Mieko Harada

Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.

Eight visually rich vignettes drawn from Kurosawa’s own dreams—fox weddings and vanished orchards, a soldier’s ghosts, a walk through Van Gogh’s canvases, nuclear nightmares, and a water-mill utopia—meditate on childhood, art, mortality, and humanity’s uneasy bond with nature.

Top model Lilico, having recently undergone multiple cosmetic surgeries, begins to experience troubling side effects. As she desperately tries to retain her perfect image, Lilico descends into a world of nightmares and makes those around her miserable.

When pregnant lunchbox factory worker Yayoi has finally taken all the abuse she can handle, she strangles her brutish husband and disposes of the body parts, piece by piece. She's soon joined by three down on their luck housewives who murder their own husbands and find various ways to hide the evidence.

The true life story of Leonie Gilmour, whose life crossed continents, wars and cultures, embodied with courage and passion in search of art and freedom. A tender and inspiring story of a remarkable woman who nurtures the amazing artistic talent of her son who has only one way to succeed and one person to guide him, as he grows into the world renown artist, Isamu Noguchi.

A group of travelers is stranded in a small country inn when the river floods during heavy rains. As the bad weather continues, tensions rise amongst the trapped travelers.

With their most formidable foe vanquished, Inuyasha and his comrades begin returning to their everyday lives. But their peace is fleeting as another adversary emerges: Kaguya, the self-proclaimed princess from the Moon of Legend, hatches a plot to plunge the world into an eternal night of the full moon. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou must reunite to confront the new menace.

Hyakkimaru, a warrior on a quest to reclaim 48 of his body parts which were each taken by a demon, is joined by Dororo, a thief on a quest to avenge the death of her parents.

Satoru, a wheelchair-bound elementary student, locks himself away from the outside world after his mother dies. His father designs a remote-controlled robot to go to school for him, allowing him to interact with people and do normal things.

New Year's Eve at a posh hotel and all should be shipshape. It is not. There is the traditional party, an official ceremony, entertainment and a special dinner planned and yet there is trouble everywhere. An Animal is on the loose, a politician to protect, a prostitute to handle, a bellhop to focus and a few things more.

The emotional journey of a four-member family that fails to recognize that it is rapidly growing apart until the mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Tells of the childhood of two nine-year-old twins in a rural village in Japan after World War 2. Includes the boys relationships with their schoolteacher mother, civil servant father, elderly landlord, a rough new boy at the school, and three mysterious spirits in the form of old women.

Diagnosed with dementia, Yuriko's mind quickly begins to fade. Yet, for her son Izumi, memories of the mother feel as vivid as when he lived them. One in particular, when he believed she had disappeared, haunts him terribly.

In the 50s, the complicated life of a popular writer who must share his life with his family, his numerous mistresses and his work

In the sixties, Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) built a house on the remote island of Fårö, located in the Baltic Sea, and left Stockholm to live there. When he died, the house was preserved. A group of very special film buffs, came from all over the world, travel to Fårö in search of the genius and his legacy. (An abridged version of Bergman's Video, 2012.)

A demonic reincarnation of a Japanese general from the 10th century appears in the early 20th century Tokyo with a mission to destroy the blooming city.

During a quest to find a Taiwanese father's grave, disturbing memories of child abuse are aroused.

Hell manifests itself through the sins, shame and desires of an upper class rural family and a mother's grief from beyond the grave.

This is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells the tale of the Asano clan's downfall and the revenge of its former samurai on the perpetrator of the catastrophe. Lord Asano was goaded, or tricked, into drawing his sword inside the Shogun's palace -- a crime which carried the death penalty. The newly installed Shogun was furious at Asano and ordered all his clan's assets seized, meaning some 20,000 samurai and commoners were unemployed and landless at a stroke. Forty-seven of these ronin (masterless samurai) banded together to take attempt revenge on Lord Kira, who had goaded Asano into drawing his sword.

Though his parents help him run the family business, Jun still feels persecuted by their love; when they bar him from meeting with his girlfriend, tensions increase.

