Acting
Akira Yamada
Born — Died
1932-09-13 — 2003-02-27
Place of birth
Taipei, Taiwan
Known for
Acting
Credits
47 titles
Known for
8.5A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Seven Samurai
1954
6.5Mining engineer Shigeru investigates the disappearance and death of his fellow coworkers when prehistoric nymphs are discovered emerging from the mines. After an attack on the local village, Shigeru heads deeper into the mines only to make a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature. Soon a second monster appears as the two converge in Fukuoka.
Rodan
1956
7.2Shipwreck survivors found on the presumably uninhabited Infant Island leads to a scientific expedition that discovers a surviving native population along with the Shobijin, tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity called Mothra. After the fairies are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman named Clark Nelson, Mothra sets out to rescue them.
Mothra
1961
7.1After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Chûshingura
1962
5.8When a narcotics deal goes sour and a suspect disappears, leaving only his clothes, Tokyo police question his wife and stake out the nightclub where she works.
The H-Man
1958
7.1A failed science experiment gives a librarian the ability to turn into a gaseous substance. He goes on to rob banks to fund his dancer girlfriend's career, killing those who interfere. Now Tokyo's most wanted criminal, can authorities stop him?
The Human Vapor
1960
Film credits
1960s · 23 titles
7.2Shipwreck survivors found on the presumably uninhabited Infant Island leads to a scientific expedition that discovers a surviving native population along with the Shobijin, tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity called Mothra. After the fairies are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman named Clark Nelson, Mothra sets out to rescue them.
Mothra
1961
7.1After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Chûshingura
1962
7.1A failed science experiment gives a librarian the ability to turn into a gaseous substance. He goes on to rob banks to fund his dancer girlfriend's career, killing those who interfere. Now Tokyo's most wanted criminal, can authorities stop him?
The Human Vapor
1960
6.3In 1976, a drifting star named Gorath is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. Although it is smaller than Earth, its enormous mass is enough to destroy the planet totally. A mission sent to observe Gorath is destroyed after the ship is drawn into the star, with a later mission barely escaping the same fate. However, Astronaut Tatsuma Kanai is left in a catatonic state due to his near death experience. Unable to destroy the invading star, Earth's scientists undertake a desperate plan to build giant rockets at the South Pole to move the planet out of Gorath's path before it is too late.
Gorath
1962
4.5In an effort to find an economic means of purifying salt water, a joint U.S.-Japanese military command is set up on an isolated Japanese island where an unusual salt water lake is situated. However, their purifying experiments arouse the prehistoric monster Obaki from hibernation at the lake's bottom, and it proceeds to attack Japan. Although made by a U.S. independent film company, this film was based on a Japanese Toho monster film of 1958, "Daikaiju Varan", from which all of the monster effects scenes and a few incidental dramatic shots were edited into it.
Varan the Unbelievable
1962
8.4In 1943, the Aleutian island of Kiska was fortified by a small contingent of Japanese soldiers. When word arrived of an impending attack by an overwhelming force of Americans, the Japanese Navy attempted one of the most daring and unlikely evacuations in military history. This is that story.
The Retreat from Kiska
1965
7.5Agent Jiro Kitami attempts to stop a smuggling ring from shipping arms to Vietcong guerrillas.
Interpol Code 8
1963
6.9A woman and her daughter are in love with the same man, a chef at the restaurant that the mother manages. He is slightly crippled from frostbite in his years in Siberian labor camps and considers himself 'already dead'.
The Lovelorn Geisha
1960
No synopsis available yet.
Young Salesman: Sanshiro Sebiro
1960
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Women Called 'Wives'
1963
6.9Chuji Kunisada returns to his home village to find that Jubei Matsui, the corrupt magistrate, has been responsible for virtually destroying Kunisada's family. A final tragedy leads Kunisada to join with a band of rogues living in the forest in robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, always with an eye toward avenging himself on Magistrate Matsui.
The Gambling Samurai
1960
7.7Hidejirō is sent to prison after killing the boss of a rival family. After being released, he discovers that his family has scattered and he is taken in by a company of quarry workers, whose boss has a strict code of non-violence. When the rival family tries to take over the company and kills their boss, Hidejirō must choose between his promise of non-violence and his yakuza code of revenge...
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 5: Man With The Karajishi Tattoo
1969
6.5Fourth entry in Toho's Wakadaishō series directed by Jun Fukuda and released on a simultaneous screening with Matango. Filmed on location in Hawaii.
Young Guy in Hawaii
1963
7.0The first instalment in Toho's popular Wakadaishō (Young Guy) series.
Sir Galahad in Campus
1961
8.3Young Yuichi (Kayama) romances Sumiko (Hoshi) while helping out at his family's restaurant, singing in a band, and preparing for an important boxing tournament.
Pride of the Campus
1962
NRA Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami.
