Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada

Born: October 12, 1960
in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan
Hiroyuki Sanada (真田 広之, Sanada Hiroyuki, born Hiroyuki Shimosawa (下澤 廣之, Shimosawa Hiroyuki); 12 October 1960) is a Japanese actor from Tokyo. Before breaking in to the movie business, he trained at Sonny Chiba’s Japan Action Club hoping to one day become a martial arts action film star. Sanada appeared in many action films in the 70s and early 80s, but as it became clear he was actually a talented and well-rounded actor, he was able to branch out into all different types of roles in every genre. Today he is best known in the west for his involvement in big-budget Hollywood productions such as The Last Samurai and Rush Hour 3.

Movies for Hiroyuki Sanada...

Title: Shōgun
Character: Yoshii Toranaga
Released: February 27, 2024
Type: TV
In Japan in the year 1600, at the dawn of a century-defining civil war, Lord Yoshii Toranaga is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village.
bee
John Wick: Chapter 4
Title: John Wick: Chapter 4
Character: Shimazu
Released: March 22, 2023
Type: Movie
With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.
bee
Bullet Train
Title: Bullet Train
Character: The Elder
Released: August 3, 2022
Type: Movie
Unlucky assassin Ladybug is determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe—all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives—on the world's fastest train.
bee
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
Title: Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye
Character: Akihiko (archive footage)
Released: February 9, 2022
Type: Movie
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
bee
Title: Hawkeye
Character: Akihiko (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: November 24, 2021
Type: TV
Former Avenger Clint Barton has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. Possible? Maybe with the help of Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old archer with dreams of becoming a superhero. The two are forced to work together when a presence from Barton’s past threatens to derail far more than the festive spirit.
bee
Army of Thieves
Title: Army of Thieves
Character: Bly Tanaka (archive footage)
Released: October 29, 2021
Type: Movie
A mysterious woman recruits bank teller Ludwig Dieter to lead a group of aspiring thieves on a top-secret heist during the early stages of the zombie apocalypse.
bee
Army of the Dead
Title: Army of the Dead
Character: Bly Tanaka
Released: May 14, 2021
Type: Movie
Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble: venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.
bee
Mortal Kombat
Title: Mortal Kombat
Character: Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
Released: April 7, 2021
Type: Movie
Washed-up MMA fighter Cole Young, unaware of his heritage, and hunted by Emperor Shang Tsung's best warrior, Sub-Zero, seeks out and trains with Earth's greatest champions as he prepares to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.
bee
Minamata
Title: Minamata
Character: Mitsuo Yamazaki
Released: March 13, 2020
Type: Movie
War photographer W. Eugene Smith travels back to Japan where he documents the devastating effect of mercury poisoning in coastal communities.
bee
Title: The Kelly Clarkson Show
Released: September 9, 2019
Type: TV
Kelly Clarkson presents the biggest newsmakers and names in film, television and music; as well as emerging new talent and everyday people who are beacons of hope in their communities.
bee
Title: The Kelly Clarkson Show
Character: Self
Released: September 9, 2019
Type: TV
Kelly Clarkson presents the biggest newsmakers and names in film, television and music; as well as emerging new talent and everyday people who are beacons of hope in their communities.
bee
Avengers: Endgame
Title: Avengers: Endgame
Character: Akihiko
Released: April 24, 2019
Type: Movie
After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.
bee
The Catcher Was a Spy
Title: The Catcher Was a Spy
Character: Kawabata
Released: June 22, 2018
Type: Movie
Former major league baseball player Moe Berg lives a double life working for the Office of Strategic Services in World War II Europe.
bee
Life
Title: Life
Character: Sho Murakami
Released: March 22, 2017
Type: Movie
The six-member crew of the International Space Station is tasked with studying a sample from Mars that may be the first proof of extra-terrestrial life, which proves more intelligent than ever expected.
bee
Title: Westworld
Character: Musashi
Released: October 2, 2016
Type: TV
A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.
bee
Mr. Holmes
Title: Mr. Holmes
Character: Tamiki Umezaki
Released: June 19, 2015
Type: Movie
In 1947, long-retired and near the end of his life, Sherlock Holmes grapples with an unreliable memory and must rely on his housekeeper's son as he revisits the still-unsolved case that led to his retirement.
bee
Minions
Title: Minions
Character: Sumo (voice)
Released: June 17, 2015
Type: Movie
Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
bee
Title: Extant
Character: Hideki Yasumoto
Released: July 9, 2014
Type: TV
An astronaut returns home from a year long solo mission in space. She tries to reconnect with her husband and son in their everyday life. Her experiences in space and home lead to events that ultimately will change the course of human history.
bee
Title: The Last Ship
Character: Takehaya
Released: June 22, 2014
Type: TV
Their mission is simple: Find a cure. Stop the virus. Save the world. When a global pandemic wipes out eighty percent of the planet's population, the crew of a lone naval destroyer must find a way to pull humanity from the brink of extinction.
bee
Title: Helix
Character: Dr. Hiroshi Hataki
Released: January 10, 2014
Type: TV
Helix is an intense thriller about a team of scientists from the Centers for Disease Control who travel to a high-tech research facility in the Arctic to investigate a possible disease outbreak, only to find themselves pulled into a terrifying life-and-death struggle that holds the key to mankind's salvation...or total annihilation.
