
Acting
Masahiko Tsugawa
Born — Died
1940-01-02 — 2018-08-04
Place of birth
Kyōto, Kyōto Prefecture, Japan
Known for
Acting
Credits
103 titles
Masahiko Tsugawa, born Masahiko Katō was a Japanese actor and director.
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
9.5In the early Showa era, the town of Choshi in Chiba Prefecture was divided by the conflicts between the worlds of "land" and "sea". Born to Kyubei Bando, the owner of a long-established soy sauce brewery, and his mistress Rui, Kaworu was taken in by her father and raised as a prim and proper lady. As she grew up, she fell in love with Sokichi, the eldest son of an established fisherman; alas, their two families were in conflict. This is a story of pure love between two people that grew beyond the boundaries of the old customs that they were brought up with. It is a drama that depicts their turbulent journey of love and the bonds of the people from an old and established family working tirelessly to protect their naturally brewed soy sauce business through the ups and downs.
Miotsukushi
1985
8.8Furuhata Ninzaburō is a Japanese television series that ran periodically on Fuji Television from 1994 until its final episodes in 2006. It was written by Japanese playwright Kōki Mitani and is often referred to as the Japanese version of Columbo. The series is a police detective drama starring actor Masakazu Tamura as Furuhata Ninzaburo and Masahiko Nishimura as his stereotypically bumbling sidekick, Shintaro Imaizumi. The program aired weekly and featured a guest villain each time, usually a famous talent in Japan. Pop-stars like SMAP, television hosts like Sanma Akashiya and even sports figures like Ichiro Suzuki have been featured on this program. It was one of the most popular television dramas in the history of Japanese television, having spawned several seasons and TV specials.
Furuhata Ninzaburo
1994
NRThe 6th NHK Asadora. Starring Fumie Kashiyama as a woman, born in the Meiji era, who raises a family by herself.
Ohanahan
1966
NRThe 4th NHK Asadora. Starring Michiko Hayashi as a woman born in poverty who lives a brave life. She lost her husband in war and now must take care of their 5-year-old child alone. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Fumiko Hayashi.
Uzushio
1964
8.0Katsuragi Motoko started as an NHK announcer, became a reportage writer after the war, and then an author. This story is about a woman's struggle to find her life's purpose and to survive. The 28th NHK asadora, set in the Showa era and location included Tokyo.
Honjitsu mo Seiten Nari
1981
Film credits
2010s · 12 titles
7.9Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.
The Boy and the Beast
2015
7.4Members of SWORD win against Wangan Rengogun, which is led by Kohaku. The city becomes peaceful again. Nevertheless, the most brutal gangs, Doubt and Prison Gang, appear. They try to dominate the area controlled by SWORD.
HiGH&LOW The Movie 2: End of Sky
2017
6.7In 16th century Japan, a young man has to choose between becoming a master steel maker like his father and grandfather before him, or becoming a samurai so that he can help protect his village from attacks by the various clans which want the high-quality steel made there.
Tatara Samurai
2017
7.4Sawa Yamagishi worked as a nursing-care helper. The family for an old man asked Sawa to sleep with him, which led her to lose her job. Now, she has nowhere to go. Sawa finds elderly people in trouble and gets involved in their lives. Meeting them, Sawa's own wounds start to heal.
0.5 mm
2014
6.8A group of junior high school must find out the truth of their classmate's death is he was killed by someone or committed suicide.
Solomon's Perjury 2: Judgment
2015
NRThis omnibus film brings together three globally acclaimed directors from Asia with a common theme 'Living Together in Asia' to depict the lives of characters who journey between Japan, Cambodia, the Philippines and Malaysia. Brillante Mendoza grapples with the issue of loss of national identity and home, with a story set in the Obihiro area of Hokkaido and Manila in the Philippines. Isao Yukisada directs a story in Malaysia where the Japanese army was once stationed but is now home to many Japanese retirees living out their remaining years. An elderly man has parted from his family in Japan to live alone in Penang, but when a new helper comes to the house, he slowly opens his mind and an unexpected bond forms between the two. Finally director Sotho Kulikar conveys a beautiful but heart-rending love story between a Japanese man and Cambodian woman that unfolds across past and present against the backdrop of Cambodia's civil war.
Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2016: Reflections
2016
7.2Country bumpkin Haruko only ever wanted to become a maiko, an apprentice geisha. Initially rebuffed for lack of references, Haruko's strong accent intrigues a linguistics professor, who undertakes to coach her.
Lady Maiko
2014
6.5No synopsis available yet.
