
Known for
NRChiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura is a Japanese period drama that aired on the TBS network from November 2, 1970 to August 30, 1971 in the "Brother Gekijo" slot. It ran for 44 colour episodes of 30 minutes each. Based on Sohachi Yamaoka's novel "Chiba Shusaku", it depicts the youth of Chiba Shusaku, founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school of swordsmanship. A hot-blooded young man who calls himself Shusaku enters the dojo of Asari Matashichiro and, through encounters with all kinds of people, grows rapidly both in swordsmanship and in character. Produced by TBS and Shochiku. Rerun on the Japanese CS channel Jidaigeki Senmon Channel from March 17, 2025.
Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura
1970
7.1In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.
Pigs and Battleships
1961
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Lost in the Sun
1961
7.0Saheji, a man-about-town, gets stuck at a high-class brothel when he can’t pay the bill. He makes the best of his situation by performing various tasks amidst the tumult of the end of the shogunate—but always by making sure to get a “commission” for his troubles.
A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era
1957
NRA rookie newspaper journalist, Takema Sakaki, has a strong sense of justice. In the Diet Building he gets acquainted with a library worker, Reiko Nakafuji. Reiko's father was a member of the Diet who was assassinated six years ago. Through Reiko, Takema joins Tsūkai-kai, a group of young people who respect her late father's political ideas. With the assistance of Tsukai-kai, Takema eventually uncovers the political scandal related to postwar compensation which led to the murder of Reiko's father.
Facing to the Clouds
1962
6.8Set in post-war Japan, a group of five, four men and one woman, gathers in the basement of a butcher shop to dig up a cache of morphine buried during the war. A grimly humorous tale of twisted relationships as one by one each of the group is eliminated.
Endless Desire
1958
Film credits
1970s · 2 titles
6.0Patronized by a gang ruling the city, Mako delinquently plays around a night club every night with her bad company. One night, a guy Hideo gets closer to her for one-night stand, and they consequently fall in love. However, Hideo is killed by the gang. Mako swears vengeance on her beloved's murderer.
Bad Girl Mako
1971
8.2When his sister commits suicide as a result of his actions, Rokuheita, an enforcer for the Yagyu ninja clan, considers his choices and eventually deserts the organization. Hunted by an army of bizarre shadow warriors, the target turns on his pursuers when he finds something worth fighting for.
Haunted Samurai
1970
1960s · 42 titles
7.1In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.
Pigs and Battleships
1961
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Lost in the Sun
1961
NRA rookie newspaper journalist, Takema Sakaki, has a strong sense of justice. In the Diet Building he gets acquainted with a library worker, Reiko Nakafuji. Reiko's father was a member of the Diet who was assassinated six years ago. Through Reiko, Takema joins Tsūkai-kai, a group of young people who respect her late father's political ideas. With the assistance of Tsukai-kai, Takema eventually uncovers the political scandal related to postwar compensation which led to the murder of Reiko's father.
Facing to the Clouds
1962
7.0A Japanese intelligence officer faces personal crises in the years preceding the Manchurian conflict.
The Symbol of a Man
1963
6.8A newspaper reporter's search for his girlfriend's missing father lead him into heart of the criminal underworld of Yokohama's Chinatown.
The Sleeping Beast Within
1960
6.4Mourning the death of her boyfriend, Yukiko wanders aimlessly from one city to another. During her mourning, she becomes addicted to gambling. One day, a man that resembles her deceased lover asks for help. He's being pursued by a dangerous gang of yakuza.
Woman Gambler
1965
NR1962 Japanese movie
Wakai futari
1962
7.2Koreyoshi Kurahara's ingeniously plotted, pocket-size noir concerns the intertwined fates of a desperate bank manager, blackmailed for book-cooking, and his resentful but timid underling, passed over for a promotion. The marvelously moody Intimidation is an elegantly stripped-down and carefully paced crime drama.
Intimidation
1960
5.9Emerging from a stint in prison, yakuza lieutenant Sumukawa discovers that his gang has disintegrated. An ambitious type, he quickly hooks up with another gang who promise him a prominent position if he helps them deal with a rival family. But bonds are made to be broken, and pledges of loyalty soon give way to competition, betrayal and — naturally — retaliation.
