
Acting
Manabu Morita
Born
1924-04-25 (102)
Known for
Acting
Credits
62 titles
He was one of the regular actors who appeared in Daiei films from the 1950s to the 1970s. He appeared in over 100 films, including uncredited ones, and left a lasting impression playing many strong supporting and minor roles.
Known for
8.0A shikakenin was an under-the-cover trade that undertook killing in Edo. Hanemon of Otowa, an agency that introduced laborers and maids, was also one of these. Katsugoro Iseya was a timber dealer who had come in as a client. His target was the constructions magistrate Hanno, and the Tatsumiya who sipped on the benefits. Hanemon who had a stong code towards killing, where he would only kill those who do no good to be in the world, accepts this request. Baian Fujieda, a needle doctor would carry out the killing. However, the professional killer Baian fails to bring down Tatsumiya. Hanemon then looks to another shikakenin, the ronin Sanai Nishimura for the role. Although Sanai's ability with the sword is good, he lives poorly in a tenement, and accepts this commission on the condition that it is kept a secret from his wife and child. Here, they close in on Hanno and Tatsumiya again...
Professional Killers
1972
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Tokai no kiba
1959
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Otoko jū kyū no wataridori
1958
NRChiba 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
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Kesareta keiji
1958
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Kaachan wa hannin janai
1958
Film credits
1980s · 2 titles
7.2The story of Shinsuke, a young man who lives through a stormy life as a poverty-stricken coal miner. Ranging from Shinsuke's infanthood to his mid-teens. Coal workers and the mines dominate nearly every aspect of his life. Shinsuke's father a group leader at the mine, dies while bravely using dynamite to rescue a group of trapped Korean miners. Several older men attempt to help he and his mother cope, including a friendly Harley-riding yakuza boss. This movie has it all, drama, romance, sex, yakuza and violence! It is based on a story by Hiroyuki Itsuki that was originally serialized in the magazine Shukan Gendai in 1969-70.
Gate of Youth
1981
5.0A mysterious thief called "Yami no Kiba" (Fang of Darkness), who sneaks into the residences of the shogunate one after another and steals the shogun's treasures, has been shaking the public authorities. The identity of the thief is Ichibei, a medicine seller whose father was once killed by the shogunate, and his daughter Oasa. Ichibei had been seeking revenge against the official to avenge the death of his father, Sasajima Hyobu, who was a member of the Kurokuchi clan, the official ninja. He was also plotting to seize the gold orca of the Nagoya Castle keep, aiming at the Owari clan that had slain his father. ......
The Shogun's Vault II
1982
1970s · 8 titles
7.2Ogami Itto is challenged by a quintet of warriors, each armed with one fifth of Ogami's assassin fee and one fifth of the information he needs to complete his assignment.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons
1973
5.5Terry Sugury is hired to recover one of two tapes containing a formula for making heroin for a price of 200 dollars a pound. But he gets double crossed. So he wants the tape back.
The Street Fighter's Last Revenge
1974
7.1With most of his family already dead at Ogami Itto's hands, Retsudo launches one final plot to destroy him, and when that fails, unleashes the fury of every remaining member of the Yagyu clan.
Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell
1974
7.4Official Shogunate executioner Ogami Itto has been framed for disloyalty to the Shogunate by the Yagyu clan, against whom he now is waging a one-man war, along with his infant son, Daigoro.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
1972
7.3Ogami Itto is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin and battles Retsudo, head of the Yagyu clan, and his son Gunbei.
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril
1972
6.5The Silk Hat Boss becomes involved in a car imports business during his trip to Atami.
The Silk Hat Boss 2
1970
5.9Bunta Sugawara is Miyoshi, a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir, family member Aoki attempts to seize power from the boss, and Miyoshi finds himself stuck between the two factions with no honorable way out.
New Battles Without Honor and Humanity 1
1974
9.0In Meiji Period Japan, the carrying of swords had been outlawed, so Shikai, the Killer Priest carries his sword disguised as a Priest?s staff. One of the strongest entries in the series, Shinkai is badly injured, and must face his worst enemy in what could be their final showdown.
Wicked Priest 4: The Killer Priest Comes Back
1970
1960s · 14 titles
7.1Zatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss.
Zatoichi's Pilgrimage
1966
6.3In a mountainous region of Japan, Lord Arakawa kidnaps the men of nearby villages to use as slave labor, producing gunpowder from his sulfur pits. A band of young boys decide to rescue their enslaved fathers on their own.
Wrath of Daimajin
1966
7.3The adventures of a blind, gambling masseur and master swordsman. Zatoichi targets a yakuza-controlled village, because war with a neighbouring town's smaller gang is brewing.
