Tôru Abe

The moment he's released from prison, the honorable gangster Miyamoto recovers the stolen diamonds he had stashed before getting pinched. When he returns to his haunt to make good by friend who took a bullet for him, he is diverted by the greedy boss Oyane and his insatiable taste for Miyamoto's precious stones. (letterboxd.com)

A legendary figure in Japan is Zatoichi - the blind masseur with healing hands and a swift sword.

Blind swordsman/masseur Ichi (known as Zatoichi, or "Masseur Ichi") angers a local yakuza gang when he defeats several of them in a wrestling match. When he finds that his long lost love Tane is nearby and romantically involved with a tough samurai in the employ of the gang, he remains in the village... (imdb)

Lady Snowblood (Shurayuki-hime) is caught by the police and sentenced to death for her crimes (in Lady Snowblood I). As she is sent to the gallows she is rescued by the secret police who offer her a deal to assassinate some revolutionaries. (imdb)

Akemi and the man of her clan confront their opponents; Akemi delivers a sword thrust to kill the opponents' leader, and Aiko, his daughter, tries to interpose herself, suffering a glancing blow to her eyes, thus cutting her badly, and blinding her. Amid the ensuing fight, no one notices that a black cat laps the young woman's wound... (imdb)

Blind from birth, Orin, is a part of a group of blind women singers known as the Goze who devote their lives to art. When Orin is with a man she is no longer welcome and must wander alone.

The story of a Yakuza gangster convicted for life imprisonment, who learns that his mother is about to die and runs for an escape, to ask for forgiveness of her

In the 1970s, the Japanese youth emancipation also found it's way into the yakuza (crime) societies. A Girl Boss may have a choice between bikes, and between boyfriends. But she has to defend her choices the hard way, as her triumph and power over the girls' gang is questioned by her female rivals, and the all powerful Yakuza Boss (imdb)

A prison truck is attacked and a convict inside is murdered. The penitentiary warden on duty, Daijiro, is accused of negligence and suspended (criterion.com)

In her search for a blind child Oryufinds herself in the middle of a gang war.

As a cargo ship is preparing to leave on a long voyage mysterious and sinister events start to occur.

The literal translation of the Japanese title is "The Great Killing" and, as you might guess, it delivers in spades. Director Eiichi Kudo (THIRTEEN ASSASSINS) helmed this stark samurai allegory of the radical student movement in early sixties Japan and captures this feeling perfectly without sledgehammer proselytizing. A reform activist (Kotaro Satomi) is pulled into a violent fray when an acquaintance hunted by government troops hides in his house. (AvZ)

Outside of a small village in Japan, a mysterious pond is inhabited by mythic creatures. Their story is of revenge, tragedy, and the power of real love. A classical tale which translates wonderfully to film. (imdb)

Keiko Aizawa a vengeance-crazed vixen sets out on a journey to avenge the death of her older sister.

A nobleman writes a letter to the Shogun detailing a tobacco smuggling operation in Edo, but the smugglers kill him before he sends it. His daughter obtains the letter and swears revenge on those responsible.

Disillusioned by the life of a wandering bounty hunter, Oichi gives up her sword and marries a fisherman in a small village. It's not long before her bloody past catches up with her, and she's blackmailed into killing for the local yakuza boss.

On his deathbed, a wealthy businessman announces that his fortune is to be split equally among his three illegitimate children, whose whereabouts are unknown to his family and colleagues. A bevy of lawyers and associates then begin machinations to procure the money for themselves, enlisting the aid of impostors and blackmail. (criterion.com)

Before he portrayed the legendary blind swordsman, Zatoichi, Shintaro Katsu played Suganoichi, a blind court masseur with a dark side. An outcast since birth, he learned from a young age that the only way to get ahead was to take advantage of others. Now an expert con-artist with a heart of coal, Suganoichi is on a vile quest for power, and everyone else will suffer along the way! (animeigo.com)

Two devious retainers are competing to take control of a fief when the current Lord dies, but involving Kyoshiro in the conflict against his will is the textbook example of a bad idea - especially when the collateral damage starts to tick him off. (imdb)

Fumiko, mother of two children and wife of an unfaithful man who shows a low self esteem, shares her family life with her asleep vocation as a poetess. The beginning of her successful literary career coincides with her divorce and the development of a serious illness: a breast cancer, which leads her to lose her breasts. In the last stage of her life she meets a young journalist arrived from Tokyo, an admirer of her work, who want to write a story on her life. Both live a secret love history. (imdb)

The long awaited second film in the Wicked Priest series is a masterpiece of sword swinging fury as Shinkai is asked by a man on the run to bring his young son to live with his grandfather, the master of a ju-jitsu dojo during the Taisho period of the early 20th century. Shinkai then runs afoul of a gangster group using strong-arm tactics to take over the profits from local gambling. (japanesesamuraidvd.com)

As World War II escalates, the tight-knit habitants of a street in Tokyo must relocate from their homes so that the government can use the space. Kinoshita's sensitive film-beautifully and resourcefully shot on a single set-traces the fears and desires of the evacuees. (imdb)

As the Killer Priest Shinkai travels around Japan during the Meiji era, he comes to the aid of a village headman fighting corruption from up above. Before he can do anything for the townspeople, he must first face his nemesis, Whipmaster, the blind Priest, a master killer thirsting for revenge. (japanesesamuraidvd.com)

During the Warring States Period, the struggle for absolute supre-macy stood between two mighty warlords, Takeda Shingen, ruler of Shinano and Kai provinces and Oda Nobunaga, ruler of Owari province. In an attempt to finish off his rival, Takeda sends his master ninja Chidoken to assassinate Oda Nobunaga. Three Iga ninja loyal to Nobunaga learn about the assassination plot and set out to intercept Chidoken. (Japanesesamuraidvd.com)

