Hideo Oguni

A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.

An elderly lord abdicates to his three sons, and the two corrupt ones turn against him. (imdb)

An executive mortgages all he owns to stage a coup and gain control of the National Shoe Company, with the intent of keeping the company out of the hands of incompetent and greedy executives. (imdb)

Kanji Watanabe is a longtime bureaucrat in a city office who, along with the rest of the office, spends his entire working life doing nothing... (imdb)

A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent. (imdb)

In Kurosawa's HAMLET-like story of corporate scandal in post-war Japan, a young man attempts to use his position at the heart of a corrupt company to expose the men responsible for his father's death. (imdb)

Lured by gold, two greedy peasants escort a man and woman across enemy lines. However, they do not realize that their companions are actually a princess and her general. (imdb)

A ruthlessly ambitious lord, egged on by his wife, works to fulfill a prophesy that he would become Emperor. (imdb)

Episodes from the lives of a group of Tokyo slum-dwellers: Rokkuchan, a retarded boy who brings meaning and routine to his life by driving an imaginary streetcar (imdb)

In the Edo period, a nameless ronin accepts an assignment to go to a mountain pass and wait. Near the pass he stops at an inn where a collection of characters gather, including a gang set on stealing shogunate gold that's soon to come over the pass (imdb)

In a charity hospital, a hard-bitten but honorable older doctor, Dr. Niide, takes a young intern under his guidance through the course of a number of difficult cases. (imdb)

In a slum flophouse, a collection of beggars and thieves bewail their lot in life, and Osugi, the landlady, fights with her sister, Okayo, over the man they both desire, the thief Sutekichi (imdb)

Kiichi Nakajima, an elderly foundry owner, is so frightened and obsessed with the idea of nuclear extermination that his family decides to have him ruled incompetent. Nakajima's fervent wish is for his family to join him in escaping from Japan to the relative safety of South America. Harada, a civil volunteer in the case, sympathizes with Nakajima's conviction, but the old man's irrational behaviour prevents the court from taking his fears seriously. (imdb)

Character study revolving around four characters: a sock salesman, his wife and their two young lodgers.

Another period piece, with legendary characters and vaguely martial overtones. The script has some wit, and the screenwriter makes a small effort to give the characters dimension, but there's really not much that Naruse can do with this material, other that create beautiful deep-space compositions for the exterior shots. (Dan Sallitt)

Wartime propaganda filmed by the Japanese in occupied China, Shirley Yamaguchi portrays an orphan rescued from the streets by a kindly Japanese merchant marine officer. (imdb)

One day, a handsome visiting priest named Anchin fell in love with a beautiful woman named Kiyohime, but after a time he overcame his passions and refrained from further meetings. Kiyohime became furious at the sudden change of heart and pursued him in rage. The priest and Kiyohime met at the edge of the Hidaka river, where the priest asked a boatman to help him to cross the river, but told him not to let her cross with his boat.

In 1905, Japan was seriously threatened in the Russo-Japanese War. Japan determined a decisive attack on Russia to end the war. A reconnaissance troop was organized to penetrate into the supreme headquarter of Russia in Tieling Mountain of China to find out the enemy's situation... (DVD Cover)

An actor, hit on the head, dreams that he has become legendary one-eyed gangster Mori no Ishimatsu. (The Movie Database)

Omnibus of love stories from 1947 directed by famous directors, featuring big stars. (The Movie Database)

In 1701, the ruling shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi placed Asano Takumi-no-kami Naganori, the lord of Ako, in charge of a reception of envoys from the Imperial Court in Kyoto. He also appointed the protocol official Kira Kozuke-no-suke Yoshinaka to instruct Asano in the ceremonies. On the day of the reception, at Edo Castle, Asano drew his short sword and attempted to kill Kira after he had insulted Asano. For this, he was sentenced to commit seppuku, but Kira went without punishment. (The Movie Database)

Toei's 10th anniversary film, featuring an all-star cast from the golden movie era of the 1960s. A famous story of the 47 loyal samurai. When Lord Asano is unjustly executed, his loyal retainers strike back for revenge. (The Movie Database)

Two British brothers who are making money for their homeland are meeting buyers for opium in China. There is a police force to counter the dealers, but is not only ineffectual, but also corrupt and dealing in narcotics itself. Confronting the situation the government assigns an incognito bureaucrat to the issue. He confronts and arrests the police, but the bulk of the drugs is with the Britons. (imdb)

This film was made by the Japanese occupation authorities in the Philippines as a propaganda film to show the Philippine people the "benefits" of the Japanese invasion and takeover of their country.

A ghost rises from the grave to seek revenge on the husband who killed her.

First Japanese vampire film, one where the creature is not supernatural and all with the film being a riff on The Cat and the Canary. The story of a professional nude model stalked by a bizarre, unknown man wearing a hideous mask.

One of Japan's most enduring stories is the true-life yakuza boss Jirocho of Shimizu and his gang as they took over the Tokaido Highroad and went on to everlasting fame. Many of the gang members have become household names although their backgrounds and how they came to join the group are mostly lost in the mists of a time gone by. This is the tale of Masa, who arrived in Shimizu Port hungry and down on his luck.

The adventures of a ronin, a samurai without a feudal lord, trying to achieve safety in a neighbouring domain.

One month has passed since Japan plunged into the Pacific War, but it has not yet touched the suburban life. The state of the suburbs where you can see from the train window is relaxing. It is not much different from now. Ms. Takamine, a female student, goes hiking with some of her colleagues in the suburbs.

A bizarre murder at a hot springs resort threatens to disrupt an Edo detective’s (Hasegawa) vacation. When his hot-blooded wife (Yamada) starts snooping around, however, he finds himself reluctantly drawn into the case.

Kazuo Hasegawa is a leading kabuki performer, specializing in women's roles, and living that life in furtherance of the art. She is, however, going blind. When Roppa Furukawa cures his blindness, he is grateful, but Furukawa is not interested in money. Hasegawa pledges to come whenever Furukawa calls. When Furukawa tells Sadao Maruyama he can have Hasegawa come and dance, the daimyo does not believe him.

The womanising master of a run-down dojo hires an unemployed samurai to make himself look good instead of learning the skills himself. He lives to regret this laziness when he falls in love with the daughter of a higher class samurai and is informed on their wedding night that he must defeat her before their marriage can be consumated… (KG)

Sixteen people are to stay at a desolate country station. Since a train accident during the war, a ghost train has been coming there at midnight. And it is said that anyone who sees the train will die. ...... A film adaptation of a popular radio drama.

Eight villains, former pirates and one daughter of same, gather to attack the magistrate's office. They develop a plan and begin their actions in secret, making full use of their special abilities. In the end, their plan goes beyond what was intended and turns into a good deed for many people. A masterpiece of historical drama, full of breathtaking thrills and action. (KG & me)

When a ruthless music empire kingpin is thrust into a deadly extortion scheme, he's forced to confront an unthinkable choice: protect his dynasty or save an innocent life. A gritty, modern reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low, pulsing through the neon-lit chaos and shadowy underbelly of contemporary New York City.