Directed by Kenichi Omori. Starring Gaku Sano and Itsuki Sagara.
Kaito, a marathon runner, hoped to compete in the Olympics. He gave up those dreams after an injury. Kaito now works in city hall and just drifts through his days, and his girlfriend Marino leaves him. One day, he goes to the mountain as a tourist guide. Heavy rain passes over the area. He finds a mysterious mine and enters the mine to stay dry, but Kaito suddenly finds himself outside of the mine. The rain is gone and his world is different now. Kaito has won a gold medal in the Olympics and he is still with Marino.
“Gekido no 1,750 Nichi (1,750 Days of Turbulence),” 1990 drama, 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Kiichi Nakai and Masaya Kato.
The depiction of a 1,750-day long gang war.
“Hatamoto Yakuza (Yakuza Vassal),” 1966 samurai film, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Hashizo Okawa and Junko Fuji.
A young samurai warrior helps dispel townsfolk from evil forces.
“Hibari Chiemi no Yajikita Dochu (Travels of Hibari and Chiemi),” 1962 drama, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Sawashima. Starring Hibari Misora, Chiemi Eri and Chiyonosuke Azuma.
Playhouse employees Okimi and Otoshi become involved in an undercover officer’s investigation of a gang when they accidentally walk in on a drug deal taking place at their theater.
“Hokuriku Dairi Senso (The Shadow War of the Yakuza),” 1977 action film, 1 hour and 38 minutes.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Starring Hiroki Matsukata and Sonny Chiba.
The fight between a local small gang and the biggest family. In the setting of the Hokuriku region, where the snow and cold winds rage, battles among yakuza who value land over tradition are shown. Noboru Kawada uses any measure for survival, disregarding parents, brothers, and tradition.
“Kai (Pulling an Oar),” 1985 drama, 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Directed by Hideo Gosha. Starring Ken Ogata, Yukiyo Toake and Yuko Natori.
Told by her mother, “You’ve got to be endlessly patient if you want to live together in happy union till parted by death.” Before her marriage to the geisha agent Iwago, Kiwa struggles to come to terms with her life and persevere through the hardship that her marriage brings. Betrayal and tragedy are commonplace in this tale which follows the life of Kiwa whose strength and courage help her family to endure in even the worst of times.
“Kazoku wa Tsuraiyo 2 (What a Wonderful Family! 2),” 2017 drama, 1 hour and 53 minutes.
Directed by Yoji Yamada. Starring Isao Hashizume and Kazuko Yoshiyuki.
Several years have passed since Shuzo Hirata and his wife Tomiko came within inches of getting divorced. Shuzo enjoys getting out of the house and going for drives, but after his car starts to collect more dents than ever before, his eldest son Konosuke and daughter-in-law Fumie begin to worry about his safety as an elderly driver, and decide to ask him to relinquish his license.
“Kenka Taiheiki (Epic Crash),” 1958 samurai film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Kotaro Satomi.
A justice-seeking samurai fights BAKUFU (government) soldiers.
“Kurobedani no Daikenkyaku (The Swordsman in the Golden Valley),” 1960 samurai film, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Michiyo Kogure.
A story of a samurai involved in a gold rush in a canyon.
“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 for a “Mori no Ishimatsu” play time travels and becomes “Mori no Ishimatsu” himself.
“Obozu Tengu (Tengu Priest),” 1962 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Chiezo Kataoka, Ryutaro Otomo, Hibari Misora and Hashizo Okawa.
Kichizaburo, a samurai keeping peace in Edo, helps young geisha Kozome avenge her father’s death.
“Oedo Kenka Matoi (Cantankerous Edo),” 1957 jidaigeki, 2 hours and 7 minutes.
Starring Ryutaro Otomo and Hibari Misora.
A former samurai becomes the town fire chief.
“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.
“Otoko no Shobu Byakko no Tetsu (Tetsu the White Tiger),” 1968 action film, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Hideo Murata and Saburo Kitajima.
A railroad line brings changing times to a community.
“Sasaki Kojiro Kohen (Sasaki Kojiro Part 2),” 1957 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Kiyoshi Sasaki. Starring Chiyonosuke Azuma, Shinobu Chihara and Chiezo Kataoka.
The conclusion of the story of famed swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro. After surviving a series of daring adventures, Kojiro seems to have finally discovered the ultimate happiness in life when he is reunited with Tone, the love of his life. However, his days of happiness are overshadowed by an upcoming duel with his fateful enemy Miyamoto Musashi.
“Satomi Hakkenden Dai-sanbu (Eight Brave Brothers Part 3),” 1954 samurai film, 52 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Chiyonosuke Azuma, Kinnosuke Nakamura and Ryunosuke Tsukigata.
Four sacred warriors continue their search for the remaining members while also discovering the magical powers that lay in their own orbs.
“Shingo Juban Shobu Dai Ichibu/Dai Nibu (Shingo’s Original Challenge Part 1 & 2),” 1959 samurai film, 1 hour and 44 minutes.
Directed Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Ryutaro Otomo and Ryunosuke Tsukigata.
In the first episode of the popular series “Shingo’s Challenge,” young samurai Aoi Shingo learns that he is, in fact, the illegitimate son of the Shogun. Hoping to reunite with is birth father, Lord Yoshimune heads to the castle. However, the reunion never takes place as Shingo finds himself the target of a conspiracy. Will he ever be able to meet his father?
“Shura no Densetsu (A Legend of Turmoil),” 1992 action film. 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Directed by Seiji Izumi. Starring Akira Kobayashi and Takanori Jinnai.
A story about the development of a bright and strong yakuza. Otaki is an old-fashioned respectful yakuza who tries to protect his small yakuza family. When his boss gets shot, he decides to go after the plotters.
“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.
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, 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.
“Yureisen Zenpen (Ghost Ship Part 1),” 1957 samurai film, 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ryutaro Otomo and Yumiko Hasegawa.
After his father’s ship, the Kannonmaru sinks, Jiromaru decides not to take over his father’s occupation and goes to Kyoto to become a samurai. However Jiromaru quickly realizes that being a samurai is not everything he had hoped it would be. He then hears rumors of the Kannonmaru appearing at various locations and tries to find out about this mysterious ship.
