Koji Yakusho

A Japanese schoolgirl becomes a prostitute for one night to earn money for a trip to America.

Part atmospheric crime film and part philosophical meditation, this film follows a detective who is tracking a series of identical murders, committed under the same bizarre circumstances. (Cowboy Booking International)

This beautifully composed black & white film explores a transcendent story of redemption. On what seemed to be a normal morning in southwest Japan, a crazed killer, apparently without motive, hijacks a city bus. In the ensuing carnage only three people survive - the driver, a schoolgirl and her older brother. (The Shooting Gallery)

This film follows the cat-and-mouse game between the two loners, a small-town police detective and a seasoned cat burglar. (Asian Cinevision)

A middle-aged workaholic's incredibly dull life takes a funny turn when he signs up for a ballroom dance class -- just to meet the sexy dance teacher. But when he finally muscles up the nerve for lessons he winds up with a different instructor and her colorfully eccentric class of beginners! And now he'll have to step lightly -- and do some fancy footwork -- if he expects to keep his new secret passion from his family and friends! (Miramax)

An impossible tale. Taro, an old man who dies homeless in Tokyo has told Yosuke, a weak-willed out-of-work salaryman about a golden statue that he left years ago in a house by the sea in Noto. Yosuke goes and he's captivated by Saeko, a young women who lives in the house where Taro left the statue. She has a strange affliction: water builds up in her and she can only vent it by wicked acts, such as shoplifting, or, more powerfully, through orgasm... (imdb)

Set in a mysterious and exotic world which still casts a potent spell today, the story begins in the years before World War II, when a Japanese child is torn from her penniless family to work as a servant in a geisha house. Despite a treacherous rival who nearly breaks her spirit, the girl blossoms into the legendary geisha Saguri. Beautiful and accomplished, Saguri captivates the most powerful men of her day, but is haunted by her secret love for the one man beyond her reach. (Sony Pictures)

Japanese teens investigate a series of suicides linked to an internet webcam that promises visitors the chance to interact with the dead. (imdb)

White-collar worker Yamashita finds out that his wife has a lover visiting her when he's away, suddenly returns home and kills her... (imdb)

Kuki expressed his pain once that he is always a good boy, a good student, a good boss, a good daddy and a good hubby, now he wants something for himself. When two down and lonely hearts "collide" together, lethal sparks of emotion explode frantically. (asianwiki.com)

A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.

A seasoned detective is called in to rescue a politician held hostage by a lunatic. In a brief moment of uncertainty, he misses the chance for action. (imdb)

A psychic housewife and her husband become burdened with a kidnapped girl who escaped her assailant... (imdb)

In the remote sands of the Moroccan desert, a rifle shot rings out -- detonating a chain of events that will link an American tourist couple's frantic struggle to survive, two Moroccan boys involved in an accidental crime, a nanny illegally crossing into Mexico with two American children and a Japanese teen rebel whose father is sought by the police in Tokyo. (Paramount Vantage)

Samurai Koheita Mochizuki, who goes by the nickname Dora-Heita, meaning "alley cat" or "playboy," pretends to be an alcoholic magistrate but is in actuality an envoy from the daimyo sent to clean up the corrupt and lawless town. His task is complicated by the unexpected arrival of his mistress Kosei. (imdb)

Based on the Alessandro Baricco's novel this is the story of a married silkworm smuggler, Herve Joncour, in 19th Century France who travels to Japan to collect his clandestine cargo. While there he spots a beautiful European woman, the concubine of a local baron, with whom he becomes obsessed. Without speaking the same language, they communicate through letters until war intervenes. Their unrequited love persists however, and Herve's wife Helene begins to suspect. (imdb)

Hayasaki is an inventor working on an Artificial Body. It is not going well and he is stressed out and on the verge of being fired from the research division of his company. His doppelganger appears to help him out of the rut he has created for himself. (imdb)

An experienced police detective has to investigate the murder of an unknown woman dressed in a scarlet dress. All the clues he finds relate to him, which troubles him a lot. A ghost dressed in a scarlet dress soon starts appearing to him while more murders are discovered: all victims were drowned in salt water. (imdb)

Teppei Kaneko (Ryo Kase), a young part timer, on a train on his way to an IT company for an interview, is mistaken for a molester. He refuses to admit that he is guilty and is detained at a police station, where he is told that if he admits his wrongdoing ,he will be released on a so called 'jidan' (for a settlement out of court) basis; but since Teppei insists that he is innocent, his case is referred to the criminal court for a hearing... (www.pymmik.com)

In pre-war Japan, a government censor tries to make the writer for a theater troupe alter his comedic script. As they work with and against each other, the script ends up developing in unexpected ways. (imdb)

Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan conflict. Tanigawa quickly rises in stature in the clan, but finds his boss's enemies almost overwhelming. (imdb)

An underlying theme of "Onimasa" is its portrayal of 20th century Japanese gangsters as cartoonish incarnations of the ancient samurai caste (the armed enforcers of feudal rule) in the era of modern capitalism. (imdb)

An ordinary Japanese family slowly disintegrates after its patriarch loses his job at a prominent company. (imdb)

Masatoshi Nagase plays a photographer hired to secretly follow a mysterious woman (Rie Miyazawa). Observing and shooting photos of her day in and day out from an apartment across from hers, he slowly becomes obsessed with her, and even attempts to get information about her from his client (Koji Yakusho). One day, he snaps a strange photo of the woman at a car wreck. Soon after, he hears about a serial murder case... (YesAsia)

Staff and guests at a hotel endure a heady night of chaotic festivity and scandal.