bee
47 Ronin
Title: 47 Ronin
Character: Kuranosuke Ôishi
Released: December 6, 2013
Type: Movie
Kai—an outcast—joins Oishi, the leader of 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honour to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.
bee
The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin
Title: The Wolverine: Path of a Ronin
Character: Self
Released: December 3, 2013
Type: Movie
A nice exploration of the samurai-ninja aspect of the story, including its roots in the actual Marvel comic books. There are the requisite interviews with the principal cast and crew along with copious clips from the film as well as some behind the scenes footage (including a look at that supercool metallic bed that the elderly Yashida lies on in the lab in his fortress).
bee
The Railway Man
Title: The Railway Man
Character: Nagase
Released: December 2, 2013
Type: Movie
A victim from World War II's "Death Railway" sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story.
bee
The Wolverine
Title: The Wolverine
Character: Shingen Harada / Lord Shingen
Released: July 21, 2013
Type: Movie
Wolverine faces his ultimate nemesis - and tests of his physical, emotional, and mortal limits - in a life-changing voyage to modern-day Japan.
bee
Title: Revenge
Character: Satoshi Takeda
Released: September 21, 2011
Type: TV
When Emily Thorne moves to the Hamptons, everyone wonders about the new girl, but she knows everything about them, including what they did to her family. Years ago, they took everything from her. Now, one by one, she's going to make them pay.
bee
The City of Your Final Destination
Title: The City of Your Final Destination
Character: Pete
Released: March 21, 2009
Type: Movie
28-year-old Kansas University doctoral student Omar Razaghi wins a grant to write a biography of Latin American writer Jules Gund. Omar must get through to three people who were close to Gund – his brother, widow, and younger mistress – so he can get authorization to write the biography.
bee
Speed Racer
Title: Speed Racer
Character: Mr. Musha
Released: May 7, 2008
Type: Movie
Speed Racer is a young and brilliant racing driver. When corruption in the racing leagues costs his brother his life, Speed must team up with the police and the mysterious Racer X to bring an end to the corruption and criminal activities.
bee
Rush Hour 3
Title: Rush Hour 3
Character: Kenji
Released: August 8, 2007
Type: Movie
After a botched assassination attempt, the mismatched duo finds themselves in Paris, struggling to retrieve a precious list of names, as the murderous crime syndicate's henchmen try their best to stop them. Once more, Lee and Carter must fight their way through dangerous gangsters; however, this time, the past has come back to haunt Lee. Will the boys get the job done once and for all?
bee
Sunshine
Title: Sunshine
Character: Kaneda
Released: April 5, 2007
Type: Movie
Fifty years into the future, the sun is dying, and Earth is threatened by arctic temperatures. A team of astronauts is sent to revive the Sun — but the mission fails. Seven years later, a new team is sent to finish the mission as mankind’s last hope.
bee
The Promise
Title: The Promise
Character: General Guangming
Released: December 15, 2005
Type: Movie
An orphaned girl, driven by poverty at such a young age, makes a promise with an enchantress. In return for beauty and the admiration of every man, she will never be with the man she loves. This spell cannot be broken unless the impossible happens: snow falling in spring and the dead coming back to life. Now a grown and beautiful princess, she regrets her promise, for all of the men she's loved has always been met with tragedy.
bee
The White Countess
Title: The White Countess
Character: Matsuda
Released: October 30, 2005
Type: Movie
In 1930s Shanghai, 'The White Countess' is both Sofia—a fallen member of the Russian aristocracy—and a nightclub created by a blind American diplomat, who asks Sofia to be the centerpiece of the world he wants to create.
bee
Aegis
Title: Aegis
Character: Hisashi Sengoku
Released: July 30, 2005
Type: Movie
The Isokaze, an Aegis-class escort vessel, sets sail on a routine training exercise, playing host to a platoon from the Fleet Training Group. No sooner is the Isokaze on open water, however, then the FTG reveal themselves to be terrorist stowaways who kill the ship's captain, send the rest of the crew overboard and take control of the vessel. The ship is carrying a secret biological weapon which the terrorists are now threatening to use to level Tokyo! Only a stowaway NCO, Sengoko (played by Sanada Hiroyuki from Ring and Twilight Samurai) is in a position to stop them - but does he really have what it takes to save the day? Playing like a cross between a sea-faring version of Top Gun and Die Hard, director Sakamoto Junji shows that it's not just Hollywood that can produce thrill-a-minute action spectaculars.
bee
Title: Lost
Character: Dogen
Released: September 22, 2004
Type: TV
Stripped of everything, the survivors of a horrific plane crash must work together to stay alive. But the island holds many secrets.
bee
The Last Samurai
Title: The Last Samurai
Character: Ujio
Released: December 5, 2003
Type: Movie
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
bee
The Twilight Samurai
Title: The Twilight Samurai
Character: Seibei Iguchi
Released: November 2, 2002
Type: Movie
Seibei Iguchi leads a difficult life as a low ranking samurai at the turn of the nineteenth century. A widower with a meager income, Seibei struggles to take care of his two daughters and senile mother. New prospects seem to open up when the beautiful Tomoe, a childhood friend, comes back into he and his daughters' life, but as the Japanese feudal system unravels, Seibei is still bound by the code of honor of the samurai and by his own sense of social precedence. How can he find a way to do what is best for those he loves?
