandering ronin is reminiscent of his most famous role as the samurai without a name in Kuros ...

The Woman (1980)

Erotic drama ...

Ballad of Orin (1977)

A blind traveling musician is abused and oppressed wherever she goes, even as the modern world imposes change around her. ...

Gambling Code and Feuds (1977)

It is the first Toei yakuza film directed by Akinori Matsuo, who was active in Nikkatsu action movies. It is a local yakuza movie made following Okinawa Yakuza War (1976) and Hokuriku Proxy War (1977). The film depicts the war between a storied yakuza kill ...

Shinjuku's Number One Drunk-Killer Tetsu (1977)

After serving 10 years in prison for murdering a rival boss, Tetsu is appalled to see his yakuza family overgrown and dysfunctional upon his release. ...

Song of the Devil (1975)

Bakyo is a talented but unsuccessful rakugo artist. The very successful Rokyu wants to take Bakyo under his wings, but Bakyo refuses, claiming that Rokyu's rakugo is compromised by the elements of kabuki. But Bakyo changes his mind and determines to learn ...

The Bullet Train (1975)

A Japanese bullet train is threatened with a bomb that will explode automatically if the train slows below 80 km/h, unless a ransom is paid. Police race to find the bombers so the train crew can learn how to defuse the bomb. ...

Wolf Guy (1975)

Akira Inugami is the only survivor of a clan of ancient werewolves who relies on his supernatural powers to solve mysterious crimes. After a series of bloody killings perpetrated by an unseen force, Inugami uncovers a conspiracy involving a murdered cabare ...

Graveyard of Honor (1975)

A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the yakuza but quickly loses his self-control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa. ...

Oh Wonderful Utamaro! (1974)

Pinku from 1974. ...

Yokosuka Navy Prison (1973)

When a rebellious roughneck enlists in the Navy and goes on a rampage against his superiors, he is sent to the Yokosuka Naval Prison. ...

The Blossom and the Sword (1973)

Tai Kato's early 20th century set yakuza epic about an ordinary merchant girl (Hiroko Maki) who crosses paths with an assassin (Tetsuya Watari). The encounter sends her to jail as a suspected accomplice. Years later she marries a yakuza boss, whose gang is ...

The Bodyguard (1973)

Karate master and anti-drug vigilante Chiba returns to his home in Japan, where he holds a press conference announcing his intention to wipe out the nation's drug industry. He also offers his services as a bodyguard to anyone who is willing to come forward ...

Kogarashi Monjiro 2: Secret of Monjiro's Birth (1972)

Monjiro, reunited with his long lost sister, is pursued by a yakuza gang because he killed their boss. He also meets a fellow gambler who idolizes Monjiro. The gambler and Monjiro's sister are pulled into a conspiracy to get to Monjiro, but do things go as ...

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. ...

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972)

After being cruelly set up and deceived by Sugimi, a detective in cahoots with the mob with whom she was whole-heartedly in love, Matsushima's desire for revenge knows no bounds. ...

The Trail of Blood (1972)

Can a sinful man change and find peace? It's unlikely in gang-plagued Japan. Jokichi of Mikogami, a drifter (and hired sword), goes straight after protecting a woman in distress: they marry, have a son, and Jokichi pursues his father's craft. After three y ...

Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)

Official Shogunate executioner Ogami Itto has been framed for disloyalty to the Shogunate by the Yagyu clan, against whom he now is waging a one-man war, along with his infant son, Daigoro. ...

Kumo no Yuna (1971)

The Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (1971)

The woman gambler Ginko risks her life for her brother-in-law. ...

Island of Horrors (1970)

Two women are ferried to a small prison colony on the remote and barren prison island, where they and their fellow inmates are forced to perform perilous slave labor along the island's treacherous cliffs, overseen by both an unforgiving sun and a crew of a ...

Ghost of Kasane Swamp (1970)

One murky night, Soetsu, a blind acupuncturist and money lender, calls on Shinzaemon Fukami, a Hatamoto samurai, to collect some money. But Fukami is too busy having an affair with a maid and curtly tells Soetsu to ask Sawano, his wife, for the money. As t ...

The Angry Sword (1970)

Story about a gambler who gets involved in a struggle between companies. ...

