Ryûhei Matsuda

Set during Japan's Shogun era, this film looks at life in a samurai compound where young warriors are trained in swordfighting. A number of interpersonal conflicts are brewing in the training room, all centering around a handsome young samurai named Sozaburo Kano. The school's stern master can choose to intervene, or to let Kano decide his own path. (imdb)

Four short films, based on stories by Japanese mystery writer Rampo Edogawa, explore dark themes of obsession, sex and death. In "Mars Canal," a naked man wanders alone through a swamp recalling a former lover. "Mirror Hell" follows a serial killer with a fixation on hand mirrors. "Caterpillar" centers on a crippled veteran, his sadistic wife and their unhealthy relationship. And in "Crawling Bugs," a chauffeur plots to seduce a starlet.

We begin in 1865, when the Shogunate is on its last legs, but still capable of punishing its enemies. One is Izo (Kazuya Nakayama), an assassin in the service of Hanpeida (Ryosuke Miki), a Tosa lord and Imperial supporter. After killing dozens of the Shogun's men, Izo is captured and crucified. Instead of being extinguished, his rage propels him through the space-time continuum to present-day Tokyo (imdb)

Another addition to the already well-populated Japanese high school genre movie. Instead of aiming for bloody carnage or ghost stories, instead it's much more of a character-driven movie, examining the dynamics of adolescent boys' power disaffection and their struggles to prove themselves as the toughest/strongest/meanest/hardest/scariest in the school. (Mandiapple.com)

Live-action adaptation of a madcap manga about art, opposites, love and a whole lot of cosplay. (imdb)

An unknown future. A boy confesses to the murder of another in an all-boy juvenile detention facility. More an exercise in style than storytelling, the story follows two detectives trying to uncover the case. Homosexual tension and explosive violence drives the story which delivers some weird and fascinating visuals. (imdb)

DEMON POND is the modern-day story of a man searching for a friend who has mysteriously disappeared, with a magical tale involving strange creatures, a heartbroken princess, and a pact that can't be broken. Conflicts between faith and skepticism, and between social obligation and personal desire drive the narrative toward a dramatic conclusion where the worlds of the real and the surreal inevitably collide. (imdb)

Yui (Yui Aragaki) is an arts student at university who falls in love for the first time with Takashi (Ryuhei Matsuda), her neighbour in the flat above her. Takashi had already had a relationship with Atsuko (Rinko Kikuchi), Yui's flat previous tenant, whom Yui sincerely admires. (AsianMediaWiki)

Nine escaped prisoners hoping to find redemption in an unsympathetic and constantly changing society. Convinced that a secret buried treasure could be the key to finally realizing their lifelong dreams, a mad bomber, a violent biker, a pornographer, and six other determined convicts acquire a van and set off to find their fortune. Along their arduous journey, the convicts form a unique bond as they attempt to reconcile tragic pasts and make the best of an uncertain..future. (allmovie - Jason Buchanant)

The films pits a gang of idle teens joined only by their shared love of karaoke against a group of middle aged women, likewise joined by a love for karaoke, in an escalating cycle of vengeance when one of the teens tries to pick up one of the women on a whim and reacts with bloody violence when he thinks she is mocking him in her rejection. (AsianMediaWiki)

A thriller centered on an urban legend about a song that fatally affects its listeners. (imdb)

Three people in Tokyo take a surreal voyage of self-discovery through memory and nightmares. "O" intends suicide while talking on a cell-phone with a stranger he meets on line who plans a simultaneous suicide. Events take a horrifying turn. (imdb)

Schoolgirls are having their fortunes told by a mysterious boy dressed in black--he can predict how their love lives will pan out. But knowing too much about the future can also be destructive... (HKFlix)

When the older brother of junior high school student Saori is arrested for murder she is separated from her family for her own protection. She ends up living with a police detective named Katsuura and his family. Katsuura has to get information from her without making her already-troubled mental state any worse. Meanwhile, his own daughter finds parallels between herself and Saori. (eiga.wikia.com)

AMUKU TANTEI 2 is all about unexplainable things that inflict sheer terror on human beings and how they leave victims psychologically devastated. It is as much a true horror film as it is a psychological drama. Rest assured, certain scenes do get scary at times, though expect a bit more subtlety this time. Don't expect things clearly spelled out for you either, but more a visual language that explains things to a satisfying degree... (imdb)

Toshiyuki Tanishi (Mr Tanishi) is a 29-year-old chronic masturbator and toy vending machine salesman - he is socially awkward and down on his luck. Things change when he meets Chiharu a pretty woman who might actually be into him. Unfortunately, he has competition for Chiharu's affection from handsome, rival vending salesman Aoyama. (imdb)

Kanikosen is a highly stylized, stirring, manga-flavored update of a classic Japanese political novel, with labor unrest aboard a crab canning ship evolving into a cry of a younger generation aching to break the bonds of conformity. (mubi.com)

Rui (Tatsuya Fujiwara) is the charismatic leader of a new religious group. Consequently, he starts to gain attention from the mass media. After becoming involved in a car accident, Rui goes to a remote island with ex-gangster now bodyguard (Ryuhei Matsuda). On the island, Rui reveals more about his religious group, while a set of ominous events are about to occur ... (asianwiki.com)

A private detective drinks with his driver Takada in his favorite bar. There he receives a phone call from a woman who identifies herself as Kyoko Kondo. The woman asks the detective to complete a simple task. Not longer after he starts, the private detective is kidnapped and buried under snow. He barely manages to get away. He then receives another phone call from Kyoko Kondo. The private detective and Takada investigate further and they soon comes across a mysterious woman and a mob boss.. (asianwiki.com)

