Writing

Shinji Kessoku

Born — Died

1926-08-06 — 1987-05-30

Place of birth

Tokyo, Japan

Known for

Writing

Credits

40 titles

Known for

Sasaki Kojiro, Part 2 poster
7.0

The conclusion of the story of famed swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro. After surviving a series of daring adventures, Kojiro seems to have finally discovered the ultimate happiness in life when he is reunited with Tone, the love of his life. However, his days of happiness are overshadowed by an upcoming duel with his fateful enemy Miyamoto Musashi.

Sasaki Kojiro, Part 2

1957

Restoration Fire poster
7.0

Megastar Kataoka Chiezo is Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi in this realistic tale of Japan’s inner battles that led to the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Excellent performances and extremely good swordplay highlight this glimpse into the heart and soul of Japanese history. Although known as “Razor Blade” Hijikata, the vice-commander is a man of deep conviction with a little-known sense of humanity. Starting after the famed Ikedaya Incident, in which they saved Kyoto from Choshu’s plot to burn the city to ashes, they work hard to change the public’s view of them as merciless killers to their true mission of protecting the shogun. This is an extraordinary tale of blood and guts! From the pen of award winning author Shotaro Ikenami (Bandit Vs. Samurai, Hunter in the Dark, Misumi's The Last Samurai)

Restoration Fire

1961

Golden Peacock Castle, Part 1 poster
6.2

A group of pirates led by the evil Gondaiyu and his wizard, Genkuro, capture the Golden Peacock Castle and massacre the peaceful clan that lives there. The few survivors that manage to escape plot their revenge and wait for the right timing for an attack. The struggles of the Golden Peacock Clan continue as they seek to reclaim their home and prevent the evil Gondaiyu from taking their most prized treasures.

Golden Peacock Castle, Part 1

1961

Young Ruddy Warrior: Nobunaga Oda poster
NR

A dynamic story depicting the rise to power of Oda Nobunaga. The story of a young man on the battlefields of the Sengoku era, who possessed character and courage, and who became a great commander and ruler, while some called him a great dictator. A film adaptation of the novel by Sohachi Yamaoka.

Young Ruddy Warrior: Nobunaga Oda

1955

Lucky Adventurer Nobunaga Oda poster
7.5

Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) was a major daimyo during the Warring State period of Japanese history. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy military governor with land holdings in Owari province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japanese daimyo before his death in 1582. Telling the story of his rise to prominence as he leads an army of 4,000 men against the 40,000 troops of Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto to prevent the arrogant daimyo from crushing the Oda clan and taking control of the entire nation. From a newly restored anamorpic widescreen print, this is the ultimate warlord movie.

Lucky Adventurer Nobunaga Oda

1959

No Stronger Swords poster
7.0

Featuring some of the finest swordsmen ever to grace the silver screen, this Toei classic tells the story of a battle between the evil sword style called ”Otonashi” (The Silent Form) and the proper way of swordsmanship as promoted by such historical stalwarts as Shimada Toranosuke, and the mysterious Honda Sakon, who face off against a group masquerading as the lord of Mito and his traveling bodyguards Suke-san and Kaku-san. The plot thickens as their leader unveils his secret plan to disrupt the stability of the nation. It is all in the name of swordsmanship, and as the title implies there are no stronger swordsmen!

No Stronger Swords

1959

Behind the camera

Sasaki Kojiro, Part 2 poster
7.0

The conclusion of the story of famed swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro. After surviving a series of daring adventures, Kojiro seems to have finally discovered the ultimate happiness in life when he is reunited with Tone, the love of his life. However, his days of happiness are overshadowed by an upcoming duel with his fateful enemy Miyamoto Musashi.

