
Acting
Masahiko Tanimura
Born — Died
1927-02-25 — 2000-08-06
Place of birth
Yamagata, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan
Known for
Acting
Credits
60 titles
Known for
7.1On a Tokyo dump’s shantytown edge, interwoven vignettes follow residents scraping by: a boy who “drives” an imaginary trolley, a homeless father and son designing a dream house, a young woman brutalized at home, drunks, schemers, and saints of small kindnesses. Kurosawa crafts a ragged mosaic of hardship, fantasy, and flickers of grace that keep people moving forward.
Dodes'ka-den
1970
6.4American and Japanese soldiers, stranded on a tiny Pacific island during World War II, must make a temporary truce and cooperate to survive various tribulations. Told through the eyes of the American and Japanese unit commanders, who must deal with an atmosphere of growing distrust and tension between their men.
None But the Brave
1965
5.7Professor Nishiyama, after studying and interpreting the prophecies of Nostradamus, realizes that the end of the world is at hand. Unfortunately, nobody listens to him until it is too late. As the effects of mankind's tampering of the earth - radioactive smog clouds, hideously mutated animals, destruction of the ozone layer - rage out of control, the world leaders hurtle blindly toward the final confrontation. The film sparked controversy in Japan and was subsequently pulled out of circulation, with no official video release of the uncut film.
Prophecies of Nostradamus
1974
7.3In postwar Tokyo, beloved writer-professor Hyakken Uchida retires and is buoyed through hardship by the fierce devotion of his former students, who honor him each year with a raucous “Not yet!” birthday toast. Told in warm, gently comic vignettes, Kurosawa’s farewell celebrates aging, friendship, and the sustaining ritual of teacher and pupils refusing to say goodbye.
Madadayo
1993
7.7The story of Japan's victory in the battle of Tsushima Strait.
Battle Anthem
1983
6.2Onimasa is the egocentric boss of a small yakuza clan on Shikoku Island, whose criminal duties conflict with his self-image as a chivalrous samurai. His struggles with his boss, the Shikoku Godfather, and the tumultuous life of his adopted daughter, Matsue, form the backdrop of this epic tale of justice, obedience, and bloody vengeance.
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
1982
Film credits
1990s · 2 titles
7.3In postwar Tokyo, beloved writer-professor Hyakken Uchida retires and is buoyed through hardship by the fierce devotion of his former students, who honor him each year with a raucous “Not yet!” birthday toast. Told in warm, gently comic vignettes, Kurosawa’s farewell celebrates aging, friendship, and the sustaining ritual of teacher and pupils refusing to say goodbye.
Madadayo
1993
8.0Hajime Kindaichi is working a part time job as an assistant to a TV station for the filming of a shock show. They have invited celebrities in Segori Village and are planning to scare them by playing pranks on them such as fake deaths. However, a threatening letter arrives and soon, a real murder occurs broadcasted in front of everyone.
The Files of Young Kindaichi: Snow Yaksha Legend Murder Case
1995
1980s · 5 titles
7.7The story of Japan's victory in the battle of Tsushima Strait.
Battle Anthem
1983
6.2Onimasa is the egocentric boss of a small yakuza clan on Shikoku Island, whose criminal duties conflict with his self-image as a chivalrous samurai. His struggles with his boss, the Shikoku Godfather, and the tumultuous life of his adopted daughter, Matsue, form the backdrop of this epic tale of justice, obedience, and bloody vengeance.
Onimasa: A Japanese Godfather
1982
7.5Hitomi, a former orphan who is trying to leave behind her delinquent ways, one day agrees to tutor a wealthy young boy who has just become an orphan himself…
Leave My Girl Alone
1986
10.0No synopsis available yet.
Drive for the Future
1980
8.0The story follows the chance meeting between Senkichi, a wandering gambler on the run, and Orin, a blind musician who offers him kindness and shelter. As their lives become intertwined, they attempt to find a sense of peace and domesticity while caught in the crossfire of the violent Bakumatsu revolution.