A postman learns that he doesn't have much time left to live due to a terminal illness. A devil then appears in front of him and offers to extend his life if he picks something in the world that will disappear. The man thinks about his relationships with ex-friends, ex-lovers, relatives and colleagues who will be sincerely sad when he dies.

A youthful film depicting the sexual awakening of a boy who has just entered adolescence and his heartbreaking romance during the summer holidays with a young sprightly girl.

Taking advantage of their summer holiday, Kō and his little sister Yae visit their cousin at Nozaki located at the sea-side. However, on the day they arrive, a typhoon hits the town for the first time in many years. At this time, their cousin tells them: When the storm hits, the spirits of those who perished at sea... will return.

A retired samurai must redeem himself for a crime that he committed earlier in his life.

Akinori Kimura (Sadao Abe) and his wife Mieko (Miho Kanno) opens an apple orchard in their hometown of Hirosaki in Aomori Prefecture. Due to Meiko's allergic reaction to pesticides, Akinori Kimura has to grow his apples without the aid of chemicals. Because of this challenge, his family endures hardships and suffers severe financial difficulties. Akinori Kimura even contemplates suicide. A miracle then happens...

The story of Takeha, a free-spirited genius poet who lived through Taisho Romanticism, and the women who gave themselves over to his ambitions.

Aspiring to be admitted to a good university and to become a lawyer, Tasiro Yuusuke, a tenth-grader from Kyushu, enrolls in a prestigious high school in Tokyo. Plans are made for him to live in his uncle's house, part of which is rented out while his uncle is abroad on business. A realtor's mistakes leaves Tasiro sharing the house with Kei Yamaba, the most beautiful girl in the school, who is also his classmate. There is the risk that their unexpected 'co-habitation' will be discovered by the school authorities.

Half a Confession introduces itself as a thriller and abruptly changes gears, transforming into a tale of morality with deeper insights into its characters than we had anticipated. It begins when Soichiro Kaji (Terao), a retired detective, walks into police headquarters and confesses to the murder of his wife. We learn that the victim had prematurely developed Alzheimer's after the tragic death of their son, and in her suffering, had asked to die. The police chiefs would be far more content to take him at his word if it were not for a conspicuous hole in his story: 48-hour gap between the alleged murder and his confession. Fearing a public relations nightmare, they are eager to bury the incident and keep the press in the dark.

Based on the award-winning novel of the same name, this portrait of a group of vulnerable, variously wounded people — a depressed housewife, her high-school-aged lover, and his best friend, who is struggling to provide for himself and his senile grandmother — whose intersecting lives yield both sorrow and a fragile, yet enduring, hope for a brighter future.

Tsuda Umeko was born in December 31, 1864 and became a pioneer in women's eductation. In 1871, Tsuda Umeko, with her father's recommendation, went to the United States to study at the age of 6. She was the youngest of the group of females to travel there. They were the first Japanese female students to study overseas at their government's expense. 11 years after studying in the United States, Tsuda Umeko returns to Japan. She wants to become a woman who is helpful to her culture, but she is shocked by the low status of women in Japan. (Source: AsianWiki)

Hama-chan gets Su-san hooked on fishing, but Su-san has some problems to deal with; a beautiful woman saves Su-san when he collapses while fishing.

A young samurai stuck at the bottom of the hierarchical order attempts to rescue his childhood sweetheart from an evil clan lord after learning of a plot to kill her and her infant child. Bunshiro Maki is a skilled swordfighter who's lethal with a blade, yet still can't rise through the ranks of the system. After his father is accused of plotting against his clan and forced to commit ritual suicide, his longtime love Fuku is sent to Edo to become the clan lord's concubine. A few years later, Fuku has bore the clan lord a son. When Maki learns that the clan has hatched a plan to kill Fuku and her son to secure succession to the throne, he recruits two childhood friends to help thwart the diabolical plot.

A man is immobile and incapacitated, but has professional and nonprofessional volunteers serve and help him. Though, he takes full advantage of the situation and uses and abuses the volunteer crew.

The story of the silk industry and the young girls who worked as silk spinners in the early 1900s in Japan. The silk mills were located in Okaya which lies just beyond the Nomugi Pass. The women and girls worked in a hot, humid atmosphere without rest, and endured those conditions and sexual harassment to earn money for their poor families. Across the ocean, it was the great depression in America.

