Ichirō Zaitsu

Acting

Ichirō Zaitsu

Born — Died

1934-02-22 — 2023-10-14

Place of birth

Kumamoto, Japan

Known for

Acting

Credits

68 titles

Known for

Hideyoshi poster
9.7

A 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

The Private Detective Mike poster
8.5

Mike Hama, Private Detective, is a chain-smoking, wisecracking tough guy with a weakness for the ladies and a soft spot in his heart, especially for his kid sister Akane. Mike's so down on his luck he'll take any case, from finding a lost pet to spying on cheating spouses. But every now and then, along comes a client with dubious and dangerous case… and that's when Mike shows his stuff.

The Private Detective Mike

2002

Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura poster
NR

Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura is a Japanese period drama that aired on the TBS network from November 2, 1970 to August 30, 1971 in the "Brother Gekijo" slot. It ran for 44 colour episodes of 30 minutes each. Based on Sohachi Yamaoka's novel "Chiba Shusaku", it depicts the youth of Chiba Shusaku, founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school of swordsmanship. A hot-blooded young man who calls himself Shusaku enters the dojo of Asari Matashichiro and, through encounters with all kinds of people, grows rapidly both in swordsmanship and in character. Produced by TBS and Shochiku. Rerun on the Japanese CS channel Jidaigeki Senmon Channel from March 17, 2025.

Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura

1970

Okane ga Nai! poster
5.7

Kentaro lives in the suburbs with his two little brothers. They are poor, but they are happy. The factory Kentaro works for, though, goes bankrupt on pay day and Kentaro finds himself out of a job and with even less money. The brothers are thrown out of their apartment and Kentaro, a born optimistic until then, decides that he must aggressively pursue "money". This drama depicts the success story of Kentaro in his search for money and a better life.

Okane ga Nai!

1994

Rikyu poster
7.5

Late in the 1500s, an aging tea master teaches the way of tea to a headstrong Shogun. Through force of will and courageous fighting, Hideyoshi becomes Japan’s most powerful warlord, unifying the country.

Rikyu

1989

The Funeral poster
7.2

When 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

Film credits

1980s · 23 titles

Rikyu poster
7.5

Late in the 1500s, an aging tea master teaches the way of tea to a headstrong Shogun. Through force of will and courageous fighting, Hideyoshi becomes Japan’s most powerful warlord, unifying the country.

Rikyu

1989

The Funeral poster
7.2

When 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

Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies poster
6.6

Director Ogata discovers a new female star in Koharu Tanaka, who works selling candy at a studio theater and she is given a part as a bit player. After the studio's top leading lady is embroiled in a scandal, Koharu is suddenly thrust into the limelight when she replaces her in a film and gains instant fame and fortune. But the going is not always easy, and she soon seeks help from unexpected quarters.

Final Take: The Golden Age of Movies

1986

The Imperial Navy poster
6.6

A lavish retelling of the true story of the final voyage and ultimate destruction and sinking of the battleship Yamato, Japan's greatest flagship during the Second World War.

The Imperial Navy

1981

P. P. Rider poster
6.0

Three high-school students tangle with indulgent yakuza and lackadaisical police as they set out in search of the class bully, who has been kidnapped.

P. P. Rider

1983

Checkers in Tan Tan tanuki poster
7.0

Seven raccoons with supernatural powers sneak into a freight train, disguise themselves as humans, and head to Tokyo with the intention to create a band. They become superstars "Checkers" but their true identity will be revealed very soon.

Checkers in Tan Tan tanuki

1985

Mitsugetsu poster
6.5

Tetsuaki's struggling to write a novel while his mother fades; Mitsuko's engagement has been forced upon her unwillingly; the two individuals run away to share their grief.

Mitsugetsu

1984

Barefoot Gen Part 3: Battle of Hiroshima poster
NR

Second live action "Barefoot Gen" sequel.

Barefoot Gen Part 3: Battle of Hiroshima

1980

Yokohama BJ Blues poster
7.8

BJ is a relatively unknown blues singer who scraps some bars in Yokohama. He does not earn much with it and to make ends meet he also acts as a private detective.

Yokohama BJ Blues

1981

Oddball Nippon poster
NR

Set in a rural town in Yamaguchi Prefecture, this comedy centers on a young couple determined to pursue their love against all opposition, while also chronicling the comical behaviors and interactions of a cast of lovable characters.

