Yoshi Katô

Based on the mystery novel by Tsutomu Mizukami, the intense drama starts with a murdered dead body found at a shipwreck.

In 18th Century in Japan, the paper merchant Jihei (Kichiemon Nakamura) falls in love for the courtesan Koharu (Shima Iwashita), but he can not afford to redeem her from her master and owner of the brothel, since he spent all his money in the place with Koharu. Jihei's wife Osan tries to keep her husband with his two children and asks Koharu to leave him. The two lovers make a pact of double suicide to escape from the rigid rules of the Japanese society of 1720 and stay together after death. (imdb)

The story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures. (imdb)

Mako stars in this action packed drama about a man's struggles.

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)

The Tokyo engineer Kariya arrives on a primitive tropical island to drill a well to provide water for the sugar mill. He is assisted on the island by Kametaro, from the inbred Futori family. Nekichi Futori is chained in a pit that he has to dig, in order to appease the gods for breaking island customs... (imdb)

Two detectives investigate the murder of a 60-year-old policeman. The victim is well-liked, and there does not seem to be any motive for the murder. The investigation finally leads to the discovery of the hidden past of a young rising composer. (hkflix.com)

When Sokichi stops providing his long-time lover Kikuyo enough money to pay for the care of their three young children, Kikuyo leaves the children with Sokichi - and his very surprised and angry wife Oume - and disappears. (imdb)

The struggle of farmers against the greed of the company they rely upon to sell their rice.

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.

Starving Christian peasants, oppressed by landowners and samurai alike, rise up, led by a teenage boy called Shiro, against the Shogunate. (American Cinematheque)

Teiko, a young newlywed, bids farewell to her new husband, Kenichi, in a Tokyo station, as he leaves to conclude business in Kanazawa, promising to return on December 12. But the 12th comes and goes with no word from Kenichi. Teiko's only clue to her husband's whereabouts is a couple of strange postcards she finds among his belongings. When Kenichi's employers invite her to Kanazawa to help them locate him, Teiko finds herself embroiled in a complicated mystery. (sansebastianfestival.com)

The Oonogi Clan, faced with police and syndicate pressure to legitimize, cannot leave the way of the yakuza behind. When the rival Kansai Corporation vies for Oonagi territory, war seems inevitable, but it may be simply money they are after instead...

A young teacher struggles to overcome prejudices in early 20th century Japan.

A black soldier flying during World War 2 is taken prisoner in a small Japanese village when his plane goes down.

The Sun Goddess responsible for the founding of Japan is seen as conniving woman Himiko, who rules a small portion of the Japanese islands in the third century through her influence over several powerful men. When she is killed for reasons of political expediency, the film zooms back to reveal her mourners as figures in modern-day Japan. (allmovie.com)

A young woman fends off a series of agressive marriage proposals from a man who comitted atrocities during World War II (Hulu)

Very fast-moving sketches of a corrupt politician, a jaded geisha, an impoverished family with 18 children and a boarder who works as a day-laborer and manufactures atomic bombs at night. (Audie Bock)

Those cold-blooded Ninja-nailing killers-for-hire are back, and bloodier than ever! Echo of Destiny, the kinetic second film in the Shadow Hunters saga, is a tale rich in intrigue, betrayal, and gory death. Retained by a great Damiyo to escort an illegal cannon to safety, the three Shadow Hunters must carve their way through a legion of Ninja (and more of those sexy female assassins) in order to complete their commission. (rightstuf.com)

The Karashi Botan returns in the fourth chapter of the incredible Showa Zankoden series. This time legendary actor Takakura Ken plays Hidejiro, the reluctant boss of a firefighter company. They win the bidding for the construction contract of an annual festival. When a rival family, desperate for that contract, becomes treacherous and violent, Hidejiro must take brutal revenage. (japanesesamuraidvd.com)

In one of the best films of this type, famous detective Kindaichi solves a series of mysterious murders in a wealthy family. An excellent blend of intrigue and betrayal, set against the backdrop of wealth, this film is loaded with twists and turns and surprises at every corner. Things are never as they seem, and it will keep you guessing until the very end. A rare treasure of a mystery, like none before or since!