The posthumous wish of Eiji's wife is for her ashes to be scattered in the ocean near her hometown. Eiji also learns that his wife letter for him at the post office before she died.

The story of an orphan girl, brought up in naive, rustic innocence by an elderly relative, who is suddenly exposed to the brutality, greed and deceptiveness of the outside world when her grandmother dies.

Hisa Ishii and his brother Akira emigrate from Japan to the United States. They settle in rural California and start a strawberry farm, slowly integrating themselves into the life of the community, which includes Japanese-Americans of both lengthy and brief residence.

Tetsuo is a young man living in Tokyo, who falls in love with a deaf-mute factory girl. He has always felt jealous of his college-educated brother, but ultimately wins both the girl and his father's acceptance and support in a touching and refreshing way.

The film is set in Edo period. As an orphan child Mio starts working at a restaurant in Osaka where she learns how to cook. When she turns 18, she moves to Edo (today's Tokyo) where she opens her own restaurant.

The Isokaze, an Aegis-class escort vessel, sets sail on a routine training exercise, playing host to a platoon from the Fleet Training Group. No sooner is the Isokaze on open water, however, then the FTG reveal themselves to be terrorist stowaways who kill the ship's captain, send the rest of the crew overboard and take control of the vessel. The ship is carrying a secret biological weapon which the terrorists are now threatening to use to level Tokyo! Only a stowaway NCO, Sengoko (played by Sanada Hiroyuki from Ring and Twilight Samurai) is in a position to stop them - but does he really have what it takes to save the day? Playing like a cross between a sea-faring version of Top Gun and Die Hard, director Sakamoto Junji shows that it's not just Hollywood that can produce thrill-a-minute action spectaculars.

Two Kyushu based yakuza groups are desperate for domaination of the area. When more powerful yakuza groups get involved in their power struggle, a group of childhood friends, belonging to different yakuza families, are caught in the middle. Lies, deceit, and backstabbing are in play resulting in a bloodbath and a quest for revenge...

Two men and a woman plan to steal 1.5 Billion yen.

Following a scene where a young boy falls in love with the title character, only to have his heart broken by her, the film introduces us to three young men who are all in Milocrorze thrall, either literally or figuratively.

After years as a prisoner of war Michael Adams, a former Navy SEAL, is trying to live a normal life. However, his life is turned upside-down when his estranged wife has a bomb implanted into her skull to assure that he will assassinate a US Senator. Now Michael has less than 12 hours to kill the Senator or the bomb will detonate. An action-packed, thrill a minute ride!

This coming-of-age story from Japan opens just after 17-year-old Sataka has gotten dumped by her boyfriend. When her mother is hospitalized with a malignant stomach ulcer, Sataka is left alone with her emotionally repressed father; whiling away the hours one day, she comes across a love letter written to her mother 24 years earlier. Deciding to track down the letter's author, Sataka eventually finds Shinichiro (Hiroyuki Sanada), an overweight slob who was abandoned by his wife years earlier and now spends his time hanging around pachinko parlors. Determined to clean him up and reintroduce him to her mother, Sataka nags Shinchiro until he finally agrees to her demands, and a gradual friendship develops between the two as Sataka drags him to the gym and a clothing store. But once Shinchiro's makeover is complete, he turns the tables on his young friend, and when the time comes for him to meet Sataka's mother, all concerned parties find themselves embarking on a new phase in their lives.

Hikaru, an ordinary man, discovers a way to unleash the supernatural powers hidden inside his soul, allowing him to cure others with his newfound “ki” healing power.

Hoping to romance an alien, Momojiro meets beautiful animal trainer Eriko instead. Then he and Jonathan get drawn into her old friend's fraud.

A boy, Shin, and his family are forced to evacuate the island of Miyakejima, when it erupts in 2000. Shin's dog, Rock, is mistakenly left behind.

