After an old man is attacked by a bear in the snowy mountains of northern Japan, he vows to hunt down the marauder.

Fuji drama specials based on the eponymous manga by Shotaro Ishinomori.

An award-winning Japanese film about a child's experiences during the Second World War.

3 people are fresh and naive so they try to go from wandering around lonely to becoming a lively young bunch. Tanokin’s youthful energy explodes!

The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji Restoration. It examines the effects of the political and social upheaval of the time, and culminates in a revelrous march on the Tokyo Imperial Palace, which turns into a massacre. Characteristically, Imamura focuses not on the leaders of the country, but on characters in the lower classes and on the fringes of society.

This extraordinarily complex film is not only a send-up of every samurai film ever made, it is also an extrapolation of the value of life. The Yamatai, represented by Prince Susano-O and elderly advisor Sumuke, hire Yumihiko of Matsuro to hunt the phoenix so that Queen Himiko, sister of Susano-O can have eteranal life.

In this crime thriller produced by Toshiro Mifune (who has a supporting role), hard-boiled Shiro Akitsu goes on a relentless search for his abducted 7-year old daughter, with the aid of an Ainu dog summoned by a whistle she gave him.

To solve the mystery of a murder of an old governess which takes place at a wealthy Daidoji family's country estate, family secrets and lies dating back several generations must be sorted out once and for all.

A comedy farce depicting the noise that occurs when two unemployed circus participants discover a debt bond in a basket with parrots, which they received instead of pension money. At that time, Hiromi Go and Kirin Kiki, who were gaining popularity, play the main roles, demonstrating an exquisite combination.

When an American is murdered in a Japanese inn, Tokyo police detective Munesue follows the trail of the killer to New York. There he is joined by a New York City detective named Shuftan and together they sort out the crime.

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 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.

Three men, all named Masa, join forces to capitalize on each of their unique yet questionable talents against a hyper-competitive Tokyo underworld.

Business is a game! A theatrical version of the TV drama that became a social phenomenon starring Teruhiko Saigo. Set in a wholesaler town in Osaka, it depicts the activities of the main character Takezo Yamashita who repels adversity with a man's stubbornness and guts.

A taut, economical policier-cum-gang-hostage thriller.

Kingoro Tamai moves with his wife and son to the port city of Wakamatsu. He organizes the Tamai-gumi, a stevedore group, to vie for work with two other powerful groups. Gingo is Tamai's chief rival who falls in love with the latter's wife and tries to kill Tamai.

Meiko Kaji reprises her role as Nami, a vengeful female gang leader, in the second installment of this high-action series that casts a new actor -- martial arts legend Sonny Chiba -- in the role of Nami's loyal friend Ryuji. This time around, Nami is looking for Hoshiden, the man who murdered her father and shattered her once-hopeful childhood. But living under an assumed name, Hoshiden could stay hidden forever.

A young woman, an experienced gambler, enters a nunnery to atone for some of her father's crimes. When the nunnery runs into debt, she resorts to gambling and challenges the racketeer threatening to sell the place to a game.

A detective is charged with investigating a bank corruption scandal.

Yuji, a budding writer, meets and starts falling in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, Natsuko. The attraction is mutual but due to the circumstances, they try to not act on their attraction. However, as time goes by, they realise that, perhaps, they cannot be without each other. Will the forbidden love affair move forward and can they finally be with each other?

Comedy of an entertainment agent and strip-teasers.

Reiko Oshida stars as a young wannabe gangster tough girl, just released from reform school. She tracks down one of her classmates fathers, who runs an auto repair shop that the local Yakuza are trying to force out of business and take over, and starts working for him. At the same time a recently released from prison, and now ill Yakuza is trying to make a new life for himself and his girl, a friend of Reiko's, who also just graduated from reform school. A fateful car crash brings the two on a collision course with each other and the brutal Yakuza clan, which can only end bloody vengeance.

Tetsuko (Eiko Yanami), a high school student, one day, forces Tsuneo, (Kei Wakakura), the brightest boy in her school, to make love to her after school is out and they are caught by the old school janitor. Tsuneo's mother, orders Tetsuko to pay for what she did to her son but Tetsuko blackmails her instead, saying that she is ready to inform a news company of what has happened to Tsuneo and receives one million yen hush money. Expelled from school, she comes to Tokyo, intending to take a round-the-world trip. But Sankichi (Yoshihiko Aoyama), a jack-of-all-trades, cheats her. So, she makes up her mind to catch him and get back her money.