Sasaki Kojiro, Part 2

1957

Restoration Fire poster
7.0

Megastar Kataoka Chiezo is Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi in this realistic tale of Japan’s inner battles that led to the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Excellent performances and extremely good swordplay highlight this glimpse into the heart and soul of Japanese history. Although known as “Razor Blade” Hijikata, the vice-commander is a man of deep conviction with a little-known sense of humanity. Starting after the famed Ikedaya Incident, in which they saved Kyoto from Choshu’s plot to burn the city to ashes, they work hard to change the public’s view of them as merciless killers to their true mission of protecting the shogun. This is an extraordinary tale of blood and guts! From the pen of award winning author Shotaro Ikenami (Bandit Vs. Samurai, Hunter in the Dark, Misumi's The Last Samurai)

Restoration Fire

1961

Golden Peacock Castle, Part 1 poster
6.2

A group of pirates led by the evil Gondaiyu and his wizard, Genkuro, capture the Golden Peacock Castle and massacre the peaceful clan that lives there. The few survivors that manage to escape plot their revenge and wait for the right timing for an attack. The struggles of the Golden Peacock Clan continue as they seek to reclaim their home and prevent the evil Gondaiyu from taking their most prized treasures.

Golden Peacock Castle, Part 1

1961

Young Ruddy Warrior: Nobunaga Oda poster
NR

A dynamic story depicting the rise to power of Oda Nobunaga. The story of a young man on the battlefields of the Sengoku era, who possessed character and courage, and who became a great commander and ruler, while some called him a great dictator. A film adaptation of the novel by Sohachi Yamaoka.

Young Ruddy Warrior: Nobunaga Oda

1955

Lucky Adventurer Nobunaga Oda poster
7.5

Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582) was a major daimyo during the Warring State period of Japanese history. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy military governor with land holdings in Owari province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japanese daimyo before his death in 1582. Telling the story of his rise to prominence as he leads an army of 4,000 men against the 40,000 troops of Lord Imagawa Yoshimoto to prevent the arrogant daimyo from crushing the Oda clan and taking control of the entire nation. From a newly restored anamorpic widescreen print, this is the ultimate warlord movie.

Lucky Adventurer Nobunaga Oda

1959

No Stronger Swords poster
7.0

Featuring some of the finest swordsmen ever to grace the silver screen, this Toei classic tells the story of a battle between the evil sword style called ”Otonashi” (The Silent Form) and the proper way of swordsmanship as promoted by such historical stalwarts as Shimada Toranosuke, and the mysterious Honda Sakon, who face off against a group masquerading as the lord of Mito and his traveling bodyguards Suke-san and Kaku-san. The plot thickens as their leader unveils his secret plan to disrupt the stability of the nation. It is all in the name of swordsmanship, and as the title implies there are no stronger swordsmen!

No Stronger Swords

1959

The Phantom Goblin poster
6.0

An injured Edo official is rescued by a vassal whose appearance is exactly like himself, and swears to sweep out the criminals from the town on his behalf.

The Phantom Goblin

1962

Sasaki Kojiro poster
6.0

Ronin Sasaki Kojiro pursues his ultimate goal of becoming a master swordsman. Along the way he encounters another great swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi.

Sasaki Kojiro

1957

A Revengeful Raid poster
5.8

In this tale of bravery and honor among the roving gamblers of old Japan, the heroic Jirocho, Boss of the Tokaido is called upon to help a young yakuza named Eijiro after he runs afoul of the new samurai officials who have taken over his hometown. Expertly portrayed by Kitaoji Kinya (son of the all-time great star Ichikawa Utaemon), this young man stands up for the townspeople and puts his life on the line. Jirocho, played by superstar Nakamura Kinnosuke, a boss known for his honor and valor soon finds himself involved in the feud which will only end in a brutal showdown.

A Revengeful Raid

1962

Goblin in Stirrups Pt.2 poster
NR

A fake “Kurama Tengu” causes chaos in Kyoto. The real masked swordsman rescues street child-lion dancers, steals an assassination ledger from the Shoshidai, and clashes with the Shinsengumi and Kondo Isami.

Goblin in Stirrups Pt.2

1957

Lords of Oppression 2 poster
NR

Period drama directed by Yasushi Sasaki.

