Yûko Kotegawa

The anime fantasy opus Origin: Spirits of the Past commences with a backstory prologue set in an ancient era, when the moon awakened the forest and unleashed a terrible, destructive beast upon the Earth. As the story proper opens, the landscape of the world has changed immeasurably. Mankind is divided into two warring factions: one that seeks a peaceful, harmonious balance with the forest, and another that wishes to dominate and control it. (All Movie Guide)

Takakura playsa cop training to be a sharpshooter for the Olympic games, he divorces his wife and abandons his daughter when he discovers she's had an affair. Later his coach is gunned down by a fleeing criminal. Years later Takakura returns to his snowy hometown and starts an affair with a middle-aged bar owner. (imdb)

This sensuously beautiful film chronicles the activities of four sisters who gather in Kyoto every year to view the cherry blossoms. It paints a vivid portrait of the pre-war lifestyle of the wealthy Makioka family from Osaka, and draws a parallel between their activities and the seasonal variations in Japan. (imdb)

A condensed adaptation of the Lone Wolf and Cub saga.

A group of demons in the ancient Japanese capital of Heian is dismembering members of a family of Japanese nobles. (imdb)

Saotome Mondonosuke is a "Hatamoto" or direct retainer of the Shogun. The crescent shaped scar on his forehead is a license given him by the Shogun to kill anyone he deems to be a villain. A strong performance that reflects well upon his father with interesting stories, these films are required viewing. When Saotome hears news about counterfeit gold and of an old friend that has gone missing, he begins to suspect that things are not what they seem... (japanesesamuraidvd)

A young man tries to avenge his friend, who was deliberately killed in a car race.