“Iroha Wakashu Hanakago Touge (A Young Rabble 2),” 1959 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Hibari Misora and Kotaro Satomi.
An adventure of a feisty girl Oyuki and Santa, a homeless child she saves.
“Kagurame (Kagurame),” 2015 drama, 1 hour and 53 minutes.
Directed by Yasuo Okuaki. Starring Rina Takada and Ren Osugi.
Akine had lost her beloved mother at a very young age. On the day that her mother had passed, her father was nowhere to be seen, but rather out practicing the “Shishi Kagura,” a traditional Japanese dance. Since then, Akine has held a grudge against her father. As soon as she graduated from high school, Akine left her hometown. Five years later, Akine returns to her hometown on the 13th anniversary of her mother’s death. Her father is getting ready for a festival, which happens once every 60 years, to perform his last dance, but something goes wrong…
“Kenka Karate Kyokushinken (Champion of Death),” 1975 action film, 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. Starring Sonny Chiba and Yumi Takigawa.
Based on the true life story of Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin karate in Japan, portrayed by Sonny Chiba. Mas is a martial arts champion who wants to leave the competitive world for a quieter life. But after he becomes involved in the death of an underworld figure, he finds himself on the run from thugs determined to take revenge against him.
“Kome (Rice),” 1957 drama, 1 hour and 58 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Imai. Starring Shinjiro Ebara, Isao Kimura, Masako Nakamura and Hitomi Nakahara.
A touching story depicting the harsh lives of farmers in Kasugaseki. An attempt to start a fishery business to revive an ailing farming community creates friction amongst the proud residents.
“Nanatsu no Chikai Kurosuisen no Maki (The Seven Vows Part 1),” 1956 jidaigeki/adventure, 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hashizo Okawa, Chiyonosuke Azuma and Ryunosuke Tsukigata.
Toruhan, a king’s retainer, embarks on a journey to find a royal treasure that can only be revealed though secret codes hidden in seven crosses carried by his fellow samurai.
“Nanatsu no Chikai Doreisen no Maki (The Seven Vows Part 2),” 1956 jidaigeki/adventure, 1 hour and 1 minute.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring: Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hashizo Okawa and Chiyonosuke Asuma.
The adventures of Goro and his fellow samurai continue in its second installment. While being held captive by the enemy pirate Ongo, Goro discovers the whereabouts of the missing seventh cross. Will he succeed in bringing all seven cross together to reveal the secret code of the royal treasure?
“Nihon Jokyoden Tekka Geisha (Flint Geisha),” 1970 drama, 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Junko Fuji and Bunta Sugawara.
Young geisha Koshizu’s wish of reuniting with the man, Yukichi, who helped her ten years ago comes true. When she learns of the trouble Yukichi’s business is facing, it is time for her to repay the debt.
“Ninja Gari (The Ninja Hunt),” 1964 ninja/action film, 1 hour.
Directed by Tetsuya Yamauchi. Starring Jushiro Konoe, Shingo Yamashiro and Kei Sato.
Four ninja are hired to fight against the Shogunate’s plot to abolish the Gamo Clan, the regional barons struggling to reinstate their young heir Tanemaru as their Lord.
“Ninkyo Kashi no Ishimatsu (Ishimatsu the Yakuza: Something’s Fishy),” 1967 drama, 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Directed by Noribumi Suzuki. Starring Saburo Kitajima and Hideo Murata.
Matsukichi, a worker at a fish market, tries to settle the business between the two competitors on his turf.
“Rikugun Chouhou 33 (Army Intelligence),” 1968 action film, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Tsuneo Kobayashi. Starring Shinichi Chiba and Tetsuro Tanba.
Kazuo, a Japanese army intelligence agent, reveals a foreign intelligence network in Japan and then sent to Borneo Island with a special mission.
“Saigo no Bakuto (The Last True Yakuza),” 1985 action film, 2 hour and 5 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Hiroki Matsukata and Sonny Chiba.
A depiction of Japan’s most infamous violent gang incident.
“Shokubutsu Zukan (Evergreen Love),” 2016 drama, 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Directed by Koichiro Miki. Starring Takanori Iwata and Mitsuki Takahata.
Miss, would you please pick me up? I will not bite you. I am a well-behaved boy.” An ordinary female office worker Sayaka meets a young man, Itsuki. He is lying by the roadside and says that he had no home to reside. Oddly enough, something drives Sayaka to decide to live together with him for half a year. She knows nothing about him, but for some reason, her love for Itsuki grows day by day…
“Tabigasa Dochu (Her Son Came Back),” 1958 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Hashizo Okawa and Hiromi Hanazono.
Kind hearted yakuza Hanjiro of Asama risks his life in saving his henchman Genjiro and his family.
“Tarao Bannai Seinritsu no Nanakamen (The Seven Faces of Bannai Tarao, Private Eye),” 1956 drama, 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda and Tsuneo Kobayashi. Starring Chiezo Kataoka and Shin Tokudaiji.
Detective Tarao goes undercover to battle an evil gun smuggling business.
“Toyama no Kinsan Sakura Hangan (Sakura Official),” 1962 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Starring Chiezo Kataqoka and Koji Tsuruta.
Magistrate Kinshiro investigates a series of unsolved deaths that are connected to a mysterious monk.
“Umon Torimonocho Maboroshi Doro no Onna (Case of Umon: Woman of Magic Lantern),” 1961 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Eiichi Kudo. Starring Ryutaro Otomo, Kotaro Satomi and Satomi Oka.
Detective Umon’s services are called upon when ronin Yaichiro is killed with a peculiar weapon, a stone wrapped in a towel.
“Wakasama Zamurai Torimonocho Jigoku no Sarayashiki (Case of A Young Lord),” 1956 jidaigeki, 57 minutes.
Directed by Kinnosuke Fuakda. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Yumiko Hasegawa and Michiko Hoshi.
A master swordsman guards a mercer’s heirloom, a precious plate given by the Shogun, against bandits.
“Yokiro (The Geisha),” 1983 drama, 2 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Hideo Gosha. Starring Kimiko Ikegami, Atsuko Asano, Morio Kazama and Ken Ogata.
An illustration of the turbulent lives of geisha at Yokiro, the top geisha house in Kochi.
Momowaka, the most popular geisha at Yokiro, must protect herself from those who grow envious of her beauty and glory.
“Yoko-zakura (Yoko the Cherry Blossom),” 2015 drama,
1 hour and 54 minutes.
Directed by Gen Takahashi. Starring Takashi Sasano and Yuki Kazamatsuri.
Based on an inspiring true story, “Yoko the Cherry Blossom” chronicles the life of Masaaki Takaoka, a high school teacher in rural Japan. He becomes obsessed with his lifelong project to create a new type of cherry blossom tree that can blossom anywhere, in any climate, so that the spirits of his students who were sent to the battlefields to fight in World War II would have a place to meet, just like he promised… After more than thirty years, a stubborn Masaaki successfully creates YOKO, the first-ever artificially created cherry blossom. He donates the beautiful trees to anyone who wants them, eventually giving away more than 30,000 cherry trees to over 20 countries around the world as a symbol of world peace and harmony.