Naked Ambition (1970)

Wicked woman Ogin is a concubine of a powerful feudal lord Tayu. At first Ogin gains power by poisoning lawful wife of Tayu. To gain more power Ogin let her lover Isogai Iori, kill whoever interrupts her. Film it is based on Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's novel "K ...

Mission: Iron Castle (1970)

The Shinobi-no-Mono series was so successful that Daiei Studios dipped into the well one more time, making the best 60′s B&W ninja movie ever seen in the otherwise color-dominated year of 1970. Issei Mori directs Hiroki Matsukata as the reluctant lea ...

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. ...

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. ...

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 ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 13: The Full Moon Swordsman (1969)

Inspector General Kanjuro Sano conspires with the future shogun twin brother. They replace Ieyoshi Tokugawa with his twin, but it becomes a problem when suspicion arises and Nemuri Kyoshiro gets involved. ...

Girl with Bamboo Leaves (1969)

Yasuda plays Omon, a woman using bamboo leaves as darts/blades to disable and kill her enemies. ...

The Curse of the Ghost (1969)

About 1786 the doings of a demented lord results in many masterless samurai, including Iyemon (Kei Sato) who is used to luxury and cannot adjust to the hand-to-mouth conditions & piecework of umbrella making. Having hired ruffians to make him look like a s ...

Lefty Fencer (1969)

As a child, Okin the one-armed one-eyed swordswoman was disfigured by Lord Daizen-dayu, who was after her family's most treasured possession, the famed Drenched Swallow sword. As an adult, she has become a skilled swordswoman and lives a carefree life with ...

Devil's Temple (1969)

An abandoned temple in the mountains outside of the old capital city of Kyoto is the scene of a fated meeting between a traveling priest, two women, and a vicious killer. Bloody violence erupts whenever strangers approach the temple. Can the traveling prie ...

Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969)

In feudal Japan, gangsters chase a young girl who might testify against their boss. When the gangsters murder the girl's grandfather on sacred ground, the door is opened for the Yokai Monsters to step in. ...

Sworn Brothers (1969)

Ichikawa Raizo's last film. He plays a Yakuza enforcer who kills a man on his boss's orders. He's then sent to a provincial town to lie low, only to be caught in another war orchestrated by his original boss who has set him up. ...

Samaritan Zatoichi (1968)

Zatoichi is forced to kill a young man who owes a debt to a yakuza boss. Moments later, his sister Osode arrives with the money she earned (prostituting herself) to pay his debts. The bosses true motives are revealed and he attempts to steal Osode even tho ...

Hoodlum Priest And The Gold Mint (1968)

It's cross and double-cross in these further adventures of Ryuzen, the wayward priest played by Katsu Shintaro as he tries to help a woman who may be the heir to a fortune get what is rightfully hers. Matsuo Kayo, who first rose to international stardom as ...

The Funeral Racket (1968)

The film portrays a satirical view of today's heartless money-oriented society. ...

Hoodlum Soldier: Looting and Pillaging (1968)

The Bride from Hades (1968)

On the night of the summer Obon festival, Hagiwara Shinzaburo meets a beautiful courtesan named Otsuyu. Not knowing she's a ghost, he becomes infatuated by her. ...

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 ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 11: In the Spider's Lair (1968)

The titular "tarantula" is a murderous woman who, along with the brother who is in love with her, kill without warrant because they are wealthy & above the law. Kyoshiro the homeless masterless wandering samurai has nothing to lose, & no scruples anyway, s ...

Lone Wolf Isazo (1968)

Isazo is a traveling gambler and living legend in the world of yakuza, known for his swordsmanship and bravery, his impeccable manners, and his brilliant talent in gambling. One late fall at an inn in Kiso Fukushima, Isazo befriends a young boy whose mothe ...

Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968)

A greedy developer, in league with a corrupt Shrine Magistrate, brutally tries to drive people out of a tenement building and destroy the shrine in back. But he makes the fatal mistake of hosting a 100 Ghost Stories ceremony without the closing cleansing ...

Bad Reputation: The Notorious Men and Their Specialty (1968)

The Akumyō (悪名, "bad name") series consists of seventeen yakuza films starring Shintaro Katsu, produced between 1960 and 1974. A remake and a direct-to-video sequel starring Kōji Matoba were produced in 2001. ...

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. ...

The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka (1967)

The disturbing story of a physician who conducted the first operation with general anaesthetic, and the women in his life who are both so determined to win his love that they volunteer as subjects for his experiments ...