A young man who travels around the world with a camera in his hand finds the circus a fascinating subject. The huge tents and life-threatening acrobatics were filled with dreams, laughter, and excitement. From that moment on, his destiny changes. While living in the circus, the young man becomes fascinated by the art of performing, trains hard, and makes his debut on the big stage. He puts all of his youth into his quest to become a clown, the flower of the circus and the origin of laughter.

The story is set in the 70s where Ishihara plays Fumiko, an university student, who gets involved romantically with her assistant professor Katase Shintaro (Iura Arata) and his wife Hinako (Tanaka Rena). However, on 28 February 1972, the police finds Shintaro seriously injured and a young man working in a electronics store (Saito Takumi) dead in a bungalow at Karuizawawhile Fumiko and Hinako are also present at the scene. The truth behind the case is not known and the case is quickly classified as a crime of passion which leads to Fumiko being sent to prison. 40 years later, a report writer Torigai Mitsuhiko (Watabe Atsuro) comes to know about this case and goes to interview the elderly Fumiko (Harada Mieko) in prison which leads him to find out what really happened at the bungalow.

A woman named Kazuko (Kimura) who was guilty of a “serious crime” in the past, along with three of her friends. Those friends suddenly begin to die one by one. Kazuko learns that one of those deaths is somehow connected to Mamoru (Nakamura Aoi), her younger brother from whom she has been separated ever since their father disappeared 15 years earlier. Although Mamoru knows nothing of his sister, Kazuko is determined to find the killer in order to protect Mamoru and herself.

A school teacher suggests to his class that they ought to raise a pig together and eat it when it grows up.

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Nakadai Tatsuya, Japan’s greatest living actor, gives the performance of a lifetime as Shoji Sanosuke, and elderly samurai forced to pick up his sword to protect those he loves in this adaptation of a Fujisawa Shuhei novel. As a ”Heya-zumi” (essentially a freeloader living off his family) Sanosuke has one last chance to help his grandniece escape from the cruel samurai of an arranged marriage. Nakadai proves he ”still has it,” when fate forces him into a deadly duel. This award winning samurai drama from the pen of noted author Fujisawa Shuhei is a tribute to one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen!

A young doctor starts working at a mental hospital in the Yokohama region and falls in love with one of the patients there.

While her boyfriend Jun'ichi is out of town, college student and part-time model Yuri passes the time in Tokyo by shopping for luxury products, visiting affluent neighborhoods, eating expensive food, and seeking new kinds of entertainment. At a dance club she meets Masataka, to whom she describes her relatively frictionless life as "crystal". Yuri has a sexual encounter with Masataka that she enjoys but finds less satisfying than her experiences with Jun'ichi. When Jun'ichi returns, Yuri learns that he also was unfaithful during his trip, but she reflects on her financial independence and decides that staying with Jun'ichi is the best fit for her crystal lifestyle. Adaptation novel by Yasuo Tanaka.

Yuichi Sugawara is a freelancer, who spends his days meaninglessly. He lives with his long-term girlfriend Satomi Suzuki. One day, they start to argue over a trivial matter which causes Yuichi to leave their home. He wanders around and meets with his friends, sister, and mother. When he starts to feel uncomfortable around them, he leaves them behind. He then crosses paths with his father, Koji, for the first time in ten years. Koji also ran away from his family, including Yuichi, at that time. Koji then invites Yuichi to come over to his house. Hen accepts and turns off his smartphone to cut off all the relationships he has.

Ogami Itto, framed for treason and surviving a deadly attack, becomes a lone assassin with his son. They face ruthless ruffians, setting the stage for a showdown in his quest for justice.

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Itto Ogami- High Executioner to the Shogun- has been betrayed by his political enemies and sentenced to a dishonorable death. Seeking to restore the honor of his name, Ogami- The Wolf- must flee the Shogun's grasp and live long enough to prove his innocence. Taking only his sword and his son, Ogami embarks on a bloody journey of righteousness and revenge as he seeks to destroy those who would disgrace his family's name. Hunted mercilessly by the Shogun's troops, by his enemies, and by those who seek the reward put on his head, Ogami must fight his way through feudal Japan, challenging and defeating all who stand in the way of his quest for honor. Can Ogami- a true Samurai Warrior- endure the ceaseless violence which surrounds him?

