
Acting
Tetsuya Watari
Born — Died
1941-12-28 — 2020-08-10
Place of birth
Awaji Island, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Known for
Acting
Credits
86 titles
He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. Watari belonged to the karate club at university. He made his screen debut in 1964, in Isamu Kosugi's Abare Kishidō, and received one of the Elan d'or Awards. At Nikkatsu, Watari appeared in such films as Tokyo Drifter and the Outlaw series. Watari was mentored at Nikkatsu by Yujiro Ishihara. When Nikkatsu shifted to focusing on Roman Porno films in the early seventies, Watari was one of many actors who left the studio. Watari was due to play the main role in Kinji Fukasaku’s film Battles Without Honor and Humanity, but because of illness he was not able to appear. In 1974, he was forced to step down from the lead role of Katsu Kaishū in the Taig…
Known for
7.5Detective Ukyo Sugishita confronts crime on the basis of his own convictions. He has a partner that works for him in the Special Task Unit. For the first 7 seasons, Ukyo’s first partner is Kaoru Kameyama. He is a good-natured, hot-tempered, straightforward and somewhat scattered detective. Beginning in Season 8, Takeru Kanbe replaces Kameyama. Contrary to his predecessor, Takeru is a lanky, cool, conceited and confident detective. From Season 11 to Season 13, Ukyo’s partner is a young detective Toru Kai. Toru is a son of Deputy Director-General of The National Police Agency. But he became a detective by his own effort. And starting with Season 14, Ukyo’s current partner is Wataru Kaburagi, an elite bureaucrat who came to the Metropolitan Police Department on temporary assignment. As the first partner without any career of a police officer, he will face challenging cases together with Ukyo.
AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo
2002
8.5SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%. Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
SMAP×SMAP
1996
8.3Yoshitsune is a Japanese television drama series originally broadcast between 9 January and 11 December 2005, with a three-part special compilation being aired from 24 December to 25 December 2005. The 44th Taiga Drama, the original work is by Miyao Tomiko, screenplay by Kaneko Narito and starring Hideaki Takizawa.
Yoshitsune
2005
9.7A dramatized biography of the second of Japan's three legendary leaders. Rising from obscurity, Hideyoshi served under the command of Oda Nobunaga. With an extraordinary combination of intelligence, bravery and military skill, Hideyoshi rose to near-absolute power and greatly expanded upon Nobunaga's unification of Japan's warlords. This series also focused on Hideyoshi's personal life, particularly his relationships with his mother and his wife, and the pair's rivalry for influence over him.
Hideyoshi
1996
7.1A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang.
Brother
2000
7.7Saka no Ue no Kumo is an NHK 21st Century special drama which was aired over three years starting from November 29, 2009. The series runs 13 episodes at 90 minutes each. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, were broadcast in late 2010 and 2011. While most episodes were shot in Japan, one of the episodes in series two was shot in Latvia. The TV series is based on the novel Saka no ue no kumo by Ryōtarō Shiba and adopted by Hisashi Nozawa. The theme song of the drama series is titled "Stand Alone". It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, written by Kundo Koyama and performed by British soprano singer Sarah Brightman.
Clouds Over the Hill
2009
Film credits
2010s · 1 titles
2000s · 5 titles
7.1A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang.
Brother
2000
5.5Directed by Junya Sato and based on a book by Jun Henmi, "Yamato" has a framing story set in the present day and uses flashbacks to tell the story of the crew of the World War II Japanese battleship Yamato. The film was never released in the United States, where reviewers who have seen it have compared the military epic to "Titanic" and "Saving Private Ryan."