Oddball Nippon

1983

Detective Story poster
6.7

A private detective and a college student find themselves in hot water while investigating the murder of a night club owner.

Detective Story

1983

Surgical Designs in Flames poster
10.0

A story of the skilled brain surgeon, Todo, whose talent and ambition are put to test through a series of high risk surgical procedures.

Surgical Designs in Flames

1986

Jazz Daimyo poster
6.3

Shipwrecked African-American slaves arrive in the midst of Bakumatsu-era Japan; they soon carve out a niche in the market with their musical talents.

Jazz Daimyo

1986

Tree Without Leaves poster
8.0

Haru, an aging scriptwriter, has isolated himself somewhere in the woods of Nagano to work on his first novel. As the last surviving member of his kin, he intends to chronicle the family he grew up in.

Tree Without Leaves

1986

At This Late Date, the Charleston poster
7.0

A young man gets thrown into detention after an episode of attempted rape. He soon meets several individuals claiming to be ministers of their own micronation…

At This Late Date, the Charleston

1981

The Gentlemen’s Alliance poster
6.5

Etsuko, a female college student, tries to beat the con artists at their own game after she gets scammed one after another.

The Gentlemen’s Alliance

1986

Secret of the Forbidden Valley poster
7.0

A thrilling historical drama in which a ronin played plays an active role in redeeming the name of a man who was put to death for a crime, despite being innocent.

Secret of the Forbidden Valley

1983

Nogare no machi poster
7.0

Based on the novel of the same name by Kenzo Kitakata.

Nogare no machi

1983

Congratulatory Speech poster
7.0

No synopsis available yet.

Congratulatory Speech

1985

Melodrama poster
NR

The film depicts the anguish of an arsonist as he approaches the statute of limitations.

Melodrama

1988

Lover, Come Back to Me poster
NR

Ken Ota is a Japanese-American GI. He comes to Hiroshima after WW2 looking for his big sister, but finds Keiko, a bomb victim with a keloid scar on her shoulder.

Lover, Come Back to Me

1983

Lover, Come Back to Me poster
NR

Ken Ota is a Japanese-American GI. He comes to Hiroshima after WW2 looking for his big sister, but finds Keiko, a bomb victim with a keloid scar on her shoulder.

Lover, Come Back to Me

1983

Black Board poster
6.5

Takeshi Yasui, a junior high school student is found dead in a river. The police investigate it as a murder related to bullying. The dead boy turns out to have been murdered by two of his schoolmates, who he had been bullying.

Black Board

1986

1970s · 23 titles

The Love and Adventures of Kuroki Taro poster
8.2

Taro Kuroki, 42, is a stuntman with a samurai's heart. He loves adventures, plays pranks with the police, tries to cure a cat lady by reversing her trauma, and finally, rescues his niece who is about to be lured into prostitution.

The Love and Adventures of Kuroki Taro

1977

Tora-san's Grand Scheme poster
7.4

After winning big at the races, Torajiro Kuruma wants to take his aunt and uncle on a trip to Hawaii to partly pay the great filial debt he feels he owes them, but the plan hits a snag. Also, a pretty kindergarten teacher rents a room at Toraya.

Tora-san's Grand Scheme

1970

Tarao Bannai poster
9.5

Baseball player Takatsuka is murdered mid-game in front of a large crowd. The autopsy reveals that he has been killed by a needle coated with a poison used by the Ainu tribe for hunting. The next morning, sports photographer Kawase is killed in the same manner. Kawase’s sister, Yuko, hires Taro Banai, the detective with seven faces, to uncover the truth.

Tarao Bannai

1978

My Voiceless Friends poster
9.0

A man who survived the war carries the will of his comrades in arms, walking across the country visiting the bereaved families.

My Voiceless Friends

1972

Akumyo: Notorious Dragon poster
7.0

About small-time gangster Asakichi's chaotic life in the 1930s. His gambling addiction means that he must not continue working in the family business. Instead he supports himself by arranging cockfights. He becomes ex-geisha Okinu's patron and lover, and falls directly into disfavor with the yakuza.

Akumyo: Notorious Dragon

1974

Stray Dog poster
7.9

When 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

The Tragedy in the Devil-Mask Village poster
7.5

Tarao’s services are called upon to solve the mysterious death of bride-to-be, Mariko, who was found dead with an eerie mask of a devil.

