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93 movies sorted by popularity
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
Ginshiro, threatened by poor repute and upcoming star Tachibana, forces his friend Yasu to marry Konatsu, Ginshiro's pregnant mistress; Yasu becomes a stuntman to make ends meet.
A high school science teacher is the butt of all his students' jokes, until their bus is hijacked on a school trip. But something more sinister lurks beneath the surface: he's building an atomic bomb in his apartment.
Born in the Chinese state of Lu in 551 B.C., Confucius is raised by his mother after his father dies when he is only three. He marries at 19 and enters the service of the local nobility. At 32, he becomes tutor to the Prince of Lu's children, eventually becoming a politician at 51. His career peaks are the roles of Lu's justice minister and eventually prime minister. The land prospers for four years, but Confucius grows disenchanted with court intrigues. For the following 12 years, he wanders the neighboring states, offering advice to their rulers.
Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines.
Adaptation of Shiro Ozaki's novel.
Genji, the son of the emperor, is the talk of the Kyoto nobility for his charm and good looks, yet he cannot stop himself from pursuing an unobtainable object of desire: his father's young and beautiful bride. Following the tragic consequences of his obsession, Genji wanders from one affair to another, always seeking some sort of completion to his life.
Set in the Taisho era, Hana no ran is a story about fashionable people without impulse control. Much of the action centers on a popular woman writer, the real-life poet Akiko Yosano, and her experiences among the literati of early 20th century Japan. Because of her independent, anti-war and often erotic poetry, she was a lightning rod for revolutionaries and other extremists, many of whom were destined to glamorous, yet ultimately pointless, deaths.
Remake of the 1961 Japanese war-comedy film Snow in the South Seas (Minami no Shima ni Yuki ga Furu).
The mayor of Oita wants to improve the image of his city, so he instructs Chiaki - a young woman working for the city's PR department - to form a female tug of war team. Nobuo MIZUTA mixes comedy, drama and a pinch of social criticism to tell a tale of eight women, their everyday struggles and their support for each other.
A Nietzschean journalist who covered the Vietnam War, Lebanese Civil War and other conflicts becomes mentally unstable and goes on a spree of robbery and murder.
In this influential cult-classic animated film based on Japanese folklore, Susano is the youngest son of Izanagi and Izanami, the heavenly couple who created the Earth. Still a young boy, Susano is devastated by the passing away of his mother. Determined to find her despite the reprimands of his father, he embarks on a journey to find his brother and his sister for spiritual guidance.
Taking the Chilean coup as an example, a group of young officers plan to overthrow the Japanese government on V-J Day. They aim to abolish the post-war constitution, restore the national army and revive the traditional spirit of Japan. As the conspiracy is exposed, the coup squadrons are wiped out one by one. The remaining squadron takes over a night train bound for Tokyo.
Set in 900AD and tells the story of a famous female writer of the time, Murasaki Shikibu. Her story begins from the death of her husband, a Japanese noble, then moves on to her recruitment to train the Prince's young 'wives in waiting'. It is dotted throughout and actually composed mainly of one of the fictional stories she wrote, the tale of Genji. Genji is a rich playboy who falls in love and has a son to his stepmother. He falls in love often and has many wives whom are all completely subservient to him.
A recently divorced writer is reunited with the ghosts of his parents who died when he was a boy. However, every time he sees them he loses more life energy. Now, he must choose between starting a new life or staying forever in the past.
Yokiro was the most successful Geisha house in Western Japan during the first half of the 20th century and remains open to this day. At its peak, it was home to over 200 geisha, however behind the fabulous facade, there were many battles - between family members, men and women, and with the Yakuza. Momokawa was sold to Yokiro at age 12, and despite being the top geisha, her many complicated relationships provide unending challenges throughout her glamorous but turbulent life.
The classic tale of the shogun's illegitimate son Aoi Shingo is told in three parts as he strives to become the greatest fencer in Japan, while his father Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune seeks to reunite with his lost son. When the secrets of Shingo's birth are revealed to him, it sets off a series of events that bring him to cross swords with members of the shogun's inner circle in a series of duels that could change the destiny of Japan.
When the boss of a yakuza clan in 1920s Osaka is assassinated, Oryu, his mistress, vows revenge. Her search for the killer takes her out of the city. The old boss' son proves a poor leader, only interested in Omitsu, his high-class girlfriend. Yajima, the second-in-command, is taking advantage of the situation to accumulate power for himself...