Yamato
2005
7.5Screen icon Sayuri Yoshinaga stars in this historical melodrama about geishas in the southern city of Nagasaki set during the 1920s. Though she was sold to a geisha house at a young age, Aihara (Yoshinaga) has since become a master samisen player and woman of great elegance. Though not especially rich, she doles out money to street kids, in particular, a pretty young flower vendor named Oyuki, who becomes Aihara's godchild of sorts. Yet when a geisha (Reiko Takashima) from a rival red-light district insults Aihara and her brethren, she fights back. Soon an all-out geisha war looms. Dapper businessman and amateur scholar Tojiro Koga (Tetsuya Watari) appears on the scene and defuses tempers -- suggesting that difference be settled through a competition of artistic abilities. Smitten with her talent and mature beauty, Koga invites Aihara to record Nagasaki folk songs before they disappear forever
It Is a Long Walk
2000
7.3Men and women caught up in a downward spiral of corruption, discrimination, poverty and death are the focus of this detective-thriller/social-drama inspired by the unsolved 1984 kidnapping of a Japanese candy company president.
Lady Joker
2004
Kazuma Tachibana, a Tokyo Police detective on liaison with the NYPD, and his partner, New York City Police detective Bob Anderson, chase a criminal named Chan in New York City. Upon his arrest, they learn that one of Chan's associates is a career criminal named Masaomi Niimi, wanted by Interpol on charges of passport fraud. They arrest Niimi, but in the process Anderson is fatally wounded and dies in Kazuma's arms. Overwhelmed by guilt and determined to avenge the loss of his partner, Kazuma joins his superior, Eiji 'Hato' Hatomura to escort Niimi back to Tokyo where he will stand trial.
Western Police Special
2004
1990s · 7 titles
7.7Kounosuke Mibu and Tae Horikawa are unable to forget each other, even though they met and fell in love 20 years ago. They had promised each other that they would build a retreat in Shiguretei, but Ushio was hospitalized after a stroke a few days later, and when his wife, Takako, rushed to the hospital, she discovered their love affair, which in reality had not gone beyond kissing. Now, 20 years later, against the advice of her ikebana mentor, Tae rushes to meet Ushio at Shiguretei, only to see him clutching his chest in pain. Eventually, the design and plans for the dream retreat are seen by Tae, but she has to visit Kyoto alone... or maybe she's heading for somewhere else.
Diary of Early Winter Shower
1998
7.2Begins during the Yellow Turban rebellion that initiated the downfall of the Han dynasty. Liu Bei is striving to find a way to bring order to a chaotic world. He befriends Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. They take the Oath of the Peach Garden, to live and die together as warriors for justice. Cao Cao (eventual antagonist) ponders how to fulfill his destiny as "a hero in a chaotic world or a villain in a peaceful one." English dub version cuts out 18 minutes of the film.
Great Conquest: The Romance of Three Kingdoms
1992
8.5The director of a large Tokyo trading company is kidnapped and held for ransom. A young but experienced detective is put on the case while being at the centre of a nationwide television sensation.
Abduction
1997
6.3Covering roughly 13 years, from Cao Cao's victory over Lu Bu in 198 CE, through the Battle of Red Cliffs in 208 CE, and the aftermath up until 211 BCE. As other players are swept from the board, the story focuses on Liu Bei and his increasingly desperate attempts to prevent Cao Cao from seizing all of China. The turning point is Liu Bei's recruitment of the best strategic mind of that generation, Zhuge Kongming, the Crouching Dragon.
Sangokushi: The Yangtze Is Burning!
1993
NRKin chan no Cinema Jack is an anthology film starring Yuen Biao and produced by Jackie Chan
Kin chan no Cinema Jack
1993
A ronin named Azami Onijuro travels the Nikko Highway, he is being followed by the bounty hunter Daihachi and Yukata Danzen. He is pursued by his past as a covert spy under Lord Matsudaira. Due to certain circumstances, Onijuro betrayed him and became a wandering ronin. Ever since, he's been hunted by Matsudaira's subordinates and bounty hunters. After saving the tough and fiery woman Omom from yakuza trouble, Onijuro and his companions head to Akame-shuku (inn town). Here, a conflict brews between the Tsurugame family led by Genroku and the lawless monk group led by Tetsuzan, a former sumo wrestler gone rogue. Onijuro sides with Tetsuzan, while Daihachi and Danzen side with Genroku. This intricate web of allegiances and confrontations unfolds against the backdrop of the bustling post-town.
