Junzaburō Ban

An Urban Affair

Follow-up to "Ekimae Ryokan." Set around the Yurigaoka and Nishi-Ikuta stations on the Odakyu-Odawara line, the film takes up the problem of real estate around the expanding Yurigaoka apartments.

Nonsense - Fireball Boy Thief

The story of a ghostly thief in Edo who calls himself the fireball guy.

Dodes'ka-den

On a Tokyo dump’s shantytown edge, interwoven vignettes follow residents scraping by: a boy who “drives” an imaginary trolley, a homeless father and son designing a dream house, a young woman brutalized at home, drunks, schemers, and saints of small kindnesses. Kurosawa crafts a ragged mosaic of hardship, fantasy, and flickers of grace that keep people moving forward.

Yoku

Half a Loaf... Avarice / Yoku

Pineapple Butai

The story of the role played by Japanese-American soldiers from Hawaii in the Korean War of the 1950s.

Fifty-Fifty

The final film by Yuzo Kawashima.

Night Guy

Tokyo at night. It has another face, different from the daytime. Gorgeous neon lights and dressed-up women decorate the city at night. And then, there are men who live off of these women. This movie depicts the conflict of sex and desire between a procurer, called a "night arranger," and women who live in the neon city seeking money and pleasure.

Crocodile, Parrot and Fur Seal

A comedy farce depicting the noise that occurs when two unemployed circus participants discover a debt bond in a basket with parrots, which they received instead of pension money. At that time, Hiromi Go and Kirin Kiki, who were gaining popularity, play the main roles, demonstrating an exquisite combination.

Osaka Tough

The film takes place in a dark area of the giant city of Osaka and tells about a group of people who find themselves at the bottom of society, and about the courage of a man who defies the city of violence in search of his beloved sister.

Wandering Ginza Butterfly: She-Cat Gambler

Meiko Kaji reprises her role as Nami, a vengeful female gang leader, in the second installment of this high-action series that casts a new actor -- martial arts legend Sonny Chiba -- in the role of Nami's loyal friend Ryuji. This time around, Nami is looking for Hoshiden, the man who murdered her father and shattered her once-hopeful childhood. But living under an assumed name, Hoshiden could stay hidden forever.

Escape from Hell

This suspense drama set in the mid 1700's depicts the plan of the Tokugawa rulers to send a number of homeless men to a remote island Sado to perform forced labor. Living conditions on the island are terrible and the men soon become rebellious. Based on a short story by Seichō Matsumoto.

Kaoyaku

A detective is charged with investigating a bank corruption scandal.

A Fugitive from the Past

Three robbers escape with loot from a heist before one of them kills the others. Their corpses wash up near the aftermath of a maritime calamity, provoking a policeman's interest.

Ottamage ningyo monogatari

1962 Japanese movie

The Beloved Imposters

1958 Mito Kōmon film.

Utau yajikita kogane dōchū

1957 Japanese movie

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Onsen

Fourth entry in the Ekimae series, focusing on the restoration of a Fukushima hot spring inn.

お役者変化

During the Genroku era, Azusa Gennosuke, renowned in Nara as a top swordsman and a scholar, crossed swords with the Magistrate Kurobane Yatayu, who tried to force himself on Gennosuke's beloved foster-sister, Kikuno. As a result, Gennosuke's younger brother, Shichisaburo, was killed. Separated from his mother, Gennosuke found himself on the run from the officials.

Denshichi Torimonocho: Senryo Human Skin

In the era of the twelfth Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, a notorious bandit known as "Shippu" (or "Swift Wind") emerged in Edo. Shippu would send a warning message called the "Thief's Summons" before striking, yet despite the magistrate's desperate search efforts, they couldn't find any leads. One day, a summons was shot into the residence of Ono Ryusai, who was leading a peaceful retirement life with his two concubines, O-Ran and O-Koshi. With the summons, various individuals including O-Ran's brother Itami Shigoshiro, the master of the Muso-ryu dojo, vigilante Mankichiro, rope expert Gohei, and Den'ichi from Kuromon Town were assigned to monitor the situation. However, while they were distracted by a neighboring fire, a chest containing a thousand ryo was stolen, and O-Koshi was killed.