Hironoshin is a samurai of the Echigo-Nagaoka clan. One day, Hironoshin attends a party at a mansion in Edo where his lord, Tadakiyo is invited to recite poems. Hironoshin is asked to give his opinion and foolishly comments that the piece was plagiarized. Infuriated, Tadakiyo orders Hironoshin to live his life without honor as a ‘cat flea picker', which is in fact a pseudonym for a male prostitute. The honest and straight-shooting Hironoshin convinces himself that he has no other options, and resigns himself to live as a sex worker. Hironoshin becomes an apprentice to a flea-picker boss who encourages him, convinced that Hironoshin is exacting revenge in the guise of a prostitute.
Daisuke is supposed to be out looking for a respectable job and equally respectable wife. He is 30 years old and devotes his attention to music and literature; his family is wealthy and can support his interests. When his friend Hiraoka returns with his wife Michiyo, problems arise.
After taking the blame for another disastrous advertising campaign, Ota Kiichiro is asked by his arrogant boss Otaki Ichiro to take his place as a judge at the world's biggest advertising competition in Los Angeles.
Naomi, a high school teacher, feels lonely living alone, so she secretly begins living with her student Keiji. It could be said that she is providing for Keiji as an outlet for her sexual desires rather than living together. Naomi, who has a natural lewd blood in her veins, knows that Keiji's older brother, Keisuke, is passionate about her, so she immediately decides to have a relationship with him. One day, Keiji gets fed up with Naomi and disappears...
A warrior-in-training and his bumbling friends go in pursuit of a stolen sword.
Keisuke, an aspiring samurai-movie actor lands a major role in a new film, but must contend with a director who has nothing but scorn for him, but who continually fawns over the film’s obnoxious ham of a star.
A young man has more on his hands than he can handle: a child he rarely sees, a runaway wife, and a young prostitute he has just met. The close-knit city of Tokyo brings them all together.
A woman finds out her father is not her real one after her mother falls into a coma while searching for a mythical creature. She decides to meet her real father who happens to be an off-beat antique shopkeeper.
After the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, there was a series of battles fought while the former supporters of the Tokugawa shogunate retreated to the north where they actually started a sovereign nation that was recognized by more than one European country. Survivors of the Shinsengumi were among the followers of Enomoto Takeaki who took them to the northernmost island of Ezo where they fought their final battle at the star shaped fort, Goryokaku. The Japanese Civil Wars fought in the name of the emperor signaled the complete end of the feudal system and Japan’s entry into the modern world as those brave samurai tried to halt progress and learned that the age of modern warfare and weaponry had passed them by. Swords were no match for rifles and cannons, nor was any man a match for the power of the imperial flag. Japanese loyalty to the emperor has long defined the nation and culture despite the changing times.
In Kyoto, Mayuko (Haruka Ayase) stands at a crossroad in her life. She's thinking about marriage with her boyfriend Kyoichi (Hiroyuki Hirayama). By an accidental opportunity, Mayuko stays at Honnouji Hotel. There, she meets historical figure Nobunaga Oda (Shinichi Tsutsumi) who is attempting to unify Japan.
A 30-year-old man's life gets up-ended when his girlfriend accepts an arranged marriage meeting with a more successful man.
This story is based on the novel "Jo no mai" by Tomiko Miyao which is based on the life of painter Shōen Uemura (1875–1949), the first woman to be awarded the Order of Culture. The title refers to the masterpiece bijinga ("picture of a beautiful woman") that Uemura painted at the age of 61. The main character, Tsuya Shimamura, is born in Kyoto as the second daughter of a tea trader who dies before her birth. Tsuya, who loves painting more than anything and is hopeless at housework, attends art school and at age 15 receives the name Shōsui (from the characters for "pine" and "green") from her teacher. The crown prince of England purchases one of her works, propelling her to fame overnight. The novel portrays the remainder of her stormy life, during which she is impregnated by her teacher and raises a fatherless child; through it all she devotes herself to her painting, undaunted.
After their father quarrels with local military men, Anju and Zushio are forced to flee, but they are captured and sold into slavery. When their mother dies, they are sold to Sansho the Bailiff, a cruel man who subjects them to hideous torments. While Anju falls into a lake and is transformed into a swan, Zushio escapes and after being adopted to a nobleman grows to a young man. He will then fight to defeat the evil Dayu and free all the slaves.