300 Million Yen Robbery
2014
NRWith the death of Nobuhide Oriki (Tokuma Nishioka), a brutal succession battle erupts within the Oriki-gumi. By vote, Nobunaga (Hitoshi Ozawa) becomes second-generation boss, forcing his brother Nobuyuki into rebellion. In the bloody aftermath, Nobunaga kills both Nobuyuki and his relative Nobuyasu Iwasaki (Hitomi Matsuda). Tragedy deepens as his right-hand man Masahide Hirako (Jiro Okazaki) takes his own life, and his father-in-law Michizo Saimon (Shinzo Hotta) is assassinated in a coup. Now as boss, Nobunaga sets the underworld in motion once more: Ujiyasu Nanjo (Sansho Fukami) rises in Kanto, Motonari Mōriya (Shinichi Chiba) expands in Aki, and in Nagano the fated clash of Kenshin Uemura (Ryuji Harada) and Shingen Takebe (Shun Sugata) begins. But the greatest threat comes from Yoshimoto Imanishi (Naoya Makoto), leading the invasion of Owari. The “war of the elephant and the ant” is about to reach its endgame.
Yakuza: Domination of the Realm 4
2017
NRHimuro (Yasukaze Motomiya), wakagashira assistant of Kyowakai, and Tamura (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi) eliminate Fukumoto, chairman of the West Japan Mutsumikai, in a chaotic firefight. Himuro’s nephew Sugaya is killed protecting him, leaving Himuro devastated. Taking responsibility for Zaizen’s assassination plot, Kudo retires. After absorbing the West Japan Mutsumikai, Kyowakai enters a new era under third chairman Kawatani (Hitoshi Ozawa). In the east, Takishima retires as Marugami-kai chairman and Mita becomes second chairman, leaving Kyowakai and Marugami-kai as the two dominant forces. Munakata (Takanori Kikuchi), assistant to the Marugami-kai chairman, is released from prison and reunited with Kawatani and Himuro, recalling their shared past. As Kyowakai restructures, Kawatani delivers a shocking message to Himuro.
Unification Of Japan 21
2017
6.5Reiko Himekawa (Yuko Takeuchi) is a female detective at the Metropolitan Police Department. Reiko doesn't come from an elite background, but she has risen fast through the ranks with hard work. Reiko than becomes involved in a murder case named "Strawberry Night" due to the mysterious use of those words surrounding the case ...
Strawberry Night
2013
6.0In 1940, Masaaki Takaoka works as a teacher in the agricultural division at a youth training institute. Although Japan’s defeat seems imminent, all of Masaaki’s students are drafted in a futile last-ditch effort. In an attempt to give the young men some hope, he makes everyone promise that they will all meet again under the cherry blossoms upon their safe return. Consumed by sadness over the fate of his students, Masaaki devotes the next 30 years of his life to develop a new species of cherry blossoms that could thrive in any climate in remembrance of his students.
Yoko the Cherry Blossom
2015
2000s · 11 titles
7.1Light Yagami finds the "Death Note," a notebook with the power to kill, and decides to create a Utopia by killing the world's criminals, and soon the world's greatest detective, "L," is hired to find the mysterious murderer. An all out battle between the two greatest minds on earth begins and the winner will control the world.
Death Note
2006
7.1In the second installment of the Death Note film franchise, Light Yagami meets a second Kira and faithful follower Misa Amane and her Shinigami named Rem. Light attempts to defeat L along with Teru Mikami (a Kira follower) and Kiyomi Takada (another Kira follower) but in the end will Light win? or will a Shinigami named Ryuk make all the difference in Light's victory or his ultimate death?
Death Note: The Last Name
2006
5.0It's three years after the events of the original Battle Royale, and Shuya Nanahara is now an internationally-known terrorist determined to bring down the government. His terrorist group, Wild Seven, stages an attack that levels several buildings in Tokyo on Christmas Day, killing 8000 people. In order for the government to study the benefits of "teamwork", the new students work in pairs, with their collars electronically linked so that if one of them is killed, the other dies as well. They must kill Nanahara in three days - or die.
Battle Royale II: Requiem
2003
7.5Godzilla has become a distant memory for Japan when the destruction of a US submarine raises alarms for Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the legend of the guardian monsters, who must rise to protect Japan against the vengeful spirits within Godzilla that seek to destroy both the nation and its people for the suffering they inflicted in the Pacific conflict.
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
2001
6.2New Year's Eve at a posh hotel and all should be shipshape. It is not. There is the traditional party, an official ceremony, entertainment and a special dinner planned and yet there is trouble everywhere. An Animal is on the loose, a politician to protect, a prostitute to handle, a bellhop to focus and a few things more.