The Tale of Zatoichi
1962
6.8Blind swordsman Zatoichi, jailed briefly, is implored by another prisoner to aid him in proving his innocence of a crime for which he is sentenced to death. Zatoichi is reluctant to get involved, because he knows how often such involvement has led to trouble in the past. But events conspire to thrust him repeatedly into involvement, and gradually he comes to believe in the man's innocence and determines to free him.
Zatoichi and the Doomed Man
1965
6.7When a local gambling house kidnaps some peasants because they failed to pay their debts, a rival gambling house pays their debts and sets them free.
Zatoichi the Outlaw
1967
6.2[Period covered: 1614-1615] Tokugawa Ieyasu is now the ruler of all Japan. But one last loose thread must be tied up before his domination is complete -- the destruction of the Toyotomi clan, now beseiged in Osaka castle. Ieyasu's ninja are the only ones who can penetrate the fortress, but unfortunately for Ieyasu, Kirigakure Saizo and the other Toyotomi ninja can just as easily get out. As armies of samurai maneuver for battle, the fate of the nation will be decided by a desperate struggle in the dark!
Shinobi no Mono 4: Siege
1964
6.5[Period covered: 1616] On May 8th, 1615 the summer campaign of Osaka has reached the climax. This film takes place immediately following 'Ninja 4: Mist Saizo, Last of The Ninja'. Staying one step ahead of the Shogun’s forces, “Mist” Saizo tries to save the Sanada Clan, and avenge the death of his lord by assassinating the first Tokugawa Shogun. Following the first four films in this remarkable series, more previously unknown Ninja skills are shown to the world for the first time. The action heats up as Saizo single-handedly attacks the Shogun’s Palace!
Shinobi No Mono 5: Return of Mist Saizo
1964
6.3Fifth film in the series. When Kyoshiro, in a moment of weakness, saves the life of a woman being attacked on the road, he quickly finds himself entangled in a conspiracy involving a corrupt chamberlain, a wily merchant, the survivors of a pirate gang, and a missing treasure trove.
Sleepy Eyes of Death 5: Sword of Fire
1965
9.5The shogun's vassal Harima Aoyama and a chamber maid are in love with each other, but they cannot be together due to a difference of their status. Soon, an offer of marriage is brought to Harima. Trying to test his love, Okiku breaks one of the plates of the family treasure of the Aoyama family, but Harima doesn't notice. However, someone surrounding her witnesses the moment Okiku breaks the plate on purpose.
A Samurai Never Tells a Lie
1963
6.5Pu Zhe, younger brother of the Emperor of Manchukuo, marries Ryuko, daughter of an aristocratic family. To the surprise of all, a deep love between Pu Zhe and Ryuko develops and is put to the test when Japan loses the war.
The Wandering Princess
1960
7.0In late 1940 the Japanese were anxious to conclude peace in China and to that end sent Colonel Hidaka to inaugurate negotiations. He was mysteriously assassinated, however, when his car was blown up. The General Staff Headquarters in Japan, sends Lieutenant Shiina, a graduate of the famed Nakano School of Spies inaugurated by Colonel Kusanagi, to investigate the matter. Arriving in Shanghai, he disguises himself as a Chinese coolie and sets out to watch for developments, the only clue being a silver dollar found beside what was left of the victim.
Assignment Dragon No. 3
1967
6.6Nakano Institution is the so-called ‘Spy School’ where many young men are trained to be excellent spies. They erase their names, families, even lovers to bury themselves in training. Jiro, one of the cadets, successfully seize the secret code of English army to pass the final exam. However, he reaches the crossroad when his fiancee Yukiko turns out to be a spy of the enemy.
The School of Spies
1966
6.3Sentaro is been severely beaten for his defiance of the government and the high taxes during a time of famine. He is befriended by Kada Gentaro, a leader in the Mito Tengu group, which plans to overthrow the shogunate.
Blood End
1969
NRThe biopic of Shigenobu Ōkuma, one of the main Japanese leaders at the turn of the 20th century, a supporter of rapprochement with the United Kingdom, and who brought his country into the Triple Entente against the German Empire.
Ōkuma Shigenobu the great
1963
1950s · 35 titles
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Tokai no kiba
1959
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Otoko jū kyū no wataridori
1958
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Kesareta keiji
1958
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Kaachan wa hannin janai
1958
NRA romance between a young koto prodigy and the head of a koto school’s daughter.
Symphony of Love
1958
6.7In 8th-century China, the Emperor grieves the death of his wife. The Yang family wants to provide the Emperor with a consort so that they may consolidate their court influence. General An Lushan finds a distant relative working in their kitchen, whom they groom to present to the Emperor. The Emperor falls in love and she becomes the Princess Yang Kwei-fei. The Yangs are then appointed important ministers, though An Lushan is not given the court position he covets.