bee
Vengeance for Sale
Title: Vengeance for Sale
Character: Sukeroku Sukedachiya
Released: February 16, 2002
Type: Movie
In a world where vendettas are officially sanctioned, the people sometimes needed help in carrying out their vengeance. Sanada Hiroyuki stars as Sukeroku the Helper, a ‘cool and rambling yakuza’ that has made a business out of helping victims carry out their revenge. When he returns to his hometown to pay a visit to his mother’s grave he meets a deadly ronin who carries a secret which eventually leads him into a vendetta of his own.
bee
Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master
Title: Onmyoji: The Yin Yang Master
Character: Dōson
Released: October 6, 2001
Type: Movie
During a dark time in the Heian period, when evil forces threaten the kingdom, the emperor relies on the Onmyoji to keep the supernatural forces in line. But as political events become highly charged, friction within the order leads to betrayal. Now, Seimei (Mansai Nomura), a talented member of the clan, must face down his master, Doson (Hiroyuki Sanada), in the hopes of restoring peace to the kingdom.
bee
Title: Unmarried Family
Character: Yosuke Matoba
Released: July 5, 2001
Type: TV
Sanada plays a salariman who just lost his job. Yonekura, his wife, is a dancer who gave up her career when they got married. In the middle of family crisis, Yonekura leaves to pursue her dream. Sanada is stuck with their only son. Suzuki, his old flame -turn jet set career woman- is forced to take care of them. Will the romance spark again, now that Sanada already has family, and Suzuki has a younger man, Makoto, beside her?
bee
All About Our House
Title: All About Our House
Character: Bartender
Released: June 9, 2001
Type: Movie
Two newlyweds decide to build their dream home, and hire an old friend named Yanagisawa to design it. Unfortunately, Yanagisawa isn’t licensed to build homes, so they call in the wife’s father, a retired carpenter, to help out. When Yanagisawa’s contemporary ideas clash with the old carpenter’s traditional Japanese methods, the project becomes a huge mess.
bee
First Love
Title: First Love
Character: Shinichirô Fujiki
Released: April 1, 2000
Type: Movie
This coming-of-age story from Japan opens just after 17-year-old Sataka has gotten dumped by her boyfriend. When her mother is hospitalized with a malignant stomach ulcer, Sataka is left alone with her emotionally repressed father; whiling away the hours one day, she comes across a love letter written to her mother 24 years earlier. Deciding to track down the letter's author, Sataka eventually finds Shinichiro (Hiroyuki Sanada), an overweight slob who was abandoned by his wife years earlier and now spends his time hanging around pachinko parlors. Determined to clean him up and reintroduce him to her mother, Sataka nags Shinchiro until he finally agrees to her demands, and a gradual friendship develops between the two as Sataka drags him to the gym and a clothing store. But once Shinchiro's makeover is complete, he turns the tables on his young friend, and when the time comes for him to meet Sataka's mother, all concerned parties find themselves embarking on a new phase in their lives.
bee
Round About Midnight
Title: Round About Midnight
Character: Koji
Released: November 6, 1999
Type: Movie
Koji, a jazz musician, takes a cigarette break in between sets at a Tokyo nightclub. He witnesses a murder and runs into a girl, Linda, who is being pursued by the killers. For the next two hours, Koji and Linda are running from both the hitmen and the police. Mistakenly identified as prime suspects, they have to solve the crime but time is running out: Koji has to be back to perform in his club by midnight, as a very special guest will be attending.
bee
Ring 2
Title: Ring 2
Character: Ryuji Takayama
Released: January 23, 1999
Type: Movie
While investigating the horrifying death of her boyfriend, Mai Takano learns about a videotape haunted by the spirit of a disturbing girl named Sadako, which kills anyone who watches it exactly one week later. When her boyfriend’s son, Yoichi, starts to develop the same psychic abilities as Sadako, Takano must find a way to keep the boy and herself from becoming the next victims.
bee
Tadon and Chikuwa
Title: Tadon and Chikuwa
Released: December 5, 1998
Type: Movie
A film based on two short stories by Shiina Makoto. Tadon is the story of a cab-driver who spends his days listening to his passengers' conversations. Chikuwa is about a writer who faces a creativity bottleneck.
bee
Title: Tabloid
Released: October 14, 1998
Type: TV
Tokiwa plays a sharp tongued reporter for a major daily newspaper. She was demoted to a sleazy tabloid as a punishment for breaking the reporter's code of conduct. While working in the tabloid, she discovered that she has the freedom of uncovering the truth behind a murder case.
bee
Murder on D Street
Title: Murder on D Street
Character: Seiichiro Fukiya
Released: May 16, 1998
Type: Movie
Detective Kogoro Akechi is faced with a peculiar murder case involving forgeries of classic pornographic artworks.
bee
Ring
Title: Ring
Character: Ryuji Takayama
Released: January 31, 1998
Type: Movie
A mysterious video has been linked to a number of deaths, and when an inquisitive journalist finds the tape and views it herself, she sets in motion a chain of events that puts her own life in danger.
bee
The Spiral
Title: The Spiral
Character: Ryûji Takayama
Released: January 31, 1998
Type: Movie
A young pathologist seeks answers to the mysterious death of a friend and soon comes into contact with the same cursed videotape that caused the death of the friend's wife and son, which is haunted by the curse of Sadako, a relentless spirit.