Denshichi Torimonocho: Tattoo Woman Trouble

During the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one night a carver named Fujijiro was murdered. Immediately launching an investigation, Denhichi, accompanied by Otoshi and Take, toured the entertainment houses of Ryogoku. There, they discovered a connection between an acrobat and the incident. On their way home, Otoshi unexpectedly encountered an old friend, Inosuke, nervously buying a dagger. Inosuke, a clerk at the Kashimaya store, was in love with Oko, a secret lover of Bunzaemon. Amidst this, Seihei, the head clerk, was murdered by someone, and a dagger belonging to Inosuke was found at the scene, leading Gohei to suspect Inosuke as the culprit. However, Otoshi was hiding Inosuke. Driven by Otoshi's plea and a professional instinct that Inosuke wasn't the perpetrator, Denhichi desperately searched for the real culprit.

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Lunchbox

Third film in the "Ekimae" series, this time set in Hamamatsu. A widow named Keiko and her brother Jiro run the bento shop, "Goraku." One day, Keiko asks for advice from her childhood friends Kintaro, a textile manufacturer, and Magosaku, an entrepreneur, about a big-shot from Osaka who wants to invest in her shop. However, Kintaro and Magosaku suspect that things are not what they seem...

八州遊侠伝 白鷺三味線

Hatamoto Ooka Gentaro was deeply committed to a future with a beautiful girl named Omachi, a relationship facilitated by his love of the shamisen. Omachi was stalked by a ronin named Akiyama Kanosuke, and at one point, Gentaro and Akiyama dueled at Matanuiyama, but the confrontation was left unresolved when Omachi, sensing urgency, called the authorities. Meanwhile, Gentaro's uncle, Kii-no-kami, concerned about Gentaro's whereabouts, ordered him to investigate a conspiracy by Tachibana Tadama, a tyrannical director of Hachijo who exercised his power oppressively in Shimousa Iioka. Gentaro attempted to leave on a journey with Omachi but was obstructed by his uncle's retainers.

Denshichi Torimonocho: Vampire Spider

In the town of Izu known for its hot springs, Den Shichi from Kuromon Town sets off for a healing trip with his companion, a bamboo craftsman with a nose like a lion's snout, at a time when the town is under a tight security network due to a nearby gunpowder depot explosion. Staying at Tsuruya, Den Shichi and his group are investigated by officials whose behavior seems somewhat odd. That night, a man looking like a craftsman is murdered, and gunpowder residue is found at the scene, prompting Den Shichi to suspect that something is amiss.

Kyūjin ryokō

1962 Japanese movie

お役者小僧 江戸千両幟

Okazaki Domain samurai Inaba Gotaro accidentally killed a superior while trying to save his beloved geisha, Ko-en. On the run, they were rescued by the actor Nakamura Utaemon, but Ko-en was taken by the Hatamoto, Ono Issai. Gotaro, who fell off a cliff, was saved by the Dutch-trained doctor, Shibarai Ryokai, and his daughter Oume. While traveling to Edo, they met Utaemon in Mishima, who was suffering from a serious eye disease. Ryokai’s treatment saved Utaemon from blindness, and a strong friendship was formed among the three.

A Matter of Valour

Chushingura has been made into a movie several times before, but this time it will be presented in a widescreen version with all natural colors and a new look. Written by Masato Ide and directed by Tatsuo Osone. This is a magnificent scroll of images that depicts on a grand scale the triumph of the Genroku era that shook the citizens of Edo, the peaceful capital of Japan. The top stars of the film, shinpa, shingeki, and kabuki worlds at the time of production were lavishly cast, and a huge budget was invested to create a large set for this highly acclaimed and moving epic.

Travels of Lord Mito Pt.1

The deputy shogun of the realm, accompanied by his loyal and capable aides, makes a stop at Jigokudani, a place along his journey through various provinces. Here, a lively and entertaining tale unfolds, filled with swordplay where heroes and villains clash, intertwined with heartwarming humor.

Travels of Lord Mito Pt.2

At the transformed Fumaden (Demon Subduing) Temple, with the dynamic efforts of Sukesan and Kakusan, and the appearance of the heroic woman Oshin, Lord Kōmon's ingenious strategy swiftly overcomes the wicked bandits in this exhilarating and unrivaled episode.

Gakusei geisha koi to kenka

1962 Japanese movie

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Chinese Restaurant

The fifth "Ekimae" film set in a Chinese restaurant in Yokohama's Chinatown.

The Greatest Man in the World

In the midst of the depression, two ronin rack their brains to come up with a dishonest scheme. Taking a man from the countryside, they fashion him into Ise Isenokami, the finest swordsman under the sun. Pretending to be his followers, they visit various sword fighting dojo. Out of fear upon hearing the name Isenokami, they pay him off and do not let him enter their training halls. The impostor eventually comes face to face with the real Isenokami after rescuing his daughter, Oyae, who is caught up in a minor incident.

