Discoveries from Japan World Cinema

Based on the popular girl's manga Hana no Asukagumi! (The Glorious Asuka Gang!) by Takaguchi Satosumi.

Two children, each abandoned by their families, come together in the wake of the Sarin gas attack in Tokyo. Based on the true events of the deadly gas attacks perpetrated by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult on the Tokyo subway system.

On Tamagotchi Planet, Mametchi has just finished his new creation. But on its first trial run, Kuchipatchi manages to throw the machine's aim off course, which results in a child from Earth, Tampopo, being transported to the Tamagotchi Planet.

A found footage anthology horror film by Kôji Shiraishi.

Kaori, the beautiful proprietress of a small restaurant, witnesses the murder of her lover. One day, a hostess living in the next room suffers the same fate as Kaori. When they find out that the culprit is the same person, they vow to take revenge... A sensual revenge drama starring the sexy actress Iori Kogawa.

Wataru, a freelance cameraman who works for a travel magazine in Tokyo. He had aimed to be a teacher but failed to achieve his goal and left home to go to Tokyo. However, he does not do well in Tokyo and has to return to his hometown. Wataru reunites with his former girlfriend who is a primary school teacher now and through his interaction with his family, friends and a group of primary school students who want to take part in a choir contest, he begins to take steps to resurrect his dream of being a teacher.

Saburo is a high school student good in sports, but not very good with his studies. One day, Saburo travels back in time and arrives in the Sengoku period of 1549. There, Saburo meets Nobunaga Oda who looks and sounds just like Saburo. Nobunaga Oda is the son of a warlord and magistrate of the lower Owari Province. Nobunaga Oda though is physically weak and he asks Saburo to take his place. Then, Saburo as Nobunaga Oda attempts to unify the country of Japan.

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.

A long time ago, there was a war between the Evil God and the Dragon God. The war finally came to an end when a Dragon Ninja, who had the power of the Dragon God, sealed away the Evil God.Several thousand years later, in New York, a young ninja named Ryu is attacked by a couple of men in black suits wearing white masks. He notices that they are related to someone worshiping the same Evil God of the past and resolves to fight against them before the Evil God is unsealed again.

Earthshaker is the ultimate weapon developed by the international conspiracy organization Skunk Gang. It is an invasion weapon that causes a huge earthquake throughout Japan, but it looks exactly like a vibrator. Akebi, an Okuhida kunoichi, succeeds in stealing the Earthshaker, but drops it during his escape.

Big Rally! Titan Boy! is the second movie of Choushinsei Flashman. It is a theatrical edit of episodes 15 to 18 (The Giant Robo is Worn Out, The Human Minimini Plan, The Mysterious Giant Reckless Car! and Big Turnaround! The Transforming Robo) with new and extended scenes.

Miyako, a young female embalmer, is called to restore the body of a young man who has committed suicide. While performing the embalming process, she pricks herself on a needle buried deep within the boy’s flesh where it does not belong. When the head is stolen from the body during the night, Miyako begins a desperate search to recover it and finish her work, encountering organ harvesting, religious cults, and dark secrets from her own past along the way.

Osaka in the early 1600s, aftermath of the historical Battle of Sekigahara; a group of orphan children are wandering through the battlefield scavenging for armour when they encounter a young boy named Sasuke with magical powers he says came from a meteor that crashed onto the Earth…

Maria has been gifted to a college student, Akiba, by his academic mentor Yoshiyuki, who has died under suspicious circumstances. Little does Akiba known that Maria has been reprogrammed by Yoshiyuki to do battle against the evil Host-Droids – male robots designed by a rival robotics company to take revenge on the female species.

A moon base is destroyed by a spaceship from Zigra which is looking to take over the planet earth to use its oceans for its ocean-dwelling denizens. Gamera must once again come to the aid of the human race while all of Japan roots him on.

After World War II, when Okinawa was under control of the United States, the local yakuza prospered. But when Okinawa is returned to Japan, the mainland yakuza tries to take over; the local yakuza tries to compete. Now sides are drawn among the local yakuza guys who used to be best friends since their childhood, and brother fights brother. It results in the biggest yakuza war in Okinawa.

Short anime screened in theaters with the stereoscopic 3D conversion of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society movie. The story of Xi Avant is set in Spain and other locales in the near future, and it is tied to the NTT Docomo mobile phone network's next-generation Xi service.

The story of Kiyoko, a young woman who has successfully managed to make a break with her dysfunctional family who have been trying to arrange a marriage for her with a disagreeable man whom she has rejected.

Ushimatsu's father told him never to reveal his lower-caste heritage; years later, he now contemplates confiding in an activist fighting against such discrimination.

Toshihiko, a high school boy, hates Kozo, his father, enough to kill him. His mother had lived in terror of him and, at last, broken in spirit, she had left and her pitiful departing figure is still seared in Toshihiko's mind. Soon, Kozo marries Asako who is young and beautiful. An idea forms in Toshihiko's mind to get even with his father for the shabby way he had treated his mother. He wonders if he can do it through Asako.