bee
Title: A Story of Love
Released: July 3, 1997
Type: TV
Konna Koi no Hanashi is a Japanese television drama starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Nanako Matsushima. It aired during the Summer of 1997 in Japan and in 2001 on KONG-TV in the United States. The original 12 episodes were split into 14 episodes for the U.S. showing. A Story of Love dealt with social issues including poverty in first world countries and class barriers in Tokyo.
bee
Title: こんな恋のはなし
Released: July 3, 1997
Type: TV
bee
Title: Shin Hanshichi torimono chô
Character: Hanshichi
Released: April 4, 1997
Type: TV
This series is based on the series of 68 novels written by Okamoto Kido in the early 20th century. The hero is Hanshichi, a young but highly skilled Edo-era detective. Widowed for two years, Hanshichi lives alone in a tenement house. His sister-in-law Okume, who has a crush on him, looks in on him from time to time. Sanada Hiroyuki (known to action movie fans as Henry Sanada) stars as Hanshichi.
bee
Title: Hideyoshi
Character: Ishida Mitsunari
Released: January 7, 1996
Type: TV
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.
bee
The Abe Clan
Title: The Abe Clan
Character: Emoto Matashichiro
Released: November 24, 1995
Type: Movie
A Choice between Loyalty or Duty of the Samurai! Can the heartlessness of society crush the honor of an individual? In the spring of the 18th year of Kanei, Hosokawa Tadatoshi, feudal lord of the Higo area, died. Although Tadatoshi forbade his vassals to follow him in death before he died, they still committed seppuku one after the other. The new feudal lord, Mitsunao, Tadatoshi's son, also gave the order forbidding seppuku. Abe Yaichiemon obeyed his former lord's last wish but is now being called a coward by his comrades and finally decided to follow Tadatoshi in death in order to save his family's honor. Mitsunao, upset by Yaichiemon actions, punished the Abe family unfairly. Objected to this, the Abe family shut themselves up in their manor as the lords troops moved in. This is the true story of what happened within the Hosokawa clan in early Edo era.
bee
East Meets West
Title: East Meets West
Character: Kamijo Kenkichi
Released: August 12, 1995
Type: Movie
A disgraced warrior planning the murder of a Japanese diplomat, and a ninja in the employ of a navy official are about to land in San Francisco when a band of thieves steal the money the diplomats are carrying. The two set off on a chase across the American west to catch the robbers.
bee
Sharaku
Title: Sharaku
Character: Tonbo
Released: June 2, 1995
Type: Movie
A crippled kabuki player is taken into a strolling company of itinerant actors. An influential publisher notices his honest, bold drawings, and nurtures him despite persecution and betrayal. The film explores the eternal relationship between artist and producer, and describes the emanicipation of a man who refuses to let himself become the plaything of power and money.
bee
119
Title: 119
Released: November 5, 1994
Type: Movie
In Harari-cho, a small and quiet bayside town by the sea, the firemen have not seen a fire for nearly twenty years. Each day passes eventlessly... until one day. The monotony of their daily lives is interrupted by the appearance of a beautiful female college student, Momoko, who comes to visit her aunt. After catching a glimpse of Momoko, both Tatsuya and Nobuyuki can't stop thinking about her. Since then, the small town is not so quiet anymore…
bee
Crest of Betrayal
Title: Crest of Betrayal
Character: Takuminokami Asano
Released: October 22, 1994
Type: Movie
Weaving 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.
bee
Title: Why I borrowed money from her
Character: Kunihiko Yamanobe
Released: October 14, 1994
Type: TV
Kunihiko Yamanobe, played by Hiroyuki Sanada, owes money to Yuki Tachibana, played by Kyoko Koizumi, because of his wife's credit card bankruptcy. This is the love story of two men and a woman who are brought together by a strange bond of debt!
bee
Hero Interview
Title: Hero Interview
Character: Jinta Todoroki
Released: September 3, 1994
Type: Movie
Kasumi Sawaki (Honami Suzuki) works for a top-ranked newspaper publishing company as a capable economic reporter. Speaking six languages fluently, she vigorously performs research and interviews. Her fiance, Ishii (Shingo Tsurumi) is an elite in the same company. Although her work and love seem to go very well, she is suddenly relegated to the minor Sports Department which is full of strange colleagues.
bee
Uneasy Encounters
Title: Uneasy Encounters
Released: April 23, 1994
Type: Movie
A five-part comedy and horror anthology
bee
Title: Furuhata Ninzaburo
Character: 由良一夫
Released: April 13, 1994
Type: TV
Furuhata 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.
bee
The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark
Title: The City That Never Sleeps: Shinjuku Shark
Character: Detective Same
Released: October 8, 1993
Type: Movie
Adaptation of the Arimasa Ohsawa novel Shinjuku Shark.
bee
We Are Not Alone
Title: We Are Not Alone
Released: March 13, 1993
Type: Movie
Businessmen competing for international building contracts in this globe-trotting comedy-adventure.
