Dolls takes puppeteering as its overriding motif, which relates thematically to the action provided by the live characters. Chief among those tales is the story of Matsumoto and Sawako, a young couple whose relationship is about to be broken apart by the former's parents, who have insisted their son take part in an arranged marriage to his boss' daughter.
When three drag queens, Virgin, Moririn, and Zubuko, learn that their mentor and former drag queen, Natchan, has died suddenly, they take it upon themselves to keep the secret of her sexuality from her bereaved family.
The film is set in Fukagawa in the early Showa period and depicts a fateful confrontation between two men who rise and fall in a black stream, trying to live a real human life, violating the cruel laws of the passing generation.
Sequel to Tokyo Drifter
This is a factory area in downtown Tokyo, and Hikaru, nicknamed Pika-chan, is a nurse at the Mihara Clinic, a friend of the poor.
A youthful Nikkatsu drama about a Japanese painter who travels to Australia and falls in love.
Handsome young Katsuta tries to follow the yakuza code, but even his boss doesn't believe in it. Diamond Fuyu is less ethical, and allows the idiotic Tetsu to trick a schoolgirl he fancies, Hanako, into a type of bonded prostitution. Because of gang conflict, the Izu family (to whom Katsuta belongs) has their last gambling den taken over, and he seeks revenge. This brings him back into contact with a former lover who is also a card trickster - she is also Diamond Fuyu's sister, and is now married to Okaru-Hachi, who has mastered a clever card cheating trick called Okaru, which involves the deft use of mirrors.
1962 Japanese movie
Asako, a comic book artist in her early forties, is devastated by the death of her precious cat, Saba, which kept her company for over 15 years, as her assistant Naomi watches on with concern. Naomi is a young woman in her early twenties, who has her set of worries about love and future. Then one day, Asako meets a new cat, Gu Gu, which brings new joy and vitality to her life. What is more, she finds potential for love in a man named Seiji. Like Asako, Naomi, too, embarks on a new life plan.
After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.
A young woman in Hokkaido gets cold feet during her marriage ceremony and runs to Tokyo with her friends.
Daisuke Honda, a war photographer in Vietnam, meets Yuriko Sawanouchi, a stewardess on his plane back to Japan. After drinking with her at a Tokyo bar, he becomes involved in saving Yuriko from assassination by stylish, female ninjas. When trying to rescue Yuriko from kidnappers, Daisuke discovers a group of foreigners are hunting for a WWII-era treasure hidden on an island by Yuriko's father.
A schoolboy has a crush on his pretty class-mate Keiko on the inland island of Awaji. He figures her routine of taking baths at the public one is a good way to get to know her, but he first has to overcome his sensitivity to hot water, the presence of other school-mates and of course his shyness. He has never mustered the courage to speak to her in class after all.
Mitsu works in a factory and has a crush on Tsutomu, a young man she met on the Tokyo streets. One day the two go out, and after some deception, Tsutomu manages to have his way with her. Coming from a broken home, he is frightened by love, so he cruelly allows her to wake up alone. A month passes and a more grown-up Tsutomu returns. The lovers joyously reunite and move in together. All is blissful until both notice a strange sore on Mitsu's arm. The doctors diagnose it as leprosy. Without telling Tsutomu, Mitsu checks into a leper sanitarium. Hanging out with society's pariahs gives her much insight. She discovers the old lepers to be wonderful people. In turn, Mitsu becomes their source of joy and renewed hope. Still, she misses her Tsutomu. One day, the doctors inform her that they erred and that the sore is not leprosy. Happily she heads back to her true love until she realizes with a guilty pang that to return to him would mean unhappiness for her newfound friends
Businessmen arrange the early release from prison of Togawa, serving time for taking revenge on the truck driver whose carelessness confined Togawa's sister, Rie, to a wheelchair. They want Togawa to hijack an armored truck loaded with 120 million yen; their leverage is to promise him money for surgery for Rie. Togawa consents and plans the heist with three others. The plan is solid, but it doesn't go smoothly. Togawa must improvise, there are traitors somewhere, and double-crosses mount. Can Togawa escape with enough money to help his sister and ensure a passage out of Japan?
A 1970 juvenile delinquent drama.
