Shōhei Hino

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.

Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan risk their lives and stay at the nuclear power plant to prevent total destruction after the region is devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

A thief, a murderer, and a charming lady-killer, Iwao Enokizu is on the run from the police.

A businessman is ruthless with his competitors, and in response his competitors after being driven out of business kidnap aforementioned business man's wife and start training her to be a porn star, particularly of the S&M/bondage variety

Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

An unhappy young woman from an abusive family is married off to a fearsome and chilly army commander. But the two learn more about each other, love may have a chance.

On the night before ‘Black Friday,’ which is the one of the busiest commerce days, a cardboard box, that is delivered from the world's largest shopping site, explodes. Soon after, a series of mysterious explosion cases occurs. The entire nation becomes terrorized by the shocking events. Funado Erena has just began to work as the center director for a large distribution warehouse that covers three-quarters of the Kanto area. Erena must gain control over this unprecedented situation with team manager Nashimoto Ko.

No description available.

In the middle of the 16th century, Hideyoshi, a power hungry warlord sets out to destroy the Momochi clan. He sends his war commander in search of the clan's hidden gold only to find that two daggers are the key to the hiding place of the treasured gold. Spanning decades, the quest for the missing daggers takes Shiranui through war and ancient tradition.

Weaving two storylines together: the first is the story of 18th-century shogunate intrigue and loyalty, and the second is a ghost story about a beautiful woman who falls victim to passion and evil.

In the Himalayan foothills town of Darjeeling, India, a devout Tibetan Buddhist monk named Tashi is sent to Japan to continue his spiritual training. There, he meets a cantankerous elderly man and his parolee granddaughter, Emi. As Tashi grows closer to them, the distance between the lonely Emi and Tashi begins to shrink, and forbidden feelings start to emerge between them.

A man has thrown away love and a woman has given up on love. The two souls meet in a brief summer in the northern city of Hakodate.

Eiji Akutsu is a newspaper reporter. He is working on unsolved case that took place 30 years ago. The case involved a group of people extorting several companies for money. The group sent cassette tapes to the companies. Eiji Akutsu comes across a mysterious cassette tape. Meanwhile, Toshiya Sone lives in Kyoto and runs a tailor shop. He discovers a cassette tape among his late father's possessions. He plays the cassette tape and hears his voice from his childhood days.

An essayist, he finds peace in his mountain life. His routine is pleasantly disturbed by occasional visits from Machiko, his editor and love interest, as he struggles to let go of his late wife's ashes.

A yakuza leader must balance his violent tactics necessary for the rough streets of 1960s Tokyo with the domestic needs of his daughters.

During the 16th century, Japan was involved in the Sengoku Period, an era of civil wars and the powerful warlords who fought them. One of the earliest and strongest of these men was the Lord Takeda Shingen, a tremendous military genius.

Friends grow apart after a tragic accident claims one of their number. Years later, the dead girl appears to them to ask for their help in crossing over to the afterlife.

This is a film about a real person. Sanada Yukimura fought a war against Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Taro Kuroki, 42, is a stuntman with a samurai's heart. He loves adventures, plays pranks with the police, tries to cure a cat lady by reversing her trauma, and finally, rescues his niece who is about to be lured into prostitution.

A young woman breaks off her long-term relationship with her boyfriend to move to Tokyo in search of new experiences.

A journalist reporting on the 1997 Kobe earthquake recalls a boat trip he took as a boy after WWII to bury his brother's ashes, during which his family grapples with life in occupied Japan.

During the peaceful Tokugawa period, handsome samurai Gonza becomes entangled in a tragic love triangle and a web of deceit while trying to advance his social standing through the tea ceremony.

The third series of action series depicting the success of a woman torpedo who was caught in two groups of conflicts at a small port town in the Seto Inland Sea.

When an innocent young country girl falls for a low level yakuza, she enters a completely different world in which the line between good and evil are quickly blurred. Through great ups and downs their love will be tested, but the ultimate test lies in whether or not they will survive the downward pull of the lifestyle they have chosen.

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!

The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a revelrous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which turns into a massacre. Characteristically, Imamura focuses not on the leaders of the country, but on characters in the lower classes and on the fringes of society.

Eiso Tsubaki, a former aristocrat, was suspected in a murder case in Ginza and committed suicide. Detective Kindaichi Kosuke, who is commissioned by Tsubaki's daughter, Mineko, and believes in her father's innocence, witnesses a bizarre fortune-telling session at the Tsubaki mansion. That night, another murder occurs within the mansion. A visual adaptation of Seishi Yokomizo's gothic horror.

A photographer for a weekly magazine becomes obsessed with Nami, a woman he first saw getting brutally raped in an underground porn video. After tracking her down, he begins an affair with her, initially unaware that she is also in an abusive relationship with Muraki, the man responsible for the video that started it all.