Hoodlum Soldier on the Attack (1967)

Zatoichi the Outlaw (1967)

When a local gambling house kidnaps some peasants because they failed to pay their debts, a rival gambling house pays their debts and sets them free. ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 9: Trail of Traps (1967)

The Son of the Black Mass returns in this ninth installment in Daiei's longstanding Nemuri Kyoshiro series. This time Raizo Ichikawa as Nemuri is called to see that a gold statuette of the Virgin Mary gets safe passage to Kyoto from the prying hands of a s ...

Secret Assignment (1967)

In the fourth film of series, Secret Assignment, Raizo again plays the Jiro Shiina. This time he's out to discover who is spying for the British in the Foreign Ministry, under the code name "Cat's Eye". ...

Quick-Draw Dog (1967)

Quick Drawer Dog (早射ち犬 Hayauchi inu) is a 1967 film directed by Tetsutarō Murano. It is the eighth film in the Inu series. ...

A Certain Killer (1967)

A former soldier, reduced to working at a restaurant post-war, becomes a contract killer for the yakuza gangs he's in contact with. ...

Shinobi no mono 8: The Three Enemies (1966)

[Period Covered: 1570-1573] Towards the end of the Tenmon Era, Shogun Ashikaga`s powers were weakening by the day and many were there who planned to overthrow him. It was the beginning of the Sengoku (Warring States) period. Three men attack a gunpowder m ...

Hoodlum Soldier's Flight to Freedom (1966)

Assignment Cloud (1966)

A sequel to the popular "The School of Spies", this film continues the adventures of one of the graduates who is assigned to crack a powerful spy ring working out of Kobe. Various people are suspected but, finally, it seems that an Army captain and his gei ...

Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (1966)

Zatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss. ...

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)

Zatoichi's Vengeance (1966)

Zatoichi comes upon a dying man who asks him to give a bag of money to "Taichi". Zatoichi has no idea who this is but when he comes upon a small town harassed by gangsters, he finds that "Taichi" was the man's young son. Along his travels he also met a bli ...

Daimajin (1966)

A giant stone statue comes to life to protect the residents of a small town against the depradations of an evil warlord. ...

The Thieves' Who's Who (1966)

In the book of the world's greatest rogues, the number one man can only be one person. ...

Shinobi no mono 7: Mist Saizo Strikes Back (1966)

[Period covered: 1616] Kirigakure Saizo returns for the final time as he sets out to assassinate Tokugawa Ieyasu in order to avenge the death of Lord Sanada Yukimura. But first he must contend with Ieyasu's own ninja group led by the powerful Fuma Daijuro, ...

The Virgin Witness (1966)

An uncle decides to put his delinquent orphaned niece into a temple in Kyoto known for its austere novitiate. Initially resistant to all forms of discipline, she ends up falling in love with the nun who is in charge of her. ...

Zatoichi and the Chess Expert (1965)

Zatoichi makes friends with a dangerous chess player, while fending off angry yakuza and bloodthirsty relatives out for revenge, and trying to save a sick child. Meanwhile, his luck with dice is turning. ...

New Kurama Tengu: Gojozaka Duel (1965)

At the end of the Edo period in Kyoto, the ronin Kurayoshi Norizen rents the second floor of a hardware store and lives a carefree life, running a temple school. However, his true identity is Kurama Tengu, who appears to help a patriot in a difficult situa ...

Sword Devil (1965)

Hanpei is a gentle young samurai that loves flowers. One day, he witnesses an old man's quick draw of the sword. He is so impressed that he becomes the old man's pupil. Soon, Hanpei's skill of sword comes to attention of his lord. The lord orders him to as ...

New Tengu from Mount Kurama (1965)

The film is set in Kyoto at the end of the Tokugawa period, when there is a fierce clash between the supporters of the Emperor, who are fighting for the overthrow of the Shogunate, and the Shinsengumi squad, who are chasing them. Suddenly, a mysterious mas ...

Young Boss: Prison Release (1965)

The further adventures of Takeshi Nanjo, the Young Boss. ...

Life of Matsu the Untamed (1965)

A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband dies suddenly. ...

Shinobi No Mono 6: The Last Iga Spy (1965)

[Period covered: 1637-1651] This is one of the most complicated plots of any of the Shinobi no Mono films! This film tells the story of Saizo's son, Kirigakure Saisuke, who after seeing his father die at the Battle Of Shimabara, grows up to be an expert ni ...