This is the fourth film in the series. There were seventeen Wolves of the City films between 1968 & 1974, in the main aimed at shock-value & "pinku" soft-core with sex, nudity, violence, gunplay, & a lot of mainly pointless foolishness when the biker gang coopts racist or nazi imagery, inventing a non-existent youth culture void of morality... (The Movie Database)

An attempt is made to suppress a journalist's investigation of collusion between a rural police chief and the local gangster bosses. (The Movie Database)

A Japanese detective, Kikuchi, is framed for a murder and sent to prison. When he is paroled, he joins a private detective agency to investigate his case and investigates Mitsue Takazawa, the wife of a local trading firm whom is really a crime lord responsible for Kikuchi's imprisionment and now sets sights on Setsuko, a woman Kikuchi becomes romantically involved with. (imdb)

Somewhat unique as it appears to be one of the very rare appearances of master thespian Itô in a yakuza role. (imdb)

Set in Osaka in 1907, it centers on a yakuza, Asajiro (Koji Tsurata), a man of honor, who must deal with a conflict over a prostitute while struggling to compete with another clan; both are hoping to go legitimate as the city is poised to develop its port for international trade. (latimes.com)

When Honjo is selected as Kansai district's chairman, Iwasa of the rival gang asks Itsuki to do everything possible to have Honjo step down, which puts Itsuki between a rock and a hard place. (themoviedb.org)

As Japan joins in a political pact with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is appointed supreme commander of the Japanese fleet. With Japan headed inexorably toward war, Yamamoto, despite his misgivings, believes the only possible victory lies in destroying the American fleet by surprise at Pearl Harbor. The attack succeeds, but fails to sink the American carrier fleet.

A wandering yakuza in search for the man responsible for slicing up his father and an amateur samurai searching for the whereabouts of his own father are thrown together on the outskirts of a mob infested seaside village. (imdb)

The Tokugawa Shogun at death's door and chooses a successor, then dies. Unfortunately, the successor is more interested in books than women. Fearing that the new Shogun will not carry on the Family name, a corrupt lord, with the help a female Ronin Hood-esque thief, replaces the Shogun with a horny double, while the Shogun learns the pleasures of women.

Koshizu (Fuji), a young geisha, tries to kill herself but is saved by cook Yukichi (Sugahara). Rival geisha Adakichi (Yumi), greedy trader Yasukawa (Abe) and wealthy businessman Asai (Soganoya) add up to dramatic turns. (imdb)

The son of a prominent member of a fishing community returns home after a stint with the yakuza to find his father has died under orders of a local gang leader. He sets out to avenge his father, keeping his plans secret from his mother who is cold to him since his perceived abandonment of the family. This wonderful, if little-seen, Fukasaku gem deals with family, community and what it means to do right by both. (imdb)

A talented young artist painted a picture of Wakako Kyogoku when she was a little girl. The piece was entitled "Girl" and Wakako held it dear to her heart. Years later, she takes the painting on an art gallery in Ginza, in hopes to reunite with its creator, who she does not know the name of.

A new prisoner arrives at a prison where the prisoners have their own obscene culture. There he gets involved in a plot to steal government gold from the Shogun's vault. (imdb)

A killer who only hits people who deserve it is tricked into killing an innocent man. He then seeks revenge against the people who employed him. (imdb)

Bungo becomes a single parent when his wife leaves him because of his drinking and gambling. Deciding to quit his vices, he works menial jobs, drifting from city to city. However, not completely losing his gambling tastes, he became a hunted man and must escape to Tokyo after he was found cheating at dice. Bungo and his son Kenichi comes upon the Kizaki Family in Asakusa, where more troubles are awaiting them... (japanesesamuraidvd.com)

One of Japan’s most popular historical characters, former Vice-Shogun Tokugawa Mitsukuni, whose travels around the nation are legendary has made it to the silver screen in a dynamic and exciting tale featuring megastar Toshiro Mifune as an expert swordsman drawn into the action to fight injustice. The Elder Lord travels about disguised as a retired merchant with his two trusty bodyguards Sukesaburo and Kakunoshin by his side and secret agent Yashichi close by.

Cho, leader of Kibamasa, finds out that his gang has been threatened by another one that, besides being more modern, wants to buy the gueisha that he's in love with.

Life in the Pep Squad is all about harsh discipline. Seniors are "Gods", juniors are "Humans", sophomores are "Slaves" and freshmen are treated like "Trash". One sunny day, two freshmen are entrusted with the task of drying out the squadron's flag; the most cherished and symbolic item of the squad. When they accidentally burn a hole in the flag with a cigarette, they blame Aota. Aota attempts to take full responsibility by committing "harakiri", but changes his mind during the process – a deep s

Tarao Bannai is a dialogue loaded detective film that gets increasingly weird as the case becomes more complicated. Although the tempo is rather slow in the beginning, it changes later. Humour is plenty, and Suzuki has a couple of big surprises in his back pocket, including some Italian genre cinema borrowals.

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

8th film in a series of 8.

Tachibana has completed his three years in prison and returns to the streets. He and his old cell mate wants a new life as ex-prisoners, but by chance they come across some jewels from a bloody bank robbery.

Shinichi returns home to visit his mother's grave. Upon returning he finds the mess that his previous reckless behavior left behind. His old boss, Asahi, was attacked after Shinichi left and was forced to give up a lot of of his power. (imdb)