In Tensho 9, as Oda Nobunaga nears the unification of Japan, he assigns trusted generals to conquer remaining regions. Meanwhile, a peasant farmer named Sahei, resembling Nobunaga, is chosen by Hideyoshi and Sen no Rikyu to act as Nobunaga’s shadow. Furious at the idea of a double, Nobunaga confronts Sahei, who courageously performs the "Atsumori" dance, impressing Nobunaga enough to accept him as his Kagemusha. Sahei’s first test as the shadow warrior comes at a memorial service for the Oda family.
25 Apr 1961
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.
26 May 2004
Japan blossomed into its Renaissance at approximately the same time as Europe. Unlike the West, it flourished not through conquest and exploration, but by fierce and defiant isolation. And the man at the heart of this empire was Tokugawa Ieyasu, a warlord who ruled with absolute control. This period is explored through myriad voices-- the Shogun, the Samurai, the Geisha, the poet, the peasant and the Westerner who glimpsed into this secret world.
26 Apr 1980
Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.
28 Dec 1958
In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.
11 Oct 1959
Kitagawa Utamaro is a famous ukiyo-e artist known for his paintings of beautiful women. The courtesan who became his model became even more popular. Ocho, a resident of an apartment building, hears about this and secretly plans to follow Otose, the owner of Mizuta-ya, who became famous as Utamaro's model. At this time, the Kano school, headed by Kano Eikawa, which was under the control of the shogunate, is dissatisfied with Utamaro's fame and tries to compromise him…
23 Oct 1955
This historical film depicts the life of a man who was at the mercy of the waves during transition from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji Restoration, and therefore, shows audience the dynamic change from Edo to Meiji. Before the war, the director, Eisuke Takizawa, together with the writers, formed a scenario writer group "Narutaki-gumi and they shot many historical masterpieces.
30 Jun 1963
This is one of the many films based on the legend of Chuji Kunisada, a wandering gambler and a defender of the weak in the Edo period. In other words, he was the Japanese Robin Hood. In this film Kunisada (Chiezo Kataoka) arrives to a small town terrorized by an evil gang. He insists that he is not Kunisada, as the word is Kunisada has been executed, but of course the audience know better. Sonny Chiba plays an unusual supporting role as a helpless young man unable to defend himself from the gangsters. He does, however, get to play taiko drums and dance with Junko Fuji (who makes her film debut here). Chiba's father, an old judge who helps Kunisada, is played by Takashi Shimura. The film hardly anything exceptional, but it's a pretty decent jidai geki / yakuza drama.
14 Jan 1983
Ichibei, a thief known as "Yami no Kiba," and his daughter Oasa are caught by members of a street performer family with a nationwide organization when the kite they are riding falls deep into the mountains of Owari. Nitayu, the key person in the clan, learns of Ichibei's obsession to avenge his father's murder by the Tokugawas and promises to help him. When Ichibei learns of Shogun Ienari's plan to transport a pure gold statue of Prince Ieyasu from Sunpu to Edo Castle, he joins forces with the bandit Kojiro to steal it. ......
04 Dec 1952
The rise of the famed gambler.
08 Dec 1983
During the events of the Chushingura incident, Mumyo, a disgruntled Shogunate secret agent, retires from post, disillusioned by the concept of loyalty. Meanwhile, the leader of the Uesugi Clan, who is Lord Kira’s son, sends a group of Ninja assassins to kill the Ako Ronin before they take revenge on his father. But, the chief retainer of the clan sees the foolishness of this plan and hires Mumyo, along with a group of Female Ninja, to stop the assassins and destroy the Ako Ronin from the inside.
01 Jun 1985
Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.
01 Jan 1962
Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa's tightly paced, beautifully composed "Sanjuro." In this companion piece and sequel to "Yojimbo," jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan's evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.
31 Aug 1954
Bored Hatamoto film #16.
04 Nov 2019
Tatsuya Nakadai, the world’s greatest living actor, returns to the screen in a brilliant adaptation of a story by novelist Shuhei Fujisawa. A traveling gambler known as “Funeral Uno” he is now 86 years old and returning to his hometown for the first time in 30 years. Partly told in flashbacks, he is forced to face his lifelong nemesis, Boss Kyuzo, a vile yakuza portrayed by another superstar of samurai cinema, Atsuo Nakamura! Before the two old gamblers can settle a 30-year-old score they must put their lives on the line in a game of dice that can only lead to a bloody sword duel the likes of which has never before been seen! Superb performances all around in a film loaded with surprises and exciting swordplay!
11 Jul 1990
Police detective Heiji is assigned to catch the masked Maboroshi gang of robbers who have terrorized all of Edo, leaving few clues as to their leader's identity.
21 Jun 1961
He was married to his lover's butterfly and started a new residence. But good things do not last. In his uncle, Uzaemon in Kawashima, Yoshiji Akaji, Yoshimoto's lender, and Kanehira Akagi, the older brother of the former loan of Mishima, played a challenge. It is said to open the ladies' room to the settlement of Wada island. Although Jiro headed to Shigetsugu for arbitration, he was forced to surrender. In such a case, Jiro became chased by Kinpei and others.
02 Nov 2002
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?
23 Dec 1991
Fifth movie in the Hissatsu (Sure Death!) Series. At the behest of a corrupt bureaucrat, a mysterious band of murderers wage a bloody battle against three deadly assassins.
07 Sep 2004
Izo is an assassin in the service of a Tosa lord and Imperial supporter. After killing dozens of the Shogun's men, Izo is captured and crucified. Instead of being extinguished, his rage propels him through the space-time continuum to present-day Tokyo. Here Izo transforms himself into a new, improved killing machine.
25 Apr 1961
Young swordsman, Tsukigata Hanpeita, longs for the day when rival clans cease their struggles for power and put an end to meaningless feudal wars. When he is appointed to oversee the Choshu Clan, he takes it upon himself to work towards the peace that he has dreamed about. With his affectionate personality and compassion for life, Hanpeita’s popularity grows among the people, making him a threat to those thirsty for conflict and power. A betrayal by those closest to him leaves Hanpeita caught in a trap that could ultimately cost him his life.