The Unruly Ronin's Journey
1991
“Night Train to the Stars” is a biography of the fascinating life of Kenji Miyazawa, one of Japan's most beloved fantasy novelists. Miyazawa is an idealist pledging with his friend Kanai to work for the improved life of farmers. Troubled by his family’s interest in money making and social status, he leaves home after graduating high school to join a Buddhist sect in Tokyo. After falling out with a friend, and receiving news about his sister re-emerging pneumonia, he decides to return home where starts his own experimental school, teaching new farming methods to young local farmers while also instructing them in music and arts. It was only after his death, through the help of his brother Seiroku, that his writings became widely read.
Night Train to the Stars
1996
1980s · 2 titles
NRAfter the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate, there was a series of battles fought while the former supporters of the Tokugawa shogunate retreated to the north where they actually started a sovereign nation that was recognized by more than one European country. Survivors of the Shinsengumi were among the followers of Enomoto Takeaki who took them to the northernmost island of Ezo where they fought their final battle at the star shaped fort, Goryokaku. The Japanese Civil Wars fought in the name of the emperor signaled the complete end of the feudal system and Japan’s entry into the modern world as those brave samurai tried to halt progress and learned that the age of modern warfare and weaponry had passed them by. Swords were no match for rifles and cannons, nor was any man a match for the power of the imperial flag. Japanese loyalty to the emperor has long defined the nation and culture despite the changing times.
Goryokaku
1988
10.0Ayumi Ishida won the Blue Ribbon for the Best Actress.
Clockwork- Goodbye Winter
1986
1970s · 18 titles
6.7A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the yakuza but quickly loses his self-control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa.
Graveyard of Honor
1975
7.0Global South guerrillas hijack the Japanese oil tanker Arabian Light, threatening to blow it up in Tokyo Bay, unless the Cabinet complies with an economically devastating ultimatum.
Conflagration
1975
6.6A police investigator cracks down on yakuza business, but once he realizes the police are in negotiations with certain factions, he sides with his own syndicate of choice.
Yakuza Graveyard
1976
7.0No synopsis available yet.
The Human Revolution
1973
10.0Centred on Aonari Hyokichi, a young literary man with aspirations to become a writer, and the surrounding people, including Kira Tsuneo and Tobigashikaku.
Theater of Life
1972
7.9When his pistol is stolen, police detective Murakami is humiliated, especially when the gun is later implicated in a crime. Working with his superior, Chief Detective Sato, Murakami works feverishly to trace the location of his pistol, ultimately clashing with a gang of youthful Okinawans.
Stray Dog
1973
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
NRThe Japanese government decides to install a radar on the top of Mt. Fuji, in order to detect typhoons as far as 800 km south of the Japanese archipelago, but the task will not be easy.
The Summit of Mt. Fuji
1970
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
NRIn the late Taisho era. Umeshima Jinbei, the president of the Kanto Umeshima Kai, divided the area into the Kuroda family to the south and the Takeuchi family to the north in order to protect the security of Kame no Ii, which had opened up in place of the Yoshiwara brothel that had been burnt down in the earthquake, and had the Kuroda family rule their respective territories. Chichibu Yasaburo, the small head of the Kuroda family, had a good reputation as the mainstay of the family and was trusted by his boss Mankichi, but Furuno, who was in love with Mankichi's daughter Mie, who was in love with Yasaburo, informally informed the Takeuchi clan and took out Mankichi's seal and borrowed money from Takeuchi in the name of Yasaburo to line his pockets.
Expelled from the Kanto Mob
1971
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
8.5Yūji, fresh out of prison on parole, meets a stranger named Nao that asks for his assistance...
