Acting

Kojirō Kawanami

Born

1935-03-14 (91)

Place of birth

Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Known for

Acting

Credits

31 titles

Known for

Samurai Reincarnation poster
5.9

After surviving the slaughter of many Christians 350 years ago, a samurai denounces God for ignoring the pleas of believers. He sells his soul to Satan and receives the power to resurrect the dead to join him in a murderous rampage.

Samurai Reincarnation

1981

Yakuza Ladies poster
5.5

When her crime boss husband is sent to prison, a woman assumes control of one of the most powerful gangs in Japan.

Yakuza Ladies

1986

The Tattooed Hitman poster
6.2

The most dangerous hired gun in Kyushu's underworld has managed to trigger a vicious gang war, and now, there's a contract on his life. Though nobody is more skilled in the arts of dealing death, can the tattooed hitman fend off the entire Japanese mafia as he searches for the man who wants him dead?

The Tattooed Hitman

1974

The Erotomaniac Daimyo poster
5.0

Kiyohime, a daughter of Tokugawa Ienari is married-off to Tadateru Ogura, the lord of a Kyushu clan. However, the lord's sexual inexperience and Kiyohime's strict morals lead to significant crisis in their marriage. To improve his sexual prowess, the lord is introduced to Sandra, a French woman held captive by usurer-smuggler Hatakaya. This results in the lord's choosing Sandra as his mistress. Kiyohime's attendants see this move as an insult and have Sandra beaten and imprisoned. Nevertheless, Sandra escapes with the help of Morita, a retainer of the lord. Out of bitterness and as some sort of revenge, the lord imposes a sex ban on his subjects.

The Erotomaniac Daimyo

1972

Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death poster
NR

Bored Hatamoto film

Bored Hatamoto: Letter of Death

1993

Giant Rumble poster
6.0

In this gritty tale of gamblers battling in the samurai era, Okawa Hashizo gives perhaps his greatest performance as a gambler returning to his home town. Swearing allegiance to his fiancée’s father, a decent boss, he had taken to the road after a gang fight until things cooled down. While honing his sword skills in his travels, everything in the town had changed and he descended into a virtual hell of violence. Opponents were being slaughtered by a former samurai ‘Bodyguard’ played by Tanba Tetsuro at the height of his amazing career. While these two master swordsmen are fated to meet, before that can even happen they must survive one of the longest, bloodiest swordfights in movie history!

Giant Rumble

1964

Film credits

1980s · 5 titles

Samurai Reincarnation poster
5.9

After surviving the slaughter of many Christians 350 years ago, a samurai denounces God for ignoring the pleas of believers. He sells his soul to Satan and receives the power to resurrect the dead to join him in a murderous rampage.

Samurai Reincarnation

1981

Yakuza Ladies poster
5.5

When her crime boss husband is sent to prison, a woman assumes control of one of the most powerful gangs in Japan.

Yakuza Ladies

1986

Appassionata poster
6.3

This story is based on the novel "Jo no mai" by Tomiko Miyao which is based on the life of painter Shōen Uemura (1875–1949), the first woman to be awarded the Order of Culture. The title refers to the masterpiece bijinga ("picture of a beautiful woman") that Uemura painted at the age of 61. The main character, Tsuya Shimamura, is born in Kyoto as the second daughter of a tea trader who dies before her birth. Tsuya, who loves painting more than anything and is hopeless at housework, attends art school and at age 15 receives the name Shōsui (from the characters for "pine" and "green") from her teacher. The crown prince of England purchases one of her works, propelling her to fame overnight. The novel portrays the remainder of her stormy life, during which she is impregnated by her teacher and raises a fatherless child; through it all she devotes herself to her painting, undaunted.

Appassionata

1984

No artwork available
NR

The second installment of the special drama "Kawaiteshimau" features Masakazu Tamura playing the role of "Udege Shujo," the official taster for the shogunate. Tamura's unmatched charm in portraying cynical characters is fully showcased in this exhilarating period drama. Audiences can thoroughly enjoy the familiar "Ten'ichibō Incident" in this lively historical play.

A Samurai's Sorrow: The Deadly Sword

1984

長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 長七郎 大奥まかり通る poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

長七郎江戸日記スペシャル 長七郎 大奥まかり通る

1989

1970s · 10 titles

The Tattooed Hitman poster
6.2

The most dangerous hired gun in Kyushu's underworld has managed to trigger a vicious gang war, and now, there's a contract on his life. Though nobody is more skilled in the arts of dealing death, can the tattooed hitman fend off the entire Japanese mafia as he searches for the man who wants him dead?

The Tattooed Hitman

1974

The Erotomaniac Daimyo poster
5.0

Kiyohime, a daughter of Tokugawa Ienari is married-off to Tadateru Ogura, the lord of a Kyushu clan. However, the lord's sexual inexperience and Kiyohime's strict morals lead to significant crisis in their marriage. To improve his sexual prowess, the lord is introduced to Sandra, a French woman held captive by usurer-smuggler Hatakaya. This results in the lord's choosing Sandra as his mistress. Kiyohime's attendants see this move as an insult and have Sandra beaten and imprisoned. Nevertheless, Sandra escapes with the help of Morita, a retainer of the lord. Out of bitterness and as some sort of revenge, the lord imposes a sex ban on his subjects.

The Erotomaniac Daimyo

1972

The Rapacious Jailbreaker poster
6.6

Convicted of murder, Masayuki Ueda is sent to Hiroshima Prison along with his accomplice. But for a man like him, breaking out of prison is easy.