This film follows the daily lives of a group of people barely scraping by in a slum on the outskirts of Tokyo. Yet as desperate as their circumstances are, each of them—the homeless father and son envisioning their dream house; the young woman abused by her uncle; the boy who imagines himself a trolley conductor—finds reasons to carry on.

Young geisha Koshizu's wish of reuniting with the man, Yukichi, who helped her ten years ago comes true. When she learns of the trouble Yukichi's business is facing, she stands ready to come to his aid, and thus repay a debt that's long overdue.

Comedy around a motorman and a conductor of a streetcar.

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami.

A drama by director Masaharu Segawa.

A Toho film featuring the comedy duo Konto 55, (コント55号), comprised of comedians Kinichi Hagimoto and Jiro Sakagami.

A drama from director Masaharu Segawa.

Japanese crime film

A film about the construction of the Kasumigaseki Building, the first high-rise building in Japan.

Comedy about two employees who work against their boss.

Tenth film in the long-running series Daiei Studio's Woman Gambler with Kyoko Enami starring where she plays the woman gambler Ogin.

The film is dedicated to the souls of flight school graduates killed in World War II. Young boys dream about becoming pilots and apply to flight schools. However, the flight schools have extremely demanding, harsh training, and once they finally become pilots, they must become suicide bombers and give their lives for their homeland.

Rainbow Over the Pacific is a tale of romance that moves from the streets of Tokyo to the islands of Hawaii as it weaves the story of two star-crossed lovers--Hideo (Yukio Hashi), an aspiring photographer from Japan, and Reiko (Jun Mayuzumi), a beautiful Sansei Cherry Blossom contestant from Hawaii--who are drawn together by destiny, yet appear to be fated to be apart. Will the sun set on their young love, or will it be the dawn of a new relationship?

Japanese comedy film.

A mayoral candidate and his love child.

A roughneck named Komakichi of Kawachi, Osaka, comes back from a three-year training course to become a chef, hoping to be with his crush Tamae, a daughter of a Japanese restaurant’s owner. His father is not happy because Komakichi has no intention to become a rickshaw man to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Three men vs. gangsters in a fight involving smuggled gold.

Jiro, a smooth-talking, womanizing bartender, flees from a Yakuza boss to Yanagase.

The life in a small village in Shikoku and the love story between two young people.

An absolutely astonishing art house ninkyo yakuza film. Wandering gambler runs into a young swindler woman working with old man. They are both arrested by detective. A year later gambler is staying with gangster boss when he comes across that woman and her partner again. Boss lusts for both her and his own daughter, while the boss's crazy yakuza brother loves his daughter, who, in turn, watches the player and wants to destroy the people standing in her way. And here lies one of the film's remarkable departures from the standard ninkyo efforts: it doesn't have a third party villain, nor a clear distinction between good and evil. It's bursting with romantic emotion and wrenched with gritty realism, shot with striking black and white compositions, and explodes into shocking carnage. It has lengthier, more detailed gambling scenes than any other yakuza film I've seen. And it has a heartbreakingly beautiful score. You could call it the Ashes of Time of ninkyo yakuza films. A masterpiece!

The Domain: White Blade

Banjun organizes a group of con men to fleece the greedy and rich.

#13 in the Ekimae series of films. Set at Todai University, Professor Sakai (played by Frankie Sakai) mentors a group of university hopefuls. Cut to 25 years later, the students have each settled into their careers and cross paths with Professor Sakai's son, a P.E. teacher (also played by Sakai).

Japanese comedy film.

The last judgment.

Three robbers escape with loot from a heist before one of them kills the others. Their corpses wash up near the aftermath of a maritime calamity, provoking a policeman's interest.

The final film by Yuzo Kawashima.

Japanese comedy film.

This suspense drama set in the mid 1700's depicts the plan of the Tokugawa rulers to send a number of homeless men to a remote island Sado to perform forced labor. Living conditions on the island are terrible and the men soon become rebellious. Based on a short story by Seichō Matsumoto.

The fifth "Ekimae" film set in Yokohama's Chinatown.

1962 Japanese movie

1962 Japanese movie

1962 Japanese movie

1962 Japanese movie

1962 Japanese movie

1962 Japanese movie

1962 Japanese movie

A father and son are both heavy drinkers. However, the son dies in an accident at a bar, leaving behind a fiance…. A unique social satire that focuses on why people drink alcohol.