A fifteen year old boy travels through the Amagi Pass, he encounters some strange people, one of them is the geisha Ozuka Hana. After a murder takes place, the police searchs for the culprit.
Tells the story of three bottom-dog boxers who gets used as punching bags. Pro boxer Suenaga Akira fell off the path to greatness but still tries to crawl his way to the top. Omura Ryuta is a youngster who grew up in foster care. Miyagi Shun, a TV celebrity with famous parents, takes a shot at boxing as part of a TV show. Three underdogs with very different back stories put their pride on the line as they exchange blows.
Haruo has a dream to become the best magician, but, so far, he is only a marginal magician. Haruo also doesn't have parents. He then goes back 40 years in time to Asakusa, Tokyo. There, he meets his parents when they were young and he learns the secret of his birth.
Warlords Kagetora and Takeda each wish to prevent the other from gaining hegemony in feudal Japan. The two samurai leaders pursue one another across the countryside, engaging in massive battles of cavalry and infantry. Younger and less brutal, Kagetora must find the strength to be as brutal as his opponent, but at what cost?
"Tsubaki Sanjuro" is a remake of Sanjuro (1962) by Akira Kurosawa. Sanjuro returns with sharper, faster, subtler sword, talking and perception. He uses them to settle the trouble and uses them good!
Yahagi Michiko is accosted and raped walking home one evening. From there she maneuvers the logistics of the police, hospital, and criminal justice system while balancing her home life including romantic relationships.
A middle-aged journalist looking to make her big break. After working the same beat on the "women's page", Yumiko gets promoted to editorials.
A young woman breaks off her long-term relationship with her boyfriend to move to Tokyo in search of new experiences.
The Wayside Pebble is an effective drama about the hardships of a childhood spent with a brusque, cold-hearted father and a submissive mother. The year is 1910 and the place is a small Japanese village. Goichi is suffering because he wants to go to school, but his family is too poor to afford that luxury. Even when a kind friend agrees to help out, Goichi's father refuses to give in to his son's request for an education. Instead, he sends Goichi off to work as an indentured servant for a cold-hearted merchant and his family. As tragedy strikes and the suffering of the young boy increases, he begins to look for some way out of his bleak situation.
A comedy about the uproar in a yakuza office, before the dissolution ceremony the next day. The day before the dissolution of the Yamamuro group, it is reported that the leader of the hostile organization was assassinated by someone.
From all over Japan, the greatest warriors: Yagyu Jubei, Miyamoto Musashi, Araki Mataemon, and more came to test their blades in a tournament of swords. But behind the match a bloodthirsty plot is born. Tokugawa Yorinobu, a corrupt shogunate official plans to assassinate Shogun Iemitsu and take his place. With scheming samurai Yui Shosetsu and ruthless Negoro ninja leader Genyusai, he plans to incite a ronin uprising and cut a bloody trail across Japan, with terrifying Chinese gunboats to back his play. Matsudaira Izu-no-kami, councilor and friend to the shogun, along with master swordsman Yagyu Jubei and ninja master Hanzo Hattori must stop Yui Shosetsu and his army of ronin and ninja assassins from tearing the country in half and taking over the government!
Chief Detective KIMURA Denbei, fondly referred to as Smoky Denbei, is a legendary figure at the Metropolitan Police Department. Transferred to Denbei's Criminal Investigation Division 1, Detective KUMADA Tomekichi arrives from the Toyama Prefectural Police. KUMADA is disconcerted by Denbei's position that murderers nowadays do not need a plausible motive, but gradually adapts to Denbei's unusual methods of investigation.
When a broadcasting company takes away its financial support from a symphony orchestra, some of the members refuse to admit defeat. The first violinist returns to his home and manages to get the orchestra back together for a grandiose performance, saved at the last minute by their original conductor -- and boding well for the future of the die-hard musicians.
Taken out of the pages of history itself, this is the story of the sizzling love between Kenreimon-in of the Taira Clan and Yoshitsuné of the Minamoto Clan. When the Taira Clan had met ignominious defeat at the hands of Yoshitsuné, Kenreimon-in had jumped into the sea with her son, the infant Emperor, but only she had been rescued by Yoshitsuné. A rough-hewn warrior, Yoshitsuné had taken her by force until he awakened an answering love in the Empress with his chamber techniques.