Rumors are circulating that the shogunate is losing control of some feudal domains. Lord Yagyu Munefuyu is assigned to deal with the problem and the rebellious clans will be crushed! Meanwhile, a former vassal of the Kazama clan is shot and killed. Moments later a second man is killed by a mysterious master swordsman. Matsudaira Choshichiro and his companions arrive at the crime scene and find a new type of repeating gun. The carved seal on the gun stock belong to the Saiga; a ninja clan abolished by the shogunate many years ago. The blame for the murders is placed on the Kazama clan. Are they guilty or is this a wise cunning plan by Lord Yagyu to be able to destroy the Kazama clan? Choshichiro sets out to reveal the truth and try to save the doomed Kazama clan! In his way are the Owari, Lord Yagyu and his ninja assassins, and the mysterious master swordsman! Will Choshichiro prevail against impossible odds...?

Mizusawa (Takenouchi Yutaka), an explosives expert, is arrested and charged with a string of bank robberies. Because he is a flight risk, Detective Kayama (Ogata Ken) is assigned to transport Mizusawa to Shizuoka for questioning. On the way, Kayama receives word that the hotel where his wife and daughter are attending a party has been rigged with a time bomb. Being a "by-the-book" kind of cop, Kayama refuses to abandon his job and return to help his family. Meanwhile, the hotel is swarming with police and the bomb squad who are searching for the bomb and the culprit. Time is almost up. Mizusawa claims that he is the only who who can deactivate the bomb.

The classic tale retold. This is one of Japan’s most popular stories in a brand new version starring the great Matsukata Hiroki following in the footsteps of Yorozuya Kinnosuke as Yagyu Tajima, the grandmaster swordsman whose plot to maintain the succession of Iemitsu as shogun encounters obstacles on all sides. Loaded with action and featuring many of Japan’s new up and coming sword stars this exciting movie brings back the feelings of the golden age of motion pictures. Stunning cinematography brings 17th Century Japan to life in this exciting tale of loyalty and betrayal, leading up to an ending that won’t be found in any history book.

A story of the everyday life of a couple living together, ordinary but full of warmth and love. Starring Miura and Yamaguchi's first movie since making public of their romance--their real-life story on the screen.

Mid 50s: the trials and tribulations of Shinsuke Ibuki, freshly arrived in Tokyo from Kyushu.

Professional boxer Sota Kusunoki has gained popularity for his fighting style, where he goes headlong into his opponents. However, years of fighting have taken their toll on his body, and he is forced to retire by a doctor's stoppage. He takes the opportunity of his retirement to marry his girlfriend, Sachiko, and start a new life, but he is completely useless in society and is made acutely aware of the harsh reality of his situation. One day, a mysterious man who claims to be a fan of Sota's receives an offer to fight in an underground martial arts tournament, where he will fight for a large sum of money and where his desires are thriving... The prospect of fighting once again revives his almost forgotten excitement, and his adrenaline surges as if to fill the emptiness in him. Will the madness and honesty of a man obsessed with fighting have a happy ending or a bad one?

No description available.

A depressed ex-boxer (Yosuke Kubozuka) self-medicating for the injuries that ended his career finds a stray cat that brightens his day, but she is snatched up by a comical grungy mechanic (Kenji Furuya). Calling each other by the competing names they gave the cat, Maru and Lily, the odd pair is abruptly sucked into a political conspiracy with Saeko (Yui Ichikawa) and her son at the center. Witnessing another injustice in which the economic and social elite prey on the vulnerable, the two strays set off on the road to redemption, or at least peaceful cat ownership. (Fun fact: in addition to acting together in Alley Cat, Yosuke Kubozuka and Kenji “KJ” Furuya released the single “Soul Ship” in 2017. Kubozuka performs as Manji Line and Furuya in the band Dragon Ash.) -JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film

A historical chivalric drama with tears and laughter, telling the story of Jirocho Shimizu's family, his confrontation with Katsuzo Kurokoma's family, right up to the final battle on the Tenryu River to avenge Ishimatsu Mori.

When he was young, Hasegawa Hirakawa was taken care of by the daughter of an izakaya, who wanted to become a secret agent. Although Hirakawa gave up this wish, Asami began to explore independently for the thief, Kogawara, the murderer, and the net cutter, who Hirakawa was looking for. Although he successfully entered the group of the uncle of the murderer, he fell into a desperate crisis.

Two childhood friends find themselves caught in the midst of an all-out turf war between rival factions in the yakuza-stained region of Kyushu.

