interference and attempts at defeating the Nobunaga family.
“Hibari Minyo no Tabi Beranme Nakanorisan (Feisty Edo Girl Nakanori-san),” 1961 drama, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Masamitsu Igayama. Starring Hibari Misora and Ken Takakura.
Daughter of a lumber shop in Edo strives to protect her family business from the competitor.
“Hizakura Daimyo (The Hectic Lord),” 1958 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Directed by Tai Kato. Starring Hashizo Okawa and Keiko Okawa.
A lord and princess elope to escape forced marriages.
“Kanto Hizakura Ikka (The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang),” 1972 drama, 1 hour and 42 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Junko Fuji, Ken Takakura, Koji Tsuruta and Chiezo Kataoka.
Tsuruji, a beautiful yet tough geisha, confronts a yakuza gang over a territorial dispute.
“Kimitachi ga Ite Boku ga Ita (Here Because of You),” 1964 drama,
1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Ryuichi Takamori. Starring Kazuo Funaki, Shinichi Chiba (Sonny Chiba) and Chiyoko Honma.
An uplifting drama about the bond between a group of high school seniors and their kind-hearted teacher, Mr. Yabuki. Faced with the rigors of growing up in modern times, students often look to Mr. Yabuki for advice and guidance. But when Mr. Yabuki’s career is threatened as a result of a false accusation from the school’s PTA, the students band together to stand up for their beloved teacher and help him to save his good reputation and job.
“Kujakujo no Hanayome (Bride of Peacock Castle),” 1950 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Shoji Matsumura. Starring Ryutaro Otomo and Hibari Misora.
A hunter is a given a task of taming a daughter of Shogun in preparation for her marriage to the lord.
“Kyokotsu Ichidai (The Chivalrous Life),” 1967 action film, 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Starring Ken Takakura and Junko Fuji.
Ryoma is a former military man who gets to know the leader of a yakuza group and help them defend themselves against other yakuza gangs.
“Mito Komon (Lord Mito),” 1957 samurai film, 1 hour and 38 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Chiezo Kataoka and Utaemon Ichikawa.
This most celebrated all-star movie version of the popular series features Tsukigata Ryunosuke as Mito Komon, the sage who wanders the countryside rectifying government corruption along with his faithful attendants Suke and Kaku.
“Mori no Ishimatsu Oni Yori Kowai (Scarier Than the Devil),” 1960 drama, 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Sawashima. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura and Koji Tsuruta.
A stage director who directs a “Mori no Ishimatsu” play time travels and becomes “Mori no Ishimatsu” himself.
“Nihon no Ichiban Nagai Hi (The Emperor in August),” 2015 drama,
2 hours and 16 minutes.
Directed by Makoto Harada. Starring Koji Yakusho and Masahiro Motoki.
World War II ended on August 15, 1945. What took place in Japan on the previous night? The unknown destiny of the day is unveiled.
On August 14, 1945, at an imperial conference, Showa Emperor Hirohito finally decides to accept the Potsdam Declaration. However, some young firebrand army officers insist on continuing the war and conspire to launch a coup. Anami, the Minister of War, is pressed to make an extremely difficult decision.
“Oodeiri (Giant Rumble),” 1964 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Hashizou Ookawa and Tetsuro Tanba.
Three men’s lives are locked in a fight over territory.
“Shingo Nijuuban Shobu Dai-Nibu (Shingo’s Challenge, Part 2),” 1961 samurai film, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Hashizou Okawa, Satomi Oka and Ryutaro Otomo.
Shingo’s adventure continues as he wanders Japan seeking to further his mastery of the sword.
“Silk Hat no Ooyabun Chobihige no Kuma (The Silk Hat Boss 2),” 1970 drama, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Noribumi Suzuki. Starring Tomizaburo Wakayama and Goro Ibuki.
The Silk Hat Boss becomes involved in a car imports business during his trip to Atami.
“Tabi ni Deta Gokudo (Yakuza on Foot),” 1969 action film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Junya Sato. Starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Shingo Yamashiro.
An Osaka gangster Shimamura just got married. His new bride, Mineko is also involved in drug-trafficking, and when she goes to China to make a deal, things get botched pretty badly. Shimamura must travel to save her and recoup his employers’ losses.
“Tange Sazen Ketteiban (Secret of the Golden Spell),” 1958 samurai film, 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Ryutaro Otomo, Hibari Misora and Hashizo Okawa.
One of Japan’s most popular folklore characters, Tange Sazen, the one-eyed and one-armed swordsman, must rescue the yagyu clan from the treachery of a master plotting to take control over a sword fighting school.
“Tsuri Baka Nisshi 9 (Free and Easy 9),” 1997 comedy/drama, 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Directed by Tomio Kuriyama. Starring Toshiyuki Nishida and Ren Mikuni.
Hama-chan’s sales department gets a new supervisor, a hard-working taskmaster that’s the very opposite of carefree, irresponsible Hama-chan. The veteran employee decides to find his boss, a divorced father, a new wife. The supervisor loves a bar hostess “mama-san,” but is unable to confess his true feelings until Hama-chan comes to his rescue.
“Umisuzume (The Book Peddler),” 2015 drama, 1 hour and 48 minutes.
Directed by Kenichi Omori. Starring Rina Takeda and Yutaka Kobayashi.
Uwajima is a picturesque city in Ehime Prefecture with a rich history.
Suzume provides one of the city’s most unique services, library book bicycle delivery. Suzume spends her days riding through town picking up and dropping off books to very grateful patrons. But when a book needed for the town’s 400th anniversary celebration goes missing, the library is thrown into chaos. The book in question has the design of a special kimono needed for the celebration parade. At the same time, the survival of the book delivery service is thrown into question. The book delivery team must pull out all the stops to save both the celebration and their jobs!
“Umon Torimonocho Manji Gumo (The Eye of the Chinese Festival),” 1962 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Ryutaro Otomo and Kotaro Satomi.
Umon investigates the murder of kabuki actors caused by deadly blows of red arrow.
“Yogiri no Joshuji (Road In The Mist),” 1963 samurai drama, 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Directed by Kokichi Uchide. Starring Hibari Misora, Jushiro Konoe and Isao Yamagata.
Okinu, the beautiful daughter of a feudal lord, discovers her true identity and leaves her lavish life behind to avenge her birth father’s death.
“Yokohama BJ Blues (Yokohama BJ Blues),” 1981 drama, 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Directed by Eikichi Kudo. Starring Yusaku Matsuda, Mari Henmi and Keizo Kanie.
Former blues singer turned private eye, BJ becomes involved in a dangerous gang business.