No description available.
The unexpected death of Fujishima Motoharu, president of a medium-sized firm, triggers a fierce battle over his estate inheritance among family members.
The life story of Japan’s greatest leader, Tokugawa Ieyasu, whose shogunate ruled the nation for almost 300 years has never been told like this before. From the early days as a supporter of Imagawa Yoshimoto, then on to his days with Oda Nobunaga, leading to his wars against and ultimate victory over the Toyotomi to become shogun is a fascinating tale of his military genius coupled with a native intelligence that allowed him to become the last of the great warlords and ultimately the leader of the nation. With great performances from an all-star cast featuring names like Kitaoji Kinya and Takahashi Hideki this is history come to life on the screen.
After their lord is unjustly sentenced to commit seppuku, Oishi Kuranosuke leads a group of 47 loyal retainers on a mission of vengeance against the corrupt court official Kira Kozukenosuke.
A story of friendship between two women, Yae and Kiyoko. Their friendship is tested when artist Yae, who suffers from fatal illness, develops special feelings towards her best friend Kiyoko’s boyfriend Kosuke.
An elite researcher (Tatsuya Fujiwara) dreams of committing the perfect crime.
The drama stars Beat Takeshi as General Hideki Tojo, who served as Prime Minister of Japan during World War II and was later executed as a war criminal. The story's theme is said to be a look at how the Pacific War began, focusing mostly on the three month period between the Imperial Conference (Gozen Kaigi) on September 6, 1941, and the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
An upwardly-mobile banker's boss introduces him to the adopted daughter of a wealthy client. He falls in love with the girl and wants to marry her, not knowing that she is involved in a kinky sadomasochistic relationship with her artist father.
Toshiko does not have long to live. She wants to make the most of her time while she can and takes a sojourn to where her true hometown for which she has so much nostalgia and admiration. With her husband on her side she remains can-do and keeps her chin up, but can only lament the passing of time and what will happen next to everyone and everything she loves.
High school student Keiko struggles with the pressures of college entrance examinations and a chaotic home life, ultimately succumbing to alcohol, marijuana, gang members and rape.
Kazuo is an angry young man, especially resentful of the power and snootiness of the rich. But at the same time he's obsessed with Saeko, the daughter of a rich businessman.
Mako and Mayumi's lesbian show was a big hit, and the venue was packed to capacity again today. After the show, Mako and her gigolo Kumada were relieved by the positive reception, and when they got home they entangled their bodies, but once they were done, they started talking about the show as usual. Kumada started saying that he was getting bored of Mako and Mayumi's lesbian show, which only involved using her fingers, and that he wanted to stop...
A young woman's life is turned upside down when her husband suddenly disappears, leaving behind numerous debts and his illegitimate child. Desperate to track down her missing husband, she travels to Kyushu in hopes of finding clues to his whereabouts and in the process discovers disturbing secrets about the man she loves.
In a corner of a warehouse at Shiodome Station, a alumni trunk, is found with the terrible smell of decay. The dead body of a woman is inside. Since the trunk was shipped from Osaka Tennoji Station, the murder investigation headquarters were established in Tokyo and Osaka
The lives and loves of several prostitutes are shown on the night the Prostitution Prevention Law goes into effect and criminalizes their profession.
Mid 50s: the trials and tribulations of Shinsuke Ibuki, freshly arrived in Tokyo from Kyushu.
Writer and ladies-man Yonosuke, who gives inept English lessons (using Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet), is mistakenly ushered into the back entrance of a woman's house one rainy night. When he finds out that her husband is away at war in Russia he tries to take advantage of the situation. Her honor is saved when he discovers she is wearing a chastity belt. But she is lonely and she has the key...
In a factory that prioritizes profits amid economic downturns, a female worker criticized for her poor performance commits suicide, prompting her colleagues to strike and demand improved working conditions.
The sixth and last Moonlight Mask film in the original series produced by Toei in the 1950s.
Shonosuke Furukehashi (Hiroshi Tamaki) is a young samurai and the second son of Sozaemon (Bunchin Katsura) of Togane Domain, Kazusa Province. Sozaemon serves as an attendant, but one day, he is suddenly suspected of accepting bribes. Forged documents written in handwriting startlingly identical to his offer incontrovertible evidence. Framed for accepting bribes he knows nothing about, Sozaemon commits ritual suicide for his “crime”. Shonosuke’s elder brother Katsunosuke (Satoshi Hashimoto), an assistant instructor at the domain’s training hall, is placed under house arrest. Because of that, Shonosuke leaves for Edo alone in order to clear the name of his beloved father.
