
Sanjuro, a wandering samurai enters a rural town in nineteenth century Japan. After learning from the innkeeper that the town is divided between two gangsters, he plays one side off against the other. Read More »
Tag Archives: japanese
Kazoku gêmu / The Family Game (1983) Yoshimitsu Morita, Yûsaku Matsuda, Jûzô Itami, Saori Yuki, Comedy, Drama

A sendup of the stereo-typical Japanese family: dad is a salaryman jerk, unable to relate to anyone; mom is a hopeless housewife Read More »
Chuji Tabinikki Daisanbu Goyohen / A Diary of Chuji’s Travels (1927) Daisuke Itô, Denjirô Ôkôchi, Hideo Nakamura, Kichiji Nakamura, Drama

The Japanese equivalent of penny dreadfuls glorifying Jesse James, A Diary of Chuji’s Travels gives a unique gloss to the tale of Chuji Kunisada, the legendary bakuto (or gambler, the precursors to modern-day yakuza). Read More »
Yama no oto / Sound of the Mountain (1954) Mikio Naruse, Setsuko Hara, Sô Yamamura, Ken Uehara, Drama

The businessman Ogata Shingo works with his son Shuichi, who is his secretary, and they live together in the suburb with their wives Yasuko and Kikuko respectively. Read More »
Ken (1964) Kenji Misumi, Raizô Ichikawa, Yûsuke Kawazu, Hisaya Morishige, Drama

Interesting story about a young man obsessed by kendo. Kokubu is a university student and has just been made captain of the kendo team, just ahead of Kagawa. Read More »
Nemuri Kyoshiro 1: Sappocho / Sleepy Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1963) Tokuzô Tanaka, Raizô Ichikawa, Tamao Nakamura, Shinobu Araki, Drama

Nemuri Kyoshiro, a youthful and cynical ronin with unparalleled skill, is approached by both sides in a game of corruption, ambition, and double crosses. Read More »
Kiru / Destiny’s Son (1962) Kenji Misumi, Raizô Ichikawa, Shiho Fujimura, Mayumi Nagisa, Action, Drama

The story follows the adult life of Shingo, a humble orphan raised by a low ranking samurai. Read More »
Fish on Land (2011) Yûsuke Iseya, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Mirai Moriyama, Nae, Drama

A college senior (Mirai Moriyama) takes a bicycle trip for his last summer vacation. On his trip he comes across drive-in “HOUSE475” and its manager Seii (Hidetoshi Nishijima). Read More »
Daimajin gyakushû / Wrath of Daimajin (1966) Kazuo Mori, Hideki Ninomiya, Shinji Hori, Masahide Iizuka, Fantasy

An evil warlord invades a peaceful lakeside village during one of their annual festivals. Read More »
Daimajin ikaru / Return of Daimajin (1966) Kenji Misumi, Kôjirô Hongô, Shiho Fujimura, Tarô Marui, Drama, Fantasy

Giant statue exacts revenge upon those who conquer its worshippers.
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