Yosakoi Journey

A drama by director Masaharu Segawa.

The Bride and the Treasure

Den Shichi of Kurodomon-chō, the best detective in Edo, captured members of a thief gang called "Kitsutsuki," but let three, including the rōnin Daikoku Yajūrō, Tengai Omachi, and Kasumi no Seiji, escape. Among the captured who were exiled, Genta and Kakuroku broke out and returned to Edo to reorganize the Kitsutsuki gang, starting to wreak havoc in the city. Due to the brutal methods used, Den Shichi suspected Yajūrō and Omachi had rejoined the gang. One day, a child who saw a hairdresser resembling Den Shichi, named Kiyoshi, reported to him. Kiyoshi, trusted by the moneychanger Yamano-ya, frequented by Den Shichi's wife Oshun, was rumored to be in love with Yamano-ya's daughter Oiku. In fact, Kiyoshi was Kasumi no Seiji, now living an honest life.

大江戸出世双六

Isshin Tasuke, a friend of Ōkubo Hikozōemon, the esteemed public arbitrator of the realm, saved the maid Onatsu from punishment after she accidentally broke a plate gifted by Lord Ieyasu. Tired of the strict samurai service, Tasuke moved to the Genbei tenements and opened a fish shop. This tenement housed various characters, including the landlord's daughter Osen who had a crush on Tasuke, the midwife Okan, the blind masseur Oyone and her husband, the carpenter-loving couple Yoshigorō and Ohama, the rōnin Takeuchi Yogoemon, and the siblings Ochika and Shin'nosuke who cared for their sick mother.

Denshichi Torimonocho: Female Fox Palanquin

One night in Edo, a mysterious woman in a palanquin appeared at the moneylender Yamashiroya, revealing herself to a beautiful woman. She told the owner, Shigebē, that she had come to collect a life he owed from twenty years ago and then left. The same night, Maruiya Genbē also received a visit from the woman's palanquin, and nearby, a man named Manbē was murdered. The detective Hayanawa Gohē concluded the murder was the work of a fox spirit, but another detective, Den Shichi, skeptical of this theory, noticed footprints on the tatami and decided to investigate further.

花笠太鼓

In early summer in Edo, Sanshirō, known for his beautiful singing, is a devoted son living in a tenement with his blind mother Okura. He works as a delivery boy for the caterer "Yaoyorozu." His brother, Chōjirō, who disliked being a plasterer, ran away from home and became a subordinate of the yakuza Yamashita no Gonsuke. On a delivery, Sanshirō catches a vagrant child, Erippē, stealing a flower hairpin from Ochiyo, the daughter of the wealthy merchant Narumiyaya Bunzaimon. Impressed by Sanshirō's character, Bunzaimon considers him as a potential son-in-law for Ochiyo, who admires Sanshirō.

Topsy-Turvy Journey

A drama from director Masaharu Segawa.

Sky Scraper!

A film about the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building, the first high-rise building in Japan.

Shin kitsune to tanuki

1962 Japanese movie

Love and the Shop Curtain

Otami and daughter Yuri run the Matsuoka, a 150-year-old Japanese-style inn in Tokyo which they plan to renovate into a modern hotel before the ‘64 Tokyo Olympics. Maki, the son of the owner of the Benten Hotel, likes Yuri and wants to get closer to her. So, he asks Milton, an American exchange student, to stay at her inn so he can get closer to her. But Yuri is in love with Shin, a cook at her inn. And although Shin likes her too, the two are constantly bickering. Complicating matters more, is that every other available girl also likes Shin including Chikako, who lives at his boarding house, and Chikoma, who is a geisha. One day when Yuri gets a phone call, she suspects that her mother might be having an affair. But it turns out that Otami reunited with her old flame Tomo, who also used to work as a chef at the inn but left because he feared that their class backgrounds were too different. When Shin learns that Yuri is going to marry...will history repeat itself?

Blue Sky Angel

1950 drama film

Delinquent Girl Boss: Worthless to Confess

Reiko Oshida stars as a young wannabe gangster tough girl, just released from reform school. She tracks down one of her classmates fathers, who runs an auto repair shop that the local Yakuza are trying to force out of business and take over, and starts working for him. At the same time a recently released from prison, and now ill Yakuza is trying to make a new life for himself and his girl, a friend of Reiko's, who also just graduated from reform school. A fateful car crash brings the two on a collision course with each other and the brutal Yakuza clan, which can only end bloody vengeance.