bee
Title: High School Teacher
Character: Hamura Takao
Released: January 8, 1993
Type: TV
Hamura entered a high school as a biology teacher. Unexpectedly, one of his students, Mayu, fell in love with him. The forbidden love between the teacher and the student began to sprout. Hamura was worried that his relationship with Mayu would be misunderstood, so he tried to escape. However, he later understood Mayu’s tragic life and that the two could not be separated…
bee
Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2
Title: Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2
Released: December 19, 1992
Type: Movie
A comedy about a young woman who has terminal cancer.
bee
Succession
Title: Succession
Character: Masakazu Yoshinari
Released: August 29, 1992
Type: Movie
A former stockbroker-turned-yakuza must make sure his alcoholic boss is up to the task of swearing in the next leader of their syndicate.
bee
Oda Nobunaga
Title: Oda Nobunaga
Released: January 5, 1992
Type: Movie
Among the great ‘Warlords’ in Japanese history, Oda Nobunaga holds a unique place. In effect, his military success led to the ultimate unification of the country. This historically accurate portrayal of Nobunaga’s life and times is highlighted by many of Japan’s biggest stars, most notably Watanabe Ken in the lead role. Bloody realistic fighting, massive battles, and castle intrigues all drawn from historical sources bring this 2 part drama to new heights in storytelling.
bee
Title: Taiheiki
Character: Takauji Ashikaga
Released: January 6, 1991
Type: TV
The drama centers on Ashikaga Takauji's rise to power, overthrowing the Kamakura shogunate and eventually establishing the Ashikaga shogunate.
bee
Tsugumi
Title: Tsugumi
Character: Kyoichi Takahashi
Released: October 20, 1990
Type: Movie
Tsugumi, who lives in a small seaside town, has been in delicate health from birth. Her parents spoiled her and she is rough and selfish. However, a few people are attracted by her beauty and unique character.
bee
Let's Go to the Hospital
Title: Let's Go to the Hospital
Released: April 7, 1990
Type: Movie
When a hard-driving copywriter (Hiroyuki Sanada) discovers his comely wife (Keiko Saito) is involved in a scintillating game of strip rock-paper-scissors with some guy clad only in a pair of boxer shorts and Mickey Mouse ears, he is less than happy. When the stranger tries to make a run for it, a fight ensues between the two men, and they accidentally tumble down several flights of a concrete stairwell. One hurried ambulance ride later, the copywriter finds himself in a private teaching hospital equipped with the latest gleaming gizmos. Meanwhile, a young internist (Hiroko Yakushimaru) girds herself for her first emergency room case -- the battered copywriter. After giving a curt bow and a nervous "Good Evening," she accidentally jams a syringe into his bloody wound. Soon the absurdity of their situation, along with their medical misery, binds the two men and their blundering nurse together.
bee
Yellow Fangs
Title: Yellow Fangs
Character: Eiji
Released: February 10, 1990
Type: Movie
Based on actual events that occurred in Hokkaido, Japan, 1915. Rimeinzu: Utsukushiki yuusha-tachi tells the story of a group of bear hunters that are tracking a 900 pound brown bear nicknamed Red Spots that is terrorising the area. It attacks and kills men, but it feasts only on women.
bee
Shingo's Ten Duels
Title: Shingo's Ten Duels
Character: Aoi Shingo
Released: January 1, 1990
Type: Movie
The classic tale of the shogun's illegitimate son Aoi Shingo is told in three parts as he strives to become the greatest fencer in Japan, while his father Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune seeks to reunite with his lost son. When the secrets of Shingo's birth are revealed to him, it sets off a series of events that bring him to cross swords with members of the shogun's inner circle in a series of duels that could change the destiny of Japan.
bee
Why Do I Choose?
Title: Why Do I Choose?
Released: August 26, 1989
Type: Movie
Who Do I Choose? is a Japanese film directed by Shūsuke Kaneko.
bee
Title: 坂本龍馬
Released: March 31, 1989
Type: TV
bee
Title: Oda Nobunaga
Released: January 1, 1989
Type: TV
bee
Kaito Ruby
Title: Kaito Ruby
Character: Toru Hayashi
Released: November 12, 1988
Type: Movie
Toru Hayashi is an unremarkable bachelor who lives with his mother, until one day a young woman named Rumi moves in in the apartment upstairs. Rumi is a self-proclaimed master thief, but she needs socially awkward Toru's help to actually kickstart her so-called career.
bee
Title: ニューヨーク恋物語
Released: October 13, 1988
Type: TV
bee
Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
Title: Tokugawa Ieyasu – TBS Warlord Special
Released: July 12, 1988
Type: Movie
From his early days as Matsudaira Motoyasu through his rise to the most powerful man in Japan as Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first of the Tokugawa Shoguns, this is the story of the man who truly unified Japan under one ruler. Tokugawa Ieyasu is quoted as saying: “People carry burdens through life as they travel a long road. Never rush” “If you think of privation as normal, you’ll be contented. If you know only about winning and losing, harm may fall upon you. Being inferior is batter than being superior.” These writing reflected the beliefs and military strategy of Ieyasu, a man before his time who was destined to take over the entire country in order to ensure the safety of his children.
bee
Title: Tokugawa Ieyasu
Released: January 1, 1988
Type: TV
bee
松田聖子のスイート・メモリーズ
Title: 松田聖子のスイート・メモリーズ
Released: September 30, 1987
Type: Movie
bee
Sure Death 4
Title: Sure Death 4
Character: Ukyo
Released: June 6, 1987
Type: Movie
Having been demoted for failing to prevent the murder of one of his superiors, Mondo is startled by a group of masked thugs who are soon attacked in turn by an unseen force. He begins to suspect the work of assassins, but whose side are they on?