Lords of Oppression 2

1957

While Traveling poster
NR

In this film, Hibari plays a dual role as brother and sister. The story involves a journey to Hanagasa for an incognito Lord (Kotaro Satomi) to overthrow an attempted usurpation of his domain, while being harassed by vassals of the usurper (Kensaku Hara). There's also a mysterious ronin played by Jushiro Konoe. The songs are seamlessly woven into the narrative and don't overwhelm the action. While the plot is derivative it is good example of its type and quite enjoyable. Note that there are some flashback sequences in black and white.

While Traveling

1962

Ninjutsu at Sanada Castle poster
NR

Evil wizards and ninjutsu black magic cloud the land as the legendary Sanada Yukimura tries to defend Osaka Castle from Tokugawa Ieyasu’s tightening noose. Can Sarutobi Sasuke and Saizo the Mist level the playing field with their own ninjutsu skills? This rousing gem in the plucky swashbuckling ninja magician vein is full of familiar historical and shinobi genre names, plus rarer characters like a lady wizard and a female samurai love interest. Satomi Kotaro and Yamashiro Shingo star in what was one of the last bastions of this type of ninja movie before the Shinobi-no-Mono inspired 60s craze redefined the genre.

Ninjutsu at Sanada Castle

1961

Street of Wandering Men poster
8.0

When a group of men from the Hanya clan search his town for a missing geisha, a brave ronin decides to help her and a drunken calligrapher. In doing so, he uncovers a wider scheme.

Street of Wandering Men

1963

快剣士・笑いの面 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

快剣士・笑いの面

1956

Golden Peacock Castle, Part 2 poster
NR

The struggles of the Golden Peacock Clan continue as they seek to reclaim their home and prevent the evil Gondaiyu from taking their most prized treasures.

Golden Peacock Castle, Part 2

1961

Case of a Young Lord 8 poster
9.0

A family is brutally murdered in their own home and the official government's sake dealer is framed as a rebel by a corrupt member of the Shogun's Council of Elders. Young Lord decides to take on the Shogun's vile chief attendant.

Case of a Young Lord 8

1960

Cases of Umon: The Woman with an Umbrella poster
10.0

Ryutaro Otomo as the Edo magistrate Umon Kondo is out to solve a crime that centers around the murder of a jail guard & the escape of a criminal who is later himself killed. His dying words in Umon's arms were, "I didn't kill the guard." The murdered criminal had been a safe-cracker & only his girlfriend knows where he hid a fortune. She is kidnapped, so the plot gets thicker & thicker.

Cases of Umon: The Woman with an Umbrella

1963

The Cave of the Vampire Bats poster
6.0

A maiden is murdered by a mysterious ninja, unfortunately two young ladies witness this, good thing the bored Lord is walking by, he saved the girls but was too late to save the maiden, quickly he finds himself mixed up in a mystery of murdered maidens, an unknown ninja clan, attempted assassinations towards himself and a cursed vampire bat cave, can the bored Lord solve this puzzle before maidens lose their lives?

The Cave of the Vampire Bats

1961

Seven Knights Pt. 3 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Seven Knights Pt. 3

1961

Kisaragi Sword poster
5.5

The story concerns the efforts of seven master swordsman who join together to protect the new inexperienced Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune from the evil plans of the Owari Clan's corrupt Lord. It's a colorful bunch, a drunk samurai, a master thief, a sword instructor and a Lord who is disguised as a ronin since it is an executable offense for a lord to wander outside of their domain without permission. As the Chief Magistrate becomes suspicious of the Owari plot to send men to Kodenmacho Prison to start a riot he begins to investigate the rumors. He soon calls upon the Lord of Mikazuki Castle and the Shogun's best friend to help thwart the evil ambitions and battle the rouge swordsman hired by the Owari Clan.

Kisaragi Sword

1962

Black Thief poster
7.5

Organized thieves battle against the Shogun’s ruthless ruling in attempt to get back their land.

Black Thief

1964

Yagyu Chronicles 1: Secret Scrolls poster
6.0

Two groups are after the legendary Yagyu Secret Scrolls. A princess of a disgraced clan and her loyal servant want it to clear their family's name. And a rival clan wants it to destroy the Yagyu family. Only master swordsman, Yagyu Jubei stands in their way. What is the secret that is hidden away in the scrolls?