Retaliation
1968
7.8Set in Kawaguchi in the early 60s, this simple story chronicles the lives of foundry families and one girl's dreams of higher education.
Foundry Town
1962
NRA noir action whodunit with Kobayashi his usual jaunty self as the smart aleck private eye whose missing person search soon becomes a murder case. Nightclub-managing, drug-dealing gangster Uchida is the prime suspect in the case until he commits suicide. Kobayashi then discovers evidence that points to the doctor sibling of an innocent girl. The climax in a rural snowy locale is suspenseful and well-staged.
Badge of the Night
1963
NRA violent story of loyalty and revenge among the many "yakuza" or gambling groups in Japan.
The Dragon Crest
1963
NRHideo Ishizaki, who was painting on the shore of the lake, saves a woman named Keiko.
Acacia no Ame ga Yamu Toki
1963
9.0The Sengoku Era was coming to an end. The monopoly of the ever powerful shogun, Ieyasu Tokugawa, was at a near. Only one man was brave enough to stand in Ieyasu's way - A lone wolf samurai by the name of Kagekatsu Uesugi. Inspired by Uesugi's courage to revolt, a young samurai warrior, Touzou Kuruma decides to join the fight. Their target: the Tamonyama Castle.
Taking the Castle
1965
6.8The tragic tale of Kiyono, a young woman from the mountain who fell in love with Takuji, a fisherman's son, and her devotion to him during a time of war.
The Flame of Devotion
1964
7.0No synopsis available yet.
Yakuza sensei
1960
7.0A celebrity, dissatisfied with his personal and professional lives, impulsively leaves fast-paced Tokyo to deliver a much-needed jeep to a remote village. When his controlling manager, the woman he loves, follows, the two must reconcile while dodging reporters.
I Hate But Love
1962
NR1962 Japanese movie
Otoko to otoko no ikiru machi
1962
NRNo synopsis available yet.
零戦黒雲一家
1962
NRA young journalist is writing an article on what happens to girls who are raped. He uncovers the story of a young girl who committed suicide when recognized by her former fiancee after she had become a prostitute. Other stories are interwoven, and the journalist finally comes to the conclusion, which he publishes, that "keeping your virginity until your wedding day will never be a source of regret for either men or women."
Loss of Innocence
1965
8.0At Tokyo Gakuen University, Takema, son of Tatsunosuke, chief of the Waku gang, is a freshman who wishes to prepare himself for a better life away from gang activities despite the wishes of his father who wants him to assist strengthen the gang against the Kawano group. Takema's classmate, Akiko, is the daughter of Eiko who operates a restaurant, and through her he obtains a lodging in the house of Shiu, a dancing mistress. The students enjoy their life, but most have their troubles. Sakamoto works as a laborer on the docks to help pay for his schooling, and Akiko worries over the relationship between her mother and Sakurai, a corrupt politician, suspected to be involved in graft over jet aircraft.
The Day of Youth
1960
7.0Goro (Tetsuya Watari) wants to put his dark past behind. He heads to Hirosaki City to offer his condolences to Yumeko and to reunite with Yukiko (Chieko Matsubara), but finds that Yumeko is fatally ill. Although Yukiko was taking care of her, she is pressed for money. Goro wants to help and knows that there is only one way to come up with fast money.
Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2
1968
Japanese comedy film.
Sararīman monogatari - Taiki bansai
1963
NRA musical film based on the original work of Saigo Teruhiko. After leaving the juvenile detention center and returning to his hometown of Ibusuki, Hachiro begins to investigate the cause of his older sister Sumiko's suicide. While Hachiro was in juvenile detention, Sumiko committed suicide, but there are too many mysteries surrounding this suicide...
The Scarred Angel
1966
6.0Ryuji Oshima, a gambler, kills Saiga in self-defense, and considering himself unfit to lead men, secludes himself in a temple to atone for his misdeeds. At home, when his mother, the boss of a construction gang, bids for and gets the job of building the Town Hall, other gangs set out to disrupt her business and try to kill her.