A young yakuza experiences various conflicts, tactics, betrayals, rules, etc. in the gangster world, stands out in the organization, and climbs to the top of the organization. The theatrical version of the popular video series adapted from the original work by Murakami Kazuhiko.

No description available.

One day, Mori no Ishimatsu (Kankuro Nakamura

Childhood friends Sota, and Rakuto are on a journey to find the Phoenix, which shouldn't exist. As adults, there remains a dark shadow over each of them as their lives have progressed, thus they seek a bit of escapism in their travels. Parallel to their own story, is the mysterious bride. Not to mention a deserted youkai snack bar in the underworld, a gang from an SM Castle, an agricultural rapper, a young man on a bike trip, a monk peaching about enlightenment, the owner and operator of an empty movie theater, and more that the duo meet on their aimless journey. The hints of the true colors of life are within the journey, so what kind of Phoenix are they looking for?

2008 Original Video.

With the help of the real-life pachislot gambling group "Capone," the film depicts the friendship between a man who gambles and a man who lives in the underworld.

No description available.

During Tenpo period, Bakuhu announced a law regulating expenditures in order to improve the financial situation. However, Doshin of a government office Itami Hanzo, called Kamisori Hanzo, challenged Bakuhu's oppressive way. Because of this, his father Magobei was told to kill himself by the Bakuhu and Hanzo himself was demoted. Five years later, Hanzo came back to the government office and implement a law regulating expenditures. He stands up for revenge Torii Kainokami who desires power as he likes.

13th installment of the 16-film franchise.

The Story of the three Japanese castaways Otokichi, Kyukichi and Iwakichi. After their ship the Hojunmaru was damaged, they drifted to America and landed on the US-Westcoast in 1834. They had the wish to return to Japan, a long journey was awaiting them.

After the death of previous Boss, a gang war lasts for more than four years.

Japanese drama film.

Juzo Ono, a subordinate of Matsumoto Heizo. (yakunin government official) Ono Juzo finds himself torn between 'emotion' and 'duty' after encountering a certain woman. While Heizo worries about Juzo, he also delves into the heart of the matter. What choices will Juzo make, and what feelings will Heizo harbor for his future? Taking on the role of Juzo Ono, who holds the key to the story, is Tokio Emoto, following his performances in 'Lawless Love' and 'Blood for Blood.' This portrayal adds another layer to the character previously played by Tokio Emoto's father, Akira.

Small-time con man Jiro makes his living tricking small businesses out of large sums of money. In the process he acquires a helpmate Kumiko, a refugee from her stepfather's sexual abuse. But things start to get out of control when yakuza boss Kamewada muscles in on the action.

Takahagi Sutegoro is highly skilled at casing locations for thieves so that he can sell detailed floor plans to them. He suffers an injury to his leg while trying to help a parent and a child being threatened by samurai. Heizo jumps in and chases the samurai away. Feeling indebted to Heizo, Sutegoro decides to become his spy. Now, together they will try to stop scheming Myogi Danemon’s gang of merciless thieves...

Remake of classic samurai film of 1932

Master thief Kinosuke arrives in Edo to pull off one final heist for a tea-server who resembles his long-lost love, while Hasegawa Heizo’s spy Kumehachi tries to stop him, only to be exposed and trapped alongside the thief by Kinosuke's own crew.

The second in Norio Nanjo’s “Secret” series. The former secret phantom Sanzo (Hiroki Matsukata) and Yume no Gosuke (Ashiya Gannosuke), who escaped after clashing with their superiors, travel to the castle town of Kurume in Kyushu.

Juzo Kimura is a wandering Ronin with a past. 15 years later, after winding up in Edo, he becomes a sword teacher to support his wife and daughter. But he has a dark side to him; at night, he becomes an assassin for hire. The fates of men living double lives cross in the shadows of Edo.

The story follows detective Heizo, played by Koshiro Matsumoto, who investigates Tanbei Chigashira, a notorious thief. Kumehachi, a former member of Tanbei's gang, claims that their former leader is an impostor. The real Tanbei Chigashira followed three strict rules: do not kill, do not rape women, and do not steal from the poor.

No description available.

Takeshi Hashimoto, on the brink of turning 30, struggles with insomnia. He finds himself repeatedly dreaming the same dream. Despite seeming to have a successful career and personal life, Takeshi feels stifled and stuck in his current existence. When his close friend and colleague, Saeki, offers him some advice, Takeshi decides to try changing his approach to life. However, the next day, Saeki suddenly takes his own life, leaving Takeshi even more bewildered. Out of the blue, a girl named Sai and a mysterious man named Hōsaku—whom Sai calls her brother—appear in Takeshi's life. Their natural and intriguing presence helps Takeshi slowly reconnect with himself. One day, after receiving a promotion offer, Takeshi decides to turn it down after much thought. “I want to change the way I’m working…” he says. As he begins to notice small changes within himself, he starts to forge his own path.