Suite Dreams
2006
5.0Yokubo from director Tetsuo Shinohara is based off of the award-winning love story by Mariko Koike. A young man searching for physical comfort and dumb lust, and the world-weary woman drowning in a sea of men that works with him. This is a fantastic new film from a remarkably skilled cast about "the beauty of sensualism."
Desire
2005
9.0Hidenori is a Japanese-Korean man with no sense of belonging, destination or education. He drifts around and meanders through life until a death reminds him of his heritage and so begins a journey to South Korea.
Worst by Chance
2003
5.5Korean-Japanese director Gu Su Yeon makes his directorial debut with the mouthwateringly delicious The Yakiniku Movie: Bulgogi. As the title clearly states, pride of place goes to juicy, bite-sized meat, and viewers will get a delightful eyeful of food, food, and more food in this fabulously fulfilling gourmet comedy. Reveling in Japan's love for food-themed shows, the film revolves around a culinary battle of David and Goliath proportions, cheekily parodying Japanese cooking shows with Iron Chef-like editing, excited running commentary, and comedic how-to segments. The Yakiniku Movie also shines a light on the food culture of Japan's resident Korean population, proving that tasty food transcends all boundaries.
The Yakiniku Movie: Bulgogi
2007
8.0Elderly ladies rise to the challenge of staging a play and struggle to launch a theater company. Based on the actual amateur theater company "Theatrical Company Hono" in Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, where the presiding officers and performers are composed of elderly women. They have been performing stage plays about issues related to the elderly for a long time.
Pretty Woman
2003
NR***Fushiawase wo Anata ni (We Bring You Misfortune) A woman sees a company called "Fushiawase wo Anata ni" (we bring you misfortune) promoting a new sales concept: giving its clients misfortune to motivate them to seek greater happiness. ***Kuuhaku no Hito (Blank Person) A woman wakes up in her bed every morning not remembering the events of the past night, and finding that someone has moved around the things in her room. ***Jigoku wa Manin (Hell Is Full) As there is no more room in hell, the evil/sinful find they cannot die. ***Kako kara no Nikki (Diary from the Past) A struggling author chances upon a diary which changes his life. ***Aketekure (Open Up!) A woman's husband dies in a car accident, but that same evening he is heard pounding on the door for someone to let him in.
Tales of the Bizarre: 2004 Fall Special
2004
6.7Japan, 250 years ago. Soetsu is a moneylender who is killed by the cruel samurai Shinzaemon. His body is dumped in the Kasenega-Fuchi river. According to legend, all who drown in the river will never surface again. 20 Years later, Shinkichi, the handsome son of Shinzaemon, coincidentally meets Toyoshiga, the daughter of Soetsu. They fall in love. It is a doomed love, as the spirit of Soetsu is far from dead
Kaidan
2007
1990s · 17 titles
7.4With the Gyaos re-emerging, Gamera's ties to humanity have been severed with his bond to Asagi broken. Nagamine and Asagi investigate while an orphaned girl named Ayana discovers a new creature she names Iris. Nagamine and Asagi must reach Ayana before she takes her revenge on Gamera, who she blames for the death of her family.
Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris
1999
7.0An upscale Japanese hotel hires Mahiru Inoue, a lawyer adept at dealing with the Yakuza, to help them rid their hotel of the local gangsters so they can get a contract for a meeting of important foreign officials.
Minbo, or The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion
1992
6.9A successful Japanese movie director in his sixties becomes increasingly ill while working on his latest film. Though his family, friends, and doctor try to keep the secret of his terminal cancer from him, Buhei gradually comes to realize the truth of his condition, leading him on a journey of despair, anger, and – ultimately – acceptance.
The Last Dance
1993
7.2A story of Japanese writer Kafu Nagai (1879-1959), a man about sixty with a huge reputation of seducer who falls madly in love for a young geisha named Oyuki. Meticulous and smartly dressed, Nagai patiently wrote in his diary his thoughts during many years. A melancholy reflection on the passage of time and a brilliant interpretive exercise.
The Strange Tale of Oyuki
1992
5.5Weaving two storylines together: the first is the story of 18th-century shogunate intrigue and loyalty, and the second is a ghost story about a beautiful woman who falls victim to passion and evil.
Crest of Betrayal
1994
4.4Shoko and Mutsuki get married to satisfy their worried parents, but she is well past the age at which a ‘good’ Japanese woman should marry, and he is in love with a young male college student.
Twinkle
1992
8.0An illustration of the tragic lives of geishas at a popular geisha house, Shinonomero. Shortly after being sold to a geisha house at age 5, Shizu is befriended by a fellow older geisha, Tsuru. After years of living and working together, Tsuru and Shizu manage to run the operations of Shinonomero as the proprietress and assistant. Despite vows to never to let their lovers come between them or Shinonomero, moments of weakness leave Tsuru and Shizu caught up in a web of betrayal and plunged into debt. With the guilt of losing Shinonomero to Udo, a yakuza who loaned them money, it is now up to young Shizu to redeem Tsuru’s honor and restore Shinonomero as their own.