A country boss gives up his way of life because of his daughter's marriage.

Two obaachans become fast friends listening to music in front of a record store. They both boast about their loving sons but in reality, one had just escaped a retirement home and the other was looking for an escape from her son and daughter-in-law. With nowhere to go, the two wander around, befriending a cosmetics salesman and a kind waitress who give them beer. This biting social satire starring two memorable grandmothers, scripted by Yôko Mizuki, picked up on Japan’s aging population problem far ahead of its time.

Third film in the "Ekimae" series set in Hamamatsu. A widow named Keiko and her brother Jiro run the bento shop, "Goraku." One day, Keiko asks for advice from her childhood friends Kintaro, a textile manufacturer, and Magosaku, an entrepreneur, about a big-shot from Osaka who wants to invest in her shop. However, Kintaro and Magosaku suspect that things are not what they seem...

Japanese soldiers stranded in Manokwari, New Guinea, improvise a theater play to keep their spirits up and endure the extremely difficult conditions.

Japanese comedy film.

Follow-up to "Ekimae Ryokan." Set around the Yurigaoka and Nishi-Ikuta stations on the Odakyu-Odawara line, the film takes up the problem of real estate around the expanding Yurigaoka apartments.

Manao Horiuchi movie

The film takes place in a dark area of the giant city of Osaka and tells about a group of people who find themselves at the bottom of society, and about the courage of a man who defies the city of violence in search of his beloved sister.

Otami and daughter Yuri run the Matsuoka, a 150-year-old Japanese-style inn in Tokyo which they plan to renovate into a modern hotel before the ‘64 Tokyo Olympics. Maki, the son of the owner of the Benten Hotel, likes Yuri and wants to get closer to her. So, he asks Milton, an American exchange student, to stay at her inn so he can get closer to her. But Yuri is in love with Shin, a cook at her inn. And although Shin likes her too, the two are constantly bickering. Complicating matters more, is that every other available girl also likes Shin including Chikako, who lives at his boarding house, and Chikoma, who is a geisha. One day when Yuri gets a phone call, she suspects that her mother might be having an affair. But it turns out that Otami reunited with her old flame Tomo, who also used to work as a chef at the inn but left because he feared that their class backgrounds were too different. When Shin learns that Yuri is going to marry...will history repeat itself?

The daughter of the wealthy Soga family is kidnapped and her fiance is murdered. But the kidnappers, Tatsu and Sanko are unaware that Tatsuko is the heiress to a fortune. Two strong-arm brothers, Kosaka and Takeshi, learn of her identity and join the gang in an effort to shake down the tycoon for ten million yen. Upon joining forces, their first move is to rid themselves of the driver whose identity is known to the police because of a cap which he left behind at the scene of the crime. Upon obtaining the ransom money, the brothers murder the two kidnappers and go to the port city of Kobe. The younger brother, Takeshi, has fallen in love with the prisoner and refuses to allow her to be killed and they take her with them from one hideout to another.

Second "Pfc. Story" sequel and the ninth and final sequel to "Story of Second Class Private", the only one in both series not directed by Seiichi Fukuda.

In Osaka's slum, youths without futures engage in pilfering, assault and robbery, prostitution, and the buying and selling of identity cards and of blood. Alliances constantly shift. Tatsu and Takeshi, friends since boyhood, reluctantly join Shin's gang. Shin's an upstart and moves his gang often to avoid the local kingpin. Hanoko is a young woman with ambitions: first she's in the blood business with her father, then she joins forces with Shin. She soon breaks off that partnership, even though she's taken the sensitive Takeshi under her wing. Double crosses multiply. Those with the closest bonds become each others' murderers.

First "Pfc. Story" sequel and eighth overall sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

First installment of the "Pfc. Story" series of military-themed comedies from Shochiku, and seventh overall sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

The eleventh episode of the Denshichi Torimonocho series. Around the time of Shogun Ienari, a murderer known as a ghost hikyaku appeared in Edo, raping and killing young girls one after another. One night, a notice was recieved that Oichi, the daughter of Wakasa Kanayu of the small construction group, would be taken away. The mansion was surrounded by ten and twenty layers of people including Denshichi, who was asked to guard the house, and Sesshinsai Ohba, the owner of the dojo. Four seconds later, a violent explosion suddenly occurred.