Flames of Blood
1981
1970s · 23 titles
7.1On a Tokyo dump’s shantytown edge, interwoven vignettes follow residents scraping by: a boy who “drives” an imaginary trolley, a homeless father and son designing a dream house, a young woman brutalized at home, drunks, schemers, and saints of small kindnesses. Kurosawa crafts a ragged mosaic of hardship, fantasy, and flickers of grace that keep people moving forward.
Dodes'ka-den
1970
5.7Professor Nishiyama, after studying and interpreting the prophecies of Nostradamus, realizes that the end of the world is at hand. Unfortunately, nobody listens to him until it is too late. As the effects of mankind's tampering of the earth - radioactive smog clouds, hideously mutated animals, destruction of the ozone layer - rage out of control, the world leaders hurtle blindly toward the final confrontation. The film sparked controversy in Japan and was subsequently pulled out of circulation, with no official video release of the uncut film.
Prophecies of Nostradamus
1974
7.3In Part I we see the young would-be swordsman setting out to achieve greatness in war, achieving nothing because fighting on the losing side, & then beginning his long period of wandering & training, with the goal always in mind of his duel with Kojiro. Part II builds toward that great duel on Ganryu Island, with considerable focus on Musashi's planning & forethought as to how to gain an advantage.
Miyamoto Musashi
1973
8.0After an encounter with a dying yakuza's son and at his sister Sakura's urging, Torajiro attempts to change his vagrant lifestyle and become an honest worker with a steady job.
Tora-san's Runaway
1970
10.0Part 2 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and Tamio Kawachi) thinking too big of themselves.
The Viper Brothers Rage Again
1971
5.3A bad cop is engaged in a violent chase to catch a yakuza boss. In his absence his wife runs away with another man, who turns out to be the very same man that her husband is hunting. Once he discovers this, he loses his nerve and turns in his badge. But the chase turns into a personal vendetta where the ex-cop plans to wipe out the entire gang.
Outlaw Cop
1976
7.7After spending several years in prison, yakuza punk Masa (Bunta Sugawara) and his underling, Katsuji (Tamio Kawachi) are back out in the mean streets of Kobe to make a name for themselves amongst the local yakuza organization.
The Viper Brothers
1971
6.6The first of many movies featuring the lighthearted adventures of two truck drivers. Momojiro and his best friend Kinzo take to the road on their cargo trucks impressing each other with their skills in driving fast and evading the police while transporting commodities throughout the country. Chance encounters with people along the way help them to come to terms with events clouding their past and offer them a shot at redemption.
Truck Rascals: No One Can Stop Me
1975
9.2When Tora-san's infatuation with his nephew's school teacher causes family turmoil, he leaves on his travels again. When he returns, he falls in love with the teacher's mother.
Tora-san's Pure Love
1976
8.4Taking a message from Hiroshi's father to heart, Torajiro attempts to give up his wandering ways.
Tora-san's Love Call
1971
7.5A street vendor who eloped with his girlfriend and injured her brother loses her to illness, and now has to confront the brother and some dirty local yakuza.
Yukyo-retsuden
1970
NRIn a match where professional baseball referee Yuzo Tagami was observing a young referee, Hara, a player who got angry at the indecisive judge, knocked the referee down. Tagami lived with his wife and five children, but when he returned home, Hara, who had been suspended for a month, wanted to receive Tagami's Subaruta training.
Spartan Education
1970
5.81864. Samurai Shinbei is sent in a secret mission to Ezo, in the North of Japan, to stop riots of villagers commanded by Jirozaemon. A Russian count's daughter, the village leader's daughter and a secret treasure add up to the adventure.
Duel at Fort Ezo
1970
7.0Part 3 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and Tamio Kawachi) thinking too big of themselves.
