Cinema  of  Japan

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on this page: Filmmakers of Japan Actors of Japan Books on Japanese Cinema Selected Movies of Japan Samurai Genre Yakuza Genre Links

Japanese Films on DVD at Amazon.com
Japanese Films on VHS at Amazon.com

Japanese Movies poster catalog at AllPosters.com
Japanese Language Movie Posters catalog at AllPosters.com

Cinema of Japan at Wikipedia

Japanese Movie Database { in Japanese }

Books  About  Japanese  Cinema

	"A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors: From The Silent Era To The Present Day" [2008] by Alexander Jacoby, Foreword by Donald Richie subject directors include Yutaka Abe, Kinji Fukasaku, Juzo Itami, Akira Kurosawa, Takashi Miike, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujiro Ozu, Yoji Yamada & Isao Yukisada Stone Bridge Press 9x6 pb [10/2008] for $16.76
	"The Toho Studios Story: The History and Complete Filmography" [2008] by Stuart Galbraith IV Scarecrow Press 11x8¾ hardcover [5/2008] for $120.00
	"Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts: [2007] Edited by Alastair Phillips & Julian Stringer Routledge 9x6 pb [12/2007] for $32.35 Routledge 9x6¼ hardcover [12/2007] for $140.00
	"The Japanese Period Film: A Critical Analysis" [2007] by S.A. Thornton, Foreword by Donald Richie McFarland & Co. 9x6 pb [10/2007] for $35.95
	"Reading A Japanese Film: Cinema in Context" [2005] by Keiko I. McDonald Univ Hawaii Press 8x6 pb [10/2005] out of print/used Univ Hawaii Press 9x6 hardcover [8/2005] for $37.50
	"Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film" [2005] by Chris Desjardins I.B. Tauris 9¾x7 pb [7/2005] for $15.56 I.B. Tauris 10x7 hardcover [7/2005] for $69.95
	"A New History of Japanese Cinema: A Century Of Narrative Film" [2005] by Isolde Standish Continuum International Publng 8½x5½ pb [5/2006] for $26.80 Continuum International Publng 9x6¼ hardcover [4/2005] for $47.29
	"The Midnight Eye Guide To New Japanese Film" [2004] by Tom Mes & Jasper Sharp Stone Bridge Press 9x7 pb [10/2004] for $16.29 Midnight Eye website
	"The Cinema of Japan and Korea (24 Frames Series)" [2004] Edited by Justin Bowyer Wallflower Press 9x7½ pb [9/2004] for $29.50 Wallflower Press 9¼x7½ hardcover [12/2004] for $80.00
	"Japanese Movie Posters: Yakuza, Monster, Pink & Horror" [2003] by Chuck Stephens, Tetsuya Masuda & Kairakutei Black D.H. Publng 12x8¼ pb [9/2003] for $13.57
	"A Hundred Years of Japanese Film" [2002] by Donald Richie Oxford Univ Press revised edition 9x6¼ pb [8/2005] for $14.96 Kodansha 8½x7 hardcover [2/2002] for $30.00
	"The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide To Japanese Animation Since 1917" [2001] by Jonathan Clements & Helen McCarthy Stone Bridge Press 9x7 pb [rev 11/2006] for $20.67 Stone Bridge Press 9x7 pb [9/2001] for $18.96
	"Contemporary Japanese Film" [1999] by Mark Schilling Weatherhill 9x6 pb [10/99] for $16.47
	"Japanese Cinema: The Essential Handbook" [1998] by Thomas Weisser & Yuko Mihara Weisser Vital Books 8¼x5½ pb [8/98] for $13.97
	"Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo!: The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films" [1998] by Stuart Galbraith IV Feral House 8¼x10 pb [5/98] out of print/used
	"The Japanese Film: Art & Industry" [1983] by Joseph L. Anderson & Donald Richie Princeton Univ Press 8½x5½ pb [2/83] for $25.05 Princeton Univ Press hardcover [2/83] out of print/used

http://www.amazon.com/Image-Japanese-Cinema-Dennis-Washburn/dp/052177182X/

Books on Asian Cinema   •   Books on Canadian Cinema   •   Books on French Cinema
Books on German Cinema   •   Books on Cinema of India   •   Books on Italian Cinema
Books on Mexican Cinema

Japanese  Filmmakers

NOTE: Oscar Awards for Best Foreign Language Film are not attributed
by A.M.P.A.S. or IMDb to the director or producer, but to the country of origin.