In Blazing Love
1994
NRA Japanese journalist in Afghanistan, whose wife dies in an explosion, tries to overcome his sorrows and goes to Egypt on a mission to cover the discovery of a tomb in the Valley of the Kings. As a gang tracks him down for locating the tomb, he falls in love with the girlfriend of the gang's boss who looks like his wife.
Nile
1999
7.7Set in a Kyoto geisha house during the post-WWII era, the young Omocha begins her rigorous apprenticeship within the traditional community of geiko and maiko. She must navigate complex internal rivalries and a strict social hierarchy while the house struggles to maintain its customs. As modern society shifts around them, the residents face the increasing pressure of Japan's changing cultural identity.
The Geisha House
1999
7.0A middle-aged journalist looking to make her big break. After working the same beat on the "women's page", Yumiko gets promoted to editorials.
Turning Point
1994
7.0In the midst of a bad economy, Yokoyama, the vice president of Taiyo Real Estate, launches a plan to cut back on his labor force. Fifty employees are segregated into a special assignment division and given an ultimatum: meet a sales goal of 1.5 billion yen within three months or be fired. Spiteful of their unjust treatment, two men, Shinoda and Takigawa, take up the battle against the ruthless Yokoyama.
Lifetime Insecurity
1994
6.8Third installment of the "Gakko No Kaidan" series follows the trek of several elementary school students as they wander into an alternate world that exists on the opposite side of a school mirror. Nishida Naomi (the hapless teacher in "Gakko No Kaidan 2") returns as the teacher who accompanies the children on their journey into the surreal universe.
Haunted School 3
1997
6.5Warlords Kagetora and Takeda each wish to prevent the other from gaining hegemony in feudal Japan. The two samurai leaders pursue one another across the countryside, engaging in massive battles of cavalry and infantry. Younger and less brutal, Kagetora must find the strength to be as brutal as his opponent, but at what cost?
Heaven and Earth
1990
6.4Vain, middle-aged actress Biwako is placed in witness protection while authorities investigate the brutal murder she witnessed. Under the watch of two dedicated cops, Biwako struggles to maintain her career, her public image, and her personal life as she prepares for her new role on the witness stand.
Woman in Witness Protection
1997
7.1A retired actress whose husband has recently died visits her summer home. There she has encounters with old friends and acquaintances who bring various stories and news of death and the past
A Last Note
1995
6.7A struggling Japanese neighborhood supermarket manager chances upon an old classmate, who has plenty of ideas for revitalizing his business.
Supermarket Woman
1996
7.5The screenplay is Haruhiko Arai of "Tragedy of W" and "Revolver". The man is a detective who doesn't take on anything other than background checks for marriage and looking for cats. One day, a request for a job that belongs to him comes in. It is from Masako, a married woman who suspects her husband of having an affair.
Investigation of a Typical Love
1992
1980s · 13 titles
7.8In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed are satirical vignettes about the importance of food to different aspects of human life.
Tampopo
1985
6.7Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at hiding the true extent of his assets from the Japanese authorities. Itakura and Gondo soon find themselves engaged in a complicated, satirical battle of wits.
A Taxing Woman
1987
7.2When Wabisuke's father-in-law unexpectedly dies, the family goes through a series of random events and occurrences as the funeral unfolds over three days in their home.
The Funeral
1984
6.4Ryōko Itakura returns as the tough-as-nails government taxing agent. This time she must figure out a way to expose a fanatical religious cult lead by a corrupt sociopath.
A Taxing Woman's Return
1988
3.0Yoshiko Mita and Masahiko Tsugawa enthusiastically perform a couple who know each other’s affairs and affairs and still do not part with each other even after various emotional conflicts. A work that is highly supported by women.
Reason For Not Divorcing
1987
5.0A story about love triangle between mother and daughter relation...
Cherry Blossoms
1989
3.7A woman faces betrayal, which tests her love.
Night Train
1987
7.2A troubled architect weaves his way through numerous romantic situations in a search for true love and contentment.
Flakes of Snow
1985
4.5Yahagi Michiko is accosted and raped walking home one evening. From there she maneuvers the logistics of the police, hospital, and criminal justice system while balancing her home life including romantic relationships.
The Rape
1982
7.0A girl from a wealthy family falls in love with a working-class boy.