Konto 55: Grand Outer Space Adventure

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami.

Mama, I Need You!

After finishing the course of junior high school, Kazuo comes up to Tokyo, leaving his mother alone in the unproductive northern district. He finds a job in a small laundry in downtown Tokyo and works hard till late at night. At a nearby restaurant a brother and sister are working, and Kazuo becomes friendly with the girl, Yoneko. Love blossoms between the two. However, Yoneko's brother objects to his sister marrying Kazuo.

Denshichi Torimonocho: The Curse of the Silver Snake

Kofu duty guard Yamauchi Hinata-kami cultivated illegal drugs and had them sold through Omiya, a drug wholesaler in Edo Muromachi. One day, a strange spell descends on Omiya, killing his wife Osetsu, and then his second daughter Okyo as well. After that, there was a rumor that a ghost playing a flute appeared in the town of Edo. Sanshiro Tachibana, a member of the Kitamachi Magistrate Doshin, asked Denshichi to investigate these incident.

Eijanaika

The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a revelrous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which turns into a massacre. Characteristically, Imamura focuses not on the leaders of the country, but on characters in the lower classes and on the fringes of society.

The Detective Denshichi Case Files: The Beautiful Bat

The head of Oshu, Harumichi Honma, was ordered by the boat bugyo (Commissioner of the board) Tajima Kuze to extract five gold coins to the Shogun family in Edo, and put it into Ryujin Maru. However, Tajima, who was the chief retainer of the shogunate, said that he was a member of the board, tetsugoro Funabashi, kumiyumi no Kami ichibei, and his son, masakichi, and others, and in the middle of the night, he killed all the members with poison in the night of the storm, threw Masayoshi, who was a fellow of the city, and masakichi, who escaped from the death of poison, into the sea and sank the boat to eliminate evidence.

Hikkoshi yatsure

Manao Horiuchi movie

The Sun's Burial

In Osaka's slum, capricious folks without futures engage in pilfering, assault and robbery, prostitution, and the trading of ID cards and blood.

Unique Sword Technique for Revenge

Comedy directed by Torajiro Saito about swordsmen in the era of feudal Japan.

Doterai Man

Business is a game! A theatrical version of the TV drama that became a social phenomenon starring Teruhiko Saigo. Set in a wholesaler town in Osaka, it depicts the activities of the main character Takezo Yamashita who repels adversity with a man's stubbornness and guts.

Private Second Class

First film in a series of military-themed comedies from Shochiku.

Denshichi Torimonocho: Mad Skullwoman

Detective Denshichi is called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Kishu family's daughter Teruhime and the activities of a dangerous group dressed as skulls and their female leader.

Shag

Shiro Akitsu goes on a relentless search for his abducted 7-year-old daughter, with the aid of an Ainu dog summoned by a whistle she gave him.

The Old Bear Hunter

After an old man is attacked by a bear in the snowy mountains of northern Japan, he vows to hunt down the marauder.

The Ghost Cat and the Mysterious Shamisen

Mitsue is a popular stage actress and the lover of a shamisen player named Seijuro. She jealously murders two other objects of his affection: Okiyo, a young woman from a samurai family, and Kuro, a cat. The spirits of Okiyo and Kuro then merge into a vengeful ghost.

Denshichi Torimonocho: Silver Snake Spell

The eleventh episode of the Denshichi Torimonocho series. Around the time of Shogun Ienari, a murderer known as a ghost hikyaku appeared in Edo, raping and killing young girls one after another. One night, a notice was recieved that Oichi, the daughter of Wakasa Kanayu of the small construction group, would be taken away. The mansion was surrounded by ten and twenty layers of people including Denshichi, who was asked to guard the house, and Sesshinsai Ohba, the owner of the dojo. Four seconds later, a violent explosion suddenly occurred.

Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories

In Edo, a group of masked samurai stormed a seafood wholesaler, killing the head clerk and robbing the money. They then crossed paths with Ichi, a blind masseur and master swordman. However, upon recognizing his blindness, they decided to leave without confrontation. The next day, a woman known to Ichi and her samurai customer was found murdered at a brothel, leading to the wrongful apprehension of Ichi as the culprit. However, a few days later, when another couple was found murdered in a similar manner, Ichi was released. With his friend, they began their search for the real culprits.