Filmmakers of Asia   •   Filmmakers of Canada   •   Filmmakers of France   •   Filmmakers of Germany
Filmmakers of India   •   Filmmakers of Italy   •   Filmmakers of Mexico

·            ·

Yutaka  Abe [1895-1977]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"The Makioka Sisters" [1950]

Kinji  Fukasaku [1930-2003]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

director  Yasuo  Furuhata
IMDb listing

director  Kon  Ichikawa
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

director  Shohei  Imamura  [1926-2006]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"Stolen Desire" [1958]
"Endless Desire" [1958]
"Pigs and Battleships" [1961]
"The Insect Woman" [1963]
"Intentions of Murder" [1964]
"The Pornographers" [1966]
"A Man Vanishes" [1967]
"The Profound Desire of The Gods" [1968]
"A History of Postwar Japan As Told By A Bar Hostess" [1970]
"Karayuki-san: The Making of A Prostitute" [1975]
"Vengeance Is Mine" [1979]
"Eijanaika" [1981]
"Ballad of Narayama" remake [1983]
"Zegen" [1987]
"Black Rain" [1989]
"The Eel" [1997]
"Dr. Akagi" [1998]
"Warm Water Under A Red Bridge" [2001]

"Shohei Imamura's Japan" 6-film traveling exhibition [2007-2008]
"Pigs and Battleships" [1961]
"The Insect Woman" [1963]
"Intentions of Murder" [1964]
"The Pornographers" [1966]
"Eijanaika" [1981]

director  Hiroshi  Inagaki   [1905-80]
browse books • IMDb listing • Wikipedia

'Samurai Trilogy' series: new DVD boxed set | VHS | DVD

director  Juzo  Itami  [1933-97]
videos/DVDs • 'AsiaWeek' obit • IMDb listing • Wikipedia

director  Keisuke  Kinoshita   [1912-98]
IMDb listing • no entry on Wikipedia

"Ballad of Narayama" [1958]
"The River Fuefuki" [1961]

author-performer-director  Takeshi  'Beat'  Kitano
browse books • IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"Beat Takeshi vs. Takeshi Kitano" [2002] by Casio Abe, translated by William O. Gardner & Takeo Hori Muae/Kaya Press 7½x6 pb [1/2005] for $17.55

animator  Satoshi  Kon
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

director  Akira  Kurosawa  [1910-98] Page

Kurosawa/Mifune Films Page

director  Takashi  Miike
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"Audition"
"Ichi The Killer"
"The City of Lost Souls"

"Agitator: The Cinema of Takashi Miike" [2004] by Tom Mes Fab Press pb [6/2006] for $19.77 Fab Press pb [5/2004] out of print/used

"Sukiyaki Western Django: An Epic Tale of Blood, Lust & Greed" [Dentsu-Toei Japan Sept 2007, USA Aug 2008] The white clan and the red clan battle for a hidden treasure in a remote mountain town; a lone gunman drifts into town and both factions compete for his help. {Sounds an awful lot like the Dashiell Hammett "Red Harvest" [1929] - Akira Kurosawa "Yojimbo" [1961] - Coen Bros. "Miller's Crossing" [1990] - Walter Hill "Last Man Standing" [1996] plot structure.} Co-written & directed by Takashi Miike; music by KMoji Endo; starring Hideaki Ito, Koichi Sato, Yusuke Iseya, Masanobu Ando, Takaaki Ishibashi, Yoshino Kimura, Teruyuki Kagawa, Masato Sakai, Quentin Tarantino & Kaori Momoi First Look Pictures widescreen color DVD [11/2008] for $19.99   First Look Pictures color DVD [11/2008] for $19.99   imported Crown soundtrack CD [9/2007] for $49.99 full credits from IMDb • official movie site {requires Flash}