Konto 55: Mankind's Weaknesses
1969
NRA rebellious heiress clashes with gangsters, dodges an arranged marriage, and unexpectedly falls for a principled lawyer as her father confronts past corruption and starts anew.
Ginza Tomboy
1960
7.5Yuuichi Tanuma, our young hero, is a senior at Kyonan University and captain of the marathon team. His parents run a sukiyaki restaurant back in his hometown. When his allowance stops coming in, Yuuichi moves back in with his folks to work part-time. He has his eyes set on nationals in the fall, until one day he runs into a young woman who's fallen into trouble with the Lightning Gang...
College Champ
1962
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Sequel Western King, Eastern Leader
1965
NR1962 Japanese movie
Sararīman Gonza to Sukejū ren'ai kōsa-ten
1962
NR1962 Japanese movie
Sararīman Gonza to Sukejū
1962
9.0A wandering swordsman helps a doll maker and his fiancée fight against a ruthless gang in a small town. As tensions escalate, epic duels and betrayals lead to a final showdown that shifts the balance of power. The swordsman departs, leaving a lasting impact on those he helped.
Hiroshi Moriya Sandogasa: I Want to Weep
1961
NRA newlywed couple moves into an apartment complex where each family faces everyday problems.
More Than 10,000 Women But...
1966
1950s · 24 titles
8.5A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Seven Samurai
1954
6.5Mining engineer Shigeru investigates the disappearance and death of his fellow coworkers when prehistoric nymphs are discovered emerging from the mines. After an attack on the local village, Shigeru heads deeper into the mines only to make a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature. Soon a second monster appears as the two converge in Fukuoka.
Rodan
1956
5.8When a narcotics deal goes sour and a suspect disappears, leaving only his clothes, Tokyo police question his wife and stake out the nightclub where she works.
The H-Man
1958
5.8When a rare species of butterfly is found in a mysterious valley in Japan, a pair of entomologists go to investigate and find more. They discover Varan, a giant monster, who decides to leave the valley and head straight for Tokyo.
Varan
1958
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Densuke's 'Making Ends Meet'
1959
7.8Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, a brilliant tactician, is a loyal subject of the emperor, despite his grave misgivings about leading Japan's navy into war with the United States. He opposes the attack on Pearl Harbor, but, overruled, he leads his forces to the best of his ability.
The Eagle of the Pacific
1953
6.3When Sergeant Okubo's brother is murdered at a Japanese outpost in Northern China during the Second World War, Okubo poses as a war correspondent and seeks out his brother's killer.
Desperado Outpost
1959
4.9Three competing parties all race against time to track down an elusive creature known only as the Snowman.
Beast Man Snow Man
1955
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Three 'Black Crow' Wives
1959
9.0A young country boy leaves his village for Tokyo, where he begins to work as a stock trader. First part (of four) of the film adaptation of Bunroku Shishi's novel, Oban.
Ôban
1957
10.0An Ishiro Honda film.
The Man Who Came to Port
1952
10.0During a winter visit to her grandfather’s mountain home, a young saleswoman becomes entangled in love and jealousy among visiting skiers. After heartbreak and tragedy in the snow, she departs renewed, ready to begin again.
Frame of Snow
1955
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Father is a Soft-Hearted Person: The Night Before His Daughter's Wedding Day
1958
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Story of a Detective's Assistant
1957
9.0Story about a poor Japanese woman living near an American army base who resorts to prostitution.
The Red Light Military Base
1953
NRSet during Japan's Bakumatsu period, the film follows Fukuzawa Yukichi, a poor samurai's son who defies societal norms to study Dutch and English. Despite facing opposition from his family and nationalist factions, he founds Keio University, becoming a key figure in Japan's modernization amid political turmoil.
How the Bell of Liberty Rings
1954
8.0An Ishiro Honda film.
Mother and Son
1955
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Father is a Soft-Hearted Person: There are Five Men and Seven Women in the Family
1958
NRNo synopsis available yet.
So Deep in My Heart
1955
9.0A group of hustling peddlers swindle rural towns with fake goods, facing betrayals, close calls, and constant setbacks as they chase survival and dream of a better future.
Fox and Raccoon
1959
NRA young detective tries to determine whether a mysterious death was the result of murder or self-defense.
In Self-Defense
1958
NRToshiro, a naval reserve student, is a kamikaze pilot. Unsure of how long he will live, Toshiro had no intention of marrying. However, after witnessing the deaths of his comrades and experiencing air raids, he decides to marry his lover, Teruko. But one day, while piloting a kamikaze plane in place of his comrades, Toshiro's plane's wing is shot out during a fierce aerial battle.
Pure Love
1956
NRIn this sequel to Three Dolls in College, the three friends continue their adventures and get into a rockabilly club in Ginza.
Three Dolls in Ginza
1959
NRA college football star gets caught in a scandal involving a geisha teacher, endangering his team’s season and his family’s honor—until a last-minute comeback restores both.
A Young Boss Tries Really Hard
1959