A five-part comedy and horror anthology

In a fishing town by the Seto Sea, a student discovers a woman motionless on the beach and takes her back to his family's inn to nurse her, but he soon discovers than she is an extremist on the run from the police.

Japanese film based on the song by Harumi Miyako.

Chacha, the woman of the blood of Nobunaga, who loved with Hideyoshi, and feared Tokugawa.

Shinta is a sixth grader in Kawasaki City a troublemaker that dreams to become a soccer player. Yoshiko, a classmate who moved to Kawasaki from Iwate Prefecture two years ago, is a gloomy girl who suffers from asthma due to the polluted air in Kawasaki and is ostracized by her class. Shinta is placed next to Yoshiko in class and their stories will take a turn.

13-year old Chiaki Matsumoto enters middle school with two rules for herself: 1. Always stay cool and 2. Don’t make friends. Having suffered bullying in elementary school, Chiaki chooses a path of isolation, building emotional walls and deciding to live a tough, solitary life. One day, by chance, she meets Kiki, a flamboyant and mysterious individual who transcends age and gender. As Chiaki begins to interact with Kiki, she slowly opens her heart, learning to trust again.

This 150-minute documentary, directed by Nobuhiko Ôbayashi on the set of Akira Kurosawa's Dreams, features behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast and crew.

Too shy to speak out the word of appreciation, too busy to show that you care... Many excuses lie between each and every couple, when they look back the distance created during the long years in which they took each other for granted... Love Letters sent from husbands to wives and from wives to husbands, quietly voice their unspoken appreciation for each other over the years that they have shared. The original idea comes from the postcard project "Love Letters at Sixty" which has brought a wave of sympathy to the precious emotions shared by many married couples.

a TV drama special based on the life of SUNTORY's founder Shinjiro Torii

In the early hours of April 13th, a five year old hemophiliac child was kidnapped by someone from Tanemura General Hospital in Tokyo, Setagaya. Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Inspector Kitahara, who received the report, goes quickly to the Tanemura home, along with other police to speak to the family of the child. Then, suddenly, the phone rings. The kidnapper wants money.

Based on a true story, "Sunshine Ahead" tells the story of environmentalist Koji Kinjo & his wife who embarks on a ambitious plan to create coral reefs in the sea. Although it takes the couple 10 years to finally succeed, they are able to persevere and become the first persons to ever spawn coral reefs.

Story of displacement, power, and vulnerability told through the relationship between a hostess, the bartender she loves, and the boss who controls them. The story is set in the underworld of the New York City's Japanese Diaspora.

Hitsujido Honpo, an established Japanese-style sweets company known for its traditional flavours and reliability, has maintained a modest popularity. To win a new segment of customers, it has embarked on new business development. The leader of this team of five young employees is 28-year old Kudo Mayuko (Takahata Mitsuki). Mayuko was headhunted by the current CEO Okazaki Kengo (Maruyama Tomomi), for her achievements in her previous job. However, she struggles with the difficulty of new business development and pressures within the company. One day, a “new” 68-year-old employee Niimoto Kazuo (Kusakari Masao) is assigned to be Mayuko’s subordinate all of a sudden. She is dumbfounded to learn that he is 40 years her senior and even feels anger. Mayuko is confronted with the question of whether he should do the old job he was proud of? Or a new job as a brand new employee, and assumes the role of mentor.

Documentary made by Toho for the Masterworks reissue of all of its Kurosawa films. This one focuses on “Ran” (1985).

No description available.

Remake of classic samurai film of 1932

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Toyoichi Otomo suffers from psychological and spiritual troubles after a horrific industrial accident. He lives with his elderly mother and wife near Mt. Aso in rural Kyushu. He seeks solace in a small religious group run by Buddhist nun Chishu-bo who claims to be the 68th descendant of famed 11th century poet Izumi Shikibu. The members of her sect regard her as a living saint. Yet instead of balming his soul, she riles his libido by playing a sexual cat-and-mouse game with the fragile Toyoichi. When she does bed him, it leads to a miracle healing -- followed by a terrible calamity.