director  Kenjo  Misumi  [1921-75]
IMDb listing • no entry at Wikipedia

film series include 'Baby Cart', 'Zatôichi' & 'Nemuri Kyoshiro'

animator  Hayao  Miyazaki more details (profile, books, DVDs, posters, links) on Magic Lantern's Hayao Miyazaki Page

director  Kenji  Mizoguchi  [1898-1956]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"Mizoguchi and Japan" [2008] by Mark Le Fanu British Film Institute 9x6¾ pb [1/2008] for $27.95 British Film Institute 9¼x6¾ hardcover [1/2008] for $85.95

director  Yoshitaro  Nomura  [1919-2005]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

	"Zero Focus" aka 'Zero no Shoten' [1961] A week after marriage, the groom leaves on a business trip but does not return; his employer tells the bride that he already returned home; she and her brother set out to find him. Directed by Yoshitaro Nomura; based on a novel by Seicho Matsumoto; starring Yoshiko Kuga, Ineko Arima, Hizuru Takachiho, Koji Nambara, Kô Nishimura, Yoshi Kato & Sadako Sawamura Homevision widescreen b&w DVD [9/2004] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb
	"The Castle of Sand" aka 'Suna no utsuwa' [Shochiku Japan Oct 1974, USA Oct 1975] A homicide detective and his new partner investigate a body dumped in a railroad yard, which is soon identified as a policeman on vacation. Directed by Yoshitaro Nomura; based on a best-selling novel by Seicho Matsumoto; starring Tetsuro Tamba, Kensaku Morita, Go Kato, Ken Ogata, Yôko Shimada, Karin Yamaguchi, Seiji Matsuyama & Yoshi Kato; won Kinema Junpo awards for Best Director & Best Script Panorama color DVD [6/2007] for $23.49 full credits from IMDb + 2004 Japan tv series: series credits at IMDb "Inspector Imanishi Investigates" [1961 bestseller novel] Soho Crime 7½x5 pb [11/94] for $10.01
	"The Demon" aka 'Kichiku' [Shochiku Japan Oct 1978, USA June 1979] "They'd be better off with strangers" When a husband stops providing his long-time lover with enough money to pay for the care of their three young children, she leaves the children with him and his very surprised & angry wife - and disappears. Directed by Yoshitaro Nomura; script by Masato Ide, based on a story my Seicho Matsumoto; starring Ken Ogata, Shima Iwashita & Mayumi Ogawa; won Best Director & Best Actor Awards of the Japanese Academy, won Best Actor Award from Kinema Junpo Homevision widescreen color DVD [9/2004] for $17.99 full credits from IMDb

Kihachi  Okamoto  [1923-2005]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Nagisa  Oshima
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Yasujiro  Ozu  [1903-63]
"I want to make people feel without resorting to drama."  — Yasujiro Ozu
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Yasujiro Ozu at Masters of Cinema fansite