Mitsuya Majime is an unsuccessful salesman. But his love of reading and dedication, as well as a post-graduate degree in linguistics, catches the eyes of Masashi Nishioka and Kouhei Araki, dictionary editors who are seeking a replacement for Araki himself. With Majime on the editing team, the group plans to produce a new dictionary called The Great Passage which would bridge the gap between people and the sea of words and would take years to complete. (wikipedia)

Only a short time after the first raid, Rama goes undercover with the thugs of Jakarta and plans to bring down the syndicate and uncover the corruption within his police force. (imdb)

A professional voyeur and an elusive serial killer both suffer from a sensory disorder that affects on in 100,000 people in director Toru Matsuura's hallucinatory thriller. Shin suffers from synesthesia, a rare sensory disorder in which one form of stimulus triggers a completely unrelated response. His constant mental state borders on insanity, and he makes his living by providing voyeuristic videos to a well-paying clientele. (rottentomatoes.com)

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.

20 years ago, an elementary school student falls on an island in the northern tip of Hokkaido. A teacher and 6 students makes contact through songs. What happened to the student who fell? The teacher returns 20 years later to meet with her former students. (imdb)

Down-on-his-luck photographer Makoto (Ryuhei Matsuda) receives a letter from his old girlfriend, who, according to a friend, died a year ago in NYC. Eager to find out the truth, he sets out on a journey of self-discovery and reminisces about the time he spent with the lovely Shizuru (Ryoko Hirosue). (imdb)

In the fictional Tokyo suburb of Mahoro, Keisuke Tada works as a "benriya" - a general problem solver for hire. One day in January, former classmate Haruhiko Gyoten appears unannounced. Back in their schooldays Haruhiko was a quiet person who rarely talked but now he is talkative. Both men are over 30 years old and divorced. Haruhiko suddenly asks to spend the night at Keisuke's home. He turns down Haruhiko, but Haruhiko is persistant and finally Keisuke allows him to sleep over for one night. (Asian Wiki)

Since her father died, Mugiko (Maki Horikita) lives with her older brother (Ryuhei Matsuda). Her mother Ayako (Kimiko Yo) left home when Mugiko was little. Mugiko has not heard from her mother since that time. But one day, her mother Ayako comes back. Mugiko has mixed feelings with her mother's sudden appearance again, while Ayako hides the fact that she is gravely ill. (asianwiki)

Masako is an employee of a pub that puts on shows. Masako is also a talented magician. After taking part at a magic show convention, Masako is killed. Masako is also friends with a private detective. The private detective hears that Masako was killed because of his involvement with the dark corners of political circles. At this time, a woman, who has tailed the private detective, consults the case with him. The private detective and Takada get closer to the truth. (AsianWiki)

Three aliens travel to Earth in preparation for a mass invasion, taking possession of human bodies. (imdb)

Takeharu Takami is a bank teller, but he becomes allergic to money. He decides not to use money at all. Takeharu decides to move to a small village in the Tohoku region. There, he encounters residents who are not so easy. (asianwiki)

Shoji Segawa was a quiet and inconspicuous boy, but, for the first time, he is recognized by people after winning the National Middle School Shogi Tournament. At the age of 26, his dream of becoming a professional shogi player collapses due to an age restriction. After he quits playing shogi, he becomes desperate. With the support of his peers, including Yuya Suzuki, and his love of shogi, Shoji Segawa begins to play shogi again. A miracle happens to him. (themoviedb)

Seven years ago, a mysterious monster was found deep in a rural coal mine. Since then, rumors of a plague spread through the small town, and people experience an unexplainable mental illness. (imdb)

A girl finds an old handgun in her attic and the symbolic object conjures a mystical scene of samurai gathering within the moss-grown location of Kasosan Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture.

A fantasy romance Okinawan movie about the mysterious summer events of three men and women who met in Okinawa under the guidance of Kijimuna (a fairy dwelling in a banyan tree).

Three of Japan's most talented and prolific actor-directors have joined forces to adapt Hiroyuki Ohashi's cult manga series about characters in "an obscure corner" of the world. The film's five loosely connected storylines concern the secrets and lies, the fears and tears, and the puerile potty jokes that punctuate their daily (and in one eerie case, nightly) encounters. (imdb)

Maki, Suzume, Iemori, and Beppu accidentally met in a karaoke one day while bringing instruments. They then decided to form a musical quartet and live together in Karuizawa during the winter. (imdb)

Seemingly perfect from the outside, Shinkai Akira (Aragaki Yui) is exhausted from worrying too much about how to be perfect. Nemoto Kousei (Matsuda Ryuhei) is amicable and popular with women, but trusts noone and views everything coldly. They are unable to live normally, they meet by chance at a craft beer bar after work slowly becoming close enough to fight & tell each other how they really feel. Due to their encounter, even while getting hurt, they begin to try to be themselves (Avistaz & me)

Seeking a greater justice, a band of homeless assassins flays their human targets and delivers the tattooed skins as proof of a contract fulfilled. (imdb)

Towako Omameda recently became the president of the construction company "Shirokuma Housing". She has experienced three divorces and is currently living with her 15-year-old daughter, Uta. Although Towako has been divorced thrice, she remains bright and lives her life strongly. However, her life is constantly disrupted by her three trouble-making ex-husbands. (imdb)

Koda Mari is a green-haired police officer in the International Investigation Unit of the Higashi-Shinjuku Police Department. Energetic and cheerful, she's dedicated to helping anyone in need, regardless of nationality. Arikino Ryo, a Chinese interpreter for the police, has committed himself to providing precise translations between officers, witnesses, and suspects. Together, they solve crime and eat delicious meals from around the world. (mydramalist.com)