The Girl in Glass
1988
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
10.0This is James Miki's first directorial work, and he is also the original writer and scriptwriter. Noritaka Sakamoto was in charge of photography, and Kentaro Haneda was in charge of music direction. It depicts how an honest candidate aiming for a clean election campaign gradually collapses in the face of various realities. Kiyokawa, the mayor of Higurashi City, died at his lover's house. Yoshihiko announces that he will conduct a clean election campaign, but his sponsors and backers are reluctant.
The Political Game
1989
9.0A story about a woman who is a research student of a theater company and the three men who are at the mercy of her.
Manon
1981
1970s · 2 titles
5.4A story of the everyday life of a couple living together, ordinary but full of warmth and love. Starring Miura and Yamaguchi's first movie since making public of their romance--their real-life story on the screen.
Temptation of Angel
1979
7.8Okoto is blind since childhood. Her young servant Sasuke is in love of her. One day Koto is badly scarred on her face. In order to preserve the memory of her once beautiful face, Sasuke takes away his own sight.
A Portrait of Shunkin
1976
1960s · 2 titles
6.5Long takes and a highly theatrical visual approach combine to form a tense and confrontational look at the decline of a socialist student activists' movement in Japan.
Night and Fog in Japan
1960
7.2Keizo Tsujiguchi believes his wife Natsue was having an extramarital affair when their child was kidnapped and killed. He believes of her extramarital affair she was unable to watch over their child properly and blames her for their daughter's death. To exact revenge on his wife, he then adopts the killer's child without telling the truth to his wife or their newly adopted child.
Freezing Point
1966
1950s · 3 titles
8.1In 11th-century feudal Japan, following the exile of an idealistic governor, his wife and children are separated by slave traders; the children, Zushio and Anju, are sold into brutal servitude under the cruel bailiff Sansho.
Sansho the Bailiff
1954
6.9Two brothers compete for the amorous favors of a young woman during a seaside summer of gambling, boating, and drinking.
Crazed Fruit
1956
7.5A woman marries, gives birth to a stillborn child, and divorces, falls in love with a hotel-keeper, only to find herself subordinated to his drive for success, takes up with a tailor who cannot console himself with her strong personality.
Untamed Woman
1957
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
9.5In the early Showa era, the town of Choshi in Chiba Prefecture was divided by the conflicts between the worlds of "land" and "sea". Born to Kyubei Bando, the owner of a long-established soy sauce brewery, and his mistress Rui, Kaworu was taken in by her father and raised as a prim and proper lady. As she grew up, she fell in love with Sokichi, the eldest son of an established fisherman; alas, their two families were in conflict. This is a story of pure love between two people that grew beyond the boundaries of the old customs that they were brought up with. It is a drama that depicts their turbulent journey of love and the bonds of the people from an old and established family working tirelessly to protect their naturally brewed soy sauce business through the ups and downs.
Miotsukushi
1985
8.8Furuhata Ninzaburō is a Japanese television series that ran periodically on Fuji Television from 1994 until its final episodes in 2006. It was written by Japanese playwright Kōki Mitani and is often referred to as the Japanese version of Columbo. The series is a police detective drama starring actor Masakazu Tamura as Furuhata Ninzaburo and Masahiko Nishimura as his stereotypically bumbling sidekick, Shintaro Imaizumi. The program aired weekly and featured a guest villain each time, usually a famous talent in Japan. Pop-stars like SMAP, television hosts like Sanma Akashiya and even sports figures like Ichiro Suzuki have been featured on this program. It was one of the most popular television dramas in the history of Japanese television, having spawned several seasons and TV specials.
Furuhata Ninzaburo
1994
NRThe 6th NHK Asadora. Starring Fumie Kashiyama as a woman, born in the Meiji era, who raises a family by herself.
Ohanahan
1966
NRThe 4th NHK Asadora. Starring Michiko Hayashi as a woman born in poverty who lives a brave life. She lost her husband in war and now must take care of their 5-year-old child alone. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Fumiko Hayashi.
Uzushio
1964
8.0Katsuragi Motoko started as an NHK announcer, became a reportage writer after the war, and then an author. This story is about a woman's struggle to find her life's purpose and to survive. The 28th NHK asadora, set in the Showa era and location included Tokyo.
Honjitsu mo Seiten Nari
1981
9.0Broadcast TV drama NHK broadcast on January 4 to December 13, 1987 (Showa 62). In the questionnaire survey conducted by NHK, it is shining in the most favorite river drama. The original is Yamaka Sosaichi's novel "Date Masamune", the biggest drama on the theme of the Date house was the first time in 17 years since the "Shinnogi remained" (1970), which painted Datejo in the Edo period. It depicts the life of Matsudo Date of Sengoku warrior · Date Masamune who built the foundation of Sendai clan 620,000 stones in his generation as a result of my own wisdom and talent.