	"Stories of Floating Weeds" double DVD Criterion Collxn DVD [4/2004] 2 disks for $31.96 "A Story of Floating Weeds" [1934]: full credits from IMDb "Floating Weeds" [1959]: full credits from IMDb
	"Ozu" [1977] by Donald Richie Univ of CA Press 9x6 pb [7/77] for $24.95
	"Ozu and The Poetics of Cinema" [1988] by David Bordwell B.F.I. Publng 10x8 pb [8/88] out of print/rare B.F.I. Publng hardcover [8/88] out of print/rare author's official website
	"Late Ozu" DVD box set [2007] Eclipse/Criterion DVD box set [6/2007] 5 disks for $62.99 includes "Early Spring" [1956]; "Tokyo Twilight" [1957]; "Equinox Flower" [1958]; "Late Autumn" [1960]; and "The End of Summer" [1961]
	"Silent Ozu: Three Family Comedies" DVD box set [2008] Eclipse/Criterion b&w DVD set [4/2008] 3 disks for $40.49 includes late silent films "Tokyo Chorus" [Shochiku 1931] starring Tokihiko Okada; "I Was Born But..." [Shochiku 1932] starring Tatsuo Saitô; and "Passing Fancy" [Shochiku 1933] starring Takeshi Sakamoto

director  Hiroshi  Shimizu   [1903-66]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

director  Kaneto  Shindo   [1903-66]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Seijun  Suzuki
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"Branded To Thrill: The Delirious Cinema of Suzuki Seijun" [1994]
by Simon Field & Tony Rayns
British Film Institute 8¼x8 pb [4/95] out of print/rare

Hiroshi  Teshigahara  [1927-2001]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

"Three Films By Hiroshi Teshigahara" [2007] Criterion Collection b&w DVD set [7/2007] 4 disks for $54.99 includes "Pitfall" [1962] directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara; script by Kôbô Abe, based on his novel; starring Hisashi Igawa, Sumie Sasaki, Sen Yano, Hideo Kanze, Kunie Tanaka, Kei Sato & Kazuo Miyahara; "Woman In The Dunes" [1964] directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara; script by Kôbô Abe, based on his novel; starring Eiji Okada, Kyôko Kishida & Hiroko Ito; Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film & Best Director; and "The Face Of Another" [1966] directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara; script by Kôbô Abe, based on his novel; starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Machiko Kyô, Mikijiro Hira, Kyôko Kishida, Eiji Okada & Miki Irie

"Antonio Gaudí" [indep 1984] Co-produced, directed & edited by Hiroshi Teshigahara Criterion Collection color DVD [3/2008] 2 disks for $34.99   full credits at IMDb Wikipedia entry on Spanish architect Antonio Gaudí [1852-1926]

Yoji  Yamada
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Isao  Yukisada
IMDb listing

Actors  of  Japan

Actors of Asia   •   Actors of Canada   •   Actors of France   •   Actors of Germany
Actors of India   •   Actors of Italy   •   Actors of Mexico

®   ®

Kiyoshi  Atsumi  [1928-96]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

'Tora-San' series on IMDb

®   ®

Haruka  Ayase
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

officiial Haruka Ayase website {in Japanese}
H.S.P. Haruka Ayase fansite {in Japanese}
'Ayase Paradise' fansite {in Japanese}

"Ichi" aka "The Blind Swordswoman"
[Shochiku Japan Oct 2008, USA release not scheduled]

A young blind girl who earns her living playing the samisen protects herself with extraordinary sword-fighting skills. Directed by Fumihiko Sori; starring Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Yôsuke Kubozuka & Takao Osawa video/DVD not yet available; full credits at IMDb • official movie site {in Japanese} further info on Magic Lantern's Zatô-Ichi Samurai Films Series Page

®   ®

Sessue Hayakawa  [1889-1973]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

®   ®

Raizô  Ichikawa  [1931-69]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

®   ®

Shintarô  Katsu  [1931-97]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

'Zatôichi The Blind Swordsman' Film Series Page

®   ®

Toshirô  Mifune  [1920-97]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Magic Lantern's Kurosawa/Mifune Films Page
B.F.I.'s Toshirô Mifune webpage
Jerry's Toshirô Mifune fansite

"Toshiro Mifune: The Ultimate Collection" [2006] Animeigo widescreen color DVD box set [8/2006] 5 disks for $99.98 includes "Samurai Assassin" [1965] directed by Kihachi Okamoto; "Under The Banner of Samurai" 1969] directed by Hiroshi Inagaki; "Akage" [1969] directed by Hiroshi Inagaki; "The Ambush: Incident at Blood Pass" [1970] directed by Hiroshi Inagaki; and "Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo" [1970] directed by Kihachi Okamoto, co-starring Shintarô Katsu