The year 1864: The Shinsengumi, the shogun’s armed force in Kyoto ripped the city apart, with blades in hand, searching for pockets of resistance, slaughtering the samurai who sought to bring down the shogunate and restore Japan’s emperor to power. By chance, Murao Mayumi and his sister Shiho, meet samurai Kurata. Murao, seeking his fortune with his sword-arm, will join Shinsengumi, never suspecting his friend Kurata is secretly Kurama Tengu, who hides his face in a black hood, and who will tear a bloody swath through Shinsengumi’s massed blades, to aid the samurai who had taken up the emperor’s cause. Will friend kill friend in a time of war?

During the Sengoku period, an army relentlessly lays siege to a castle, but they will need the head of the opposing lord to declare victory.

A 1981 TV movie based on a short story by Kuniko Mukoda, starring Kaori Momoi and Jinpachi Nezu. A housewife is slowly tempted by a mysterious man who she overhears one day through the wall of her apartment.

1997 V-Cinema sequel.

No description available.

Genji (Kazuyoshi Ozawa), a misfit of the Rindo-kai, spends his nights drunk in the shadows of Asakusa. The only one who truly cares for him is Yumeko (Yoko Kamon), a dancer at the Rock-za theater. One evening, his underling rushes in: “Boss, we’re merging with Osaka’s Hirokame-gumi!” At the same time, word spreads of the Rindo-kai boss’s apparent suicide—something Genji finds highly suspicious. Convinced it’s the work of the Hirokame-gumi, he staggers off alone, still half-drunk, to uncover the truth…

8th entry in the series

The first 'Yokohama Underworld Kaen' film.

A group of seemingly ordinary merchants is really a band of assassins for hire. When they discover that all the assassins in Edo are being killed they must act quickly to find the culprit.

The touching romance between a middle-aged single guy and a woman with bipolar disorder. Iwata abandons his dream of becoming a guitarist, and works as an apartment building janitor. He spends his days living modestly as he deals with his unglamorous work. One day, he meets tenant Yumi when she returns home wasted.

Straight to video film.

No description available.

Based on the original novel by Tetsuya Asada, this is the sequel to the legendary mahjong novel, now adapted into a film. Masahira Hino stars as ‘Boya Tetsu,’ a former mahjong player who has given up the game, but returns to the world of mahjong once again.

A tale of friendship, betrayal, and forbidden love—set against the backdrop of Edo’s criminal underworld. While patrolling the Honjo district, the legendary samurai detective Heizo Hasegawa crosses paths with his old dojo friend, Samanosuke Kishii, and a local ruffian, Hikoju of Sagami. When they discover that Ofusa, the woman they both once loved, has been forced into marriage with a corrupt lord, their reunion takes a dark turn. As secrets from their past resurface, a deeper conspiracy tied to their former mentor begins to unravel—one that will test Heizo’s loyalty, honor, and sense of justice.

Set in a prison, this fifth installment of the Mahjong Horoki series follows amateur gambler Tetsu and his companion An, both jailed after a confrontation with a death-row inmate. There, a warden secretly brings a mahjong table into the cell, leading to high-stakes games where prisoners wager meals and status to survive.

Starting with director Gosha Hideo's version in 1992, the puppet theater of Chikamatsu Monzaemon has been made into a film on countless occasions. The actor Sakagami Shinobu wrote and directed this version. This new interpretation focuses on a woman who played a minor role in the original version, and features a bold performance from former pin-up model Fujikawa Nozomi. Yohee (Yasuda Shingo), son and heir of the store Kawachiya, runs up huge debts due to his obsession with the prostitute Okiku (Fujikawa). Told by her husband Chizaemon, Okichi (Yamada Kinuwo) goes to condemn Yohee. On her way back home, Okiku laughs and mocks her, which Okichi finds sexually exciting.

A mysterious assassin cloaked in a haunting, seductive fragrance sets his sights on Heizo Hasegawa. Hanjiro Kaneko, a master swordsman, attacks with deadly precision, leaving Heizo to uncover the truth behind the strange scent of "White Plum Allure." As Heizo digs deeper, he discovers a tangled web of deception involving Hiko-no-Ichi, a blind decoy working for the notorious bandit leader Heijuro the Snake.

2007 Original Video.

Seventh entry

After a 20-year hiatus, the legendary mahjong master Boya Tetsu returns to the world of competition. However, he becomes entangled in the troubles of a young man named Hiyokko, who was the catalyst for his comeback, leading to a showdown with the mysterious woman Hanae. The intense mahjong battle ignites Boya Tetsu's competitive spirit...