The year is 2755. As a result of a system malfunction, the cargo ship XeBeC goes off-course in a warp gate and ends up within the orbit of the distant planet Garaga. After crashing on Garaga's surface, the crew must find ways to survive from hideous monsters, rabid ape soldiers, and a race of mysterious psychics.

Animated short stories from the creator of Detective Conan.

Tokunaga is an unpopular comedian. He meets a senior comedian, Kamiya, who holds a strong faith in comedy. They struggle to move forward as comedians.

Ron Tayan now leads the 108 Dragons; Fu Ching Ran is his loyal wife. As their body tattoos show, he's the dragon, she's the tiger. The 108 Dragons are attacked by African Tusk, a syndicate intent on world control. Ron goes to Africa, dealing first with Shicaro, African Tusk's assassin, then with Jagone, its leader. Despite his success, he must still face Bugnug, Jagone's muscular and athletic military commander: Ron gives her a new name, Dark Eyes. Back in Hong Kong, Fu faces danger as well. A Muramasa sword with a dark history and, seemingly, its own demon spirit, falls into her hands. She seeks to tame it, and in the process, discovers her inner warrior identity

In this high school romance Hiro is dismayed to learn her new love Shu will be going away to college in Tokyo. She asks him not to go.

Baldr and his men carries Delphine back to the kingdom after discovering Rygart. Borcuse orders the attack on the capital without waiting for the others to rejoin. Sigyn makes a weapon using Athenian's golem parts. Narvi finds her surviving men and return to protect the capital. Cleo decides to go back and hugs Sigyn good bye. Borcuse's army manage to break the Krisnan's first defense line and the battle moves into the streets. Sigyn's men manage to find Delphine and repairs it while its automatic cooling system is still operating. When the Delphine cools, Rygart leaps to defend the kingdom and fought Borcuse. Sigyn delivers the make shift weapon to Rygart and he initially unable to fight Borcuse because he is too fast but when Borcuse's Golen's leg cracks, Rygart damages it. Borcuse comes out of the cockpit and use his handgun to shoot at Rygart replaying Girghe's last moment. Rygart kills him and Borcuse's army lost. Zess upon hearing Cleo's escape decides to find her.

1958 Japanese movie

A semi-autobiography of Tezuka Osamu combined with a 30 minute science-fiction setting of Journey to the West.

Misa was accused of shoplifting and was stripped naked and searched. Her girlfriend, a nurse, met Yamaguchi, a doctor. Yamaguchi has deep wounds in his heart, and Misa watches over him. However, after a failed surgical operation, Yamaguchi transforms into a sadist and begins abusing Misa. She awakens to the world of masochists and realizes the joy of servitude.

A young girl named Sato watches on television as a man named Tomoki states brazenly at a press conference that he hopes convicted murderer Mitsuo is eventually placed back into society so that he can kill him with his bare hands.

Hospital director Mamoru Watanabe and nurse Reiko had a secret affair, but their relationship comes to an end when a young nurse Yumiko appears. Jealous, Reiko conspires with her ex-husband to take Yumiko to an underground warehouse... A young and beautiful angel in white is beaten, and intense pain turns into pleasure...

Two different high school children - a swimmer and an academic - set off on a quest together one summer.

Based on a true story. A Japanese girl and an American guy, fall in love in Japan. Their relationship will not be easy to manage, with their different cultures and their different langages.

After decades of single-minded dedication to his work, a worker with an elite career course at a major bank is transferred or rather relegated to a subsidiary company, where he finds himself at a loos as he reaches retirement age.

Dokin-chan sings and dances on a big stage with a gorgeous set. Finally she she appears to have the chance to host a variety show. The calendar is flipped over as we look back over the episodes of previous seasons.

Aki isn’t a brave little boy, but he’s dedicated nonetheless to safeguarding his sickly, mute friend Fuyu. They and their little gang live deep underground, in the concrete warrens to which survivors have fled following the eruption of Mt. Fuji. The community is in decline, however, as illness and despair take their toll. Fuyu dreams of the outside world, which he is too frail to ever reach. But what colour is the sky out there?

Japanese adaptation of LES MISERABLES. The last film of director Itami took inspiration from Les Miserables. Transpiring during the Southwestern War of 1877 in Japan, which was the last civil war in the country, a criminal escapes prison only to be found by a monk. The criminal decides to turn a new leaf based on their conversation and goes on to become a town's mayor. He hears news of a mistaken arrest and identity. The revelation of truth is the start of a series of miseries.

Office worker Kanako takes a trip to Nanki Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture as part of a travel agency project to reunite with her first love. She was nominated by Yamano, a classmate from elementary school. Kanako meets Yamano for the first time in 15 years, but for some reason their old stories don't add up. She gradually begins to suspect that Yamano is a fake, but...

When Mio was young, she lost her parents in a great flood and also became separated from her best friend Noe. Afterwards, Mio found her talent in cooking and eventually became a cook. Meanwhile, Noe has become an oiran (high-ranking courtesan).

Twenty-four-year-old country bumpkin Aiko is a new teacher who has arrived at a new town and a new primary school. When nervous she blurts out her local dialect. This seals her nickname and reputation. Nonetheless, she is determined and strives to do her best for her students. She is an inspiration soon.