Sabu and Ichi's Detective Stories 2

Sabu, a low-ranking samurai, finds himself unable to apprehend the ruthless leader of a violent gang of thieves, which leads to a scolding from his fellow friend and leaves him feeling disheartened. Meanwhile, Ichi, a blind masseur is called upon to provide a massage while passing by the residence of Iwashiroya, a prominent tea wholesaler in Edo. To his surprise, one of Iwashiroya's mistresses, Oshin, reacts unexpectedly upon seeing Ichi's face. Later that night, while returning home drunk, Ichi faces an attack by a ronin, whom he successfully overpowers and kills. Later Ichi accompanied by Sabu, revisits the scene, only to discover that the victim was not a ronin but rather an ordinary townsman. Subsequently, it comes to light that the victim was the sole heir of Iwashiroya. They have fallen into a trap. As rumors circulate that Ichi is the culprit, he is captured and subjected to torture, resulting in him being left critically injured...

Botchan

1958 Shochiku adaptation of Natsume's novel.

The Phoenix

This extraordinarily complex film is not only a send-up of every samurai film ever made, it is also an extrapolation of the value of life. The Yamatai, represented by Prince Susano-O and elderly advisor Sumuke, hire Yumihiko of Matsuro to hunt the phoenix so that Queen Himiko, sister of Susano-O can have eteranal life.

The Young Eagles of the Kamikaze

The film is dedicated to the souls of flight school graduates killed in World War II. Young boys dream about becoming pilots and apply to flight schools. However, the flight schools have extremely demanding, harsh training, and once they finally become pilots, they must become suicide bombers and give their lives for their homeland.

The Gambling Nun

A young woman, an experienced gambler, enters a nunnery to atone for some of her father's crimes. When the nunnery runs into debt, she resorts to gambling and challenges the racketeer threatening to sell the place to a game.

Farewell to Spring

Five longtime friends get back together, but are disappointed to find that their bonds are not as strong as they once were.

Firefly Light

Set in the 1860s, the final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, The Fireflies focuses on Tose (Awashima Chikage), the mistress of the Teradaya, a small inn in the Kyoto suburb of Fushimi. She does not have an easy life. Her husband, Isuke (Ban Junzaburo), is a wastrel who fancies himself a kabuki singer and who is obsessed with cleanliness. Her mother-in-law, Sada (Miyoshi Eiko) dislikes her because of her humble origins (her family are farmers) and because she fears that she will inherit the inn instead of Sugi, her daughter. Sada's hopes for Sugi, however, are dashed when she runs off with a con artist and leaves her child behind for Tose to take care of. When Sada becomes seriously ill, it is Tose who nurses her. On her deathbed, Sada asks her daughter-in-law's forgiveness. Meanwhile Isuke spends most of his time with a mistress he has taken, forcing Tose to manage the inn by herself

娘十八びっくり天国

Japanese comedy film.

Big hit pachinko girl

Japanese comedy film.

Furimuita hanayome

Japanese comedy film.

Dimple of Tokyo

Buntaro, the president of a food trading company got tired of the day-to-day routine of life. The new secretary, Nobuko, suggested her "shacho-san" (the president) run away from the job. Nobuko took Buntaro to her home and introduced him to her own family as friend, "Sachio-san"...

A Smell of Money

Banjun organizes a group of con men to fleece the greedy and rich.

続二等兵物語 決戦体制の巻

Third sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Story of Second Class Private, Sequel

First sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Nitōhei monogatari: Shindara kami-sama no maki

Fourth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Nitōhei monogatari: Aa senyū no maki

Fifth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Nitōhei monogatari: Banji yōryō no maki

Sixth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

続二等兵物語 南方孤島の巻

Second sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Pfc. Story - Behind the Enemy Lines

First "Pfc. Story" sequel and eighth overall sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Pfc. Story - The Divine Tempest

First installment of the "Pfc. Story" series of military-themed comedies from Shochiku, and seventh overall sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Shin nitōhei monogatari medetaku gaisen no maki

Second "Pfc. Story" sequel and the ninth and final sequel to "Story of Second Class Private", the only one in both series not directed by Seiichi Fukuda.

Tokyo Profile

A motley cast of characters, including a human billboard and a shoeshine girl, help a 5 year old girl after she is separated from her mother on the crowded streets of Ginza.

How to Make a Big Hit

Japanese comedy film.