®   ®

Tatsuya  Nakadai  [b. 1932]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

®   ®

Ken  Ogata  [1937-2008]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

®   ®

Takashi  Shimura  [1905-82]
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

®   ®

Miiko  Taka
IMDb listing • Wikipedia {empty}

®   ®

Ken  Takakura
IMDb listing • Wikipedia

Selected  Japanese  Films
Japan's films have received 3 early Honorary Oscar Awards, no Best Foreign Language Oscar® wins,
among 11 Best Foreign Film nominations.
list of Japan's submissions for Oscar consideration

Selected films of:  Asia   •   Canada   •   France   •   Germany   •   India   •   Italy   •   Mexico

Samurai  Genre
Magic Lantern's Samurai Films Festival Page
Kurosawa/Mifune Films Page
'Zatôichi The Blind Swordsman' Film Series Page
Samurai / Period Drama Films entry at Wikipedia

"The Samurai Film" [1984] by Alain Silver Overlook 10x6¾ pb [6/86] for $11.01 Overlook 10x7¾ pb [10/2006] for $20.40 Overlook hardcover [3/84] for $23.95 Overlook 10x8 hardcover [11/2005] for $34.00

Yakuza  Genre
Yakuza Films entry at Wikipedia
keyword 'yakuza' listing at Internet Movie Database

"The Yakuza Movie Book: A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films" [2003] by Mark Schilling Stone Bridge 9x7 pb [6/2003] for $15.56

"Rashômon"
[Japan Aug 1950; USA Dec 1951]

What is truth? After a killing in the woods, police interrogate four people and obtain four conflicting versions of the events. Co-written & directed by Akira Kurosawa [1910-98]; based on stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa; starring Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura & Minoru Chiaki; won Honorary Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film Home Vision b&w DVD [3/2002] for $29.96 Home Vision b&w VHS [5/94] for $29.95 full credits from IMDb

"Ugetsu  monogatari"
aka "Tales of Moonlight & Rain" [Daiei Japan March 1953, U.S.A. Sept 1954]

Two peasants in war-wracked feudal Japan migrate to the city to make their fortunes; the ambitious potter becomes entangled with a beautiful ghost; the farmer becomes a famous samurai. Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi; based on classic tales by Akinari Ueda [1734-1809]; starring Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Eitarô Ozawa, Ikio Sawamura, Mitsuko Mito, Kikue Môri & Ryosuke Kagawa Criterion b&w DVD set [11/2005] 2 disks for $34.99 HomeVision b&w VHS [6/2000] for $23.70 full credits from IMDb

"Tales of Moonlight and Rain: A Study & Translation" [1776] by Akinari Ueda, translation & critical text by Anthony H. Chambers Columbia Univ Press hardcover [12/2006] for $27.50

"Godzilla" series

Godzilla entry at Wikipedia

	"The Godzilla Collection" DVD box set [2007] The Gojira/Godzilla monster movie series began in 1954, and so far includes 28 films. The eight films in this box set include: original "Gojira" [1954]; "Gojira Strikes Again" [1955] co-starring Anguirus; "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!" [1956] (English-language version of the 1954 original, with added footage); "Mothra vs. Godzilla" [1964]; "Ghidora, the Three-Headed Monster" [1964]; "Invasion of Astro-Monster" [1965] co-starring Monster Zero; "All Monsters Attack" [1968] featuring Rodan, Mothra, Anguilas, Minya & King Ghidrah; and "The Terror of Mechagodzilla" [1975]; PLUS bonus items including featurettes about Ishiro Honda, Akira Ifukube, Tonoyuki Tanaka and others Classic Media DVD set [11/2007] 8 disks for $53.99
	"A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series" [2007] by David Kalat McFarland & Co. 10x7 pb [4/2007] for $35.00
	"Godzilla On My Mind: Fifty Years of The King of Monsters" [2004] by William M. Tsutsui Palgrave Macmillan 7¾x5½ pb [9/2004] for $9.58
	"Godzilla: The Original Animated Series" [40 episodes 1998-2000] Volume 1: Classic Media color DVD [6/2006] for $7.95 Volume 2: Classic Media color DVD [6/2006] for $7.95 Volume 3: Classic Media color DVD [8/2007] for $7.95 series credits from IMDb