Fight of the Gamblers
1963
9.0A 1967 crime film
The Return of the Filthy Seven
1967
6.6On a cold winter day, Goro Fujikawa (Tetsuya Watari) and Masahiko murder the mob boss of Meishin-Kai. The deed costs them time in prison, but Goro had no shred of regret. When Goro is released 2 years later, Masahiko is dying in prison hospital and entrusts his last wish; "find my sister and take care of her." Goro leaves as a free man with a mission, but soon finds that he might have been better off in jail.
Outlaw: Goro the Assassin
1968
6.6On a cold winter day, Goro Fujikawa (Tetsuya Watari) and Masahiko murder the mob boss of Meishin-Kai. The deed costs them time in prison, but Goro had no shred of regret. When Goro is released 2 years later, Masahiko is dying in prison hospital and entrusts his last wish; "find my sister and take care of her." Goro leaves as a free man with a mission, but soon finds that he might have been better off in jail.
Outlaw: Goro the Assassin
1968
7.0A romantic Nikkatsu youth film about three female friends.
Wind of Youth
1968
7.0A young girl knows that she is going to die and in this she is supported by the devotion of the boy who loves her. They originally met at the hospital. There it transpired that the only way to save her life was to sacrifice an eye and part of her face. The operation seems a success. Later, however, her other eye becomes affected. She feels she must let the boy go, and yet she depends so much upon his devotion.
Gazing at Love and Death
1964
NRA 1960 crime film
The Cards Will Tell
1960
NRThe wandering gambler (Akira Kobayashi) once again picks up the dice he forswore in order to take revenge of the gangsters who exploit good citizens. The second installment in The Gambler series.
Call My Black Dice
1964
9.0Joji Dan tries to find the heir of a prosperous Japanese millionaire who died in Mexico. However, the bandits want to take over the inheritance and Joji has to use his skills as a fast and accurate shooter!
I'll End in Hell
1961
NRKosuke Suzuki returns to Hakata's hometown after learning that his best friend Takehara has disappeared. Kosuke is persistently hindered by Hasebe from Omura Sangyo. Kosuke's partner Kumagoro investigates and finds out that Hasebe, who killed the head of the Muraoka clan, made Takehara disappear in order to keep him silent. The third film in the series.
The Reckless One
1967
NRA kidnapping occurred over a seven-million-dollar diamond that was sewn into his stomach. Takuya Nikaido, the hero of Kamideki, challenges the underground organization of fear. The final work of Asahi Kobayashi's "Ginza Whirlpool Child (Mitsugai)" series.
Whirlwind Call the Storm - Ginza Hoodlum's Diary
1963
NRA film from Nikkatsu's "moodo akushon" (mood/action) subgenre.
Love and Desire in the Night Mist
1966
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Shūmatsu-ya hanjō-ki
1962
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Ai to shi no katami
1962
7.6Wakae is a 15 year old girl who lived under the same roof with her alcoholic father and stepmom. Her mother had died years ago. She spends her nights at a rundown bar, sharing drinks and cigarettes with the lowlife drunks. She has nowhere to turn and no one to talk to, until she is reunited with her childhood friend, Saburo, who brings warmth to her heart.
Bad Girl
1963
NR12th in the Joe of Aces series.
Solo Traveler
1962
NRHeartwarming story of an ambitious girl who becomes a concert pianist with the help of her musician father.
The Song of Love
1965
8.7Jiro, a young yakuza, and Mami, a diplomat’s daughter, are two young lovers from different worlds. Having met by accident, they soon discover a new life together. But their love is ill-fated. Mami's family will not accept her choice, while leading an honest life seems like an unattainable goal for Jiro. Can there be anything else but a tragic ending?
The Mud-Spattered Pure Heart
1963
1950s · 16 titles
7.0Saheji, a man-about-town, gets stuck at a high-class brothel when he can’t pay the bill. He makes the best of his situation by performing various tasks amidst the tumult of the end of the shogunate—but always by making sure to get a “commission” for his troubles.
A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era
1957
6.8Set in post-war Japan, a group of five, four men and one woman, gathers in the basement of a butcher shop to dig up a cache of morphine buried during the war. A grimly humorous tale of twisted relationships as one by one each of the group is eliminated.
Endless Desire
1958
7.0In the thriving Tokyo neighborhood of Ginza, a woman in the process of selling her estranged husband’s art collection attempts to identify the man who painted her own portrait fifteen years prior.