A biopic of seminal 20th century artist Leonard Foujita, a contemporary of Picasso and Modigliani, who was famous for mixing up European and Japanese styles.
1962 Japanese movie
This is the story of the 47 ronin of the Ako clan who rose up to avenge the brutal death of their beloved master Asano Takumi-no-kami after his failed attack on the vile Lord Kira led to his being ordered to commit ritual suicide in a garden on the grounds of the shogun's palace.
Set in the 1930s in the international city of Shanghai, the film follows the extravagant life and times of a group of jazz musicians, living from one advance paycheck to the next, as the country teeters over the brink into the Second Sino-Japanese War.
Ayako is a 7-year-old girl with a dark, tanned face and a somewhat mysterious expression on her face. She shows up at the elementary school and acts strangely, but the children don't know her name and just call her "that girl". There are two groups of children at the elementary school, and the conflict between the groups intensifies...
Straight-laced, honest Japanese travel agent Misuzu gets a job as a tour guide so that she can the world. On her first assignment in Bangkok, Thailand she does her best for her ungrateful charges, but gets fired when the hotel (through no fault of her own) misplaces all their passports. She also finds herself the victim of a scam by two Japanese con-artists (innocent-looking Tondabayashi and half-Thai Thuy) living in Bangkok. When the hotel finds the passports, she decides to buck the system and sell them on the black market. She teams up with the two con-artists to scam, rip off and rob all the Japanese tourists in Bangkok. They keep trying to pull off bigger and bigger jobs, and end up in trouble with two dumb, sightseeing yakuza, among others. Also, a love triangle forms as Tondabayashi falls for Misuzu, and Misuzu falls for the older Thuy.
A thrilling and entertaining piece in which Jirokichi, portrayed by Morio Kazama, tackles a major event involving an attempt to assassinate the shogun. This production features historical figures such as Toyama Kagemoto, Oshio Heihachiro, Utagawa Hiroshige, and Watanabe Kanzan in their youth, depicting their exploits before they became famous. It becomes a lively portrayal of youthful vigor, with scenes of Jirokichi leaping using trampolines, creating a light and lively action.
Nikkatsu Roman Porno
A film adaptation of the novel of the same title written by Hiroshi Hatayama (畑山博).
Intellectual collegue professor Sasa becomes obsessed with beautiful Sugiko, a virgin. Eventually, luring her to a love hotel.
"After leaving the Yakuza, Oman embraces a quiet normal life - only to be dragged back into a world of violence, when seeking revenge for the brutal murder of those close to her." - Adapted from the late October 1972 issue of Kinema Junpo
The story of a young composer who lost his lover and encounters grief care, which casually provides support to people in a state of
Tatsuo was leading a peaceful suburban life with his wife and daughter. But an ex-girlfriend attends his bridge club. Then Haruo, an old friend, appears. He is being chased by loan sharks and needs shelter. Haruo overstays his welcome and family relations become strained.
A young boy’s dream of a woman is entrusted to the love of a flower. When that beautiful flower withers and the boy discovers the ugliness of women’s true nature, he vows revenge.
A young boy, a prep school student, lives alone with his estranged mother. One day, after breaking up with his girlfriend Noriko, he is stopped by a middle-aged woman. Out of curiosity, he follows her and has his first sexual experience. A few days later, having discovered the pleasure of sex, he tries to embrace Noriko in a park, but she rejects him, and they part ways. He gradually becomes more and more reckless. He visits his father's mistress and learns that the two have broken up, and ends up sleeping with her. While continuing this life of rampant pleasure, he learns from a friend that his girlfriend Noriko has been attacked and raped by a thug. At that moment, he realizes that Noriko was the only one he truly loved, and he searches for her...
Haruhiko Nakayama is vice principal at a Japanese school, where he takes care of everything and dreams of finally becoming principal. But after a teacher no longer turns up for lessons, Nakayama has to teach a primary school class again after more than 20 years. He encounters such great challenges that he soon begins to doubt his profession.
The movie was inspired by Hiroshima prefectural government's marital activity "Koinowa Project" which is practiced as part of countermeasures against the declining birthplace.