Five longtime friends get back together, but are disappointed to find that their bonds are not as strong as they once were.

Sixth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Shochiku's commemorative 3000th film production; a suspenseful period drama.

An entertainment movie featuring familiar faces of Toyama no Kin-san, Nezumi Kozo, Yaji Kita, and others who traveled around the Tokaido. Written and directed by Kunio Watanabe. A group of samurai rushed into the Sakura Opera Troupe in the mountain village, chasing a young woman named Chiyohime who was promoting dancing around Edo Asakusa area. Suri Nao and Kinshiro Toyama was there and saved her. Meanwhile, the samurai asked the acquaintance Nezumi Kozo Jirokichi to find her. Jirokichi visited Kinshiro 's house, and found her there…

Fifth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

1958 Mito Kumon movie

A longtime hotel employee (Morishige) struggles to bring his old-fashioned ryokan in line with postwar Japanese business practices.

Half a Loaf... Avarice / Yoku

1958 Shochiku adaptation of Natsume's novel.

Fourth sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Set in the 1860s, the final years of the Tokugawa Shogunate, The Fireflies focuses on Tose (Awashima Chikage), the mistress of the Teradaya, a small inn in the Kyoto suburb of Fushimi. She does not have an easy life. Her husband, Isuke (Ban Junzaburo), is a wastrel who fancies himself a kabuki singer and who is obsessed with cleanliness. Her mother-in-law, Sada (Miyoshi Eiko) dislikes her because of her humble origins (her family are farmers) and because she fears that she will inherit the inn instead of Sugi, her daughter. Sada's hopes for Sugi, however, are dashed when she runs off with a con artist and leaves her child behind for Tose to take care of. When Sada becomes seriously ill, it is Tose who nurses her. On her deathbed, Sada asks her daughter-in-law's forgiveness. Meanwhile Isuke spends most of his time with a mistress he has taken, forcing Tose to manage the inn by herself

Comedy based on the writings of Ango Sakaguchi.

Detective Denshichi is called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Kishu family's daughter Teruhime and the activities of a dangerous group dressed as skulls and their female leader.

Kofu duty guard Yamauchi Hinata-kami cultivated illegal drugs and had them sold through Omiya, a drug wholesaler in Edo Muromachi. One day, a strange spell descends on Omiya, killing his wife Osetsu, and then his second daughter Okyo as well. After that, there was a rumor that a ghost playing a flute appeared in the town of Edo. Sanshiro Tachibana, a member of the Kitamachi Magistrate Doshin, asked Denshichi to investigate these incident.

Chushingura has been made into a movie several times before, but this time it will be presented in a widescreen version with all natural colors and a new look. Written by Masato Ide and directed by Tatsuo Osone. This is a magnificent scroll of images that depicts on a grand scale the triumph of the Genroku era that shook the citizens of Edo, the peaceful capital of Japan. The top stars of the film, shinpa, shingeki, and kabuki worlds at the time of production were lavishly cast, and a huge budget was invested to create a large set for this highly acclaimed and moving epic.

A study of uneasy relationships among the inhabitants of a tiny rural community.

Third sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

The head of Oshu, Harumichi Honma, was ordered by the boat bugyo (Commissioner of the board) Tajima Kuze to extract five gold coins to the Shogun family in Edo, and put it into Ryujin Maru. However, Tajima, who was the chief retainer of the shogunate, said that he was a member of the board, tetsugoro Funabashi, kumiyumi no Kami ichibei, and his son, masakichi, and others, and in the middle of the night, he killed all the members with poison in the night of the storm, threw Masayoshi, who was a fellow of the city, and masakichi, who escaped from the death of poison, into the sea and sank the boat to eliminate evidence.

1957 Japanese movie

In early summer in Edo, Sanshirō, known for his beautiful singing, is a devoted son living in a tenement with his blind mother Okura. He works as a delivery boy for the caterer "Yaoyorozu." His brother, Chōjirō, who disliked being a plasterer, ran away from home and became a subordinate of the yakuza Yamashita no Gonsuke. On a delivery, Sanshirō catches a vagrant child, Erippē, stealing a flower hairpin from Ochiyo, the daughter of the wealthy merchant Narumiyaya Bunzaimon. Impressed by Sanshirō's character, Bunzaimon considers him as a potential son-in-law for Ochiyo, who admires Sanshirō.