Queen Bee

To solve the mystery of a murder of an old governess which takes place at a wealthy Daidoji family's country estate, family secrets and lies dating back several generations must be sorted out once and for all.

Nonsense Boys

Japanese comedy film.

珍説忠臣蔵

A comedic retelling of the legend of the loyal 47 ronin.

Great Edo Song Festival

The feudal lord Kisaragi Yae no Kami (Minami Komyo) searches for a child he had with a low-borne woman, that was sent away from his home 16 years ago while carrying a special seal. At that time, Kanda's detective Zenshichi (Ichikawa Kodayu II) had three daughters, the third of whom, Omiyo (Misora ​​Hibari), was a skilled singer and an expert with the lasso.

The Foster Mother

A human drama about the bond between parents and a child and family love. The daughter leaves her foster parents and ends up with her mother in Kyoto, who divorced her father, but her father in Tokyo, who has another family, takes her to himself out of guilt for breaking up with her. How does the daughter feel?

Road to Hawaii

A 1954 film.

The Unbalanced Wheel

A study of uneasy relationships among the inhabitants of a tiny rural community.

Snow in the South Seas

Japanese soldiers stranded in Manokwari, New Guinea, improvise a theater play to keep their spirits up and endure the extremely difficult conditions.

Love and Death

Yuji, a budding writer, meets and starts falling in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, Natsuko. The attraction is mutual but due to the circumstances, they try to not act on their attraction. However, as time goes by, they realise that, perhaps, they cannot be without each other. Will the forbidden love affair move forward and can they finally be with each other?

Parole

Three men vs. gangsters in a fight involving smuggled gold.

A Country Boss

A country boss gives up his way of life because of his daughter's marriage.

There Was a War When I Was a Child

An award-winning Japanese film about a child's experiences during the Second World War.

My Wife

Japanese comedy film.

Rainbow Over the Pacific

Rainbow Over the Pacific is a tale of romance that moves from the streets of Tokyo to the islands of Hawaii as it weaves the story of two star-crossed lovers--Hideo (Yukio Hashi), an aspiring photographer from Japan, and Reiko (Jun Mayuzumi), a beautiful Sansei Cherry Blossom contestant from Hawaii--who are drawn together by destiny, yet appear to be fated to be apart. Will the sun set on their young love, or will it be the dawn of a new relationship?

浮かれ狐千本櫻

Japanese comedy film.

Drunkard's Paradise

A father and son are both heavy drinkers. However, the son dies in an accident at a bar, leaving behind a fiance…. A unique social satire that focuses on why people drink alcohol.

Incidental Murders

The daughter of the wealthy Soga family is kidnapped and her fiance is murdered. But the kidnappers, Tatsu and Sanko are unaware that Tatsuko is the heiress to a fortune. Two strong-arm brothers, Kosaka and Takeshi, learn of her identity and join the gang in an effort to shake down the tycoon for ten million yen. Upon joining forces, their first move is to rid themselves of the driver whose identity is known to the police because of a cap which he left behind at the scene of the crime. Upon obtaining the ransom money, the brothers murder the two kidnappers and go to the port city of Kobe. The younger brother, Takeshi, has fallen in love with the prisoner and refuses to allow her to be killed and they take her with them from one hideout to another.

Live and Learn

Tetsuko (Eiko Yanami), a high school student, one day, forces Tsuneo, (Kei Wakakura), the brightest boy in her school, to make love to her after school is out and they are caught by the old school janitor. Tsuneo's mother, orders Tetsuko to pay for what she did to her son but Tetsuko blackmails her instead, saying that she is ready to inform a news company of what has happened to Tsuneo and receives one million yen hush money. Expelled from school, she comes to Tokyo, intending to take a round-the-world trip. But Sankichi (Yoshihiko Aoyama), a jack-of-all-trades, cheats her. So, she makes up her mind to catch him and get back her money.

Makeraremasen katsumadewa

Comedy based on the writings of Ango Sakaguchi.

The Love and Adventures of Kuroki Taro

Taro Kuroki, 42, is a stuntman with a samurai's heart. He loves adventures, plays pranks with the police, tries to cure a cat lady by reversing her trauma, and finally, rescues his niece who is about to be lured into prostitution.

The Mayor's Secret

A mayoral candidate and his love child.

Follow the Girls

Comedy of an entertainment agent and strip-teasers.

Graffiti Youth: Sneaker Blues

3 people are fresh and naive so they try to go from wandering around lonely to becoming a lively young bunch. Tanokin’s youthful energy explodes!