The Rapacious Jailbreaker

1974

The Shogun Assassins poster
5.5

This is a film about a real person. Sanada Yukimura fought a war against Tokugawa Ieyasu.

The Shogun Assassins

1979

The Viper Brothers poster
7.7

After 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

The Viper Brothers and the Young General poster
9.0

The last in the series. Sugawara runs into two mahjong cheaters (Ichiro Araki and Mako Midori + sidekick Takuzo Kawatani) whom he takes for friends in need as his naivety prevents him from seeing their true nature.

The Viper Brothers and the Young General

1975

Kogarashi Monjiro 2: Secret of Monjiro's Birth poster
6.0

Monjiro, reunited with his long lost sister, is pursued by a yakuza gang because he killed their boss. He also meets a fellow gambler who idolizes Monjiro. The gambler and Monjiro's sister are pulled into a conspiracy to get to Monjiro, but do things go as planned?

Kogarashi Monjiro 2: Secret of Monjiro's Birth

1972

Evil Boss vs. Henchmen poster
6.0

A high-ranking yakuza rises to national notoriety.

Evil Boss vs. Henchmen

1971

The Kanto Brothers' Code of Honor poster
9.0

The Kanto Brothers' Code of Honor (関東兄弟仁義 仁侠) is a 1971 film directed by Buichi Saitō. It is the ninth and last film in the Duty of Brotherhood series.

The Kanto Brothers' Code of Honor

1971

The Path of the King poster
6.5

When the aging leader of the yakuza gang Maeda-gumi decides to retire, many of the gang members have no confidence in the young man he has chosen to replace him. A fight for the succession begins.

The Path of the King

1971

1960s · 15 titles

Giant Rumble poster
6.0

In this gritty tale of gamblers battling in the samurai era, Okawa Hashizo gives perhaps his greatest performance as a gambler returning to his home town. Swearing allegiance to his fiancée’s father, a decent boss, he had taken to the road after a gang fight until things cooled down. While honing his sword skills in his travels, everything in the town had changed and he descended into a virtual hell of violence. Opponents were being slaughtered by a former samurai ‘Bodyguard’ played by Tanba Tetsuro at the height of his amazing career. While these two master swordsmen are fated to meet, before that can even happen they must survive one of the longest, bloodiest swordfights in movie history!

Giant Rumble

1964

Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu poster
8.4

In turbulent 16th-century Japan, the leaders of a minor fief have their child taken from them as a political hostage. His mother and his clan endure years of tribulations until he can return.

Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu

1965

Miyamoto Musashi V: Musashi vs Kojiro poster
7.2

The fifth and final installment with the build up of the epic battle between Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi. With all the familiar characters making appearances: Otsu (Musashi's great love), Akemi, Matahachi (his former fellow soldier), old lady Osugi (still doggedly trying to defeat Musashi), and even the return of Priest Takuan (the man responsible for his journey towards enlightenment). But most of all, the boastful, long-haired and long-sworded Sasaki Kojiro.

Miyamoto Musashi V: Musashi vs Kojiro

1965

20 Duels of Young Shingo: Conclusion poster
NR

While on his journey through the countryside of Japan, Shingo encounters many people whose lives have been affected by his actions. Though the many duels he fought were intended to bring justice to those who sought to do evil, he is faced with the knowledge that his victories have also caused suffering amont the family members of his victims-leading him to question his life's philosophy. This superb film is the final chapter in this part of Shingo's story. A fitting tribute to his quest to be the supreme swordsman.

20 Duels of Young Shingo: Conclusion

1963

Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation poster
7.2

A local yakuza boss of a silk farming town shows kindness to the wandering gambler Oryu by letting her stay at his residence. When a rival yakuza gang, who wants to take over the town’s businesses, murders him, Oryu is obliged to protect his children and business.

Red Peony Gambler: Gambler's Obligation

1968

Seven Fugitives poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Seven Fugitives

1966

Chivalrous Nature poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Chivalrous Nature

1965

The Gambler's Law poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

The Gambler's Law

1967

Industrial Spy poster
6.3

Kogure, an industrial spy, is tasked by Sawada, head of the research department of the Nisshin Corporation, to learn the secrets of the design of a new engine invented by a rival company. Kogure manages to obtain the secrets, but Sawada's goal was not the secrets themselves, but to use them to obtain the position of president of the company. Angered by Sawada's dirty tricks, Kigure begins to take revenge.

Industrial Spy

1968

The Gambler poster
NR

A crime film released in 1965

The Gambler

1965

Classmates poster
6.5

A story of young students trained to become Kamikaze pilots in World War II.

Classmates

1967

Code Between Brothers 2 poster
7.0

The services of a wandering gambler, Seiji, are called upon to protect the turf of his loyal friend Risaburo.

Code Between Brothers 2

1966

Showdown of Men 2 poster
10.0

Part two.

Showdown of Men 2

1967

Rub Out the Past poster
8.0

A lone wolf tries to eliminate a drug-smuggling operation.

Rub Out the Past

1966

Code Between Brothers 5 poster
7.2

Saburo Kitajima, one of Japan’s most famous Enka singers, returns in the fifth of the Kyodai Jingi series. During the early 20th century, Ryuji from Asakusa, a wandering yakuza, joins the Narumi Family in Yokohama. However, when he confronts Shiotaro, the head of the rival family, Ryuji takes a liking to him. He ends up leaving his current family, and becomes close to Shiotaro like brothers swearing to become a full-fledged yakuza.

Code Between Brothers 5

1967