Kensaku Hara

Ayako becomes the mistress of her boss, Mr. Asai, so she can pay her father's debt, and prevent him from going to prison for embezzlement. She also sends money to her brother Hiroshi to pay his university tuition, but her father intercepts it. She tricks Mr. Fujino into giving her money so that she can marry her boyfriend Nishimura, but Fujino calls in the police. (imdb)

The setting is an imaginary first century A.D. in Japan where Yasuna (Hashizo Okawa), an astronomer's assistant, and his love Sakaki (Michiko Saga) are subjected to cruel torture. Yasuna has been accused of stealing a precious manuscript and by the time the torture has ended, he has lost his sanity and Sakaki dies. Wandering in the forest, Yasuna befriends a pack of white foxes who have temporarily taken on human form, and he falls in love with one of them. (Rotten Tomatoes)

A successful textile industrialist from the provinces, who is beloved by his employees for his kindness, cannot find a wife because of a disfiguring birthmark on his face. Even the courtesans in Yoshiwara refuse to entertain him, until an indentured peasant prostitute, Tamarazu, takes the unsavoury assignment and treats him with brash tenderness. (imdb)

In ancient Japan, a good lord is killed and his throne is taken by the trecherous Yuki Daijo and his wizard friend Oroki-maru. The young prince Ikazuki-maru is rescued from the jaws of death by a magic bird sent by a wizard. Ten years later, Ikazuki-maru embarks on an adventure to avenge his parents and the wizard's death with his magic powers he learned from the wizard. He kills Yuki Daijo but then must battle Oroki-maru in a battle to the death. (imdb)

This is a classic early Japanese Ninja movie. The Iga ninjas are a dying breed as Toyotomis rule allows Japan to experience some peace. Juzo, an Iga ninja who had vowed revenge for the death of his family, is hired by a rich weapons merchant to assassinate Toyotomi, restarting his quest for blood. In his way are rival ninja, and his once best friend who has decided to become a government vassal. The main plot centers around the conflicts that confront Juzo... (imdb)

Vice Admiral Takajiro Ohnishi could see that Japan's defeat in WWII was inevitable. He came to realize that the only way to force a negotiated solution was to convince the Americans that invading Japan would cause massive casualties on both sides. The cold logic of suicide attacks, where one man and one plane could kill hundreds, seemed the only solution. (letterboxd.com)

Early Japanese three-part samurai / fantasy serial. (The Movie Database)

In 1701, the ruling shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi placed Asano Takumi-no-kami Naganori, the lord of Ako, in charge of a reception of envoys from the Imperial Court in Kyoto. He also appointed the protocol official Kira Kozuke-no-suke Yoshinaka to instruct Asano in the ceremonies. On the day of the reception, at Edo Castle, Asano drew his short sword and attempted to kill Kira after he had insulted Asano. For this, he was sentenced to commit seppuku, but Kira went without punishment. (The Movie Database)

Ito Daisuke's wartime retelling of the Miyamoto Musashi story. (imdb)

A lowly drunken samurai finds an abandoned baby in the woods and takes it home. A gift from a fox. But there's something special about the boy... (imdb)

Young girl Kichiza searches for her missing brother and the person responsible for the death of her parents. (letterboxd)

Period piece about a young man who, because of his hard life alone in the world, has become a yakuza. When he hears that his mother may be living in Edo (Tokyo), he travels there, intent on finding her and leaving the swordsman's life behind. But a team of rival gangsters is hot on his heels. (themoviedb)

AKA Ghostly Tales: The Shamisen

As a result of illness and unemployment, Yamaoka Tatewaki, a "Hatamoto" (or direct vassal of the Shogun), pawned his family heirloom, a valuable Gosu plate for 100 Ryo. When, of all occasions, Yokogawa Dewa came to visit and asked to see the Gosu plate on May 5th, Boy's Festival. Yamaoka then sent his steward to borrow the plate back, but the pawnbroker coldheartedly refused. He died soon thereafter of an unknown cause. Soon after that, two warehouses were broken into, but nothing was taken...

After getting permission to dig up the pawnbroker's grave, Young lord samurai was surprised to find the body was missing, as was the Gosu plate. He had a suspect in mind and was able to use him to learn of the pawnbroker's hideout and try to piece together the parts of the puzzle. A superb and exciting conclusion to a very clever mystery story set during the Golden Age of Japan. With no easy questions and his life hanging in the balance, can Young lord solve the mystery and regain the ...

All is not well in a small fishing village not far from Edo. Mysterious goings-on is happening at Echigoya's Red Crane Mansion, and when Young Lord comes to relax he finds no peace until he can unravel the mystery rooted in the past when a beautiful samurai princess prayed for a handsome bridegroom to take her away. When a body turns up on the riverbank it is high time for Young Lord to delve into the case, while avoiding dangerous gangsters who have taken over the town...

Naosuke, a servant of Okajima Yasoemon, devoted himself to his master. One day, his master Okajima Yasoemon, lost his face in front of people. It was revenge by Oono, a karo who lost his chance to earn money by selling a fake antique to the lord. Okajima told the lord it was fake. Okajima endured Oono's humiliation. But, his servant Naosuke, could not. But what could he do? Oono is superior to his master. Naosuke would not hesitate to lay down his life for his master...

Japan is building her first steam ship, which can be converted to a war ship with a few guns on deck. The problem is that the construction is under the supervision of westerner Sôjin Kamiyama and an awful lot of counterfeit money is coming through his establishment. Kamiyama can't be taken off the job until the ship is completed, but the government's top spy, Kanjûrô Arashi can be sent in to investigate, when he isn't busy taking care of blind Otoji Koto and her kid brother.

He may not look it, but Utaemon Ichikawa is the fastest runner in Kyoto, and the mainstay of his private mail company. At the moment, there is a personal and business crisis at hand. There is a mysterious fleet-footed thief around, and he is the prime suspect on the run and trying to find the bad guy; a plague is killing children in town, and the local doctor needs a Dutch medicine from Nagasaki, which his firm is supposed to pick up for distribution at cost.

This is the only surviving "Mito Komon Manyu-ki" film. This release also known as Adrift Tour Memoir is an 80-minute compilation of the first and second parts (147 minutes), which were re-edited and screened at a time when presentable films were dried up immediately after the defeat of the war. (Cinema Japan Retrospective)

The story of Japan's greatest warrior, Miyamoto Musashi, after his historic duel with Sasaki Kojiro on Ganryu Island.

The long-awaited Hakkenshi arrives at Takita Castle, which is saddened by successive defeats.

Fifteen years after Ishida Mitsunari lost in the battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu foresees his unavoidable battle with Toyotomi Hideyori and goes into Fushimi Castle. At night, Hattori Hanzo, the leader of 36 Iga members who were performing as guards of the castle, perceives the existence of a ninja and captures the sneaker. Unexpectedly, the ninja turns out ...