Cast: Kô Nishimura

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Kyôko Kagawa · Yutaka Sada · Takashi Shimura

Synopsis High and Low (1963) centers around Gondo, a prominent executive in the shoe industry, portrayed by Toshirô Mifune, who is orchestrating a corporate takeover to seize control of his company. Gondo has secured the necessary funds for his scheme when...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Tatsuya Nakadai · Yôko Tsukasa · Isuzu Yamada

Synopsis Yojimbo (1961) is set in the 19th century during the feudal era of Japan, where a skilled samurai wanders into a small, isolated village. The village is torn apart by a power struggle between two rival factions, neither of which...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Takeshi Katô · Masayuki Mori · Takashi Shimura

Synopsis The Bad Sleep Well (1960) follows a young corporate executive who embarks on a relentless quest to avenge his father's murder. Directed by the renowned Akira Kurosawa, this film is a biting critique of the corrupt corporate culture in post-war...

Direction Kon Ichikawa

Cast Rentarô Mikuni · Shoji Yasui · Jun Hamamura · Taketoshi Naitô

Synopsis The Burmese Harp (1956) unfolds in July 1945, as Japan's army retreats. A platoon in Burma lifts their spirits through song, inspired by their self-taught lute player, Mizushima. Post-war, while awaiting repatriation at Mudon prison camp, Mizushima is tasked with...

Direction Tadashi Imai

Cast Kinnosuke Nakamura · Yoshiko Mita · Masayuki Mori · Kyôko Kishida

Synopsis Bushido, Samurai Saga (1963) presents a segmented narrative that delves into the lineage of a single family and explores the profound impact of the rigid code of honor and loyalty to feudal lords on their lives. This epic tale unfolds...

Direction Shôhei Imamura

Cast Masumi Harukawa · Kô Nishimura · Shigeru Tsuyuguchi · Yûko Kusunoki

Synopsis Intentions of Murder (1964) follows the journey of a downtrodden, overweight housewife who resides in destitution with her common-law husband, his son from a previous relationship, and his mother. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she is assaulted by...

Direction Kihachi Okamoto

Cast Tatsuya Nakadai · Yûzô Kayama · Michiyo Aratama · Toshirô Mifune

Synopsis Sword of Doom (1966) follows the chilling journey of Ryunosuke, a ruthless samurai devoid of empathy or moral restraint. When he is set to compete in a demonstration match at his swordsmanship school, the spouse of his adversary implores Ryunosuke...

Direction Kôzaburô Yoshimura

Cast Ayako Wakao · Junichiro Yamashita · Tamao Nakamura · Ganjiro Nakamura

Synopsis Bamboo Doll of Echizen (1963) is a gripping melodrama adapted from a novel by renowned author Tsutomu Mizukami, whose works have inspired notable directors such as Tadashi Imai and Masahiro Shinoda. The story revolves around a young artisan who specializes...

Direction Hideo Gosha

Cast Tatsuya Nakadai · Kinnosuke Nakamura · Tetsurô Tanba · Yôko Tsukasa

Synopsis Steel Edge of Revenge (Official Gold) (1969) follows the journey of a tormented samurai, burdened by his past, as he strives to prevent a looming bloodbath. Driven by his inner demons, he navigates a world of danger and deceit, determined...

Direction Kenji Misumi

Cast Shintarô Katsu · Tatsuya Nakadai · Reiko Ohara · Masayuki Mori

Direction Koreyoshi Kurahara

Cast Nobuo Kaneko · Kojiro Kusanagi · Kô Nishimura · Mari Shiraki

Synopsis Intimidation (1960) is a meticulously crafted, compact noir film directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara. The narrative revolves around the intertwined destinies of a desperate bank manager, who is being blackmailed for falsifying records, and his resentful yet timid subordinate, who feels...

Direction Shôhei Imamura

Cast Shizuko Kasagi · Tomiko Hattori · Kayo Matsuo · Hiroyuki Nagato

Direction Eiichi Kudo

Cast Junko Miyazono · Koji Nambara · Isao Natsuyagi · Kô Nishimura

Synopsis Eleven Samurai (1966) is set in early 19th century Japan, where a high-ranking official named Nariatsu, son of the former Shogun, is on a wild animal hunt. His relentless pursuit leads him to trespass into a neighboring fief, resulting in...

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Tomisaburô Wakayama · Shima Iwashita · Hiroko Isayama · Kô Nishimura

Synopsis Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975) unfolds the narrative of a captivating urban woman and a daring bandit who becomes infatuated with her. Following her abduction by the bandit, she is taken to his secluded mountain hideout. There, the bandit...

Direction Seijun Suzuki

Cast Hiroyuki Nagato · Kazuko Yoshiyuki · Shoichi Ozawa · Shinsuke Ashida

Synopsis The Sleeping Beast Within (1960) follows a businessman who comes back from a lengthy journey, only to find that things have changed in his absence. As he delves deeper, he uncovers a web of criminal activities and mysterious religious cults....

Direction Satsuo Yamamoto

Cast Shintarô Katsu · Rentarô Mikuni · Kô Nishimura · Yuko Hamada

Direction Shôhei Imamura

Cast Hiroyuki Nagato · Kayo Matsuo · Takeshi Okimura · Akiko Maeda

Direction Yoshio Inoue

Cast Shintarô Katsu · Kô Nishimura · Mako Midori · Mikio Narita

Synopsis Hanzo the Razor: Who's Got the Gold? (1974) follows the trail of gold in a period marked by financial turmoil for the working class. Hanzo uncovers a scheme involving top officials who "borrow" gold from the shogunate's treasury to lend...

Direction Shôhei Imamura

Cast Shoichi Ozawa · Sumiko Sakamoto · Masaomi Kondo · Keiko Sagawa

Synopsis The Pornographers (1966) follows the story of Subu, a filmmaker who specializes in creating adult films. Subu views his work as a means to help a repressed society and uses the earnings to support Haru, his landlady, and her family....

Direction Satsuo Yamamoto

Cast Raizô Ichikawa · Shiho Fujimura · Saburo Date · Katsuhiko Kobayashi

Synopsis Shinobi no mono (Band of Assassins) (1962) follows the journey of a formidable young ninja who finds himself entangled in a dangerous conspiracy to eliminate the ruthless warlord Oda Nobunaga, who is relentlessly pursuing the conquest of Japan. Ishikawa Goemon,...