A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord. (imdb)

Seeking an honorable end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro(Ebizo Ichikawa) requests to commit hara-kiri in the courtyard of feudal lord Kageyu's estate.Trying to dismiss Hanshiro's wish to save face, Kageyu(Koji Yakusho) recounts the tragic story of a similar plea years ago from young ronin Motome(Eita). But the arrogant lord is unaware of vengeful Hanshiro's bond to Motome. The film is a remake of the 1962 feature directed by Masaki Kobayashi based on the novel by Yasuhiko Takiguchi. (ropeofsilicon.com)

A poetic story about a man rendered comatose by an accident and a bar maid, where the months pass, the seasons come and go, and the man sleeps on... (movies.yahoo.com)

A young foot soldier in the yakuza seeks revenge when his prostitute girlfriend dies after a session with a high-ranking Japanese politician with a taste for torture. He sets out on a 'kamikaze' mission to kill his bosses and the politician; along the way, he acquires the aid of a taxi driver who has recently returned to Japan after living in South America for several decades and is struggling to cope with poverty and the prejudices of native-born Japanese. (imdb)

Three couples are staying at a lakeside cottage with their children. They want them to prepare intensely for a prestigious high school's entrance exam with the help of a private tutor. One night, one of the wives confesses to her husband that she has killed his mistress... (imdb)

A little girl named Paco (Ayaka Wilson) has a memory that only lasts one day to due a brain injury caused by a car accident which killed both her parents. While in the hospital she meets a selfish old man named Onuki (Koji Yakusho). He's mean at first, but when he learns more about her he decides to something special for her involving her picture book. (nipponcinema.com)

The movie centers around two ronin (masterless samurai) 16 years after they participated in the revenge of their former master. The two survived to fulfill specific purposes. (imdb)

Japan, 1941: With war raging in Europe, Japan's imperial command sees an opportunity to advance their nation's standing in the world. The plan to attack Pearl Harbor was drawn up, and one man was tasked with it's implementation: Admiral Yamamoto. Opposed to the plan, Yamamoto must nevertheless carry out his orders and commit one of the biggest military mistakes in history. The Admiral is a masterpiece that explores one man's, and by reflection one nation's, turmoil. (amazon.co.uk)

"Chronicles Of My Mother" recounts the relationship of an author (Koji Yakusho) and his elderly parents. The author has a strained relationship with his father and his mother's (Kirin Kiki) memory grows weaker by the day. A reconciliation is attempted by the son. (asianwiki.com)

A drama set during World War II where a submarine carrying a secret weapon attempts to stop a planned third atomic bombing of Japan. Based on Harutoshi Fukui's novel Shuusen no Lorelei. (imdb)

Rookie movie director Koichi (Shun Oguri) and his crew travels to the mountain village of Yamamura to film his next movie. The villagers are eventually enlisted to help film the movie and, in particular, 60-year-old lumberjack Katsuhiko (Koji Yakusho) helps against his will. (asianwiki.com)

A young girl meets the Spirits of the Twelve Months when she is sent out during a winter snowstorm to collect galanthus, a flower that blooms in April. (imdb)

As former detective Akikazu searches for his missing daughter, Kanako, he soon learns she has a mysterious secret life. (imdb)

In late Meiji period Japan, a group of Army surveyors set out to map one of the last and most dangerous unexplored mountains in the country.

A lost boy in Tokyo, Kyuta, slips into an alternate universe, where he is raised by a bear-man, Kumatetsu, who fights for a living. Kumatetsu trains Kyuta in the art of fighting over the years, but eventually Kyuta is thrust into a cataclysmic adventure which spans both worlds. (imdb)

After the forced suicide of Nobunaga Oda at the Incident at Honno-ji, powerful figures Katsuie Shibata, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Nagahide Niwa and Tsuneoki Ikeda meet to decide on a successor. The conference would become Japan's first group made political decision. The meeting was known as the Kiyosu Kaigi. (imdb)

"Wouldn't it be beautiful to see fireflies dancing here?" While on a class excursion to the Yamaguchi River, an offhand remark by elementary schoolteacher, Hajime, captures the imagination of his students who passionately embark on a project to clean up the river and raise fireflies to fly over it once again.

The War ended on August 15th, 1945. What took place in Japan on the previous night? The unknown destiny of the day is unveiled. (imdb)

Yoshi, aged 24, awakes after 10 years in a coma, goes on to start a new life and rebuild his family. (imdb)

Shigemori (Masaharu Fukuyama) is an elite lawyer. He is compelled to defend Mikuma's (Koji Yakusho) murder case. Mikuma has a criminal record from a murder that took place 30 years ago. Mikuma also confesses to the murder charge and he faces the death sentence, but Shigemori begins to have doubts about Mikuma's guilt. (AsianWiki)

A lonely woman living in Tokyo decides to take an English class where she discovers her alter ego, Lucy.