Step on the Gas!
1970
NRA dramatic film that recorded the history of Japan in the period of high economic growth. This work deals with Kashima Rinkai industrial zone development. The men who dream of making the overlooking wasteland as a big industrial area draw the courage to realize the ideal purely with the fishy desire swirling back to the coastal industrial area of Kashima Nada in Ibaraki prefecture.
The Earth is Born Again
1971
NRThe story of the desperate struggle between the police and a large crime syndicate.
Chase That Man
1972
9.0Takei Goro leaves the gang to quit the yakuza world, but the gang won't allow it and relentlessly pursues Takei. This is Watari Tetsuya's first film to star in Shochiku.
Law of the Outlaw
1971
8.0Dramatic story of one man trying to make a difference.
Human Revolution II
1976
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
NRThe film tells about drug trafficking from Vietnam to Tokyo and Okinawa. Tetsuya Watari plays a photographer who uses his camera as a blackmail weapon. He is on the trail of a narcotics smuggler (Mikio Narita) and his beautiful contact (Haruko Wanibuchi). Watari meets a former gangster (Yujiro Ishihara) who is seeking revenge against Narita, his former partner. Watari and Ishihara become allies and hijack the dope shipment. But Narita threatens the life of Haruko, who turns out to be Ishihara's sister, and demands the dope in return for the girl.
Rebellion Reward
1973
1960s · 27 titles
7.1After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.
Tokyo Drifter
1966
8.0Unlike traditional gangster movies, it is a gangster swashbuckler that mixes romance and humanity with a yakuza lover as the main character. A young man who heard that his former boss was killed is imprisoned by slashing his family's minions, and his lover is tortured by the enemy, but rescued by the imprisoned young man's nemesis.
Ruthless Gambler
1969
6.7Goro had grown up in the yakuza world. As an active member of the Mizuhara family crime syndicate, he expressed his loyalty by always putting himself in the forefront of every battle. Violence never bothered him. However, after being sentenced to three years in prison for stabbing a rival gang’s hit man, he becomes disenchanted with the Yakuza life style. Goro is determined to start anew, but karma catches up. His two closest friends are murdered by his ex-boss. He is left with two options: to kill or be killed.
Outlaw: Gangster VIP
1968
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Song of my Life
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
NR1967 Nikkatsu film.
The Debt of Blood
1967
6.8Goro Fujikawa (Tetsuya Watari) was indebted to Mitsugimoto. Sawada, a low rank yakuza with a gambling problem owed Mitsugimoto three million yen. This equation can only lead to one answer. Mitsugimoto needs to pay and Goro's coming to collect.
Outlaw: Heartless
1968
6.9Goro has always been a lone wolf. When he arrives at an industrial city in Keihin, there is certain restlessness in the air. The Iriezaki family and the Kanto Touyu-kai were in the midst of a territorial dispute. Goro was quick to notice, but had no intent to take sides. At a department store nearby, he sees an elevator lady being harassed by a couple of hoodlums. Goro decides to intervene. Unbeknownst to him, the hoodlums are Touyu-kai members – and the girl has strong ties with the opposing family.
Outlaw: Kill!
1969
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
6.5A street war breaks loose between two rival gangs in the Kansai region of Japan. Goro is in the middle of action. Through a knife fight against Sueo, a high profile gangster from Busou-kai, Goro notices a familiar face approaching him from amidst the chaos - his girlfriend, Yuri. Goro had sent her to safety, but she had returned, aching to see him. Caught between Goro and his enemy knife, she reunites with her love - the price was her life.
Outlaw: Black Dagger
1968
10.0In 1943, critical developments in the Pacific War have placed Japan at a disadvantage, although the fiery breaths of war hadn't yet reached Okinawa Normal School for women. Nothing seemed the least bit out of the ordinary, as Kazuko and her friends enjoyed a day of sports. A year later the war takes a devastating turn, as US forces plan an amphibious attack known as "Operation Iceberg" on the Ryukyu island.
