Acting
Shinji Oda
Acting credits
7.3In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono and his buddies find themselves in a new war between factious and ambitious yakuza.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
1973
7.3Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hitman and falls in love with boss Muraoka's niece. Meanwhile, the ambitions of mad dog Katsutoshi Otomo draws our series' hero, Shozo Hirono, and the other yakuza into a new round of bloodshed.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima
1973
7.0As Japan gears up for the 1964 Olympic Games, the cops start to crack down on the gangs, under pressure from the public and the press, adding a new dimension in the war for power among the yakuza families of Hiroshima.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics
1974
7.0Shozo Hirono has managed to separate from the Yamamori family and create his own small family, and extend his circle of acquaintances. These new friendships include a powerful underboss of the Muraoka family, Noboru Uchimoto.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Proxy War
1973
6.1Martial artist Takuma Tsurugi returns to take on a Yakuza family that may be embezzling money from charities to finance their own operations. Both the police and the Yakuza find themselves battling Tsurugi, but Tsurugi's fight ultimately is with the mob, and he concentrates on them.
Return of the Street Fighter
1974
6.5The second Bounty Hunter film, when master killer Shikoro Ichibei takes up the cause of a group of farmers being driven to despair by the vile Lord Ozeki. The villainous lord has driven them to mounting their last stand at a deserted fort against an army of attackers. Wakayama Tomisaburo is superb as an expert in killing and military tactics, who leaves his medical practice at a clinic for the poor in order to counter the vicious tactics of that vile lord.
The Fort of Death
1969
6.0It's an extravaganza of entertainment as famous magistrate in disguise, Toyama no Kinshiro attempts to confront the elusive thief known as the "Long-Sleeve Burglar". Played to the hilt by Misora Hibari in a delightful performance highlighted by singing, dancing, and swordplay with a unique story within a story twist that starts to unfold in the city jail as a playwright is brought into custody and meets the famed Long-Sleeve Burglar himself. Misora Hibari is totally captivating in this gender bending role as the famed thief whose expoits can only be stopped by the great Kin-san himself!
The Edo Official and Apprentice
1959
8.0Kamio a mistreated samurai clerk of Edo Castle and ronin (“Sir Quarrel”) Ibara, take up a vendetta against 17 wicked castle men.
Revenge for His Lover
1962
5.7Japan nineteenth century. High demand for tattooed geisha generates an entire industry for their "production". Europeans pay more for tattooed beauties. Against this background, and considering the gorgeous tattooed women develop the history of confrontation between two highly skilled masters of tattoo.
Inferno of Torture
1969
6.2Oryu the Red Peony, a wandering female yakuza on a soul-searching journey after the death of her father. After collecting her sickly follower from jail, she is taken in by a fishing village. Feeling indebted to their generosity, she stays to work for the village and promises to leave her yakuza ways behind. When a dispute breaks out for the gambling rights to a local festival, the villagers are harassed by a gang of thugs. When the harassment turns violent, Oryu must decide wither to keep her promise or protect the villagers.
Red Peony Gambler: Biographies of a Gambling Room
1969
7.3Kogarashi Monjiro is a lone samurai who agrees to take responsibility for a murder that his friend committed so that he can stay with his dying mother, with the expectation that his friend will confess and get him pardoned once she dies. Monjiro is sentenced to an island for prisoners. When he discovers that his friend's mother has died over a year ago, Monjiro seeks to escape with a group of prisoners in order to get his revenge.
Withered Tree, the Adventures of Monjiro
1972
7.5Some of the finest jidai-geki actors appear in this exciting and entertaining tale of intrigue and action in old Japan. Teaming up the ever-popular Misora Hibari with the greatest samurai action hero of all-time Wakayama Tomisaburo is a brilliant stoke of casting. Hibari takes on the role of Mori no Ishimatsu, a young man who gets involved with real-life Yakuza legend, Shimizu no Jirocho, 'Boss of the Tokaido'. Ishimatsu manages to interfere with a dispute between the Shimizu and their competition, the Marugame family, even going so far as to become an avenger's assistant. It's not the first time Hibari has played a man in a film (also in Benten Kozo), and her acting skills are at their best as she mixes in a bit of humor along with excellent swordplay. Wakayama Tomisaburo, as always, gives an outstanding performance as the powerful and beloved Yakuza Boss Jirocho.