Rampaging Dog (1965)

Abare inu is a 1965 action-comedy film directed by Kazuo Mori. It is the fourth film in the series. ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 6: Sword of Satan (1965)

Sixth film in the series. A little boy who just wants to be a carpenter is at the center of a plot that might topple -- or save -- a mighty Clan, and while the swords of some angry samurai may not cause Kyoshiro much trouble, the deadly wiles of two women ...

Zatoichi's Revenge (1965)

Itinerant masseur and master swordsman, the blind Zatoichi, is near the village of his teacher, Hikonoichi, so he decides to visit. He learns of Hikonoichi's recent robbery and murder and the imprisonment of his virginal daughter, Osayo, in a brothel. Thro ...

Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi (1965)

Nezumi Kozō is the nickname of Nakamura Jirokichi, a Japanese thief and folk hero who lived in Edo during the Edo period. His exploits have been commemorated in kabuki theatre, folk songs, jidaigeki, and modern pop culture. ...

Young Boss (1965)

After a yakuza boss is assassinated by a rival, his naval officer son returns home to take over the gang. ...

Bloody Shuriken (1965)

Ronin samurai Ibuki-san enters a town and sells his skills to the warring families. He falls in love with the beautiful horse stable owner but like all heroes, cannot stay. ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 5: Sword of Fire (1965)

Fifth film in the series. When Kyoshiro, in a moment of weakness, saves the life of a woman being attacked on the road, he quickly finds himself entangled in a conspiracy involving a corrupt chamberlain, a wily merchant, the survivors of a pirate gang, an ...

Shinobi No Mono 5: Return of Mist Saizo (1964)

[Period covered: 1616] On May 8th, 1615 the summer campaign of Osaka has reached the climax. This film takes place immediately following 'Ninja 4: Mist Saizo, Last of The Ninja'. Staying one step ahead of the Shogun's forces, "Mist" Saizo tries to save the ...

The Battle Begins at Night (1964)

Fight, Zatoichi, Fight (1964)

Blind swordsman/masseuse Zatoichi befriends a young woman returning home with her baby. When gangsters mistake her for Zatoichi and kill her, Zatoichi determines to escort the baby to its father. He gains the reluctant help of a young pick pocket and toget ...

The Gambling Samurai (1964)

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! ...

The Life of a Chivalrous Man in Suruga: Broken Swords (1964)

The second film in the "Suruga yukyoden" series, in which Shintaro Katsu plays Jirocho Shimizu. The film features Omasa, Komasa, Ocho, who will become Jirocho's wife, as well as other members of his future family. There is a particularly great swordfight n ...

Shinobi no Mono 4: Siege (1964)

[Period covered: 1614-1615] Tokugawa Ieyasu is now the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle. Ieyasu's ninja are the only ones w ...

Suruga Yūkyōden: Gambling Hall Robbery (1964)

Sleepy Eyes of Death 3: Full Circle Killing (1964)

A decapitation at the hands of the shogun's monstrous misbegotten son kicks off the action and draws nomadic Nemuri Kyoshiro (Raizô Ichikawa) into more sword-fighting adventures when he's blamed for the beheading. Meanwhile, the head-chopper's mother is b ...

Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (1964)

Ichi travels to the village of Itakura to pay his respects at the grave of Kichizo, a man he killed two years ago. When some tax money is stolen while in transit to the governor he is accused and sets out to find the money and clear his name. ...

Shinobi no Mono 3: Resurrection (1963)

[Period covered: 1595-1600] We last saw ninja Ishikawa Goemon, as he was about to be boiled alive. But a good ninja is both hard to find, and even harder to kill. With the help of the enigmatic Hattori Hanzo, Goemon lives to skulk another day, and sets his ...

Sleepy Eyes of Death 1: The Chinese Jade (1963)

Nemuri Kyoshiro, a youthful and cynical ronin with unparalleled skill, is approached by both sides in a game of corruption, ambition, and double crosses. The leader of the Kaga clan, who thinks he has killed his smuggling partner, fears that the shogunate ...

Bamboo Doll of Echizen (1963)

Kisuke, a young bamboo worker marries Tomoe, a courtesan who was once involved with Kisuke's late father. ...