Monument to the Girl's Corps
1968
10.0Yoji Kitami, a fisherman's son, is a student in Tokyo. His father had died at sea and Taichiro, his brother, is sending him to the university. But the outbreak of violence by radical students and blockade of classrooms make studying impossible and Yoji goes home. Fortunately, he meets Katsuyuki Shinoda, a childhood friend, who works on a whaling vessel. Yoji decides to join him and rediscover a meaning in life. But finding sidework on a whaler is not so easy and Ogaki, a veteran harpooner, curtly turns him down. But finally, deeply touched by Yoji's earnestness, Ogaki reluctantly agrees to take him with them. Rules are very strict, for even one slight slip-up may jeopardize the safety of the entire ship. For a long time, it seems like a living hell, but with patience and courage, he begins to learn the ropes. And the day they sight their first whale, Yoji comes into his own and finds the real meaning of life.
The Wild Sea
1969
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
NRCollege life starts off great for Michiko. She and her friend join the Italian Culture Research Club that performs canzone, a genre they are both in love with. The only problem is that the club doesn't have enough money to buy instruments for them to play. One day, the two come across a talent show called the "Mari Sono Look-Alike Contest" that promises the winner a cash prize. And Michiko looks a lot like the star.
Till We Meet Again
1966
9.0One morning, Kazue is nearly knocked over by a motorbike in front of an instrument store, breaking all the records that she was carrying. The two connect instantly and begin seeing each other every day. However, Iwai, Yukio’s foster parent, is concerned - Yukio had been exposed to the atomic bomb when he was four years old and had been showing symptoms of atomic radiation, hospitalizing him in the Genbaku Atomic Bomb Survivor’s Hospital. Unfortunately, nobody knows when the symptoms may return. When Yukio passes out from anemia during work, he decides to part with Kazue. A couple of days later, Yukio tells her of his destiny at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, but Kazue passionately encourages him.
The Heart of Hiroshima
1966
10.0A real all-star cast turns out for this modern yakuza yarn.
The Cleanup
1969
NRSequel to Tokyo Drifter
Tokyo Drifter 2: The Sea Is Bright Red as the Color of Love
1966
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Dreams Come True at Night
1967
6.0A professional hunter, Tetsuya, returns from Alaska to find that his hometown had become a lawless slum. He is shocked to learn that his younger sister had committed suicide after being raped by unknown men. One day, he rescues a girl from being attacked by some gang, and discovers that the same gang had driven his sister to death. Using his lethal hunting skills, Tetsuya begins to take revenge…
Savage Wolf Pack
1969
10.0A youthful Nikkatsu drama about a Japanese painter who travels to Australia and falls in love.
The Blazing Continent
1968
NRYoung female teacher Kyoko Miyake relocates to a small seaside town with her runaway little sister, but their new life is complicated by hoodlum-like Jiro Yamazaki.
The Black Sheep
1967
NRA deep mist envelops the port city of Yokohama. The scent of crime is everywhere. As an executive member of a drug trafficking syndicate, Kano is pretty high up in the food chain, but "status" bears no value to him. All he cares for is Ayako, the boss' mistress. After one last job, they intend to run off together to Hong Kong, but their plans are hindered when an uninvited yakuza stirs up a vicious shootout. In the midst of it all, Ayako is kidnapped.
Love Eternal
1966
NRIt had been a year and four months since Mitsuo was last on a movie set. Welcomed back by director Ishizaki and his film crew, Mitsuo is excited to star as the lead in "My Sweetheart". One day, half way through production, he meets his friends from a popular rock group, "The Spiders". Through their discussion regarding the climax scene, they criticize that the script is too grim. In a notion to protect their friend's career, they decide to pay the scriptwriter a little visit.
My Sweetheart
1967
10.0Kazama and three others defeated Yoshie Sangyo, but the Nishio group was disbanded due to public pressure, and the territory belonged to the Hirata group.