bee
Title: Masamune Shogun
Released: January 4, 1987
Type: TV
Broadcast 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.
bee
Royal Warriors
Title: Royal Warriors
Character: Peter Yamamoto
Released: June 26, 1986
Type: Movie
When a tough policewoman learns about a group of violent terrorists, she, along with her partner and a Japanese detective, does everything it takes to take them down.
bee
Cabaret
Title: Cabaret
Character: Tanokura
Released: April 26, 1986
Type: Movie
A young jazz musician's desire to advance in his career runs afoul of organized crime in this thriller from Haruki Kadokawa. After a saxophonist starts playing at a particular nightspot, a thug from the Yakuza adopts him as a special friend for no greater reason than he plays one of his favorite songs well. As the dangerous life of the gangster intertwines with that of the musician, it brings harm to the musician's girlfriend, who is raped. This changes the young saxophonist's attitude about his patron, but his Yakuza "friend" is still too embroiled in his own problems to worry about anything else.
bee
One Who Died in Vain
Title: One Who Died in Vain
Released: April 19, 1986
Type: Movie
After returning from the Burmese front in WWII, a man finds trouble brewing back home.
bee
House on Fire
Title: House on Fire
Character: Chuya Nakahara
Released: April 12, 1986
Type: Movie
In the 50s, the complicated life of a popular writer who must share his life with his family, his numerous mistresses and his work
bee
The Dagger of Kamui
Title: The Dagger of Kamui
Character: Jirô
Released: March 8, 1985
Type: Movie
A young boy named Jiro finds his mother and sister murdered in his home. Falsely accused of the crime, he flees from his village and meets a priest named Tenkai, who has him kill a rogue ninja named Tarouza. After fulfilling that task, Jiro undergoes training to become a master assassin. Many years later, Jiro finds out that he was an orphan and his real father was Tarouza, who had worked for Tenkai until he aborted his mission when he fell in love with an Ainu woman. The young ninja discovers that the Shogunate was to retrieve the lost treasure of Captain Kidd and use it to once again isolate Japan from the rest of the world. Using the clues that Tarouza had kept secret, Jiro - along with the female ninja Oyuki and a slave named Sam - travels to Russia and America to search for the treasure in hopes of using it to extract revenge from Tenkai.
bee
Mahjong Horoki
Title: Mahjong Horoki
Character: Bouya Tetsu
Released: October 10, 1984
Type: Movie
A mahjong neophyte loses everything to game master only to hone his skills, take on all challenges and plan for an ultimate revenge match.
bee
Kotaro, An Audacious Karate Boy
Title: Kotaro, An Audacious Karate Boy
Character: Date Yoshioka
Released: August 4, 1984
Type: Movie
Lewd, long-haired karate kid Kotaro Shindo spends his days causing amok at the prestigious Tsurugamine Academy, until the Disciplinary Committee decides enough is enough, and puts a bounty on his luscious locks. Meanwhile other sinister forces are working in the shadows to put Kotaro to use for their own ends.
bee
The Street of Desire
Title: The Street of Desire
Character: Joji Tanaka
Released: April 14, 1984
Type: Movie
A valet at a fancy nightclub hatches a plot to punish those responsible for his father's death.
bee
Title: Choudenshi Bioman
Character: Ken Hayase
Released: February 4, 1984
Type: TV
Five descendants of the people showered with Bio Particles by Bio Robots five centuries in the past have become Biomen. They transform with the Bio Brace and fight using their Super Electronic Brains on their masks. Their Bioswords are equipped with sword and gun modes.
bee
Legend of the Eight Samurai
Title: Legend of the Eight Samurai
Character: Inue Shinbei Masashi
Released: December 10, 1983
Type: Movie
The evil Hikita clan rises from the dead to fulfill a curse on the Satomi clan by restoring the face of their warlord by using the skin of Princess Shizu. In the process of trying to capture her, the clan murders her entire family, but Princess Shizu escapes their clutches. She enlists the aid of eight samurai warriors, possessors of powerful magic crystal, led by Dosetsu (Sonny Chiba!) to help rescue the remaining members of her court and revenge her family. Along the way, they must fight undead warriors, evil spirits, poisonous beauties and a giant centipede.
bee
Kabamaru the Ninja Boy
Title: Kabamaru the Ninja Boy
Character: Shizune Mejiro
Released: August 6, 1983
Type: Movie
Kabamaru is a young boy raised and trained by his grandfather as a ninja. After the sudden death of his grandfather, he starts living with Mai, his grandfather’s mistress, who is a school director. He is asked to help out on struggles against other schools, as he is master of the ninja mystical arts. As time passes he will make lots of friends as well as enemies, and fall in love with Mai.
bee
Title: ふぞろいの林檎たち
Character: 本田 修一
Released: May 27, 1983
Type: TV
bee
Ninja Wars
Title: Ninja Wars
Character: Jotaro Fuefuki
Released: December 18, 1982
Type: Movie
A fortuneteller prophesizes that whoever marries the beautiful Ukio will become the ruler of the world. Naturally, this makes her very popular with those vying for power, particularly the insatiably greedy Lord Donjo. Only the ninja Jotaro can stop Donjo's plan, but to do so, he must first battle the deadly team of "Devil Monks" serving the lord. Will Jotaro succeed in his mission? And if so, will Ukio marry him, thus making him the ruler of the world?