Masamune Shogun
1987
6.0Takako Mamiya is a lawyer who quits her job at a prestigious law firm and establishes her own office. She confidently sets out to build her business, but soon her former firm is putting up obstacles and interfering, causing Takako's employees and clients to drift away. She finally puts together a new staff consisting of a college student who knows little about the law, a girl who applied for the job in hopes of meeting a rich guy, a hard-nosed lawyer, and a paralegal who hasn't passed the bar exam yet. Takako reluctantly handles divorce cases with her incompetent crew. For an elite lawyer like her, divorce cases are the most boring and unrewarding cases that exist. Through clashing with her employees and clients, Takako soon becomes a very mature and tough lawyer. "Divorce Lawyer" also tells the story of how difficult it is to judge love and relationships in legal terms.
Divorce Lawyer
2004
10.0The 39th NHK Taiga Drama is Aoi Tokugawa Sandai. It is James Miki's dynamic and colorful tale of three generations of the Tokugawa dynasty--from its founder Ieyasu to Iemitsu, the third Shogun who solidified the Tokugawa power base.
Aoi: Tokugawa Three Generations
2000
NRLuzon Sukezaemon is a merchant who imports vases from the Philippines. The vases are highly valued as tea utensils and he makes a huge profit. This was the first taiga drama to concentrate on the lives of commoners and the reviled merchant class of the Tokugawa period. It documents the rise and fall of the merchant city of Sakai, as seen by its most famous resident, the semilegendary Luzon.
Ōgon no Hibi
1978
5.0Kintaro Yajima comes to Tokyo and is hired by Yamato Construction Company when he saves the life of the company's CEO. A former leader of a motorcycle gang, Kintaro is known for his highly principled and forthright way of dealing with matters and is never afraid to tell his superiors exactly what he thinks. This has a tendency of irritating some; but when corruption from within the company begins to surface, he may be the only one who can stand up to it.
Salaryman Kintaro
1999
NRThe 19th NHK Asadora. A dramatization of the life of the singer Chiyako Sato. Michiko Godai replaced Haruna Takase in the lead two months into the series when Takase became ill. Adapted from the novel "Aa Tokyo Koshinkyoku" by Yuki Ryoichi.
Ichibanboshi
1977
7.5The reign of the eighth shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune in the Edo period, was notable for the “Ooka Sabaki” which supported the Kyoho Reforms that Yoshimune advanced. Yoshimune goes beyond status and the position he has been thrust in, to join with Edo magistrate Ooka Tadasuke and the Western medicine doctor Sakakibara Iori in order to promote the creation of a world for the common people of Edo. These three men deepen exchanges with the magistrate’s office and the townsfolk, uphold justice and struggle to keep order in Edo…
Ooka Echizen
2013
NRKatsu Kaishū deals with end of the Edo period. Based on Kan Shimozawa's novels "Katsu Kaishū "
Katsu Kaishu
1974
8.2All of the Ultraman and monsters have been turned into figures known as Spark Dolls and become scattered throughout the universe. A young man named Hikaru Raido finds an item called the Ginga Spark which not only allows him to become Ultraman Ginga but also allows him to go UltLive with the figures to revert them to their rightful size and become one with them. Hikaru fights with his friends to uncover the darkness behind the Spark Dolls. Alien Nackie drops a clue that the wielder of darkness resides in their very elementary school.
Ultraman Ginga
2013
7.8Reiko Himekawa is a female detective at the Metropolitan Police Department. Reiko doesn't come from an elite background, but she has risen fast through the ranks with hard work and gain the respect of the policeman.
Strawberry Night
2012
NRA new dramatization of "Hadaka no Taishō (The Naked General)" series about the wandering painter Kiyoshi Yamashita, starring Tsukaji Muga.
Hadaka no Taishō
2007
6.5The story revolves around a young woman named Mei, who was rescued as a young girl by someone calling himself her "butler." With only a vague memory, though, the experience seems like just a dream. But one day, after her parents' accidental death, he appears: Rihito comes from a line of outstanding butlers, and he has been appointed to serve her! Now her ordinary life has completely flipped, as she discovers that she's actually the heiress to a fortune, and is forced to transfer to St. Lucia Girls' Academy, where all the students have butlers! As a result, her childhood friend Kento decides to enroll in a butler school so that he can stay close to her.
Mei's Butler
2009
NRNo synopsis available yet.
シークレット部隊
1972
NRHard-boiled suspense drama series about a detective feared as the "Shinjuku Shark" who bravely stands up to evil.