Yagyu Chronicles 1: Secret Scrolls

1961

Bored Hatamoto: Island of No Return poster
NR

Part of the Bored Hatamoto series. The most popular samurai in Edo, Saotome Mondonosuke, known to most as the "Bored Hatamoto" is the only one who can save the shogunate from the dastardly plot to take over the country.

Bored Hatamoto: Island of No Return

1960

The Bandits poster
NR

Friendship between an ambitious young thief and an artist during the Warring States period.

The Bandits

1962

Ninja Assassins poster
6.0

Saotome Mondonosuke pursues the culprit who placed a malicious curse upon Shogun Tsunekichi.

Ninja Assassins

1960

Devil's Nursery Rhyme poster
7.0

1961 Toei adaptation of Yokomizo's novel.

Devil's Nursery Rhyme

1961

53 Stages of the Road poster
NR

An Edo appointed official Baba must ensure the safe delivery of shogunate funds to Kyoto.

53 Stages of the Road

1959

あゝ洞爺丸  poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

あゝ洞爺丸 

1954

Lord Mito Komon: World commotion poster
NR

Counselor Mito and his companions departed from Mito to see Kikutaro, a young lord of the shogun family, who became the new lord of Shirataka castle with an income of three hundred thousand koku. As they approach Shirataka's domain, a disturbing adventure begins. Soon, the advisor Mito and his companions reveal a conspiracy whose purpose was to capture the Shirataka castle and engage in a battle with the villains.

Lord Mito Komon: World commotion

1960

Fall of the Shogun's Militia poster
7.0

Kondo Isami, the “Devil” commander of the Shinsengumi was one of Japan’s greatest national heroes and a peerless swordsman who devoted his life to protecting the shogun and fighting on the side of the Tokugawa. This tells the story of the Shinsengumi starting at the moment of their greatest triumph through the final battles as the Tokugawa shogunate was brought down.

Fall of the Shogun's Militia

1954

The Medicine Case poster
NR

Magistrate Ooka-Echizen faces a crime over a pillbox.

The Medicine Case

1959

The Abandoned Swords poster
6.0

Best friends Gentaro and Sanpei become fateful enemies when Sanpei steals a secret document revealing the identity of the chosen successor to the Tokugawa Shogun. Gentaro of the Owari clan sets out to retrieve the invaluable document.

The Abandoned Swords

1958

A contest worth a thousand ryo: In search of a bride poster
NR

A village samurai with money, power and great masculinity goes to the flourishing city of Edo to have some fun and practice. And here he is attacked by a beautiful thief... A light comedy historical drama.

A contest worth a thousand ryo: In search of a bride

1960

Young Lord Yakuza poster
8.0

Young 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

Tengu Priest poster
7.0

Kichizaburo, a samurai keeping peace in Edo, helps a young geisha Kozome avenge her father’s death.

Tengu Priest

1962

Cases of An Actor in Disguise: Bloodskull Mansion poster
NR

The second work in the series "Cases of An Actor in Disguise" starring Kokichi Takada, based on the original work of Tatsuro Jinde. Popular ronin actor Kasumi Ippei intervenes in a planned robbery of the mint, where gold coins are minted for the Shogunate.

Cases of An Actor in Disguise: Bloodskull Mansion

1961

神州天馬侠 完結篇 poster
NR

In a desperate crisis, Inamaru is plunged into the dark sea by a strike from Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ryutaro desperately tries to rescue Inamaru. However, it's not just Ieyasu who aims for him and the precious treasure of the Unshaken Banner. Various individuals, good and evil alike, are aiming for the foothills of Mount Fuji where the hidden treasure lies.

神州天馬侠 完結篇

1958

Tekka Wakashū poster
NR

1962 Japanese movie

Tekka Wakashū

1962

The Paper Crane poster
NR

A wandering vagrant, Hantaro, risks his life to save a beautiful blind girl and her father from con artists.

The Paper Crane

1962