Acting
Saigo Takamori, the hero of the Meiji Restoration, was born to a poor, low-ranking samurai family in the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture). His simple honesty caught the attention of its charismatic feudal lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Nariakira. Nariakira’s assertion that the love of people is what will enrich and strengthen the nation captivated Saigo who took on Nariakira’s secret mission and eventually became a key person for Satsuma. Not a portrait of him survives today and much of his life is a mystery. He is a man who was twice exiled and thrice married. He overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate with exceptional bravery and action. Although he accomplished the restoration, he lost his life in a fight with the new Meiji government.
The 16th NHK Asadora. Starring Yoko Akino in a contemporary story about a woman who is an office worker.
Continuing the adventures from the film series, Shikoro Ichibei is back with his cache of unique weapons and the quickest sword in all Japan. Having worked directly for the shogun in the past, he now runs a school in his secret identity as an educator. Meanwhile he takes on secret missions as ”The Bounty Hunter” (Shokin Kasegi). The touches of humor during the scenes around the school disappear once Ichibei takes on a contract. Powerful swordplay and brutal violence highlight these episodes as Japan’s greatest sword star Wakayama Tomisaburo stands tall against all odds in this dynamic television series.
The world-famous woodblock artist Hokusai (1760-1849), a widower in need of a steady income, lives with his daughter Oei in the house of his friend Bakin.
When a fugitive begins a romance with the woman hiding him from the law, it becomes uncertain whether he will ever escape the shadow of his heinous crimes--or the detectives hot on his trail.
A ruined businessman was forced to sell his daughter, Hisano, to a brothel in Yoshiwara, the largest red-light district in Tokyo. The owner of the brothel has hopes to make her a great new addition which will attract the richest of customers. But after several months of training, she tries to flee Yoshiwara when the time has come for her to take her first customer...
A wildly unusual story set in the earliest days of the Meiji era. The story centers around a gathering place called The Mermaid Saloon, where scantily clad pearl divers put on a show while two residents of the inn upstairs...
Based on a novel by Kôen Hasegawa
When his travels bring him to Osaka, Tora-san falls in love with a local geisha. He helps her to track down her estranged brother, and informs his family that he plans to marry her. His plans are foiled when the geisha informs Tora-san that she is engaged.
Comedy about a car salesman who invents a condom against premature ejaculation.
When a giant stone statue on Wester Island is disturbed, the legendary monster Jiger appears and heads for Japan. Gamera tries to stop this new rival, only to be injured when Jiger lays eggs inside of him. As two boys in a submarine go on a dangerous quest inside of Gamera's body to save him, Jiger threatens the Expo '70 world's fair in Osaka.
Two young boys sneak aboard a spaceship and find themselves whisked away to the mysterious planet Terra. There, they encounter Gamera's old foe Gyaos and two female aliens with a taste for human brains. Gamera must save the children and battle the new monster Guiron, whose entire body is a deadly living weapon.
When the mysterious “Joe of Spades” (Jo Shishido) executes one of the bosses of a powerful syndicate, his colleagues, fearing for their own lives, call on the services of assassin agency Murder Unincorporated to take care of the problem. This unique entry showcases some of the most peculiar killing tactics to ever hit Japanese cinema!
The Man Who Assassinated Ryoma is a movie about a haunted blood-thirsty Bakufu officer who might have killed Ryoma Sakamoto.
A country boss gives up his way of life because of his daughter's marriage.
A sentimental drama about aspiring artist, Eiji, who rescues a blind girl. His friends Goro and Minoru and the blind girl's sister Kazue are a happy group until Goro steals money from Kazue's purse. Goro is arrested and his friends start bothering Eiji. To escape their harassment he changes jobs. But then he becomes the victim of an unexpected accident.
Fukuzo, Kato and Matsuko, Kato's wife, are operating the "Kurenai Sightseeing Service" in Tokyo. Fukuzo and Kato were comrades during the war. One day Fukuzo guides Harumi, an old woman, to the Yasukuni Shrine where the souls of fallen soldiers are enshrined. Finding she has no place to go, Fukuzo carries her to his shack by the sea.
Set in Osaka just after the end of the war, the story depicts an unconventional merchant who returns from evacuation. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Teru Miyamoto, and the screenplay was written by Eizo Sugawa, who also wrote "Horagawa". The director is Takeichi Saito, who also directed "Kawachi no Osan no Uta: Yokita no Ware". Kozo Okazaki, who worked on "I am a Cat," is in charge of the cinematography.
1961 Japanese movie
Could I But Live