The Viper Brothers: Prison Gang 13
1972
NRTeenage film
Toshigoro
1973
10.0Kingoro Tamai moves with his wife and son to the port city of Wakamatsu. He organizes the Tamai-gumi, a stevedore group, to vie for work with two other powerful groups. Gingo is Tamai's chief rival who falls in love with the latter's wife and tries to kill Tamai.
Flower and Dragon
1973
NRHiroshi Kakurai is an assassin who was thinking of retiring. He travels to an island in the Seto Inland Sea and begins to live peacefully with Shinobu, a woman he has fallen in love with, but the intensity of his love for her begins to drive him towards destruction...
Hangyaku no Tabi
1976
7.7Tai Kato’s early 20th century set yakuza epic about an ordinary merchant girl (Hiroko Maki) who crosses paths with an assassin (Tetsuya Watari). The encounter sends her to jail as a suspected accomplice. Years later she marries a yakuza boss, whose gang is affiliated with working class people.
The Blossom and the Sword
1973
NRComedy of a phony doctor.
Price of Life
1971
6.0A young man who aspires to become a big-shot businessman, finds himself in a twist of fate. Despite trying his hand at various jobs, success eludes him, and he unexpectedly ends up in Osaka's Shinimamiya district. With empty pockets, he stumbles upon an invitation to the 'Gokuraku Toruko' establishment, becoming a patron. Led by the enchanting Ibohachi, he becomes entangled with the charismatic hostesses, including the captivating Tama. This leads him to infiltrate Tama's apartment complex, Sakura-so. Within its walls reside a colorful cast of characters, from hostesses Chie, Akemi, Yukari, and Kayoko to the quirky parasites like Masao, Tetsuo, Arima, and more. Seeking a fresh start, He embarks on a journey as a 'parasite,' but things take unexpected turns...
Kigeki Toruko-buro Osho-sen
1971
NRSet in Kawasaki in 1925, Challenge at Dawn is based on the Tsurumi Riot Incident, which actually ocurred in Yokohama that year and was sparked by corruption and yakuza involvement in the construction industry.
Challenge at Dawn
1971
NROne day an innocent-looking girl in white clothes appears on board of a ramshackle boat The owner of the boat, Okin, decides to let Mari stay with him without asking her any questions. Turmoil ensues with the reaction of the crew when the runaway girl starts working alongside with them.
Beyond the Rainbow
1972
NRNo synopsis available yet.
It's a Psychic, Everybody Gather!!
1974
1960s · 25 titles
6.4American and Japanese soldiers, stranded on a tiny Pacific island during World War II, must make a temporary truce and cooperate to survive various tribulations. Told through the eyes of the American and Japanese unit commanders, who must deal with an atmosphere of growing distrust and tension between their men.
None But the Brave
1965
8.0Hamada, Izumi, and Aki Jo, a rising singer from Toshiba Records, form a fresh trio who risk their youthful energy to bravely confront violence in this bright and cheerful coming-of-age action film.
Stardust Wharf
1968
6.8A young yakuza hitman named Goro does a job and needs to hideout away from Tokyo for a while. He hangs out with loose women and hard men and always manages to stay one step ahead of the law. In his exile, he comes under suspicion for a murder and meets the girlfriend of the murdered man. They develop a strange bond while unbeknown to Goro, another hitman is after him for the job he did in Tokyo.
Velvet Hustler
1967
7.0Comedy of manners set on the "Kodama" train between Tokyo and Osaka, before the opening of the Shinkansen. In the leading role, Frankie Sakai plays a straightforward but indecisive hero. The passengers also include the bubbly Dan Reiko, and Ozawa Eitaro as a dour company president. Based on the novel "Seven and a half hours", by Shishi Bunroku.
Romance Express
1961
NRNo synopsis available yet.
恋と出世に強くなれ!
1963
No synopsis available yet.
Ganpā kachō
1961
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Heavenly Comic Story of a Gentleman
1960
NRModern comedy.