Shinjuku Shark
1995
7.0Upon return from Paris, Sasakura Ryu spends some time wandering amiss, but after some time he decides to start anew by becoming a bartender. On a daily basis as a bartender, he helps solve the various problems burdening his customers, including work and love and family troubles, one cocktail at a time. Furthermore, what will happen to the romantic relationship between Ryu, who seeks the best cocktail, and Kurushima Miwa, who ispertinent to his growth as a person. Also in the drama you'll see the fateful showdown between Kuzuhara Ryuichi, referred to as Mr. Perfect, and Master Kase Goro. -- TV Asahi
Bartender
2011
5.0Arisa is fascinated by humans. So much so that she leaves the magic world. But the broom she uses is faulty and she winds up in Japan. There she meets Joji Matsui who works at an advertising agency. Joji has been assigned by his boss Ichio Suzuki the difficult task of winning over Shiori Nomo who is in charge of corporate communications at a client. However a little word from Arisa helps Joji win over Shiori and his agency gets the opportunity to pitch. Arisa and Joji fall in love and marry. Arisa swears never to use magic again as she and Joji begin their strange witch/human married life.
Bewitched In Tokyo
2004
NRNo synopsis available yet.
水曜ドラマ 宮本武蔵
1984
7.4Tomio Shiraishi graduated from a prestigious university and now works for foreign securities company. He has a beautiful fiancée, Kozue Aoike, and no complaints with his life. One day, his father kills himself, leaving behind large debts. Tomio Shiraishi is liable for his father's debts. He pays what he can with his savings account, but it is not enough. He is chased by moneylenders. Tomio loses everything. His job, fiancée and savings. He then becomes homeless. Tomio Shiraishi then decides to work for Daisuke Akamatsu, who runs Akamatsu Finance. Akamatsu Finance is the company that drove Tomio Shiraishi to become homeless. The company looks like a normal finance company, but it actually lends money with high interest. Tomio Shiraishi decides to do anything, including illegal acts, to make money.
War of Money
2015
7.5Akagi Shigeru is a young, white-haired mahjong genius. One summer in 1965, he ends up facing off against Washizu Iwao, Japan’s King of Darkness who has amassed enormous fortune and power, at the request of his acquaintance, the rogue detective Yasuoka. As the observer, Ogi Takeshi, a leader of the henchmen of Inada-gumi watches over them, mahjong with special rules called Washizu Mahjong begins. It is a life or death struggle with Akagi’s fresh blood and Washizu’s entire fortune at stake.
Akagi
2015
9.0The drama is set in an retirement home named "Yasuragi no Sato La Strada" where only those who had worked in the TV entertainment industry such as actors, writers, musicians and artists are allowed to live at. Kikumura Sakae, who used to be a popular scriptwriter, lives among the former stars and the problems they face are presented in a humorous manner.
Yasuragi no Sato
2017
1.0The drama depicts the crisis of a couple in the midst of a malaise, the anguish of their children as they grow into adulthood, the disintegration of their family, and finally the collapse of their house due to water damage.
The Album on the Shore
1977
NRThe protagonist is a 41-year-old divorced lawyer. 13 years ago, his wife's infidelity led him to abandon his then 5-year-old daughter and leave home. This summer, his wife departed to heaven. The daughter still hates her father for abandoning her, and wants to attend a university in Tokyo so she doesn't have to live with him...
I Love Dad Best in the World
1998
8.0Based on the novel by Jirō Asada, the TV movie depicts the lives of the Shinsengumi warriors during the turmoil of the late Edo period.
Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko
2002
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Akagi: Ryūzaki–Yagi hen / Ichikawa hen
2017
NRA historical romance about the life of Princess Nukata, a Manyo poetess who was loved by two brothers, Emperor Tenji and Emperor Tenmu, and the formation of an ancient nation.
Nukata no Ōkimi
1980
NRDetective Seiichiro Watari is nearing retirement, but is still bothered by an unsolved case from seven years ago when the decomposed corpse of a female was found by a fisherman in the sea of Otaru. The body was never identified so the case was never solved. Three years after his retirement, Watari unexpectedly discovers a clue that may finally solve the case.
The Farthest Galaxy
2013
6.610 men and women are called to Natural Island Hotel on the isolated island Heitaijima off Yachijojima by the owner Nanao Shin. They take the dinner that has been prepared while filled with a mix of expectation and anxiety about what is going to happen and why they have been invited to this island. Then they suddenly start to hear a mysterious voice reveal their past crimes. As the 10 of them go through past incidents in their mind, one of the invited guests is murdered before their eyes. That seems to be the catalyst for the murder of another guest and then yet another. Several days after the invited guests came to Heitaijima, police head over to the island following the report of murders. They discover 10 murdered bodies on this big “locked room”. Who is the murderer and why did these 10 people have to be gathered and killed? ~ Based on the novel "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie, published in 1943.