The Tragedy in the Devil-Mask Village

1978

Justice! Allies! Everybody Gather!! poster
8.0

Chotaro and Nakanishi, a duo of unemployed advertisers, drifted to Isehama, a port town near Yokohama, but a gang was making its presence felt in the town and the shopkeepers in the shopping arcade were troubled by it. Chotaro poses as a journalist and uses his words of wisdom to suggest that pen is mightier than the sword, so they create a mini-comic magazine and launch a campaign to expel the gang.

Justice! Allies! Everybody Gather!!

1975

Permanent Blue poster
8.0

In a fishing town by the Seto Sea, a student discovers a woman motionless on the beach and takes her back to his family's inn to nurse her, but he soon discovers than she is an extremist on the run from the police.

Permanent Blue

1976

Troubleman Laughs and Kills poster
NR

Kensho Yamashita's directorial debut.

Troubleman Laughs and Kills

1979

Deeper Than Blue poster
8.0

About a girl who marries in the middle of the Pacific War, is widowed at 18, and her unflagging struggle to survive during and after the war with her son.

Deeper Than Blue

1973

Challenge at Dawn poster
NR

Set 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

Machi no Hi poster
8.0

Chiyomatsu under the hill, also known as Choromatsu. He is a young man whose occupation is an approach shop, that is, a phony business of sex brokerage. Choromatsu is partnered with Umekichi, whom he calls "big brother," in this business. They live on the second floor of the aka-chochin (red lantern) owned by Takeko, where boys and girls who were abandoned at the abandoned children's temple on Mukojima also live together, making up a family of people who are not related to each other.

Machi no Hi

1974

The Instant Services Bureau poster
9.0

Comedy of two brothers working at a local governmental office.

The Instant Services Bureau

1971

Beyond the Rainbow poster
NR

One day an innocent-looking girl in white clothes appears on board of a ramshackle boat The owner of the boat, Okin, decides to let Mari stay with him without asking her any questions. Turmoil ensues with the reaction of the crew when the runaway girl starts working alongside with them.

Beyond the Rainbow

1972

Ninjutsu: Sasuke Saruhi poster
NR

A period comedy set at the end of the Sengoku Period about Sasuke Saruhi, a middle-aged ninja.

Ninjutsu: Sasuke Saruhi

1976

Kaiun ryokō poster
NR

1971 Japanese movie

Kaiun ryokō

1971

Bridal Cruise poster
NR

Daisuke and Shinichi are companions who frequent girlie shows and parties until they find out they are rivals bidding for control of a major resort hotel. During the bargaining sessions each accuses the other of misconduct because of their escapades, thus getting them in trouble with their families. Shinichi's ecology group and Daisuke's wife's women's lib movement become involved.

Bridal Cruise

1976

Price of Life poster
NR

Comedy of a phony doctor.

Price of Life

1971

やるぞみておれ為五郎 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

やるぞみておれ為五郎

1971

Charming Men poster
9.0

One day, when Goro (Kiyoshi Atsumi) returns to his poor tenement house from a trip on a deep-sea tuna boat, his neighbor's daughter Haruko (Mitsuko Baisho) also returns from the juvenile classification center on the same day. However, at a welcome party held by Goro for Haruko, a drunk friend crashes into Haruko's house with a dump truck and is forced to leave. Goro plans to marry Haruko to a rich man and force her to pay dowry, but...

Charming Men

1970

Umarekawatta Tamegorō poster
NR

A drifting gambler named Tamegorō befriends a weary salesman and helps connect him with a nightclub hostess whose father has just been released from prison. In a rapidly industrializing coastal town dominated by yakuza influence, Tamegorō becomes entangled in gang conflicts and the exploitation of local workers. As he grows attached to the struggling people around him, the carefree drifter finds himself driven toward an act of rebellion against the corrupt underworld controlling the city.

Umarekawatta Tamegorō

1972

Oh, My Comrade! poster
10.0

Fukuzo, Kato and Matsuko, Kato's wife, are operating the "Kurenai Sightseeing Service" in Tokyo. Fukuzo and Kato were comrades during the war. One day Fukuzo guides Harumi, an old woman, to the Yasukuni Shrine where the souls of fallen soldiers are enshrined. Finding she has no place to go, Fukuzo carries her to his shack by the sea.

Oh, My Comrade!

1970

1960s · 11 titles

Comic Storyteller — The Great Burglar poster
NR

The fourth and final "Comic Storyteller" feature.