bee
Title: Yagyu Jubei Secret Quest
Character: Matahira
Released: October 19, 1982
Type: TV
The sequel to The Yagyu Conspiracy picks up when Yagyu Jubei (Sonny Chiba) has a falling out with the Shogun, and sets out on his own as a wanted man. Featuring the martial art skills of Sue Shiomi (Sister Streetfighter) as she is on official patrol with Jubei watching over her, making sure that he gets to fight in each episode as well. This is one of the best and most exciting television series to ever hit the airwaves.
bee
Fall Guy
Title: Fall Guy
Character: Actor
Released: October 9, 1982
Type: Movie
Ginshiro, threatened by poor repute and upcoming star Tachibana, forces his friend Yasu to marry Konatsu, Ginshiro's pregnant mistress; Yasu becomes a stuntman to make ends meet.
bee
Ninja In The Dragon's Den
Title: Ninja In The Dragon's Den
Character: Genbu
Released: June 23, 1982
Type: Movie
A Japanese master of ninjutsu and a Chinese expert in kung fu, put their differences aside after their master is killed by a mortal enemy.
bee
Lovers Lost
Title: Lovers Lost
Character: Kunihiko Yasuoka
Released: June 12, 1982
Type: Movie
A poignant love story between a 29-year-old woman, who has once been a prostitute but is now the mistress of a wealthy jewelry merchant, and a 19-year-old college student.
bee
The Blazing Valiant
Title: The Blazing Valiant
Character: Joe
Released: December 19, 1981
Type: Movie
Jo has just come back to Japan for the funeral of his parents, who were killed in tribal warfare in Africa where the family had been living throughout most of Jo's life. Once the funeral was over, he missed the boat that was going to take him back home, and, because of an altered itinerary, he ends up stopping in a town for awhile -- striking up an acquaintance with a teenager and her grandfather when he captures their runaway horse. He would have been glad to leave after the proper amenities were completed, but the girl's journalist brother is murdered -- he was getting too close to wrapping a major news story. At that point, Jo and a friend cannot easily drop the matter as though nothing had occurred, and the two start to track down the source of the trouble -- a factory that makes poison gas for Third World buyers. Now their task is to dismantle the operation, prevent one train shipment from arriving at a transfer point, and find the journalist's killer.
bee
Kamikaze, the Adventurer
Title: Kamikaze, the Adventurer
Character: Akira Hoshino
Released: November 7, 1981
Type: Movie
An ex-Olympic athlete and a student commit cash robbery. Aki Hoshino, a pre-med student, becomes inspired to steal money the school collected as “special fees” from parents wanting to assure their offspring’s’ acceptance into the hallowed institution. He forms an unbeatable alliance with an ex-employee and crime bosses to retrieve the ill-gotten money from the “wrong” hands.
bee
Roaring Fire
Title: Roaring Fire
Character: Joji
Released: August 8, 1981
Type: Movie
On his death bed the man who raised Joji reveals that he is not his real father and that Joji’s real parents died tragically in a plane crash. Shortly thereafter Joji goes to Japan is search of his sister and his twin brother Toru. Joji’s quickly finds his sister Chihiro who is now blind and lives with their uncle. Joji one evening accidently over hears his uncle who has ties to the criminal underworld discussing his various illegal operations. Joji ‘s eavesdropping is discovered by his uncle who offers him a chance to join the organization. Joji promptly turns his uncle’s offer down which immediately puts his life in danger.
bee
Samurai Reincarnation
Title: Samurai Reincarnation
Character: Kirimaru Iga
Released: June 6, 1981
Type: Movie
After surviving the slaughter of many Christians 350 years ago, a samurai denounces God for ignoring the pleas of believers. He sells his soul to Satan and receives the power to resurrect the dead to join him in a murderous rampage.
bee
Space Ninja: Sword of the Space Ark
Title: Space Ninja: Sword of the Space Ark
Released: January 1, 1981
Type: Movie
Sci-fi meets martial arts in this lively chronicle of a warrior pilot who returns to his native planet to find it controlled by a wicked tyrant Captain Kogar. He also finds his family has been slaughtered and so now it is up to him and his pals to kick the heck out of Kogar and return the planet to its rightful rulers. This film was assembled from episodes of the Japanese TV series, Message from Space: Galactic Warriors (which in itself was a spinoff from the feature Message from Space).
bee
Shogun's Ninja
Title: Shogun's Ninja
Character: Momochi Takamaru
Released: November 15, 1980
Type: Movie
In the middle of the 16th century, Hideyoshi, a power hungry warlord sets out to destroy the Momochi clan. He sends his war commander in search of the clan's hidden gold only to find that two daggers are the key to the hiding place of the treasured gold. Spanning decades, the quest for the missing daggers takes Shiranui through war and ancient tradition.
bee
Title: Yagyu's Secret Quest
Character: Matabei
Released: October 14, 1980
Type: TV
Yagyu Abaretabi is the tale of members of the Yagyu Clan and their travels all around the nation seeking to fight injustice and corruption... and there are plenty of surprises along the way.
