Ken Mitsuda

When Takeo is released from prison for attacking Handa, a rival yakuza lord, the last thing on his mind is taking over the position of his recently deceased father, boss of the Asahina clan. As he and his older brother Aikawa contemplate their options, they soon entertain the idea of falling in love with maidens and leaving the yakuza life altogether. But their exit proves more difficult than planned when their rival clan steps in to exact a little revenge.

Sonoko, a bored housewife entering middle age, finds herself driven to steal a small trinket from a shop. She notices another woman watching her, however, and decides to follow the woman out of the store to explain herself... (imdb)

This is the story of Mama, a.k.a. Keiko, a middle-aged geisha who must choose to either get married or buy a bar of her own. Her family hounds her for money, her customers for her attention, and she is continually in debt. The life of a geisha is examined as well as the way in which the system traps and sometimes kills those in it. (imdb)

Three short tales from stories by Ichiyo Higuchi. In one, a young woman is degraded by her family after an arranged marriage. Another deals with the troubles heaped upon a young servant by her family and the wealthy people who employ her. Yet another tells of a prostitute and her hopes of finding a new, respectable life. (imdb)

When the Tokugawa Shogunate ruled the land, Tatsuno castle in Wakisaka Clan's home of Harima held an established custom: an inspection of the arms warehouse. During one of these inspections, government inspector Magodayu Okuno finds a slight bit of dirt on the tip of a spear, which sparks an argument with a low-ranking member of the Wakisaka Clan.

Film based on a non-fiction best-seller which follows a dedicated female doctor as she cajoles patients to leave their homes on a small island to move to the leprosarium where she works. (bourdaghs.com)

A psychological take on the classic myth.

Keisuke Kinoshita's wartime film, Army is anything but the rousing call to arms and reinforcement of patriotism that the authorities had envisioned the film would be. Known for his Ofuna-flavored shomin-geki "women's pictures", Kinoshita subverts the official themes of duty, allegiance to the emperor, and national glory. (Strictly Film School)

Being acquainted with the bride's uncle, a famed private detective is invited to a wedding ceremony. The groom's family is moneyed and owns large tracts of land. The bride is a former teacher and was rumoured to have had an affair, which explains why the groom's family opposed the union. On the night of the ceremony the bride and groom are killed in a sealed room. (imdb)

While he struggles with his feelings of guilt and sees his dead wife, Oiwa, everywhere the people around him begin noticing his strange behavior and his new wife decides to distance herself from him. (mydramalist.info)

Afraid of the ultimate consequences, a married man, who is having an affair with an employee, inadvertently becomes the only person who can free an accused murderer.

A ronin for a hire (Koji Takahashi) and an acupuncturist (Jiro Otama) are members of an assassin's gild in Tokugawa Edo. The ronin is offered a position as a city magistrate by the corrupt magistrate he has been hired to assassinate, and struggles with the possibility of taking an "honest" job that is in reality less wholesome than his work as an assassin. Dr. Baian meanwhile is hired to kill a woman who he begins to suspect may be his own sister, from whom he was separated when still a boy.

After her marriage breaks up, a young woman moves in with her aunt and uncle and becomes a movie ticket seller. On a train she meets two men - one older and wealthy, the other young and poor - who both fall for her.

Adapted from a poem, which was composed by poet and sculptor Kotaro Takamura, Chieko-Sho is the story of the artist's wife Chieko. The poet meets a woman, who also as an artist illustrates, one day. They marry and have a good life spending many years together. One day, however, she loses her mind and has to be confined to a hospital. The poetry was some of star Hara Setsuko's favorite even before her involvement in the film.