Ishimatsu: the One-Eyed Avenger
1960
6.3This is the third and final film of the ZA KARATE trilogy. Tadashi Yamashita reprises his role as the Karate World Champion. Local Japanese karate schools are not happy that a Chinese master will take over the Japanese karate organization and will do everything they can to prevent it.
The Karate 3
1975
7.5With flashing swordwork and a terrific story, wandering gambler Kusama Hanjiro inspires the wrath of Boss Jirotaro who has been terrorizing travelers along the route through his territory. When Hanjiro steps in to gamble with him one-on-one it leads to a deadly vendetta that will show no mercy. Along the way Hanjiro is called upon to help sisters with no one else to depend on. Will the feud end in tragedy, or can the honest wanderer prevail against the bloodlust of an angry yakuza boss whom he had scarred for life?
Happily Tied to the Road
1959
5.8In 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
7.0An all-star cast highlights this Jidai-Geki classic. Set in the samurai era, this is the tale of period Yakuza. One of the real classics in this genre. Jirocho, an honorable and respected gang boss, uncovers a conspiracy organized by his rivals while on a quest to bring justice to three murders. Some of the most famous actors from Toei studios make this a must-see for everyone! Featuring a very young Nakamura Kinnosuke, who went on to become one of Japan's mosted noteworthy actors under the name Yorosuya Kinnosuke. This is one of the best examples his early work.
A Chivalrous Spirit
1958
NRGenjiro was a samurai in the past, but he became a Yakuza, a dandy with a tattoo of red peonies, he helps his younger brother who is caught up in a conflict with Hatamoto.
Red peonies on the skin
1957
7.9The final chapter of the Hibotan Bakuto series. Oryu the Red Peony visits an old dying Boss of an ally family and promised her that she would help guide the new Boss. Meanwhile a turf war breaks out. When the family is betrayed from within and the rival family becomes violent, Oryu takes things into her own hands…
Red Peony Gambler: Execution of Duty
1972
7.5An Osaka gangster Shimamura just got married. His new bride, Mineko is also involved in drug trafficking. When she goes to China to make a deal, things get botched pretty badly. Shimamura must travel to save her and recoup his employers’ losses.
Yakuza on Foot
1969
6.5Fishmonger Tasuke and Shogun Iemitsu swap their identities in pretence for the protection of Iemitsu.
The Shogun and the Fishmonger
1961
6.0From the opening theme song to the grand finale, you know that you have found something special as this exciting movie stars the great Misora Hibari in one of her most memorable performances as she plays Shintaro and Oharu, a brother and sister, the children of a lumber dealer who had been murdered by the evil boss Kumagoro who plots to take over Shintaro's family business with the help of a corrupt deputy who has fooled the family into believing that he is on their side.
Heavenly Dragon
1960
NRSutematsu and Sukekichi, residents of Benten Nagaya tenement, witness a woman being thrown from a palanquin into a river and are immediately attacked by several samurai. They are saved by a fellow tenant, the ronin Ginzaburo Fujizaki. One of the assailants drops a wooden tag bearing the Onitsuta-bishi (demon ivy diamond) crest. The next morning, the woman’s body is found on the lumber dock. She is Omino, daughter of Omiya, a money exchanger in Nihonbashi.
Duel at Gokumon-zaka
1960
7.5In gangster-infested 1920s Yokohama, gambler Ishiguro gets in with the local gang -- but his view of life changes after the Great Kanto Earthquake.
Code of Wolves
1974
6.0A group of men living a low life in Edo help each other to make the best out of their lives.
Good Rascals
1962