bee
Dreamy Fifteen
Title: Dreamy Fifteen
Character: Isozaki
Released: July 26, 1980
Type: Movie
Aspiring to be admitted to a good university and to become a lawyer, Tasiro Yuusuke, a tenth-grader from Kyushu, enrolls in a prestigious high school in Tokyo. Plans are made for him to live in his uncle's house, part of which is rented out while his uncle is abroad on business. A realtor's mistakes leaves Tasiro sharing the house with Kei Yamaba, the most beautiful girl in the school, who is also his classmate. There is the risk that their unexpected 'co-habitation' will be discovered by the school authorities.
bee
Title: Shadow Warriors
Released: April 1, 1980
Type: TV
Shadow Warriors is a Japanese television jidaigeki show featuring Sonny Chiba that ran for four seasons in the early 1980s. Chiba played different ninja characters in each series. In the first series he played Hattori Hanzō III, in second one he played Tsuge Shinpachi, in the third one he played Tarao Hanzō, in the fourth series and in Bakumatsu Hen, he played Hattori Hanzō XV. In the 2003 direct-to-DVD series Shin Kage no Gundan he played Hattori Hanzō I.
bee
G.I. Samurai
Title: G.I. Samurai
Character: Takeda Katsuyori
Released: September 17, 1979
Type: Movie
A squadron of Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers find themselves transported through time to their country's warring states era, when rival samurai clans were battling to become the supreme Shogun.
bee
The Shogun Assassins
Title: The Shogun Assassins
Character: Monk Miyoshi Isa
Released: September 1, 1979
Type: Movie
This is a film about a real person. Sanada Yukimura fought a war against Tokugawa Ieyasu.
bee
Message from Space: Galactic Wars The Movie
Title: Message from Space: Galactic Wars The Movie
Character: Gen Hayato / Maboroshi
Released: July 22, 1978
Type: Movie
The movie version of Ryu and Hayato fighting against the Gavanas Empire.
bee
Title: Message from Space: Galactic Wars
Character: Hayato
Released: July 8, 1978
Type: TV
The 15th solar system is invaded by the Stressos. Two men, Ryû and Ayato, and a man-ape, Baru, organize the resistance. They are helped by Eolia, a mysterious woman traveling on a three masted space ship.
bee
Message from Space
Title: Message from Space
Character: Shiro Hongo
Released: April 29, 1978
Type: Movie
The peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ranging from hardened General Garuda to Gavana Prince Hans to young Terrans Meia, Kido, and Aaron all have different reactions to being chosen.
bee
Shogun's Samurai
Title: Shogun's Samurai
Character: Hayate
Released: January 21, 1978
Type: Movie
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.
bee
Title: J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai
Character: Katsuya Nakayama
Released: April 2, 1977
Type: TV
Cyborg warriors were created by the Special Science Investigation Squad to bear nuclear, gravitational, magnetic, and electrical forces. They fight the crime empire known as "Crime".
bee
The Executioner
Title: The Executioner
Character: Toga
Released: August 10, 1974
Type: Movie
Three men, the skilled ninja Ryuchi Kog, the deadly assassin and former drug detective Takeshi Hayato, and the criminal mastermind Ichiro Sakura work together to take out an infamous drug dealer.
bee
Game of Chance 3
Title: Game of Chance 3
Released: October 21, 1967
Type: Movie
Bungo, fulfilling his duty as a yakuza, kills a man from a rival gang. Since then, he has escaped the clan's vengeance by staying on the road with his son Kenichi. Tired of running, the two settle in a mountain town. Bungo finds work as a lumberjack for the Iwasaki family and Kenichi becomes a student at the local elementary school. Regrettably, their good fortune doesn't last. The yakuza boss, Tomitaka, wants control of the town's lumber and is willing to destroy the Iwasaki to get it. Natsue, Kenichi's estranged no-good mother, returns wanting to take part in the boy's upbringing. And shortly thereafter, a mysterious stranger arrives in town to lay claim on Bungo's life...
bee
Game of Chance 2
Title: Game of Chance 2
Released: April 1, 1967
Type: Movie
Bungo is released from prison to find his son Kenichi in the care of strangers. Teruko, the woman originally looking after the boy, was forced to leave town and sell herself into prostitution. Bungo and Kenichi, in their search for Teruko, arrive in a new place and find work running a peddling stall for the upright Tatsumaki family. However, the drifting father and son soon find themselves caught up in a struggle for territory. Boss Negishi, the head of the yakuza family responsible for the death of the former Tatsumaki leader, will stop at nothing to take over the marketplace. Sickened by the injustice, Bungo takes on the rival boss knowing it might cost him his newly acquired freedom..
bee
Game of Chance
Title: Game of Chance
Character: Kenichi Endo
Released: October 22, 1966
Type: Movie
Bungo becomes a single parent when his wife leaves him because of his drinking and gambling. Deciding to quit his vices, he works menial jobs, drifting from city to city. However, not completely losing his gambling tastes, he became a hunted man and must escape to Tokyo after he was found cheating at dice. Bungo and his son Kenichi comes upon the Kizaki Family in Asakusa, where more troubles are awaiting them...
bee
Mortal Kombat 2
Title: Mortal Kombat 2
Character: Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion
Released: December 31, 1969
Type: Movie
A sequel to the 2021 film 'Mortal Kombat'.