Second sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

One night in Edo, a mysterious woman in a palanquin appeared at the moneylender Yamashiroya, revealing herself to a beautiful woman. She told the owner, Shigebē, that she had come to collect a life he owed from twenty years ago and then left. The same night, Maruiya Genbē also received a visit from the woman's palanquin, and nearby, a man named Manbē was murdered. The detective Hayanawa Gohē concluded the murder was the work of a fox spirit, but another detective, Den Shichi, skeptical of this theory, noticed footprints on the tatami and decided to investigate further.

First sequel to "Story of Second Class Private".

Den Shichi of Kurodomon-chō, the best detective in Edo, captured members of a thief gang called "Kitsutsuki," but let three, including the rōnin Daikoku Yajūrō, Tengai Omachi, and Kasumi no Seiji, escape. Among the captured who were exiled, Genta and Kakuroku broke out and returned to Edo to reorganize the Kitsutsuki gang, starting to wreak havoc in the city. Due to the brutal methods used, Den Shichi suspected Yajūrō and Omachi had rejoined the gang. One day, a child who saw a hairdresser resembling Den Shichi, named Kiyoshi, reported to him. Kiyoshi, trusted by the moneychanger Yamano-ya, frequented by Den Shichi's wife Oshun, was rumored to be in love with Yamano-ya's daughter Oiku. In fact, Kiyoshi was Kasumi no Seiji, now living an honest life.

Isshin Tasuke, a friend of Ōkubo Hikozōemon, the esteemed public arbitrator of the realm, saved the maid Onatsu from punishment after she accidentally broke a plate gifted by Lord Ieyasu. Tired of the strict samurai service, Tasuke moved to the Genbei tenements and opened a fish shop. This tenement housed various characters, including the landlord's daughter Osen who had a crush on Tasuke, the midwife Okan, the blind masseur Oyone and her husband, the carpenter-loving couple Yoshigorō and Ohama, the rōnin Takeuchi Yogoemon, and the siblings Ochika and Shin'nosuke who cared for their sick mother.

First film in a series of military-themed comedies from Shochiku.

Okazaki Domain samurai Inaba Gotaro accidentally killed a superior while trying to save his beloved geisha, Ko-en. On the run, they were rescued by the actor Nakamura Utaemon, but Ko-en was taken by the Hatamoto, Ono Issai. Gotaro, who fell off a cliff, was saved by the Dutch-trained doctor, Shibarai Ryokai, and his daughter Oume. While traveling to Edo, they met Utaemon in Mishima, who was suffering from a serious eye disease. Ryokai’s treatment saved Utaemon from blindness, and a strong friendship was formed among the three.

In the town of Izu known for its hot springs, Den Shichi from Kuromon Town sets off for a healing trip with his companion, a bamboo craftsman with a nose like a lion's snout, at a time when the town is under a tight security network due to a nearby gunpowder depot explosion. Staying at Tsuruya, Den Shichi and his group are investigated by officials whose behavior seems somewhat odd. That night, a man looking like a craftsman is murdered, and gunpowder residue is found at the scene, prompting Den Shichi to suspect that something is amiss.

Hatamoto Ooka Gentaro was deeply committed to a future with a beautiful girl named Omachi, a relationship facilitated by his love of the shamisen. Omachi was stalked by a ronin named Akiyama Kanosuke, and at one point, Gentaro and Akiyama dueled at Matanuiyama, but the confrontation was left unresolved when Omachi, sensing urgency, called the authorities. Meanwhile, Gentaro's uncle, Kii-no-kami, concerned about Gentaro's whereabouts, ordered him to investigate a conspiracy by Tachibana Tadama, a tyrannical director of Hachijo who exercised his power oppressively in Shimousa Iioka. Gentaro attempted to leave on a journey with Omachi but was obstructed by his uncle's retainers.

This is a paradise of dream and illusion, a country of Raccoon Dogs. The Bat Tribe lives in a neighboring country took a young prince of Raccoon Dogs as a hostage, and try to take a Buddhist saint from the temple by force.

Japanese comedy film.

A samurai detective film.

Comedy directed by Torajiro Saito about swordsmen in the era of feudal Japan.

A 1954 film.