The Hidden Treasure

Shochiku's commemorative 3000th film production; a suspenseful period drama.

Quick Change Tanuki Palace

This is a paradise of dream and illusion, a country of Raccoon Dogs. The Bat Tribe lives in a neighboring country took a young prince of Raccoon Dogs as a hostage, and try to take a Buddhist saint from the temple by force.

The Three Ginza Rascals

Three men, all named Masa, join forces to capitalize on each of their unique yet questionable talents against a hyper-competitive Tokyo underworld.

The Black Battlefront Kidnappers

A taut, economical policier-cum-gang-hostage thriller.

A Lively Geisha

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, she stands ready to come to his aid, and thus repay a debt that's long overdue.

The Hotelman's Holiday

Based on the novel "Ekimae Ryokan" by Masuji Ibuse, a longtime hotel employee struggles to bring his old-fashioned ryokan in line with postwar Japanese business practices.

A Comedy in Front of the Station: University

#13 in the Ekimae series of films. Set at Todai University, Professor Sakai (played by Frankie Sakai) mentors a group of university hopefuls. Cut to 25 years later, the students have each settled into their careers and cross paths with Professor Sakai's son, a P.E. teacher (also played by Sakai).

Nippon no obaachan

Two obaachans become fast friends listening to music in front of a record store. They both boast about their loving sons but in reality, one had just escaped a retirement home and the other was looking for an escape from her son and daughter-in-law. With nowhere to go, the two wander around, befriending a cosmetics salesman and a kind waitress who give them beer. This biting social satire starring two memorable grandmothers, scripted by Yôko Mizuki, picked up on Japan’s aging population problem far ahead of its time.

Flower and Dragon

Kingoro Tamai moves with his wife and son to the port city of Wakamatsu. He organizes the Tamai-gumi, a stevedore group, to vie for work with two other powerful groups. Gingo is Tamai's chief rival who falls in love with the latter's wife and tries to kill Tamai.

Proof of the Man

When an American is murdered in a Japanese inn, Tokyo police detective Munesue follows the trail of the killer to New York. There he is joined by a New York City detective named Shuftan and together they sort out the crime.

New Journey of Yaji and Kita

Based on the comic by Machiko Hasegawa

The Rickshaw Man’s Son

A roughneck named Komakichi of Kawachi, Osaka, comes back from a three-year training course to become a chef, hoping to be with his crush Tamae, a daughter of a Japanese restaurant’s owner. His father is not happy because Komakichi has no intention to become a rickshaw man to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Konto 55: Grandson of a Ninja

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami.

Angel's Lover

Comedy about two employees who work against their boss.

The Street Car Game

Comedy around a motorman and a conductor of a streetcar.

The Woman Gambler's Revenge

Tenth film in the long-running series Daiei Studio's Woman Gambler with Kyoko Enami starring where she plays the woman gambler Ogin.

Flower Cards Chivalry

A wandering gambler runs into a young swindler woman working with an old man. They are both arrested by a detective. A year later, the gambler is staying with a gangster boss when he comes across the woman and her partner again. The boss lusts for both her and his own daughter, while the boss's crazy yakuza brother loves his daughter, who, in turn, watches the player and wants to destroy the people standing in her way.

Yanagase Blues

Jiro, a smooth-talking, womanizing bartender, flees from a Yakuza boss to Yanagase.

Song of Love

The life in a small village in Shikoku and the love story between two young people.

The Last Judgment

The last judgment.

A Color Print of Edo

The Color Print of Edo is a 1939 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Kazuo Mori. It is a cheerful period drama, sprinkled with comical scenes and tells the story of a loyal and handsome Edo period servant who fights to help his older brother marry the woman he loves. The star of this film, Utaemon Ichikawa, gained enormous popularity for his portrayal of a cheerful and chivalrous man.

Dai Abare Tokaido

An entertainment movie featuring familiar faces of Toyama no Kin-san, Nezumi Kozo, Yaji Kita, and others who traveled around the Tokaido. Written and directed by Kunio Watanabe. A group of samurai rushed into the Sakura Opera Troupe in the mountain village, chasing a young woman named Chiyohime who was promoting dancing around Edo Asakusa area. Suri Nao and Kinshiro Toyama was there and saved her. Meanwhile, the samurai asked the acquaintance Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi to find her. Jirokichi visited Kinshiro 's house, and found her there…

The Domain: White Blade

The Domain: White Blade

Rising Dragon: Soft Skin Gambler

Japanese crime film

Kawachi fudoki oiro ke hanjō-ki

1963 Japanese movie

Big, Big Fellow

The golden duo of Yoshitaro Mura and Kiyoshi Atsumi brings you a full-on comedy filled with laughter and melancholy set in Kitakyushu. Matsujiro Minamida (Atsumi) plays an uneducated and uncouth local troublemaker who becomes the talk of the town following an unexpected incident.