And Then There Were None
2017
8.0Set in Tenma, Osaka. Matsukichi (Kento Hayashi) is the son of a samurai. His father is killed because of a grudge and Matsukichi is also in danger. At this time, Wasuke (Masahiko Tsugawa), the owner of the store Ikawa, saves Matsukichi's life. He then begins working at the store.
Ginnikan
2014
No synopsis available yet.
Girls In The Wind
1988
NRThe drama depicts the fateful meeting and falling in love between a man living in the glamorous world of the fashion business and a woman living in the social reality of law and order.
Hikarugake
1977
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Natsu ni Koisuru Onnatachi
1983
8.3A sake brewery of long standing in Kanazawa is deep in the red. The owner’s only son Sagara Shuichi, an elite banker, resigns from the bank because of something that came up, and decides to stake his life on making sake. Grasping at straws, he clings to the legendary master brewer, Washio Yusaku. However, Yusaku is the man feared as an ogre. Shuichi is prepared to be “eaten by the ogre”, but he is thrust into a difficult position when he sinks further into debt because of Yusaku’s pursuit of “perfect sake making”. Moreover, the brewers working for Yusaku are strangers to sake making. They are men and women who have lost their places to go for their own reasons, and have moved in with the sake brewery. One of them is Shuichi’s cousin, Naoki. In the middle of preparing the daiginjo sake on which the fate of the sake brewery rests, an unusual and unpredicted change takes place before Naoki’s eyes. Will the sake brewery be turned around when the drops of liquid of their quest flow?
Liquid: Ogre of Sake the Miraculous Warehouse
2015
NRDaizaburo Akiba, a music critic, sets up Kiriko, a young hostess, and refines her to become his ideal woman.
Keshin
1987
NRAfter the 'Incident at Honnoji' (assassination of Oda Nobunaga by Akechi Mitsuhide, a former trusted general), a group of Tokugawa samurai are rescued by a youth named Yagyu Munenori (2nd son of Yagyu Sekishusai from Yamato) and Kizaru (a Ninja), as they are chased by a bloodthirsty group of samurai. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the lord of his clan, then lave a very special gift to Munenori; a samurai's pillbox, (a veritable work of art, with beautiful lacquered designs) which signifies that he is to be hired by the Tokugawa Clan when he grows up. As a result of the assassination, Toyotomi Hideyoshi became the sole ruler of Japan, and confiscated the Yagyu lands since they had sided with the traitorous Akechi. The Yagyu Clan was considerably weakened, and all but disappeared during Hideyoshi's reign as 'Taiko'.
Three Generations of the Yagyu Sword
1993
Behind the camera
6.1A celebration of the ancient art of Japanese rakugo, roughly translated as “comic storytelling”. The film is interspersed with numerous funerals and wakes, songs, dances, and often disgustingly crude jokes.
A Hardest Night!!
2005
NRJirocho (Kiichi Nakai), a fledgling bakuto who left his wife, goes on a year-long training with his minions: right-hand man and military master Ohmasa (Kishibe Ittoku); stinky priest Daigoro (Takashi Sasano); well-known stranger Ishimatsu Mori (Yoichi Nukumizu); beautiful Masagoro Oiwake (Kazuki Kitamura); and others. As Jirocho's fame spreads, he gains more enemies. Among them are Katsuzo Kurokoma (Koichi Sato), who is one of the most powerful in Koshu, and the villain who is also Ishimatsu's nemesis, Masaru Mima (Riki Takeuchi). A traitor also emerges from the family, Yoshikazu Ebisu (Yoshikazu Ebisu). Meanwhile, Jirocho's wife falls ill and other terrible situations occur. Jirocho falls into a pinch of absolute despair. What on earth will he do? What is the fate of his minions? The Jirocho family will face a fierce battle...
Samurai Gangsters
2008
8.8Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido, is the northernmost zoo in Japan. The unpopular zoo welcomes a new zoo keeper, young Yoshida (Yasuhi Nakamura), who has more affection for insects than people after years of being bullied at school when he was young. Yoshida soon realizes that Asahiyama Zoo is facing a financial crisis and the zoo director Takizawa (Toshiyuki Nishida) has been doing everything in his power to save the zoo from closing down. Moved by Takizawa's passion, Yoshida and other zoo keepers came to share the zoo director's belief that one's dreams can come true, and together they tackle this seemingly impossible task of revitalizing Asahiyama. A breakthrough arrives in the form of “Behavioral Exhibition,†a method that is pioneered by Ashiyama's zoo keepers and which eventually makes the zoo renowned throughout the world.
Asahiyama Zoo Story: Penguins in the Sky
2009