Biting Young Master
1960
NRComedy about a man's adventures in Bangkok, Thailand.
Hot Vacation
1968
NRThe new head of a powerful family faces danger from an evil rival out for blood.
Ryuji's Journey: The Crest of Man
1965
6.6A young man with a strong sense of justice is torn between two girls: the flighty Taneko and the serious Suzuko. With wisdom, courage and honor in a Japanese spirit of manliness he wins the day.
Born Under Crossed Stars
1965
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
NRNo synopsis available yet.
前科・仮釈放
1969
7.0Place your bets! Japan's greatest gambler, Koji Himuro (Akira Kobayashi), faces off against an international cabal of gamblers with only his wits and his incredibly skilled left hand against every conceivable way to cheat someone in a game.
The Black Gambler: The Gambling Syndicate
1965
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Umineko ga tonde
1962
10.0The fictional land "Pandora" sends three (numbered) graduates of the "National Gambling University" to Japan. You should defeat the master player Kôji, control the international casino empire and use the profits to achieve world domination. But Japan's most famous left hand knows what to do.
The Black Gambler: Left Hand of the Devil
1966
8.0Ryu (Akira Kobayashi) sets foot on the Yokohama port with a suitcase filled with 300 thousand dollars. He was sent by a jewelry company in Hong Kong to retrieve a certain diamond that was stolen from them. The "Himalayan Star" is worth couple hundred million yen and unbeknown to Ryu, it now lays in the hands of Aizu (Jo Shishido), the infamous ”Pirate of the Tokyo Bay."
The Dragon of Macao
1965
NRA brave warrior fights to restore peace to a town riddled by crime, one sword at a time, in this historical action saga.
The Rule for a Vagabond
1965
10.0It is the Taisho era in Japan. A man has quit the Yakuza after five years and returned to Shikoku in order to begin his life anew as a ferryman. His boss, however, became ill and the boat is taken due to unpaid debts to the local thugs. His new life has not begun well and he is determined to rebuild the shattered business. The Yakuza, however, have added the ferry business to the rest of their portfolio of local concerns.
Duel in the Storm
1968
Japanese comedy film.
凸凹珍道中
1960
NRA Tokyo student transfers to a rural school and finds it difficult to adjust himself to its customs and traditions. One of the customs is the wearing of an old school cap by a senior. It is a symbol of courage and bravery and is handed down to a new senior each year.
The School Cap
1963
8.0Young Lord Taihei goes to Edo to find the lost family treasure, a plover incense burner, under the disguise of a ronin.
Young Lord Yakuza
1961
NRA man who was released from prison wanders around the Kanto region and gets involved with the local yakuza.
The Kanto Region Is Also Expanding
1967
NR1961 Japanese movie
Sararīman yajikita dōchū
1961
7.0A young gambler returns from prison to find his gang scattered, and many gone over to his old rival. But their rivalry is not only a matter of gambling. For when he is about to marry the daughter of a police official, the rival again interferes and this time it is a fight to the finish -- the end of his enemy.
The Dragon and the Tiger
1966
1950s · 5 titles
NRThe third "Otora-san" feature.
Otora-san at His Best
1958
NRThe sixth and final "Otora-san" feature.
Otora-san's Business is Booming
1958
NRMasuo and Sazae are enjoying their newlywed life in their new house, even though they are in company housing. Masuo's colleague is invited to thank him for the newlyweds, but Masuo has been told by Managing Director Hanamura to go on a business trip to Kansai. Before long, Masuo contacted Sazae to come to Osaka.
Sazae-san, the Wayward Wife
1959
NRNo synopsis available yet.
The Spear Master
1959
NRSazae's wish came true and she got married to Masuo. The two ended up living together at Sazae's parents' home, the Isono family. However, the newlywed life that started at the Isono family was a disaster. At the Isono family, where bonito and Wakame pranks and neighbors visit, it is difficult even to be alone.
Sazae-san's Newlywed Family
1959