1961 Japanese movie
After the death of a man in their nursing home, a group of residents find his notebook titled "Shinibana" containing a plan to tunnel into and steal 1.7 billion yen from a bank.
Yasushi and Yuka, who have both lost their spouses in the past, are brought together by fate and lead a happy life together, blessed with two children. Then one day, their new house, which the couple had painstakingly built together, catches fire due to Yuka's carelessness. Fortunately, no one in the family is seriously injured and Yasushi is relieved, but the shock of the fire causes Yuka to suffer from a neurological disorder called dissociative amnesia, and she is unable to remember even her own name. The doctor tells her that there is no clear cure in modern medicine, which shocks Yasushi, but she accepts Yuka in her current state and decides to walk with her again.
After their father dies, his children try to get by on a house boat.
The story of male friendship unfolding during a boxing match between the navigator, who took responsibility for the accident and went ashore from the ship, and a young docker, whom he loves like a younger brother.
In a small town on the Kasumigaura coast in the early Showa period, the Masukawa clan from Tokyo is trying to take away the interests of the local Isetoku family. Setsuko, the adopted daughter of the Isetoku family, falls in love with Seijiro, a travelling raven she meets on a whim. However, Koide, a businessman connected to the Masukawa clan, wants Setsuko to become his mistress... Setsuko puts aside her love and her regrets and bets on the greatest female challenge of her life!
The upstart Godai family conglomerate plans to strengthen ties with the hardliners in the Kwantung Army as they plan military expansion into Manchuria.
After World War II life in Japan was hard. There was lawlessness, rapine, never enough food or money. One girl, raped by three men, called out the name of Kentaro before she died and this was something that people in this small section of downtown Tokyo remembered. Life went on, however, and local boss Hiramatsu Daizo decided to build a market, aided by his daughter Aya. They met opposition until one day a young man named Kentaro appears who it is rumored he was the vengeful lover of the murdered girl. He lives with Sabu and Yukari, the children the girl looked after before she died, and helps with the market, coming to the rescue with a bulldozer when Daizo is threatened by a rival group. When Daizo is finally killed, Kentaro carries on the work. Finally the market is completed, the rival group makes a last stand but is machine-gunned down by Kentaro who, after saying that he was not the one whose name the dying girl called out, leaves town for good.
A film by Akiyoshi Imazeki. Emi is a 16-year-old girl who lives in Enoshima. An adolescent movie depicting teenagers' outlook on life, values, and lifestyle.
1962 Japanese movie
A college student comes to a wealthy family as a tutor for their son, an elementary school student, he cheerfully encourages his student, captivates him with the spirit of sports and falls in love with the daughter of the owner of the house. A masterpiece of youth drama starring the eternal idol Kazuo Funaki.
A moodo/akushon yakuza picture with heavy emphasis on poignant seishun romance.
The four kinds of love that Yuriko experiences, namely, a childhood longing love, a dream of marriage, a maternal love, and a destined love between parents and children over two generations, as well as the sisterly love between Yuriko and her sister Kaori.
The story follows Misako Kitaoka, a junior college graduate and Nitto Lease sales department employee, as she grows through work, love, and friendship. For the sake of the company's managing director and his wife, Misako recommends her colleague Tensuke Sone to Fusako, the managing director's daughter and best friend. Fusako and Sone meet at the executive director's Karuizawa villa, but for some reason Kensuke becomes angry when he learns that Misako is the one who recommended him...
A musical film based on the original work of Saigo Teruhiko. After leaving the juvenile detention center and returning to his hometown of Ibusuki, Hachiro begins to investigate the cause of his older sister Sumiko's suicide. While Hachiro was in juvenile detention, Sumiko committed suicide, but there are too many mysteries surrounding this suicide...
Tsuiseki is a 1961 crime film.
A 1971 crime film
1962 Japanese movie
Shimamura is a young man whose family went broke and lost their house. One day, as he returns to his former house to get a camellia blooming from the garden, he sees a beautiful schoolgirl who lives there. After they coincidentally meet again they fall for each other, but she is already engaged.
The love story of an aspiring architect and a charcoal-making daughter, who discover that they are actually brother and sister.