Bad Reputation: The Notorious Harbor (1963)

The Akumyō (悪名, "bad name") series consists of seventeen yakuza films starring Shintaro Katsu, produced between 1960 and 1974. A remake and a direct-to-video sequel starring Kōji Matoba were produced in 2001. ...

Maiko and the Assassin (1963)

19th century Japan, at the end of the Edo period. A samurai falls in love with a young woman while taking up arms to overthrow the local shogunate. ...

Shinobi no Mono 2: Vengeance (1963)

[Period covered: 1582-1594]. As the film opens, the warlod Nobunaga Oda rides to Iga Ayanokuni shrine. He is asked if he thinks he has destroyed all the ninja who opposed him and answers that he suspects that there may be more. A servant brings water and t ...

A Samurai Never Tells a Lie (1963)

The shogun's vassal Harima Aoyama and a chamber maid are in love with each other, but they cannot be together due to a difference of their status. Soon, an offer of marriage is brought to Harima. Trying to test his love, Okiku breaks one of the plates of t ...

The Third Shadow Warrior (1963)

In the mountain regions of Hida, the dreams of a peasant named Kyonosuke, who longed to be a samurai, come true when he becomes one of three doubles, of shadows, of Lord Yasutaka. After months of intense and cruel training, he faces his destiny when the Lo ...

New Tale of Zatoichi (1963)

Wishing to find peace, Zatoichi travels to his old village but only finds trouble when he ends up in a love triangle and finds old scores have followed him home. ...

Assassins for sale (1963)

Nagasaki at the end of the Edo period had the taste of a criminal paradise, where, despite the exotic, dangerous work was always in demand. Here, three wandering samurai who earn their living by killing get to know each other. Soon they learn that governme ...

An Actor's Revenge (1963)

In Edo Japan, a kabuki actor seeks revenge against the three men who drove his parents to their deaths years ago. ...

Shinsengumi Chronicles (1963)

As winds of change sweep Japan, an honest man joins the Shinsengumi out of admiration for its leader, and because he wants to live and die as a samurai. However, as his involvement grows, reality and idealism come into deadly conflict. ...

Ninja, A Band of Assassins (1962)

Warlord Oda Nobunaga seeks to unite a fractured Japan. A young man trained in the arts of ninjitsu is manipulated by a ninja master into attempting to assassinate the warlord before he completes his task. ...

Hell's Assassin (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (1962)

Returning to the village where a year before he had killed Hirate, a much-admired opponent, Zatoichi encounters another swordsman and former rival in love. ...

The Fencing Master (1962)

The Fencing Master tells the story of a man trying to survive as the only world he knows is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Danpei Ichikawa lives for swordfighting – he was once a renowned kabuki swordfight choreographer, and as the Chairman of the New ...

Ken ni kakeru (1962)

The Tragedy of a Young Warrior (1962)

Shortly after the Meiji Restoration, young people devoted to the teachings of Saigo Takamori trained day and night at Seiyun Juku in Kagoshima, Kyushu. Shuntaro Amano (Yukio Hashi) entered the school after going through numerous trials and tribulations, an ...

Destiny's Son (1962)

In Edo-period Japan, Shingo is born the son of an assassin who was executed for murdering her lord's concubine. Decades later, his adoptive family is massacred for keeping the secret. Armed with an unbeatable swordfighting technique, Shingo embarks on the ...

The Notorious Man's Return (1962)

1962 film ...

Seven Miles to Nakayama (1962)

When a corrupt magistrate rapes Oshima, Masa (Raizō Ichikawa) avenges her by killing the officer, becoming thereby a fugitive, haunted and grief-stricken by the fact that Oshima committed suicide. Going underground in the gambling world, perpetually hidi ...

Sōran wataridori (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

Nokosa reta ko tonoko shita haha to (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

Her Hidden Past (1962)

Adaptation of a famous Kyouka Izumi novel. Set in the early 1900's, it tells the story of the impossible love between a young scholar a beautiful geisha. ...

Teppo Yasu no Shogai (1962)

1962 Japanese movie ...

The Temple of Wild Geese (1962)

Satoko is a mistress by trade or fate: when her master, the silkscreen artist of the Kohoan Temple in Kyoto, dies, she is given to the temple's lascivious head priest Kikuchi. She is drawn to a melancholy young acolyte, Jinen, who has observed the profliga ...