Princess Yang Kwei-fei
1955
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Itsuki no komori uta
1954
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Horeruna Yanpachi
1956
7.0Ichiro’s family used to be a large landowner, but now he is living in poverty with his mother. His mother works hard to get her son through school. Under such circumstances, Ichiro meets Wakako, the daughter of a wealthy man, and they fall in love with each other, but they are opposed by those around them because of their different social status.
On This Earth
1957
NRJudo movie.
Duel at Noon
1957
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Tsuki no kōdōkan
1956
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Shōbushi to sono musume
1959
NRA passionate young man who risks his life for love and judo and the innocent young woman who adores him face off against an evil judoka at Chidorigafuchi.
The Big Four of the Kodokan
1955
NRA young engineer and a pure-hearted mountain girl take on the challenges of the Akan primeval forest, where lawlessness and violence run rampant.
Outlaw
1953
A desperate detective on the trail of criminals who are holding a baby hostage and demanding one million yen
San akunin to akanbō
1950
NRA college student falls in love with a notorious delinquent girl.
Teen-ager's Resistance
1955
NRThis story depicts the struggles of a man living in the cutthroat world of competition and the pure love of his wife.
Tsuma koso waga inochi
1957
NRJudo movie.
Zoku ginga no miyako
1957
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Where Might is Right
1955
A romantic action drama set in early Meiji-era Hokkaido, centered on a passionate, justice-seeking newspaper reporter who takes on an official seeking to line his own pockets, alongside an ill-fated brother and sister harboring a desire for revenge.
Eki basha osowaru
1957
7.6In the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier afflicted with tuberculosis is abandoned by his company and left to wander the Philippine island of Leyte.
Fires on the Plain
1959
NRAfter helping a woman recover her wallet, which had been stolen by a pickpocket, a rough-around-the-edges young man who is a sixth-dan judo practitioner falls in love with a beautiful teacher of traditional folk songs.
Ginga no miyako
1957
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Bara no kōdōkan
1956
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Rakka no mon
1954
NRMelodrama about a young woman who saves a young man from the world of evil after he has saved her from blindness.
8:13 PM
1956
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Rōkyoku tengu dōjō
1955
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Musume hatsukoi yatton-bushi
1952
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Haha tokidori
1954
Even the beautiful international port of Yokohama has a seedy underbelly. An action thriller in which a newspaper reporter plunges into a den of vice to expose the smuggling and the prostitution.
Dai san hijōsen
1956
NRA series of kidnappings is occurring right under the authorities’ noses as they desperately pursue the culprits. Could the typewritten ransom note reveal the culprit?
Kidnapper
1955
NRAn innocent bus girl who gave up on getting into a women’s college and is now filled with new hope and the cheerful, slightly flirtatious young man who loves her, inside the car on a stormy night...
Dawn Chorus
1955
No synopsis available yet.
Four Mothers
1954
NRA couple in love are separated between the city and the countryside and face misunderstandings due to slander from those around them, but are ultimately reunited at the apple orchard in their hometown.
Ringo murakara
1956
NRIn 1945, in a Shanghai filled with a palpable sense of unease as the war was still raging, Atsuko Kijima and Ryuji Kudo fell in love and exchanged promises of marriage. Ryuji was deployed shortly thereafter, and after the war ended, he was taken to Siberia as a prisoner of war. Atsuko, who had returned to Tokyo, clung to the promise she had made with Ryuji—that if he were safe, he would “come to the garden of St. Nicholas Cathedral at noon on Christmas Day.” Relying on that promise, she went to St. Nicholas Cathedral at noon on Christmas Day in both 1946 and 1947, but Ryuji never appeared.
Tokyo Elegy
1951
NRTwo barbers have fallen for each other, but their fathers are both stubborn, and, on top of that, they’re old rivals from the past.
Tokoharu jamono
1953
Series credits
8.0A shikakenin was an under-the-cover trade that undertook killing in Edo. Hanemon of Otowa, an agency that introduced laborers and maids, was also one of these. Katsugoro Iseya was a timber dealer who had come in as a client. His target was the constructions magistrate Hanno, and the Tatsumiya who sipped on the benefits. Hanemon who had a stong code towards killing, where he would only kill those who do no good to be in the world, accepts this request. Baian Fujieda, a needle doctor would carry out the killing. However, the professional killer Baian fails to bring down Tatsumiya. Hanemon then looks to another shikakenin, the ronin Sanai Nishimura for the role. Although Sanai's ability with the sword is good, he lives poorly in a tenement, and accepts this commission on the condition that it is kept a secret from his wife and child. Here, they close in on Hanno and Tatsumiya again...
Professional Killers
1972
NRChiba 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