A kidnapping occurred over a seven-million-dollar diamond that was sewn into his stomach. Takuya Nikaido, the hero of Kamideki, challenges the underground organization of fear. The final work of Asahi Kobayashi's "Ginza Whirlpool Child (Mitsugai)" series.
Based on the original work of Yasunori Kawauchi of "Moonlight Mask", this is the fifth in the "Ginza Whirlwind Child (Mitsutogai)" series in which Asahi Kobayashi dressed as a hero of the dead ghost. Familiar Takuya Nikaido challenges the international call girl organization.
Wearing a symbol of justice and brotherhood on his waist – a crimson pistol belt, Ace Joe engages in a fight with villains trying to seize the mine.
The movie is centered around five friends as they end up spending the summer of 1962 shackled up together in a tiny studio apartment in Tokyo. The five friends are Eisuke - the manga artist, Shoichi - the singer, Ryuzo - the novelist, Kei - the painter and Yuji – the 5th wheel (?). The friends spend the summer in pursuit of their own ideals of personal freedom - being able to do what they want. In the process of pursuing their dream they learn firsthand that however ideal it may seem, its not as easy as they think.
Married couple Aiko Tsumari and Ayumu Muko live a happy and peaceful life. Aiko is bit naive, while Ayumu works as a not so popular novelist. One day, a letter arrives for Ayumu. Because of this letter, the couple become estranged...
1962 Japanese movie
Kobayashi Akira stars as a wandering musician, who lost his brother and lover to dishonest rival Henmi. The third work in Nikkatsu's "Gambler" series.
A samurai Sakunosuke gets an order from clan chamberlain to kill another samurai who is married with his own younger sister. As a loyal samurai he has to accept the mission even though he has inner conflicts.
The fourth film of the “Truck Yaro” series. A comical road movie of two long-distance truckers, “Momojiro” and “Kinzo,” who travel around Japan in highly decorated trucks. Momojiro goes to Shikoku this time, and he falls in love with a beautiful designer named Wakako, who is on a pilgrimage.
Unlike traditional gangster movies, it is a gangster swashbuckler that mixes romance and humanity with a yakuza lover as the main character. A young man who heard that his former boss was killed is imprisoned by slashing his family's minions, and his lover is tortured by the enemy, but rescued by the imprisoned young man's nemesis.
Tetsuo, the captain of the rugby team, who was preparing for the university entrance exams, starts working to earn money for his mother's surgery after she was involved in a hit-and-run accident, giving up on furthering his education. During this time, a relative's college student named Ikuko visits him and introduces him to her grandfather, Tatsunosuke. Tatsunosuke, a wealthy man, asks Tetsuo to take over his business, but...
Nursing home "Yuyoso". Many lonely old people live there, including botanist Taro Makiso, a physicist, an actor, a bar mom, and a chef. Maki has spent most of his life studying botany, and has lived without regard for entertainment, drinking, women, or everything else in the world. Then came my 80th birthday. He and a young staff member go digging for wild yam and find a mysterious golden flower. It was the flower of immortality, the "Golden Flower", which was said to bloom beside the Himalayan Virgin, which he had been looking for for many years. From that day onwards, fragments of memories from his youth, which he had intentionally sealed off in order to immerse himself in botany, surged into Maki in a whirlpool.
A couple flees Tokyo, their family and friends. The girlfriend is a member of a rock band. She is dating the man, but friends and family are against it compelling her to move away. They stay at an inn in an area in which they know no one. One inn employee finds out about their dilemma and introduces them to a local farmer who offers them work and a home.
Goro had grown up in the yakuza world. As an active member of the Mizuhara family crime syndicate, he expressed his loyalty by always putting himself in the forefront of every battle. Violence never bothered him. However, after being sentenced to three years in prison for stabbing a rival gang’s hit man, he becomes disenchanted with the Yakuza life style. Goro is determined to start anew, but karma catches up. His two closest friends are murdered by his ex-boss. He is left with two options: to kill or be killed.
A young yakuza in love with the girl who's to marry his clan oyabun, kidnaps the girl before fleeing with her. In Tokyo, he hides under the identity of a worker while the young woman becomes a waitress in a restaurant.