The Actress and the Three Rascals (1962)

Flowers of Chivalry (1961)

Kayama Ichinoshin (Raizo Ichikawa) has been traveling for ten years in search of revenge for his father. One day, Ichinoshin reunites with his younger brother Shinjiro (Yukio Hashi), who has completely changed. Shinjiro abandoned the quiet samurai life and ...

Oniisan to oneesan (1961)

A 1961 film directed by Yoshiyuki Kuroda. ...

The Casebooks of Zenigata Heiji: The Beautiful Shark (1961)

The hairpin murdered a young girl. Detective Zenigata Heiji begin to investigate. Suddenly a murder case turns into a case of smuggling. ...

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 ...

Mito Komon’s Journey to Ezo (1961)

Daiei Film Company's three biggest stars shine in this exciting story about Vice-Shogun Mito Komon's journey to the land of the Ainu. As the shogun's uncle, Lord Mito traveled about the nation seeking to make sure that corruption and injustice did not go u ...

Otemoyan (1961)

A Lustful Man (1961)

Fascinated with women from an early age, Yonosuke had his first sexual encounter at the age of seven. From that day on, he recklessly and forwardly pursues women, feeding his fascination and experience. As Yonosuke's salacious behavior brings much cause fo ...

Three Young Samurai (1961)

During Japan's Warring States period three young Tokugawa vassals head their separate ways after Takeda Shingen's forces overran their castle. When they next meet they have all joined opposing sides. ...

Kojiro's Turning Swallow Cut (1961)

The story of Sasaki Kojiro, a young swordsman, and his quest to train under master Seigen and develop his own style. ...

Vagabonds from Badgerville (1961)

A musical about the escapades of some tanuki passing themselves off as humans in human society. ...

Satan's Sword (1960)

The Dai-bosatsu toge trilogy is based on Kaizan Nakazato's unfinished long series of novels (41 books, written from 1913 to 1941). Set in the last period of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Daibosatsu Toge tells the story of Ryunosuke Tsukue, a nihilistic swordmast ...

Scars of Honor (1960)

Japan, 1643, as the Kato clan of Aizu falls from power two brave samurai will settle a dispute in the time-honored tradition of their clan, by drawing their blades in a duel to the death. ...

What Price Love? (1960)

Set in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867), this tragic love story takes its cue from a celebrated historical case tried by magistrate Tadasuke Ooka, whose shrewd legal decisions became the stuff of legend. Okuma Shirokoya, the daughter of a lumber me ...

The Blind Menace (1960)

This is the story of a blind masseur who tricks people, steals, and kills; he is the anti-Zatoichi. ...

Jirocho Fuji 2: The Chivalrous (1960)

The exciting story of Jirocho and his yakuza gang that controlled the area of the Tokaido during the latter days of the samurai era. Awesome fighting from Katsu Shintaro as One-Eyed Ishimatsu highlights this great tale taken from Japanese history! ...

Koga's Messenger (1960)

The mysterious Koga Ninja crushes the villains who are trying to take over the inheritance of the Omi castle owner using various means! A sword and witchcraft, a mystery and revenge swirl around the mystery of the hood, in the demon tower, in the undergrou ...

The Demon of Mount Oe (1960)

A band of warriors journeys to Mount Oe to rescue abducted women from a demon, overcoming supernatural threats like a giant spider and a diabolical witch along the way. ...

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 ...

Yûrei koban (1960)

The Two Musashis (1960)

During the reign of Shogun Hidetada, both Hirate Musashi and Okamoto Musashi strive to become the finest swordsman in the land by defeating the Yagyu clan's top instructors and then taking on Sasaki Kojiro! ...

Samurai Vendetta (1959)

Two amiable samurai wind up on opposite sides of the vendetta between Lord Asano's retainers and the family of Lord Kira that led to the famous revenge of the 47 Ronin. ...

The Lord Pretends (1959)

Sudden Attack of the Christian Lord (1959)

Odd Obsession (1959)

A middle-aged husband of a younger woman finds her youth intimidating to the point that he cannot become aroused. His solution involves the introduction of his daughter's lover to his wife. ...

Ojo-kichiza (1959)

The Woman and the Pirate (1959)

In the early Edo period, among the pirate ships that roamed the seas near Ryukyu and Korea, there was a ship called the Sueyoshi, led by a man known as Misaki Shogoro, who was infamous for his devilish cruelty. Shogoro had a rule: he would kill all the men ...