The background to and depiction of a watershed battle in Japanese history, at Sekigahara in 1600, when Tokugawa Ieyasu's Army of the East defeated the Army of the West of Ishida Mitsunari.

Sayo has just celebrated her sixteenth birthday when she attends a temple festival. On her way back she sees a large cherry tree which is infamous for the legend of dead white horse. When her fiancé returns from war and visits her he comes across a white horse which he takes in. The man also does not see himself engaged anymore as his family has lost its wealth.

Hiroshima Police detective Ogami Shogo and his partner Hioka Shuichi are investigating the disappearance of a company's employees amidst an escalating yakuza turf war in 1988. Blood, shooting and death is everywhere. At the same time, there is a suspicion that the former man has his own ties to the thugs. Certainly many of his methods and actions are thuggish, violent and should be illegal

The Yazawa family consists of the father Takuro – who is always busy day trading, charming wife Erumi, and teenage son Tetsuya – who dreams of becoming an astronaut. The family is also joined by Saburo Akiba, a good-natured teen recently released from a juvenile corrections facility. Then one day Tetsuya falls into a coma from a car accident. A chain of events is set to occur set-off by the father taking a phone call from an unsuspecting girl named Hikari. (Letterboxd)

A middle-aged former yakuza is released from prison after thirteen years where he was placed for murder. He is struggling to adapt to society and freedom, find a job and communicate normally, but he is also preoccupied by the quest for his mother from whom he was separated as a child. He finds allies in his search for his parent and a place in mainstream society, but the process is not seamless or smooth. (imdb)

The last samurai who lead an army of 690 against an enemy of 50 thousand (imdb)

Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world. (Avistaz)

Blamed by some, hailed as heroes by others, those involved with Fukushima Daiichi face a deadly, invisible threat an unprecedented nuclear disaster. (imdb)

When a major bank is caught paying off a corporate extortionist, the media and prosecutors begin to dig, breaking open a money-and-favors scandal to its core. While the bank's top executives continue to vacillate, a quartet of middle-management reformers, led by straight-arrow Kitano (Koji Yakusho), decide to stage a boardroom coup and install a new, clean management team. With the aid of a hotshot news anchor (Miho Wada) and a hard-nosed prosecutor (Kenichi Endo), heads begin to roll. (Avistaz)

Seiji Kamiya works as a pottery craftsman, while he lives alone in a mountain village. His son, Gaku, works as an engineer for a large company in Algeria. Gaku comes to Japan with his fiance Nadia. He visits his father and tells him that he will quit his job. He wants to work as a pottery craftsman like his father, but Seiji opposes the idea. Meanwhile, Marcos is a Brazilian man living in Japan and he is a neighbor of Seiji. (imdb)

At a restaurant called Anrakutei on an island is a wasteland surrounded by moat and swamp. The owner Ikuzo manages the restaurant with his daughter. It’s customers who have a dark past have utmost respect for Ikuzo. One day, a half-dead man Tomijiro comes to the restaurant. This is the beginning of Ikuzo’s terrible fight.

Masajiro Miyazawa owns and runs a pawn shop for generations. His first son is Kenji and his daughter is Toshi Miyazawa. Kenji is supposed to take over the pawn shop as the first son, but he refuses. Masajiro is soft on his son. Meanwhile, Toshi is smart and wise. She gives advice to her father and her older brother. One day, Toshi gets sick. (imdb)

First starring movie by Kinoshita Hoka who is active as a unique supporting character in numerous works. Tokyo, Afternoon. Cloudy sky, scrambled intersection. Suddenly, Kida Hotzumi was hit by someone with a metal bat. The criminal escaped as it is, and Kida who regained consciousness can not grasp himself at all. Why on earth? To whom? Memory was completely missing. Kida ...

Kouichi Miyazawa runs a small, but longstanding company which makes tabi (traditional Japanese socks). He is the CEO of the fourth generation company with about 20 employees. Due to a decrease of demand for tabi, the company is struggling to keep afloat. Kouichi thinks about launching a new product line: running shoes. For the company's survival, Koichi begins to develop running shoes using their accumulated knowledge for making tab falling in with a discarded runner. (imdb)

This engaging series of childhood recollections tells about an ideal school in Tokyo during World War II that combined learning with fun, freedom, and love. This unusual school had old railroad cars for classrooms, and it was run by an extraordinary man—its founder and headmaster, Sousaku Kobayashi—who was a firm believer in freedom of expression and activity.

Bakin Takizawa, a popular Edo period author, begins to recount a story he is planning in front of his friend, the artist Hokusai Katsushika. The story is about eight warriors who, each carrying a jewel, gather together as if guided by fate and embark on a harsh journey to fight the curse of the Satomi family.However, as the story finally approaches its climax, Bakin begins to lose his sight. He receives an unexpected proposal from his daughter-in-law. (imdb)