Youth drama
Musical actress Noriko feels frustrated by the futility of her affair with a married man. Then she is offered a role in a new production that appears to mirror her own private life... An excellent work that stylishly depicts its gradually evolving heroine.
The story of a lone wolf struggling with human compassion and duty.
Yusuke (Kirato Wakayama) is in the 6th grade of elementary school. He has lived in the city all of his life and his father Keita (Kazuya Takahashi) recommends to Yusuke that spend his winter vacation at his grandparents' home. His grandparents live in a mountain village. There, Yusuke has a hard time adapting to the area, customs and the people. He longs to go back home. Soon, Yusuke learns the true meaning of the pre meal phrase "Itadaki-masu" ("thank you for the meal").
Goro Fujikawa (Tetsuya Watari) was indebted to Mitsugimoto. Sawada, a low rank yakuza with a gambling problem owed Mitsugimoto three million yen. This equation can only lead to one answer. Mitsugimoto needs to pay and Goro's coming to collect.
Goro (Tetsuya Watari) wants to put his dark past behind. He heads to Hirosaki City to offer his condolences to Yumeko and to reunite with Yukiko (Chieko Matsubara), but finds that Yumeko is fatally ill. Although Yukiko was taking care of her, she is pressed for money. Goro wants to help and knows that there is only one way to come up with fast money.
Goro has always been a lone wolf. When he arrives at an industrial city in Keihin, there is certain restlessness in the air. The Iriezaki family and the Kanto Touyu-kai were in the midst of a territorial dispute. Goro was quick to notice, but had no intent to take sides. At a department store nearby, he sees an elevator lady being harassed by a couple of hoodlums. Goro decides to intervene. Unbeknownst to him, the hoodlums are Touyu-kai members – and the girl has strong ties with the opposing family.
On a cold winter day, Goro Fujikawa (Tetsuya Watari) and Masahiko murder the mob boss of Meishin-Kai. The deed costs them time in prison, but Goro had no shred of regret. When Goro is released 2 years later, Masahiko is dying in prison hospital and entrusts his last wish; "find my sister and take care of her." Goro leaves as a free man with a mission, but soon finds that he might have been better off in jail.
A street war breaks loose between two rival gangs in the Kansai region of Japan. Goro is in the middle of action. Through a knife fight against Sueo, a high profile gangster from Busou-kai, Goro notices a familiar face approaching him from amidst the chaos - his girlfriend, Yuri. Goro had sent her to safety, but she had returned, aching to see him. Caught between Goro and his enemy knife, she reunites with her love - the price was her life.
Japanese comedy film.
"She's out there somewhere, well and alive." Eiji (Teruhiko Saigo) and his sister hadn't seen their mother in almost 20 years. The war had separated them. When Eiji learns that his sister is engaged, he is determined to reunite with his mother and relay the wonderful news. With a pocket full of hopes and just one clue that may lead him to his mother, Eiji sets off for Taiwan.
Japanese "kayo" film centered around the song "Namida ni naritai" by Teruhiko Saigo.
Two brothers seek revenge on the yakuza responsible for the death of their father.
A despicable boss uses a husband's “promotion” as bait to assault his subordinate's wife (Chieko Matsubara). The wife finally kills him, but...
The mysterious death of a trading company employee on an overseas business trip triggers a corruption and bribery case. A bizarre mystery surrounding the bereaved family.
A 7 year love story between Ryota Hayama and Koharu Uemura from their first date to eventual marriage. Ryota and Koharu are high school students. Ryota is indifferent to people and says very little. Koharu is not afraid of to speak her mind and she has a bright personality. Since a game of rice bag jump, they begin to date. They date at a fast-food restaurant, realize they love each other at a family restaurant and finally swear their love on a dining table with white rice.
The eighth sequel of the series by the successful “Fukasaku and Bunta” collaboration revolves around the men of a lesser organization that are constantly bullied by the upper organization and “bleed in vain” in gang wars.
Drama is afoot at Shirobara Middle School when the bold Henmi Ryoko transfers into Class A, 9th Grade. She immediately picks a fight with, Masuda, the head of the preparation committee. The girls' battle for control of the gang soon grows out of control as it sweeps up the entire school. Brawls. Seduction. Yazuka. And more!
