It’s brother against brother and father against son in this all-star yakuza epic. Read More »
Tag Archives: Kôji Tsuruta
The Path of the King AKA Nihon yakuza-den: Sôchiyô e no michi (1971) Masahiro Makino, Ken Takakura, Kôji Tsuruta, Tomisaburô Wakayama
When the aging leader of the yakuza gang Maeda-gumi decides to retire, many of the gang members have no confidence Read More »
The Biggest Gamble AKA Sengo Saidai no Toba (1969) Kôsaku Yamashita, Kôji Tsuruta, Ken Takakura, Akiko Koyama
When Honjo is selected as Kansai district’s chairman, Iwasa of the rival gang asks Itsuki to do everything possible Read More »
Gang vs. G-Men AKA Gyangu tai G-men (1962) Kinji Fukasaku, Kôji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Sakuma, Tetsurô Tanba
Two rival gangs of gangsters clash for dominance of a neighborhood. Read More »
The Hardcore Criminal AKA Sân ike kangôku: kyo akû han (1973) Shigehiro Ozawa, Kôji Tsuruta, Jô Shishido, Gorô Ibuki
In the 20th century, the Japanese government exploits prisoners as expendable slave laborers in a coal mine Read More »
Fate Deals the Card of Death AKA Bakuchi-uchi: Inochi-huda (1971) Kôsaku Yamashita, Kôji Tsuruta, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Michiyo Yasuda
Seijiro and Shizue meet in Niigata and fall in love. Seijiro has to go back to Tokyo soon after Read More »
Gambler AKA Bakuchi uchi (1967) Shigehiro Ozawa, Kôji Tsuruta, Kyôsuke Machida, Tomisaburô Wakayama
Tsuruta is a respected tattoo artist working with comrades Machida and Yamashiro. Read More »
Sympathy for the Underdog AKA Bakuto gaijin butai (1971) Kinji Fukasaku, Kôji Tsuruta, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Tsunehiko Watase
A yakuza gang gets driven out of Yokohama by a big gang from Tokyo. Read More »
Kingdom of Jirocho 3 AKA Jirochô sangokushi daisanbu (1964) Masahiro Makino, Kôji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Sakuma, Eitarô Shindô
The oft-filmed tale of real-life yakuza boss Shimizu no Jirocho is told this time by Masahiro Makino Read More »
Kingdom of Jirocho AKA Jirochô sangokushi daiichibu (1963) Masahiro Makino, Kôji Tsuruta, Yoshiko Sakuma, Shingo Yamashiro
The tale of real-life Yakuza boss Shimizu Jirocho is told from his earliest beginnings Read More »
Ninjitsu, Part II AKA Yagyû bugeichô: Sôryû hiken (1958) Hiroshi Inagaki, Kôji Tsuruta, Toshirô Mifune, Nobuko Otowa
In the Tokugawa Era, the clan of Lord Yagyu has hidden away three scrolls containing Read More »
The Proud Challenge AKA Hokori takaki chosen (1962) Kinji Fukasaku, Kôji Tsuruta, Tetsurô Tanba, Hitomi Nakahara
As the film begins, Kuroki, a journalist for a trade paper, is investigating clandestine arms sales to Southeast Asia. Read More »
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 8 – Forbidden Love AKA Showa zankyo-den: hoero karajishi (1971) Kiyoshi Saeki, Ken Takakura, Ryô Ikebe, Kôji Tsuruta
The eighth chapter of the “Showa Zankyoden” series. A story of lone wolf struggling with human compassion and duty. Read More »
Bloodstained Clan Honor AKA Chi-zome no daimon (1970) Kinji Fukasaku, Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Umemiya, Kôji Tsuruta
It takes place in the sunset days of the yakuza in the 1970s. The postwar turmoil that created the black market Read More »
The Flower, the Storm, and the Gang AKA Hana to arashi to gyangu (1961) Teruo Ishii, Ken Takakura, Kôji Tsuruta, Mamoru Ogawa
This is an important early Toei yakuza film, starring a young Ken Takakura as a wild Read More »