The Fatal Raid
1969
NRAfter World War II life in Japan was hard. There was lawlessness, rapine, never enough food or money. One girl, raped by three men, called out the name of Kentaro before she died and this was something that people in this small section of downtown Tokyo remembered. Life went on, however, and local boss Hiramatsu Daizo decided to build a market, aided by his daughter Aya. They met opposition until one day a young man named Kentaro appears who it is rumored he was the vengeful lover of the murdered girl. He lives with Sabu and Yukari, the children the girl looked after before she died, and helps with the market, coming to the rescue with a bulldozer when Daizo is threatened by a rival group. When Daizo is finally killed, Kentaro carries on the work. Finally the market is completed, the rival group makes a last stand but is machine-gunned down by Kentaro who, after saying that he was not the one whose name the dying girl called out, leaves town for good.
The Aftermath of War
1967
NRThe brother of an up-and-coming kendoka is mysteriously murdered while working on a new model of motorboat.
The Stars and I Decided...
1965
Series credits
7.5Detective Ukyo Sugishita confronts crime on the basis of his own convictions. He has a partner that works for him in the Special Task Unit. For the first 7 seasons, Ukyo’s first partner is Kaoru Kameyama. He is a good-natured, hot-tempered, straightforward and somewhat scattered detective. Beginning in Season 8, Takeru Kanbe replaces Kameyama. Contrary to his predecessor, Takeru is a lanky, cool, conceited and confident detective. From Season 11 to Season 13, Ukyo’s partner is a young detective Toru Kai. Toru is a son of Deputy Director-General of The National Police Agency. But he became a detective by his own effort. And starting with Season 14, Ukyo’s current partner is Wataru Kaburagi, an elite bureaucrat who came to the Metropolitan Police Department on temporary assignment. As the first partner without any career of a police officer, he will face challenging cases together with Ukyo.
AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo
2002
8.5SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%. Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
SMAP×SMAP
1996
8.3Yoshitsune is a Japanese television drama series originally broadcast between 9 January and 11 December 2005, with a three-part special compilation being aired from 24 December to 25 December 2005. The 44th Taiga Drama, the original work is by Miyao Tomiko, screenplay by Kaneko Narito and starring Hideaki Takizawa.
Yoshitsune
2005
9.7A dramatized biography of the second of Japan's three legendary leaders. Rising from obscurity, Hideyoshi served under the command of Oda Nobunaga. With an extraordinary combination of intelligence, bravery and military skill, Hideyoshi rose to near-absolute power and greatly expanded upon Nobunaga's unification of Japan's warlords. This series also focused on Hideyoshi's personal life, particularly his relationships with his mother and his wife, and the pair's rivalry for influence over him.
Hideyoshi
1996
7.7Saka no Ue no Kumo is an NHK 21st Century special drama which was aired over three years starting from November 29, 2009. The series runs 13 episodes at 90 minutes each. The first series, with 5 episodes, was broadcast in 2009, while series two and three, each with 4 episodes, were broadcast in late 2010 and 2011. While most episodes were shot in Japan, one of the episodes in series two was shot in Latvia. The TV series is based on the novel Saka no ue no kumo by Ryōtarō Shiba and adopted by Hisashi Nozawa. The theme song of the drama series is titled "Stand Alone". It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, written by Kundo Koyama and performed by British soprano singer Sarah Brightman.
Clouds Over the Hill
2009
NRKatsu Kaishū deals with end of the Edo period. Based on Kan Shimozawa's novels "Katsu Kaishū "
Katsu Kaishu
1974
NRIn the big city where loyalty is rare and justice comes hard, a stoic detective (Tetsuya Watari) and his old friend, a sharp-eyed reporter (Yujiro Ishihara), forge a quiet alliance, uncovering brutal truths in days of relentless struggle.