Gambler and the Princess (1959)

Film directed by Kenji Misumi. ...

Peony on the Skin (1959)

Travels of Lord Mito (1958)

Lord Mito Mitsukuni, the vice-shogun of the whole country, left the family estate and went on a trip to various provinces with his students Sukesaburo Sasaki and Kakunoshin Atsumi. At an inn in Sunagawa, Mitsukuni exposed and punished an evil judge who had ...

The Gay Masquerade (1958)

The film won 1959 Blue Ribbon Awards for best actor Raizo Ichikawa and for best cinematography Kazuo Miyagawa. The film also won 1959 Kinema Junpo Award for best actor Raizo Ichikawa. ...

Nichiren and the Great Mongol Invasion (1958)

During the 1200's, legendary Buddhist monk Nichiren returns from his studies to lead Japan out of moral crisis and prepare to fight Mongol invaders by creating a new form of Buddhism. He runs afoul of the existing Buddhist sects and their government suppor ...

Conflagration (1958)

Learning of his family's collapse, acolyte Goichi, sent to study silently at the Temple of the Golden Pavilion, must endure acute psychological distress. ...

Megitsune Buro (1958)

The Ghost-Cat Cursed Wall (1958)

When a nobleman finds a woman to be an obstacle to his growing political influence, he kills her and her cat and has their bodies immured in a wall. Shortly afterwards, a catlike demon begins to haunt the castle. ...

The 7th Secret Agent to Edo (1958)

Shogun's Holiday (1958)

During the reign of Hidetada, the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, the advisor Okubo Hikozaemon (Ganjiro Nakamura) entrusts the young Takechiyo (Hiroshi Kawaguchi) to the fishmonger Isshin Tasuke (Kazuo Hasegawa) to help him understand the world. Tas ...

Hanatarō Jumon (1958)

Princess Tsuki (1958)

Advance Patrol (1957)

In 1905, Japan was seriously threatened in the Russo-Japanese War. Japan determined a decisive attack on Russia to end the war. A reconnaissance troop was organized to penetrate into the supreme headquarter of Russia in Tieling Mountain of China to find ou ...

Secret of Naruto (1957)

From the pen of Yoshikawa Eiji comes this exciting story. The Naruto Strait separates Tokushima from the islands of Awaji and Honshu. On Tokushima the mad lord dreams of conquest and forges a bloody revolt against the Tokugawa shogunate. A mysterious sword ...

Akado Suzunosuke vs. the Devil in Crescent Moon Tower (1957)

The swordsman again crosses paths with the murderous Devil Mask Gang -- who as the name suggests, all wear hideous devil masks. ...

Ishimatsu - The One-Eyed Swordsman (1957)

Ishimatsu of Mori, from his early days leading up to his joining with Shimizu Jirocho, Boss of the Tokaido where he made his mark in history through his tragic end this is the story of a beloved and loyal henchman. ...

Mangorō Tengu (1957)

Yataro’s Travel Hat (1957)

Fighting Letter for 29 People (1957)

Night Butterflies (1957)

A traditional bar mistress in Kyoto clashes with her Tokyo rival. ...

An Osaka Story (1957)

A poor peasant, after years of scraping, becomes a rich and powerful Osaka merchant. Mizoguchi Kenji's final project; he died before completing it and directing duties turned over to Yoshimura Kozaburo. ...

Zenigata Heiji torimono hikae: madara hebi (1957)

Gonpachi (1956)

Early film directed by Kenji Misumi. ...

Fighting Fire Fighter (1956)

Flowery Hood 2 (1956)

Undercurrent (1956)

In Kyoto a young kimono maker with traditional ideas gets involved with a married professor. ...

Asataro the Crow (1956)

Early film directed by Kenji Misumi. ...

Hidden Story of the Yagyu Clan (1956)

It is brother against brother in this tale of love and betrayal within the famed Yagyu clan. In one of their earliest films together, superstars Ichikawa Raizo and Katsu Shintaro are magnificent as the two finest young swordsmen in the clan. As they vie fo ...

Marathon Samurai (1956)

The TV drama of Ima Harube was adapted by Yagi Ryuichiro ("Komuso Henge"), directed by Mori Issei ("I Am Fujikichirou"), and cinematographed by Honda Shozo ("The Return of the Ghost"). ...