Tales of Ginza
1955
7.0In the dying months of the Meiji era, a sympathetic student befriends a married couple, but soon realizes they share a curiously strained relationship stemming from an unknown incident in their past.
The Heart
1955
NRThe "Ginza Whirlwind" (Akira Kobayashi) uncovers a diamond smuggling operation led by a Chinese man behind the opening of the new nightclub "Monaco", and teams up with the daughter (Ruriko Asaoka) of a man the smuggler killed during the war. First in the "Ginza Whirlwind" series.
The Human Cyclone
1959
6.6The film tells the story of four orphans living in an impoverished mining town. An adaptation of a best-selling book based on the diary of a ten-year-old zainichi (ethnic Korean Japanese) girl, it was one of the first films to deal with the subject of zainichi identity and struggles in Japan.
My Second Brother
1959
NR1958 Newspaper Association Sweepstakes Winning Broadcast Drama Movie. A heartwarming and moving story that bloomed behind the competition between two newspaper reporters, one young and the other old, who followed the whereabouts of the distressed aircraft. It is an adaptation of the prize-winning broadcast drama recruited by the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Week in 1958. The original author was Tsuneyuki Mori.
JA750 Gōki Yukuefumei
1959
6.5A former boxer gets involved with a club hostess trying to escape the clutches of her gangster employer.
I Am Waiting
1957
6.1In a warehouse area at night, a drunk chief engineer is stabbed to death by someone who whistles. After the break of dawn, two seamen join the crew of a rusty cargo ship Kaiyo Maru. One is a troublemaker with bad attitudes, Senkichi Nomura, who pursues an enemy in order to take revenge for his father's death. The other is Keizo Sasaki, a buff, eagle-eyed man on board for a certain mission.
The Eagle and the Hawk
1957
6.7A rambunctious and ribald tale of a troupe of travelling actors who alternate highlights of kabuki theatre with strip shows.
Stolen Desire
1958
NRHey, please, hold me... A thrilling physical farewell gift that a pure-hearted adult received while trembling!! Set in a simple rural town's post office, this youthfully bright and humorous story depicts the intricacies of life experienced by a rookie young postal worker. Depicting the subtle intricacies of life experienced by a young protagonist in a simple post office setting. This bright and humorous story evokes a heartfelt sense of empathy.
Shiroi natsu
1957
NRMaki, a porter at the Sakura Hotel, finds a body in Room No. 2 and picks up a piece of paper on which is written "one-third of the key", also the part of a key. From a newspaper he learns that the dead man is an official who has been detained as a suspect in a bribery case involving 150,000,000 yen and that another suspect named Matsunaga is still in custody. Maki realizes that if he can obtain the other two-thirds of the key, he will be a multi-millionaire.
A Turning to Hell
1959
NRThe story of three brothers who struggle to shake free of the father's ties to the yakuza underworld. A star vehicle for the popular singer/actor Yūjirō Ishihara.
Tomorrow is Another Day
1958
6.9In 1906, after finishing a tough migrant job in the Philippines, Takichi has returned to Japan. He starts to work as a rickshaw driver, but his lover had died of an illness, leaving a baby girl, Hatsue. Hatsue grows up beautifully and falls in love with Shintaro. But Takichi objects to their relationship...
Our Town
1956
NRSeven years ago, Ishimatsu Toshio, a talented radio producer at Zen Nihon Hōsō, witnessed a crazed drug addict murder his wife and then commit suicide, though Toshio was able to save the lives of their two children. Just transferred from Shimizu to Tokyo, Toshio hopes to produce a program that will expose the drug trade in Tokyo. One day, Toshio stops into a noodle shop where he is mistaken for a drug dealer and passed a bagful of drugs. The real dealer arrives in time to follow Toshio home. That night Toshio is attacked by the dealer, who turns out to be Kenji, one of the children Toshio had saved. Kenji can't bring himself to kill Toshio, so he runs away and goes into hiding from the mafia. While continuing to investigate the drug trade, Toshio searches for Kenji to get Kenji's testimony for his program.
The Wild Reporter
1959
NRYasuichiro Isa, who works in the labor section of Sone Mining Tokyo Headquarters, paid a monthly fee for his younger brother, Reiji, who was in trouble because he had a bonus of 10,000 yen more.
Striving to Live
1955