"Gate of Hell" aka "Jigokumon" [Japan 1954] Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa; won Honorary Oscar Award

"Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto" [Japan 1955] Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki; won Honorary Oscar Award

"Chushingura  -  Hana  no  maki  yuki  no  maki"
aka "47 Ronin"  [Toho Japan Nov 1962]

A classic tale in Japan, filmed many times: Out of loyalty to a wrongfully-disgraced lord, 47 samurai attack his enemies, knowing that they are courting certain death. Directed by Hiroshi Inagaki, starring Koshiro Matsumoto, Yuzo Kayama, Tatsuya Mihashi, Akira Takarada, Yosuke Natsuki, Makoto Satô, Chûsha Ichikawa, Toshirô Mifune, Eisei Amamoto, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara, Tadao Takashima, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Takeshi Shimura, Yuriko Hoshi, Kumi Mizuno, Yumi Shirakawa & Mie Ham Image Ent. widescreen b&w DVD [2/2001] for $26.09 Home Vision b&w VHS [7/97] 2 tapes for $49.95 Image Ent. b&w widescreen VHS [2/2001] 2 tapes for $29.98 full credits from IMDb

'Chushingura' plot summary at University of Kansas
JNC's history of 'Chushingura'

"Tokyo Drifter" aka "Tôkyô nagaremono"
[Nikkatsu Japan April 1966]

A yakuza boss decides to retire, and the opposition gang leader offers his top assassin a job. But the assassin refuses and is forced to run. He survives many attempts to kill him, and then is betrayed, so he returns to Tokyo to confront his former boss. Suzuki's wild use of color here caused Nikkatsu to restrict him to black & white for his next films. Directed by Seijun Suzuki; starring Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani, Ryuji Kita, Tsuyoshi Yoshida, Hideaki Esumi, Tamio Kawaji & Eiji Go Criterion color DVD [2/99] for $24.99 HomeVision color VHS [6/2000] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb

"Branded  To  Kill"
aka "Koroshi no rakuin" [Nikkatsu Japan June 1967]

When the #3 assassin of Japan's yakuza crime organizations fails an assignment, the #1 assassin is sent to kill him. Black & white movie with Pop Art visuals and a surreal, psycho-sexual nightmare plot. Directed by Seijun Suzuki; starring Jo Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari, Koji Nambara, Isao Tamagawa & Hiroshi Minami Criterion b&w DVD [2/99] for $19.99 HomeVision b&w VHS [6/2000] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb

"Japan's  Longest  Day"
[Toho Japan Aug 1967, USA March 1968]

This is the true story of 15 August 1945, as Japan's government considered surrender to the Allies; the 2-hour 40-minute film is broadcast in Japan every year on the anniversary of the surrender. After the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan's Army Minister Anami proposed to fight on, even to the death of every Japanese citizen. Emperor Hirohito and his other ministers considered the unthinkable – the peaceful surrender of Japan. When Anami learned of a military plot to overthrow the Emperor's civilian government, he faced the choice between his desires and his loyalty to the Emperor. Directed by Kihachi Okamoto; adapted by Shinobu Hashimoto from the 1965 book; starring Toshirô Mifune, Koshiro Matsumoto {as Emperor Hirohito}, Sô Yamamura, Chishu Ryu, Seiji Miyaguchi, Takashi Shimura, Toshio Kurosawa, Shogo Shimada, Susumu Fujita, Rokko Toura, Yûnosuke Itô, Daisuke Katô, Etsushi Takahashi, Jun Tazaki, Takao Inoue & Nobuo Nakamura; won Kinema Junpo Award for Best Script Animeigo widescreen b&w/color DVD [9/2006] for $26.99 full credits from IMDb