Taira Clan Saga (1955)

Japan, 1137. The Taira family, a samurai clan, becomes involved in the disputes between Emperor Toba and the monks of Mount Hiei. ...

The Dancer and Two Warriors (1955)

The Young Lord (1955)

The Magistrate (1955)

Sazen Tange: The Monkey Pot (1954)

A Japanese drama featuring the one-eyed, one-armed swordsman ...

Chikamatsu Monogatari (1954)

When the wife of a 17th-century Kyoto scrollmaker is falsely accused of having an affair with his best employee, the pair flee the city and find themselves truly falling for one another. ...

Daikichi Konomura (1954)

A samurai is struggling to make ends meet at the end of the Edo period. He has students and, among other things, teaches them about the evils of the government. A member of the yakuza thugs has fallen in love with the samurai's daughter and conspires to re ...

The Great White Tiger Platoon (1954)

The Great White Tiger Platoon was part of the Aizu clan's last ditch efforts to stop the advance of Imperial troops after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Meant to be a reserve unit as it was made of the young, 16-17 year old sons of Aizu samurai. Their ...

The Woman in the Rumor (1954)

After living a traumatic experience in Tokyo, Yukiko returns to Kyoto, where Hatsuko, her mother, runs a brothel, which upsets Yukiko very much. ...

Sansho the Bailiff (1954)

In 11th-century feudal Japan, following the exile of an idealistic governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders; the children, Zushio and Anju, are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho. ...

Gate of Hell (1953)

Japan, 1159. Moritō, a brave samurai, performs a heroic act by rescuing the lovely Kesa during a violent uprising. Moritō falls in love with her, but becomes distraught when he finds out that she is married. ...

A Geisha (1953)

Fleeing a distressing family situation, Eiko, a very young girl, becomes an apprentice to Miyoharu, a veteran geisha. Both, determined to preserve their professional integrity, must face the selfishness and ambition of several petty people. ...

An Heir's Place (1953)

This film stars Tanaka Kinuyo as the mother of the heir to the Hosho name, a famous lineage of Noh actors. The heir, Hosho Yagoro, is played by Hasegawa Kuzuo who went on to become familiar among Ichikawa Kon fans as Yukinojo in An Actor's Revenge, which w ...

Ugetsu (1953)

In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage's warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro's pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady ...

This Way, That Way (1952)

An intellectual couple in a staid and tedious marriage are surprised when the wife's niece, who has run away from home, turns up unexpectedly to stay with them. Their mundane lives are sent into disarray by the emotional and energetic Ako. ...

Story of a Beloved Wife (1951)

Story of a Beloved Wife is an autobiographical work based on Shindo's first marriage. Jūkichi Uno stars as a struggling screenwriter, and Nobuko Otowa stars as the wife who supports him through his early struggles. ...

Judge of the Ashuras (1951)

Song of Love (1950)

In postwar Japan, a new teacher, Miyamoto Yasuko, is discovered by her estranged daughter, Fukuoka Shōko, at a high school. As Yasuko confronts her past, she navigates themes of forgiveness, identity, and motherhood, addressing social taboos of the time. ...

The Motherland Far Far Away (1950)

Directed by Daisuke Itō. ...

The Invisible Man Appears (1949)

A scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. ...

Ghost Train (1949)

Sixteen people are to stay at a desolate country station. Since a train accident during the war, a ghost train has been coming there at midnight. And it is said that anyone who sees the train will die. ...... A film adaptation of a popular radio drama. ...

A Bullet Hole Underground (1949)

The Man Who Laughs Last (1949)

The East Asian Acrobatic circus enjoys popularity after welcoming the Asuka brothers, two prestigious trapeze acrobats. One day, one of the brothers gets injured and a substitute needs to be found. Rumors start to float around concerning the circus clown a ...

Goblin Courier (1949)

Jida-geki by Santaro Marune. ...

Thirty-three footprints (1948)

Fourth film of the Bannai Tarao series starring Chiezo Kataoka ...

Children Hand in Hand (1948)

A small-town boy with a learning disability attempts to fit in with his classmates. ...

The Devil's toast (1947)

Retired police inspector Kurusu is vacationing at a seaside hotel when one night he hears a child's screaming...but there are no children staying in the hotel. But when an ex-actress who is also a guest there mentions an unsolved murder that occurred on th ...