The Detective Journey

A comedy directed by Mitsumasa Saito about a pair of clumsy detectives who solve a case they become involved in by chance. Shosuke Ikashima and Ryuji Kabaya, who repeatedly screw things up, encounter a real robbery during a bank robbery simulation training...

Bravo! Five Men

A parody of the Kabuki play about thieves, "Five Men of the White Waves".

Six Men Mustered in Great Edo

A parody based on Kabuki plays about thieves led by the famous Soshun Kochiyama.

Gokudô Petenshi

A group of one-hit wonder scam artists led by the troubled "Kanpai," dealing with impotence, embark on a lively and poignant societal comedy. They overturn the distorted trends and authorities of modern society through peculiar methods such as taking over temples and creating fake emerging religions.

Songfest! The 3 Young Musketeers!

Saito Torajiro directed this light comic musical about the lives and loves of three cheerful, lively young men on the R University Rugby Club, Toshio (Tsuruta Koji), Kenkichi (Tabata Yoshio), and Shunzo (Kawada Haruhisa).

Uogashi no senpū musume

1963 Japanese movie

Noren to hanayome

Romantic comedy

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Pier

The 24th and final entry in the Ekimae series, set at Takamatsu Station in Kagawa Prefecture, formerly known for its ferry service to the Seto Inland Sea.

Seizoroi momoiro goten

1957 Japanese movie

名探偵アジャパー氏

The Wolf of Davao, a death row inmate who escaped from prison to exact revenge on Yamanami Takuzo, who betrayed his former comrade, kidnaps Dr. Shoda, a leading orthopedic surgeon, and disfigures his own face. In an attempt to save Yamanami, who has now reformed and is living a peaceful life, private detective Aji Yahachi falls in love with Yamanami's daughter, Yoko of Valerina, during their great adventures with his assistant Gomi. The disfigured wolf's face looks just like Aji's, so Aji disguises himself as the wolf and rescues Dr. Shoda from their den, but the wolf disguises himself as a detective and breaks into the Yamanami residence. With Aji's help and the police's help, the wolf is cornered on the edge of a cliff with Yoko dragged along after a fierce chase, but commits suicide when he finds out that she is actually his child. Although he is heartbroken by Yoko, Aji has won the love of Shoda's daughter.

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Benten

The 14th film in the Ekimae series, set in Nagano Prefecture, focusing on the love lives of a group of husbands and their wives.

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Manga

15th entry in the Ekimae series, surrounding the then-insanely popular Weekly Shounen Sunday series Osomatsu-kun and Obake no Q-Taro.

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Teapot

Sixth entry in the Ekimae series, loosely based on the folktale of the tanuki and the tea kettle.

A Hundred-Years' Comedy in Front of the Station

The 21st film in the Ekimae series, commemorating the 35th anniversary of Toho. The film is a loose remake of the first film in the series, Ekimae Ryoukan.

Hot Spring Ghost

Eighth in the Ekimae series, portraying competition between two hot spring resort owners in Yamanashi.

A Comedy in Front of the Station: Landlady

Seventh in the Ekimae series, detailing the exploits of the landladies around Ryogoku Station in Tokyo, and their sumo clientele.

若社長レインボー作戦

1967 Japanese movie

Seishun Tarō

1967 Japanese movie

Ukiyo buro

Film directed by Keigo Kimura.

Get Your Sky, Young Guy

Yuzo Kayama does skydiving.

3 Raccoon Dogs

A conman team swindles through jewel scams, marriage fraud, and fake school admissions. Their schemes bring quick riches but collapse before escape, landing them in prison—while a former mark prospers by stealing their tricks.

Ghost Coast

Inspector Uno and college student Yuko Nagai investigate infidelity, blackmail, and murder at a seaside resort.

Mr. Giant's Victory Flag

Apparently a baseball drama starring real-life stars Nagashima (The Babe Ruth of Japanese Baseball) and teammate Oh-known collectively as ON-from the Yomiuri Giants. Nagashima nickname was 'Mr. Giants.