In Part I we see the young would-be swordsman setting out to achieve greatness in war, achieving nothing because fighting on the losing side, & then beginning his long period of wandering & training, with the goal always in mind of his duel with Kojiro. Part II builds toward that great duel on Ganryu Island, with considerable focus on Musashi's planning & forethought as to how to gain an advantage. (weirdwildrealm.com)

Coming out of jail and hoping for a quiet life, Yokohama yakuza has to take the lead of his gang after the death of his boss. His small group is is taken in a crossfire between a big yakuza group from Osaka at war with the Tokyo alliance for the control of the city. He tries to keep to the old yakuza code but he is no match for the new thugs who live and fight without honor. (imdb)

Five years ago Minako spent a night with Sozo, the younger brother of her ex-husband. Now she is married to a wealthy old man, who (though he loves his young wife) is no longer able to fulfill his conjugal duties. Consequently, Minako goes to Tokyo every three months to meet Sozo, who has married the daughter of his respected teacher. (imdb)

Based on Matsumoto Seicho's classic mystery novel of the same name, the story centers around a group of detectives who are determined to find the truth behind an apparent double suicide. (The Movie Database)

Young coal miner Takeda leaves Kyushu in search of a better job in Tokyo, only to fall into the lucrative yet dangerous life of a yakuza. (rarefilm.net)

A voice over recites the history of the atom bomb attack. Fade to a classroom, a few years after that fateful day. Kitagawa sensei [Eiji Okada] hovers at the front of a classroom filled with very serious students listening to the radio. Cut to young Michiko (Reiko Matsuyama) breaking down and imploring Kitagawa to turn it off. She covers her ears. By the time he comes to comfort her. There are drops of blood on her textbook. She's suffering from radiation sickness. (jfilmpowwow.blogspot.com)

The Akiba and Shimura crime families run the streets of "K City". With the construction of new buildings and new factories underway, the city has sprouted into a boomtown and business is good. Two of the most infamous mobs of Tokyo want a piece of the pie. As out-of-town yakuza flood the city overnight, the crime boss of the Akiba family, Tezuka (Joe Shishido), is released from prison after a five year sentence. He does not like the "change" he sees. (nikkatsu.com)

A series of home invasions and brutal murders have struck fear into the hearts of the community lead the townspeople to request the help of Young Lord in finding out who is carrying out these terrible crimes. The appearance of a blood-stained wedding Kimono for a samurai woman makes this on of the most puzzling cases that Young Lord has ever had to solve.

The fourth Moonlight Mask theatrical film.

Young yakuza Shujiro Hanada goes to prison after losing his cool in a rigged gambling game and slashing a few other players. When he's released in 1927, the world has changed. His sister died in the Great Kanto Earthquake and his father is also gone. His brother Jukichi invites him to stay at his in-laws and works in their family pub. He lies low, helping his blind mother-in-law and slowly developing a relationship with Ikuye, the hostess who helped him before his arrest.

Account magistrate Wakisaka Bizen Mamoru asks Yoshibei, the chief priest of Iriya and Myohoji Temple to explore the Sado Gold Mine. They suspect that large amounts of money are being diverted to somewhere else. Yoshibei, a former official secret-head accepts the job and recruits three skilled Karadogumi… Nanikiri, Hayashi, and Kumonryo. In Sado, where the four infiltrate, the magistrate Okubo Hitachi Mamoru who plans to overthrow the shogunate is trying to buy a large number of firearms from Rus

Jiromaru (Kinnosuke Nakamura) investigates the dark "Ghost Ship" in search of his father. Meanwhile, Princess Yuki (Yumiko Hasegawa) and Chacha (Eiko Maruyama) are kidnapped by pirates, so after dedicating himself to rescuing them for the second time, he decides to accept his grandfather's challenge to become a navigator, just like his deceased father.

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

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

Based on the comic book by Jūzō Yamasaki and Kei Sadayasu.

Ichiro, the son of a private detective, is a part-time convertible salesman who spends his time picking up girls, through which he becomes involved in the investigation of the kidnapping of the son of a government official.

Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba returns as the reckless son of a private detective and takes on the case of a minor league baseball pitcher who disappears right before signing a contract into the major leagues. Meanwhile, the body of an orthopedist is discovered in the river.