Comic Storyteller — The Great Burglar

1967

Tora-san's Cherished Mother poster
6.8

Kuruma Torajiro is discovered looking around Kyoto for someone special to him.

Tora-san's Cherished Mother

1969

New Year Trip poster
7.0

A comedy about a good-natured train conductor Shinsaku helping his old friend Miwako find her missing brother.

New Year Trip

1968

手錠無用 poster
NR

No synopsis available yet.

手錠無用

1969

Big, Big Fellow poster
NR

The golden duo of Yoshitaro Mura and Kiyoshi Atsumi brings you a full-on comedy filled with laughter and melancholy set in Kitakyushu. Matsujiro Minamida (Atsumi) plays an uneducated and uncouth local troublemaker who becomes the talk of the town following an unexpected incident.

Big, Big Fellow

1969

The Funeral Racket poster
7.0

The film portrays a satirical view of today's heartless money-oriented society.

The Funeral Racket

1968

Lady with Seven Faces poster
NR

A lovely female thief, and disguise artist, has a great passion for her next big job which she sets up with her right-hand man: She intends to steal 500 million yen of ill-gotten money from the safe at Nitto Textiles

Lady with Seven Faces

1969

Last Days of the Tokugawa Regime: Tenamonya Confusion poster
NR

The fourth "Tenamonya" feature. Adapted from the popular television comedy, Fujita stars in this film based on historical events.

Last Days of the Tokugawa Regime: Tenamonya Confusion

1967

One Two Punch poster
NR

Two men succeed in opening a joint restaurant after hilarious troubles.

One Two Punch

1969

Mappira shain yūkyōden poster
NR

1968 Japanese movie

Mappira shain yūkyōden

1968

Isshin Tasuke: Edoites Festival poster
NR

A costumed film featuring the famous hero of Japanese history, Isshin Tasuke, arranged in the form of a popular song.

Isshin Tasuke: Edoites Festival

1967

Series credits

Hideyoshi poster
9.7

A 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

The Private Detective Mike poster
8.5

Mike Hama, Private Detective, is a chain-smoking, wisecracking tough guy with a weakness for the ladies and a soft spot in his heart, especially for his kid sister Akane. Mike's so down on his luck he'll take any case, from finding a lost pet to spying on cheating spouses. But every now and then, along comes a client with dubious and dangerous case… and that's when Mike shows his stuff.

The Private Detective Mike

2002

Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura poster
NR

Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura is a Japanese period drama that aired on the TBS network from November 2, 1970 to August 30, 1971 in the "Brother Gekijo" slot. It ran for 44 colour episodes of 30 minutes each. Based on Sohachi Yamaoka's novel "Chiba Shusaku", it depicts the youth of Chiba Shusaku, founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu school of swordsmanship. A hot-blooded young man who calls himself Shusaku enters the dojo of Asari Matashichiro and, through encounters with all kinds of people, grows rapidly both in swordsmanship and in character. Produced by TBS and Shochiku. Rerun on the Japanese CS channel Jidaigeki Senmon Channel from March 17, 2025.

Chiba Shusaku: Kendo Masshigura

1970

Okane ga Nai! poster
5.7

Kentaro lives in the suburbs with his two little brothers. They are poor, but they are happy. The factory Kentaro works for, though, goes bankrupt on pay day and Kentaro finds himself out of a job and with even less money. The brothers are thrown out of their apartment and Kentaro, a born optimistic until then, decides that he must aggressively pursue "money". This drama depicts the success story of Kentaro in his search for money and a better life.

Okane ga Nai!

1994

Marriage Begins With A Lie poster
NR

The story follows Ryota Mizusawa, a kitchen unit salesman, and Masumi Sakaki, a hand model and single mother of two children. Due to a real estate scam, both Ryota and Masumi are sold the same apartment. To retain their new home, they decide to pose as a married couple, leading to a series of comedic and heartfelt situations as they navigate their unconventional living arrangement.

Marriage Begins With A Lie

1993

Tennō no Ryōriban poster
8.0

A biographical series about Tokuzō Akiyama, who served as the imperial cook, from his youth until he became the chief cook of the Ministry of the Imperial Household.

Tennō no Ryōriban

1980

Aoki Ookami Narukichiomoase no Shougai poster
NR

Tv special that follows the life of Genghis Khan. Adapted from a novel by Yasushi Inoue.

Aoki Ookami Narukichiomoase no Shougai

1980

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

女の夏

1975