The story depicts a young man suffering from an incurable disease trying to live his life to the fullest in the time he has left. Based on the true story of Ayumu Oya (poet), the eldest son of Soichi Oya (journalist, novelist and critic)

Chokichi Kuwahata was once a leading actor, but he is ravaged by dementia and old age now. His daughter and the men in her life go against his wishes and place him in a retirement home. He slips away one day and meets another offspring from a different union.

Depicting the turbulent life of truck driver Takashi, his fellow drivers, and the women he meets.

A closed-room mystery where five women gathered in memory of a mysteriously dead female writer to unravel the mystery behind her death. Based on the novel of the same name by Riku Onda, directed by Tetsuo Shinohara. Four years ago, an actress/novelist died of overdose. Since then, five women who were her friends gather around once every year to recollect her memories. However this year, they receive flowers with a strange message which insinuates that her death could have been a murder.

In postwar Japan, a quiet housewife and an aging poet fall into a scandalous love that costs them everything — family, reputation, and comfort — yet neither is willing to let go.

It is the Spring of 1814. The restaurant “Tsuru-ka” is gaining much popularity after its chef, Mio, won the prestigious cooking competition. One day, the owner of “Tsuru-ka”, Taneichi, employed young Fuki to be the attendant for customers’ shoes. Mio could fully empathize with young Fuki, who was an orphan and yet was courageous enough to survive on her own. Around the same time, the famous novelist Seiemon started coming to “Tsuru-ka”. Even though Seiemon criticized Mio’s cooking each time, he always returned to the restaurant daily.

Spring 2005, Okinawa. It's the wedding of Sawamura Seiji's second daughter, Seiko (Fujisawa Ema). Miwa (Harada Mieko), her mother, is watching over her beloved daughter with a smiling face. The eldest daughter, Asuka (Ito Ayumi), who slipped out of the party to watch the sea alone, is holding preciously a book... This is the diary of a deceased father addressed to his daughters.

An emotional drama about teenage Asako and her relationship with Yuhei, a man who became a father figure to her for six months when she was five years old after he started dating her mother. Thirteen years later, she discovers he is serving a prison sentence, having been convicted of her mother’s murder.

Fuyuhana, is bullied child at school, because she was not able to speak until recently. This was due to the accidental death of one of her classmates, a few years ago. And now she is haunted by the secrets of the old school.

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Sakane, a police officer nicknamed "Kasajiro," remains single. He meets Shinko, the daughter of a condemned smuggler with a kappa tattoo, in a mysterious encounter.

A series of murders at Fukagawa lumberyard is tied to a grudge letter from the deceased Kansuke Tsukunamiya. Officer Kasajiro Sakane investigates the baffling case.

The Special is loosely inspired by horror classics of the time, such as "Carry" and "Fury." The story is about a little girl who has nightmares and a series of murders in the area, which in a strange way, are related to them.

Second Female Detective Riko Movie

The film centers on Riko Murakami, a tough-as-nails detective who is also the single mother of a young boy. At work, she has hit a wall investigating a grisly murder in a hotel room. In her private life, she sweats her son's impeding "park debut" -- when she introduces her son and herself to the young mothers of her neighborhood. Most give her strange almost hostile looks except Sachiko (Keiko Unno), who says her kid is in the hospital. While her son gambles about the playground, Riko and Sachiko exchange child-rearing war stories and soon become friends. Then she learns that the prime suspect of her case is none other than Sachiko's husband. Moreover, she learns that Sachiko's son was in fact the center of a kidnapping case several years ago and the child has been long thought of as dead. Her husband and the detective in charge of child's case both have their own secrets, and soon Riko finds herself and her son threatened.

While visiting Japan, philosopher Sushila and her astrophysicist husband Kenji attend the final performance of the dancer Mako before she retires. Subtly but surely, the performance shakes up the silence and tension that has been mounting between them.

Follows a female Japanese television producer and a young man in Guam, touching on suicide and romance.

A young girl travels between Yokohama and Yokosuka, searching for her older sister to tell her about their mother's death.

This documentary records the lives of people in a mountain village surrounding the kozo (paper mulberry) tree, a raw material used to make Tosa washi paper.