1884. The samurai days have come to an end. Capitalism and democracy flourished across Japan. But in Chichibu, an area just north of Tokyo, samurai spirits still lived. Out of the many schools that taught Japanese swordsmanship, the school of Ono and Kogen were most dominant. Every year, they each selected a master swordsman to fight a dedicatory match held at the Chichibu Shrine. Gengo (Hideki Takahashi) represented the school of Ono. His opponent Danhichiro of the Kogen school was feared by many as the "Devil".
A group of pirates sail the treacherous Pacific ocean in search for wealth.
Master swordsman Akiyama Kohei’s simple life in retirement is jarred into violent sword action when he meets an elderly fencing instructor who may be the target of a group of thieves planning a major armed robbery. At the same time dojo master Daijiro saves the life of man who, although skilled in archery has an aversion to killing and a woman artist comes into town where she is in danger of being raped by one of the thieves. From the pen of noted author Ikenami Shotaro, creator of such classics as Bandit Ve. Samurai, Hunter In The Dark, The Last Samurai, and Hissatsu-The Professional Killers! Brilliant storytelling that leads to superb swordsmanship!
A high school student has decided to go to Tokyo once she graduates. One day, her older sister Sumire comes back home with her daughter, who will eventually ran away from home for love
The brother of an up-and-coming kendoka is mysteriously murdered while working on a new model of motorboat.
It had been a year and four months since Mitsuo was last on a movie set. Welcomed back by director Ishizaki and his film crew, Mitsuo is excited to star as the lead in "My Sweetheart". One day, half way through production, he meets his friends from a popular rock group, "The Spiders". Through their discussion regarding the climax scene, they criticize that the script is too grim. In a notion to protect their friend's career, they decide to pay the scriptwriter a little visit.
Satake Shoji had been a trapeze artist in the Ezaki Circus, but when Shingo, his team mate, slipped and fell to his death, he had felt responsible and, sick at heart, left the circus for a life at sea. On land again Shoji goes to a cabaret where he is soon involved in a brawl. Kasamatsu, the owner of the cabaret, impressed by Shoji's strength, offers him a job as his bodyguard. The next morning Shoji visits Shingo's grave and meets Miyako, Shingo's former sweetheart, who is still a trapeze performer and now the star of the Kuroko Circus which Shoji realizes Kasamatsu intends to control.
Mari and Humi learn from their mother that their father has dementia on his 70th birthday. They help prepare their mother for his farewell and prepare themselves for the emotions to follow.
True story of a number of Imperial Japanese Army officers and soldiers who remained in Indonesia to fight off European colonists trying to retake the country after Japan's surrender.
Ryu (Akira Kobayashi) sets foot on the Yokohama port with a suitcase filled with 300 thousand dollars. He was sent by a jewelry company in Hong Kong to retrieve a certain diamond that was stolen from them. The "Himalayan Star" is worth couple hundred million yen and unbeknown to Ryu, it now lays in the hands of Aizu (Jo Shishido), the infamous ”Pirate of the Tokyo Bay."
A deep mist envelops the port city of Yokohama. The scent of crime is everywhere. As an executive member of a drug trafficking syndicate, Kano is pretty high up in the food chain, but "status" bears no value to him. All he cares for is Ayako, the boss' mistress. After one last job, they intend to run off together to Hong Kong, but their plans are hindered when an uninvited yakuza stirs up a vicious shootout. In the midst of it all, Ayako is kidnapped.
A Tokyo student transfers to a rural school and finds it difficult to adjust himself to its customs and traditions. One of the customs is the wearing of an old school cap by a senior. It is a symbol of courage and bravery and is handed down to a new senior each year.
The Spiders, a Japanese pop group, in their first starring role, walk from Yokohama to Tokyo, to prove their love for a girl who told them "the person who can overcome any obstacle will be my lover"! Neither traffic, buildings, nor the police can stop them, in this madcap rock musical adventure!
The Sengoku Era was coming to an end. The monopoly of the ever powerful shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, was at a near. Only one man was brave enough to stand in Ieyasu's way - A lone wolf samurai by the name of Kagekatsu Uesugi. Inspired by Uesugi's courage to revolt, a young samurai warrior, Touzou Kuruma decides to join the fight. Their target: the Tamonyama Castle.
