“Hibari no Sado Jouwa (Hibari’s Tale of Pathos),” 1962 drama, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Kunio Watanabe. Starring Hibari Misora, Akitake Kono and Kyosuke Machida.
While visiting a site in Sado for a prospective project, Akiyama, a young developer, falls in love with Kimie, a local entertainer and tour guide. But, their happiness is threatened by the gangster, Ono, who has his own plans for Kimie.
“Hoero Tekken (Roaring Fire),” 1981 action film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Norifumi Suzuki. Starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Etsuko Shihomi.
Joji learns a dark secret from his dying father; he learns he has a twin brother and a sister. He travels to find his brother and finds he has been murdered in mysterious circumstances. While staying with his sister he overhears his Uncle’s plans to find a 130CT diamond (named the Queen of Sheba) and soon learns he may be behind other sinister schemes.
“Isshukan Friends (One Week Friends),” 2017 drama, 2 hours and 1 minute.
Directed by Shosuke Murakami. Starring Haruna Kawaguchi and Kento Yamazaki.
Yuki Hase wants to be friends with his high school classmate Kaori Fujimiya who always keeps to herself. One day he takes the courage to talk to her but she tells him, “I lose all memory of my friends at the end of each week”. Still eager to befriend Kaori, Yuki approaches her every Monday when her memory is reset, “Please be friends with me!” They slowly build up their friendship by exchanging a diary.
“Jirocho Sangokushi Dai-sanbu (The Kingdom of Jirocho 3),” 1964 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Koji Tsuruta and Shingo Yamashiro.
A Third part of the story of feudal boss Jirocho and his underlings
“Jun’ai Monogatari (Story of Pure Love),” 1957 drama, 2 hour and 13 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Imai. Starring Shinjiro Ebara, Hitomi Nakahara, Kaoru Kusuda, Eiji Okada and Kunie Tanaka.
A tragic love story between an atomic bomb victim, Mitsuko, and her lover, Kantaro, who struggle to survive during the post war period.
“Kantsubaki (A Midwinter Camellia),” 1992 drama, 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Directed by Yasuo Furahata. Starring Nishida Toshiyuki, Minamino Yoko, Takashima Masahiro and Katase Rino.
A bittersweet love story between Iwago, a yakuza, and a beautiful young geisha named Botan. In 1932, Botan was forced to become a geisha at a young age. Amid the abuse by mobsters and her father, she falls for Iwago, who first rapes her and then saves her from her life as a fallen woman.
“Ketto Suikoden Doto no Taiketsu (A Specutaclar Showdown),” 1959 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 55 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hashizo Okawa and Hibari Misora.
A must-see all-star cast movie about two yazuka families living in Edo. Prominent yakuza leader Sukegoro strikes back against Shigezo, an up and coming yakuza leader who threatens to steal Sukegoro’s turf.
“Kunisada Chuji (On National Authority),” 1958 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Chiezo Kataoka, Kotaro Satomi, Kunio Kaga and Ryunosuke Tsukigata.
Kunisada Chuji is a common folk hero who looks out for poor people in the country who are at the mercy of corrupt officials. Intent on fulfilling a dying wish from one of his henchmen, Asataro, to find a decent home for his young nephew, Chuji descends from his hide out in the mountain, and heads to the city in spite of numerous dangers that await him there.
“ReLIFE,” 2017 drama, 1 hour and 59 minutes.
Directed by Takeshi Furusawa. Starring Taishi Nakagawa and Yuna Taira.
Twenty-seven-year-old Arata Kaizaki becomes unemployed after quitting his job after only five months. He meets a mysterious man named Ryo, who urges him to participate in an experimental social reintegration program called “ReLIFE” that will enable him to rejuvenate his appearance by 10 years for a period of one year by taking an experimental drug. Arata reenters high school as a student, where he gradually forms a strong bond with a unique group of classmates but once the one-year experiment expires, he will be erased from their memory. What will the future hold for him after ReLIFE?
“Shingo Juban Shobu Kanketsu-hen (Shingo’s Original Challenge Part 4),” 1960 samurai film, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Yumiko Hasegawa, Ryutaro Otomo, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Satomi Oka.
Aoi Shingo, a son of the Shogun, continues his travels seeking to further his mastery of the sword. In this final episode of the popular “Shingo’s Original Challenge” series, Shingo confronts his master’s killer in the ultimate test of his skill.
“Shinkansen Daibakuha (The Bullet Train),” 1975 action film, 2 hours and 26 minutes.
Directed by Junya Sato. Starring Ken Takakura, Shinichi Chiba (Sonny Chiba) and Tetsuro Tanba.
Long before the Hollywood movie “Speed” was presented in theaters came the Japanese hit “Bullet Train.” A criminal mastermind has rigged a bullet train, the world’s fastest train, with explosives set to go off if the train’s speed falls below 50mph. The fate of 1500 passengers lies in the hands of the police as they struggle to capture the culprit and defuse the bomb.
“Tarao Bannai Kimenmura no Sangeki (The Tragedy in the Devil Masked Village),” 1978 drama, 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Starring Akira Kobayashi and Kuniyasu Atsumi.
Tarao’s services are called upon to solve the mysterious death of bride-to-be, Mariko, who was found dead with an eerie mask of a devil.
“Toyama no Kinsan Hayabusa Bugyo,” 1957 samurai film, 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Directed by Kinnosuke Fukada. Starring Chiezo Kataoka, Hashizo Okawa and Shinobu Chihara.
Toyama Kinshiro, a commissioner from northern Edo, goes undercover to unravel the mystery behind a series of murders. Kinshiro, played by Kataoka Chiezo, is most famous for the cherry blossom tattoos on his shoulder, which he reveals at the moment of judgement.
“Umon Torimonocho Janomegasa no Onna (Woman Under the Umbrella),” 1963 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Ryutaro Otomo and Eitaro Shindo.
A mysterious woman with an umbrella interferes with Umon’s pursuit of Tomokichi, a fugitive known to have hidden stolen treasures.
“Yureijima no Okite (Law in Ghost Island),” 1961 drama and action/samurai film, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Hibari Misora, Chiyonosuke Azuma and Kinya Kitaoji.
Upon his arrival to Dragon Island, ronin Yagi Hanzo, is propositioned by various shady individuals representing rival gangs to lend his services to them. Branded an enemy for his refusal to become involved with either side, he soon finds himself caught up in an intrigue extending beyond petty gang rivalries, involving a plot by Daimyo in Kyoto to overthrow the government.
“Yureisen Kohen (Ghost Ship Part 2),” 1957 samurai film, 1 hour and 23 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Ryutaro Otomo and Satomi Oka.The adventures of Jiromaru and his gang continue in their efforts to rescue Princess Yukihime and her servant Chacha from the pirates. All the while, Jiromaru is also in pursuit of the truth of the Ghost Ship; will he ever be able to unveil its mystery?