Big City: Days of Struggle
1976
6.7The drama will center around how a 35 year old changes the school and influences her fellow classmates’ lives while dealing with the dark reality of today’s high schools, including bullying and skipping school.
No Dropping Out: Back to School at 35
2013
7.0Seibu Keisatsu is a television drama series produced by Ishihara Promotions and broadcast on TV Asahi
Seibu Keisatsu
1979
9.0Daichūshingura is a television dramatization of the events of the Forty-seven Ronin. The first episode aired on January 5, 1971, and the 52nd and final episode appeared on December 28 of the same year. The NET network broadcast it in the Tuesday evening 9:00–9:56 prime-time slot in Japan. The series featured an all-star cast. The central actor was Toshiro Mifune, who portrayed Ōishi Kuranosuke; Yoko Tsukasa his wife; and kabuki actor Onoe Kikugorō VII their son Chikara.
Epic Chushingura
1971
6.5Set at the end of the Edo period, the series depicts Kumo's family with his wife, Kame, their 11-year-old son, Shinnosuke. Kumo is always ignoring work and playing and he is also notorious for womanising.
Haguregumo
1978
9.0The detectives of Nana-magari station investigate a wide variety of crimes in 70s Japan, ranging from the mundane to the absolutely bizarre.
Roar At The Sun!
1972
NRNo synopsis available yet.
弟
2004
NR"Machiben" centers around four lawyers who help the weak and downtrodden of their town.
The Street Lawyers
2006
9.0Seno Kyoko is a pianist who receives an inheritance from her uncle, and begins living happily with her husband. But one day, she receives a phone call from a woman claiming to be her husband's pregnant mistress, and she is soon driven to murder.
Flower of Ice
2008
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Marusa!!
2003
6.0Irie is ordered to investigate George Hakushu, a key person in the missile defense program. The mysterious man's identity may be Kitayama, his former senior who committed suicide after being captured as an industrial spy...
Gion Bayashi
2005
9.0The arrival of Matthew Perry's Black Ships rudely awakened Japan from 300 years of isolation from the world. Men set their eyes beyond Japan and began to demand change in society. Old clashed with the new, and thus began an age of turmoil. Amidst this confusion, one group remained true to the old ways and risked their lives to preserve the traditional shogunate system. Led by their charismatic captain, Kondo Isami, the Shinsengumi upheld the code of honor of the samurai. Tales abound of the feats of men like Kondo, Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Soshi. In general, the passion and glory of these men who lived during these turbulent times in Japanese history are given exploration.
Bloody Journal of the Shinsengumi
1998
NRKamikawa Ryohei is a 35-year-old man who works in a foreign company and lives a happy family life with his wife and son. On the day he decides to switch careers and submit his resignation, his wife runs away from home, leaving his hands full taking care of the home and bringing up their son. Saeki Shinichiro is a 61-year-old man who decides to live alone when he loses his wife to illness not long after he reached the mandatory retirement age.
Family: Absence of the Wife, Existence of the Husband
2006
NRA detective drama that tries to charm you with its story rather than flashy action. The focus was on the guests in each episode, and each time a gorgeous lineup appeared and became a hot topic at the time. The title has the meaning that "a detective who protects citizens is the same as a representative director who protects employees in a company."
Daihyô torishimariyaku deka
1990
NRThe series centers around Ryūhei Kasugai (Tetsuya Watari), the grumpy owner of a traditional rice shop in Kamakura, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Determined to reconnect with his estranged family, he gathers them back together under one roof. As they navigate old conflicts and rediscover family bonds, Ryūhei also seeks to secure the future of the shop.
Oishii Gohan: Kamakura Kasugai Rice Shop
2007
5.5No synopsis available yet.
浮浪云
1978
No synopsis available yet.
Middle-aged Divorce
2005
No synopsis available yet.
Tuna
2007
No synopsis available yet.
スクープ
2002
No synopsis available yet.
渡哲也サスペンス 絆
2002