College life starts off great for Michiko. She and her friend join the Italian Culture Research Club that performs canzone, a genre they are both in love with. The only problem is that the club doesn't have enough money to buy instruments for them to play. One day, the two come across a talent show called the "Mari Sono Look-Alike Contest" that promises the winner a cash prize. And Michiko looks a lot like the star.
Keisuke and Shizuko grew up by the Kitakami river and came to fall in love before they knew it. Eighteen years ago, Shizuko was left an orphan and was taken in by Keisuke's parents, who had raised her as their own child. At the riverside when the cherry blossoms are falling, Keisuke, now enrolled in university, promises Shizuko that he will tell his parents about them at the start of the summer vacation. He then sets off for Tokyo...
Pikanchi Half is a spin-off of the two previous movies in the Pikanchi series, showing the five friends, now in their 30s, having a reunion as they are running into problems with family and work
Daichi (Mahiro Takasugi) is a young dental technician. He is called a prince due to his excellent skills at work and his handsome appearance. One day, he meets again his childhood friend Manatsu (Seia Yasuda). Manatsu has just began work as a dental hygienist at a clinic in th suburb. Meanwhile, Daichi receives recognition for his work by dental clinic director (Yuichi Kimura) and dentist (Yuuki Tsujimoto), but his father (Tetsuhiro Ikeda), who runs a dental technician's office, thinks Daichi’s skills are not good enough. Daichi then receives a complaint from a patient. Manatsu tries to comfort him, but they end up having an argument.
1964 Nikkatsu Theater of Life adaptation.
The love story between a traveling guest and a geisha who inadvertently becomes the leader of her father's yakuza clan, after his death.
The story of an ordinary family where upon the grandmother's death Kanji becomes an alcoholic homebody, Hinako begins acting up and smiling leaves the lip of Haruko. Those are not the only problems either.
2 years ago, Kumi broke up with Shuhei and decided to forget everything about him for good. However, after being told that her younger sister, Junko, fall in love with a man and is currently living with him. She was determined to discover who was the man who won her sister's heart. But what will happen when she found out that the man in question is Shuhei, her first love?
Today is a new day with hopes. A youth hymn that depicts a young truck driver growing up in love with a dream while being supported by his friends who are always close to him. A movie adaptation of a hit song by Kazuo Funaki.
A lighthearted comedy that tells the story of love and the cheerful heroism of a young salesman pursuing a man's dream.
This movie depicts the confrontation between a man entangled in a despicable trap and the shadow of murderous intent, and the efforts of a journalist chasing after the truth. Due to the passage of time since the film's release, some scenes may be marred by visual and audio distortions. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.
Bonta comes to Tokyo with the determination to rule the world, gets a job at a lingerie company, and although he is ridiculed as a country bumpkin, he navigates the ups and downs of the city in this first installment of a new comedy series full of laughs and tears.
A story of the conflicting friendship and love between two young men over a young girl from a working-class neighborhood.
Akashi is a multigenerational love story told across parallel timelines. Kana, a struggling artist in Vancouver, returns to Tokyo for her grandmother’s funeral, feeling out of place after ten years abroad. As she reflects on a secret only she and her grandmother shared—that her grandfather had another lover—she unexpectedly reconnects with an old love, Hiro. Intercut with the past, which traces her grandfather’s decades-long affair, Kana confronts hidden family truths and begins to navigate the complexities of love, sacrifice, and the choices that shape a life between desire and duty.
a modest family struck by hardship after a tragic event. The film explores the sacrifices of a brother and sister as they struggle with economic pressures and the trials of adolescence, while holding onto hope through family bonds and determination.
1969 Japanese movie
This is Akira Kobayashi's first leading role in a gangster film in the ninkyo-eiga genre. Together with Joe Shishido, he stars in a film about the fateful clash between two men living in the world of the yakuza. The Tomoe, Takato, and Senba gangs in Ryogoku are constantly fighting over territory. Rickshaw driver Daisaku decides to protect Takato's gang for the sake of his former benefactor, Setsu, but the rival Senba gang considers Daisaku their enemy...
A romantic story about a knight who becomes involved in the murder of his brother's wife and ultimately confronts the local yakuza.