based on the renowned history “Nihon no Ichiban Nagai Hi” [1965] by The Pacific War Research Society & Soichi Oya Kodansha Intl. 7½x5¼ pb [9/2002] for $13.57 Ballantine Books mass pb [9/93] out of print/used

"Do-desu-ka-den" aka "Clickety-Clack"
[Toho Japan Oct 1970; U.S.A. June 1971]

Co-writer/director Akira Kurosawa's first color film, with a rich pallette. The tale is simple but involving, and was perhaps the inspiration for Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing". Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film Home Vision color VHS [11/95] with English subtitles for $29.95 full credits from IMDb

"Dersu Uzala"  [U.S.S.R. 1975] Directed by Akira Kurosawa [1910-98]; won Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (a film of Russia) full credits from IMDb

"Sandakan 8" aka "Brothel No. 8"
{"Sandakan hachibanshokan bohkyo"}  [Toho Japan 1975]
Directed by Kei Kumai; Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film
full credits from IMDb

"Kagemusha"  [Japan 1980]
Directed by Akira Kurosawa [1910-98]; Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film,
won 2 of 4 BAFTA noms, won Reader's Choice & 5 other Mainichi Film Concours Awards
full credits from IMDb

"A  Un"  or  "Buddies"
[Toho/Shochiku Japan Nov 1989, U.S.A. March 1990]

A loner industrialist looks forward to the return of his Army buddy to 1937 Tokyo. Directed by Yasuo Furuhata; starring Ken Takakura, Eiji Bando, Junko/Sumiko Fuji & Yasuko Tomita video/DVD not available; full credits from IMDb

"Twilight Samurai" aka 'Tasogare Seibei'
[Japan 2002, USA April 2004]

A quiet, slightly sentimental masterpiece, about a feudal village of 19th century Japan phasing into the new ethos & economics of the Meiji Restoration. Co-Written & directed by Yoji Yamada; based on sections of 3 Shuhei Fujisawa novels; starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Min Tanaka, Nenji Kobayashi & Keiko Kishi; Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film; won 12 Japan Film Academy Awards, won 7 Kinema Junpo Awards Empire Pictures color DVD [12/2004] for $19.99 full credits from IMDb official movie website

"Zatôichi:  The  Blind  Swordsman"
color feature [Asahi/Shochiku Japan Sept 2003, USA June 2004]

Written & directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano; co-starring Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Ookusu, Yui Natsukawa, Daigoro Tachibana, Yuuko Daike, Gadarukanaru Taka, Ittoku Kishibe, Saburo Ishikura & Kohji Miura; won 5 of 9 nominations for Japanese Academy Awards; won Kinema Junpo People's Choice Best Film Award B.M.G. Intl. soundtrack CD [6/2004] for $28.99 full credits at IMDb • official movie website double bill DVD with "Sonatine" [1993] Miramax color DVD [11/2004] 2 disks for $17.99

'Zatôichi The Blind Swordsman' Film Series Page

Links  About  Japanese  Cinema

Japanese movie poster catalog at AllPosters [dot] com
Japanese Movie Database {Japanese character-set}
Foreign Films [dot] com - Best Japanese Films on DVD
Yahoo! Japan Movies
Japanese Film Studies website at Cornell University
Marty Gross Films - distributors of Japanese art films
Tom Mes's 'Midnight Eye'
Society For The Promotion of Japanese Animation [est. 1991]

Kadokawa Herald Pictures [est. 1942]: Japanese-language website • Wikipedia

          

Toho Company Ltd. official website Toho Kingdom fansite

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