Seto, worn down by workplace stress and struggling mentally, returns to his hometown. To celebrate his return, six men and women from his high school days gather together. A nostalgic hangout spot. The usual revelry. Hidden agendas. And then, at the end of their tangled emotions, something ominous appears, something beyond their understanding.

Himuro (Yasukaze Motomiya) and Tamura (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi) returned to Tokyo to confront Okada (Yuki Matsumura). However, waiting for them was a notice of succession from the Hasekai, which was supposed to be under the Kyowakai's control. Upon learning that Okada’s faction had ties to the Hasekai's new successor, Himuro immediately severed ties, bringing the direct showdown between the Kyowakai and Marugami-kai closer. Meanwhile, Reiko (Reira Arai), who had been hiding with Genji (Kuroishi Takahiro), continued living in hiding, harboring distrust towards Genji and others. Despite this, she remained focused on her vengeance against the Kyowakai. While Himuro and the others tried to clear up Reiko's misunderstanding for Minami (Rin Asuka), Reiko refused to listen. Gradually, she became more involved with Okada’s faction, who were willing to use anything for the war against the Kyowakai.

Do criteria exist for the death penalty? Yusuke Mito, a law faculty lecturer who did not become a lawyer even though he passed the bar exam, the famous lawyer Kojiro Otomo who advocates the abolition of the death penalty, and the public prosecutor Mariko Nagase studied law together. Each have their own thoughts about the death penalty. One day, Otomo’s wife is murdered by someone. Shinzo Sabae who is resentful of a lawsuit that Otomo had been in charge of, is arrested as a suspect. Otomo reverses the stance he had had until now and seeks the death penalty against Sabae. This prompts Mito to make the decision to become a lawyer and stand in the court. However, the first case Mito takes charge of is the defence of Sabae, who murdered the wife of his good friend, Otomo…

In a warehouse area at night, a drunk chief engineer is stabbed to death by someone who whistles. After the break of dawn, two seamen join the crew of a rusty cargo ship Kaiyo Maru. One is a troublemaker with bad attitudes, Senkichi Nomura, who pursues an enemy in order to take revenge for his father's death. The other is Keizo Sasaki, a buff, eagle-eyed man on board for a certain mission.

The mayor is found dead in the river in a small town known for its hot springs. It's assumed that he fell to his death, but his nephew just cannot understand why his uncle would have gone there by himself to begin with. When he cleans up his house, he finds his uncle's diary and tries to find out what exactly happened.

A hard-boiled man who lived in the world of the Yakuza, leaves everything behind in search of revenge for his great friend.

Based on a true story, Shodo Girls tells a tale of hope and community spirit where youth and vigour meet age and wisdom to overcome the towns struggle to remain on the map.

Toda, a disillusioned journalist that was once a part of the student movement, recalls his former youth when he meets a confident young woman through his work.

Theatrical anime movie created from the OVA 'Gosenzosama Banbanzai', written and directed by Mamoru Oshii.

Short anime inspired by the iOS and Android mobile game God Eater Resonant Ops that introduces the characters through their first day of school.

Three bank robbers, Eijima, Nojiri, and Takasugi, flee the police and escape into the mountains. At an inn high in the Japanese Alps, Eijima and Nojiri encounter a young woman and her father, as well as Honda, a mountaineer. The inn folk do not realize their guests are wanted criminals and the visitors are treated with great kindness. Honda volunteers to lead them over the mountains, but Eijima's paranoia endangers all of them as they make the perilous trip.

Chuya (Mitsuru Matsuoka) works as a university professor. His big dream is to make a sound map of Tokyo. He spends his days collecting sounds in Tokyo and analyzing the sounds. One day, his girlfriend Fumi (Natsumi Abe) tells him that she is leaving him and mysterious woman Mariko (Yumi Adachi) appears in front of him. Mariko, who knows about the break up of Chuya and Fumi, suggests to Chuya to wiretap Mariko’s life.

Two filmmakers have to deal with a rogue mascot.

Kenichi Sonoda announced at Anime Central that he launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a new "Bean Bandit" anime. He confirmed that the project will meld elements of Riding Bean and Gunsmith Cats, and like these previous works it will take place in Chicago.

Restaurant owner Kenji Nagata has been stabbed to death. When the police begin an investigation, a bag of human bones is discovered in Nagata's car and Detective Kajikawa asks anthropologist Kumiko Misaki to perform an examination. She discovers that the deceased was a man in his mid-twenties and that he died more than 15 years ago. Meanwhile, suspicion for Nagata's murder falls on his apprentice chef Ryohei Miyamura due to the murder weapon being a kitchen knife. Afterwards, Miyamura breaks into Kumiko's lab, but manages to escape...

After failing her university entrance exam, Sakuko is invited by her aunt Mikie to spend summer vacation in a beautiful seaside town. Sakuko gets to know the people of the town, including Takashi, a shy relative of her childhood friend.

1953 Japanese movie

A countryside in 1988. Shun is crazy about fooling around with his best friends. Facing up with their family environment or bullying in school, they struggle against the problems in their adolescents.