During the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one night a carver named Fujijiro was murdered. Immediately launching an investigation, Denhichi, accompanied by Otoshi and Take, toured the entertainment houses of Ryogoku. There, they discovered a connection between an acrobat and the incident. On their way home, Otoshi unexpectedly encountered an old friend, Inosuke, nervously buying a dagger. Inosuke, a clerk at the Kashimaya store, was in love with Oko, a secret lover of Bunzaemon. Amidst this, Seihei, the head clerk, was murdered by someone, and a dagger belonging to Inosuke was found at the scene, leading Gohei to suspect Inosuke as the culprit. However, Otoshi was hiding Inosuke. Driven by Otoshi's plea and a professional instinct that Inosuke wasn't the perpetrator, Denhichi desperately searched for the real culprit.

In the era of the twelfth Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyoshi, a notorious bandit known as "Shippu" (or "Swift Wind") emerged in Edo. Shippu would send a warning message called the "Thief's Summons" before striking, yet despite the magistrate's desperate search efforts, they couldn't find any leads. One day, a summons was shot into the residence of Ono Ryusai, who was leading a peaceful retirement life with his two concubines, O-Ran and O-Koshi. With the summons, various individuals including O-Ran's brother Itami Shigoshiro, the master of the Muso-ryu dojo, vigilante Mankichiro, rope expert Gohei, and Den'ichi from Kuromon Town were assigned to monitor the situation. However, while they were distracted by a neighboring fire, a chest containing a thousand ryo was stolen, and O-Koshi was killed.

During the Genroku era, Azusa Gennosuke, renowned in Nara as a top swordsman and a scholar, crossed swords with the Magistrate Kurobane Yatayu, who tried to force himself on Gennosuke's beloved foster-sister, Kikuno. As a result, Gennosuke's younger brother, Shichisaburo, was killed. Separated from his mother, Gennosuke found himself on the run from the officials.

A motley cast of characters, including a human billboard and a shoeshine girl, help a 5 year old girl after she is separated from her mother on the crowded streets of Ginza.

The story of a ghostly thief in Edo who calls himself the fireball guy.

A comedic retelling of the legend of the loyal 47 ronin.

Sequel to "Saiyuki" (1952)

Based on the comic by Machiko Hasegawa

Buntaro, the president of a food trading company got tired of the day-to-day routine of life. The new secretary, Nobuko, suggested her "shacho-san" (the president) run away from the job. Nobuko took Buntaro to her home and introduced him to her own family as friend, "Sachio-san"...

At the transformed Fumaden (Demon Subduing) Temple, with the dynamic efforts of Sukesan and Kakusan, and the appearance of the heroic woman Oshin, Lord Kōmon's ingenious strategy swiftly overcomes the wicked bandits in this exhilarating and unrivaled episode.

Japanese comedy film.

The deputy shogun of the realm, accompanied by his loyal and capable aides, makes a stop at Jigokudani, a place along his journey through various provinces. Here, a lively and entertaining tale unfolds, filled with swordplay where heroes and villains clash, intertwined with heartwarming humor.

Japanese comedy film.

1950 drama film

The Color Print of Edo is a 1939 black and white Japanese silent film with benshi accompaniment directed by Kazuo Mori. It is a cheerful period drama, sprinkled with comical scenes and tells the story of a loyal and handsome Edo period servant who fights to help his older brother marry the woman he loves. The star of this film Utaemono Ichikawa gained enormous popularity for his portrayal of a cheerful and chivalrous man.

A quintessential example of the period "ghost cat" (bakeneko or kaibyo) movie, this was one of at least six such titles released by the studio Shinko Kinema between 1937-40 featuring Japan's first scream queen, Sumiko Suzuki. Here she plays Mitsue, the possessive onna-kabuki actress betrothed to apprentice shamisen player Seijiro. When one day Okiyo, a beautiful young girl of samurai class, is led to Seijiro's house by his lost cat Kuro, she becomes besotted with him. Dark jealous passions are invoked in Mitsue, which are intensified when Seijiro gifts Okiyo his precious shamisen. The cat is the first to suffer at the end of Mitsue's hairpin, but returns from the grave to assist Okiyo's younger sister Onui avenge her sister's murder.

In the midst of the depression, two ronin rack their brains to come up with a dishonest scheme. Taking a man from the countryside, they fashion him into Ise Isenokami, the finest swordsman under the sun. Pretending to be his followers, they visit various sword fighting dojo. Out of fear upon hearing the name Isenokami, they pay him off and do not let him enter their training halls. The impostor eventually comes face to face with the real Isenokami after rescuing his daughter, Oyae, who is caught up in a minor incident.