Discoveries from Japan World Cinema

Taro's business failed and he got divorced. He also left his family's home. 5 years later, his oldest daughter Natsumi, second daughter Yuka and ex-wife Junko still live in the same house which Taro left. One day, Taro, who has been having difficulties paying his rent, visits his daughter Natsumi's office to ask for a loan. Natsumi is the bread winner for the family since he left., so she becomes angry at him. Later, Taro arrives at his former house unannounced and begins to live there.

Keiko, a lonely single woman living in Tokyo, is taking the elevator up to her apartment one day when a couple of young thugs suddenly appear. They immediately assault her, dragging her into a stairwell and taking photographs of her in the throes of her ordeal. She leads them to an apartment inhabited by Miho, a woman she often sees in the building. The men burst in and, after repeatedly beating Miho’s partner, subject both women to endless rape and degradation. In the midst of their mutual torment, the hatred that Keiko and Miho share for each other explodes, revealing them both to be as ruthless as their captors.

Having gained great popularity as a TV series and toys, Crush Gear Turbo here becomes a movie for the first time. The very first Gear even made in the world is stolen. The gear, named Kaiservern, beats the prize winners of the Australia convention one after another. Kouya and Manganji, which won a prize in the Asia Convention, become targets too. When the unidentied gear fighter who handles Kaiservern appears in front of Kouya and Manganji, the two boys decide to fight together to win victory over their enemy.

One evening, Mimi and students were stargazing through a telescope. When Creampanda peeped into the telescope, burning objects were falling. When Anpanman landed on one of them, Princess Yada appeared. The princess said that her home star of Yada was full of garbage, and asked for Anpanman's help. Anpanman thought that only Gomira could solve this and headed for Yada star with Gomira. However, on Yada star Baikinman and the giant robot "Dust Demon" were waiting in ambush.

First-grader Masaya is a crybaby despite his large stature, so he can't walk by himself on the dark path to school. The one who holds his hand is Akiyo, a tiny but capable second-grader. Masaya wants to be strong like Akiyo and admires her, but one day, something happens that leaves Akiyo in tears. To lift Akiyo's spirits, Masaya goes trekking to the distant Ipponsugi forest to find the spotted bellflowers that Akiyo loves.

Live-action adaptation of Jun Hatanaka's manga "Mandaraya no Ryota".

An entry in a series focused on "love" and "erotica," in which six creators from multiple fields -- from film and TV to direct-to-video and manga -- compete. Director Zeze Takahisa, known for his bold undertakings, including Heaven's Story, presents an unabashed depiction of the tormented heart of a woman who lives in the countryside. Yuko (Ezawa Midori) meets the man (Kawai Ryunosuke) suspected of leaking inappropriate pictures of her younger sister having an affair onto the Internet. She agrees to let him take nude photos of her on the condition that he stays away from her sister.

Fleeing from his own race, Orgun—an alien being with superhuman abilities and unearthly weapons—travels to Earth to find an answer to his origin. There, he bonds with a young man named Tomoru to defend Earth against the Evoluders, who seek nothing but destruction of other civilizations.

In World War II, the commanding officer of a sub, against his will takes on board two Western diplomats, to take them to the Canaries and arrange an armistice. When they get there, peace has been declared, but the sub's crew don't know as their radio has failed. They send their passengers ashore and go out to face a final battle...

Maris is a freelance bounty hunter/soldier of fortune who just wants to be so rich that she doesn't have to work anymore. Just one slight problem... Maris is from a world of super strong beings, and constantly has to pay for damages she and her parents inflict wherever they go,

Kaori, a professional thirty-something caught between her passion for an older married man and the indulgence of an energetic, but less-fulfilling, youthful suitor.

A documentary about the production of the famous Japanese animation "Millennium Actress" by genius director Satoshi Kon, a god-like work. Unfortunately, genius is always short-lived.

10 years ago Hide, a college student, meets Yuki Gakuko, an older woman, through work. They become lovers with Hide falling hard for Yuki Gakuko. The following year, Yuki abruptly announces one day that she is going to marry another man. This devastates Hide. Hide eventually finishes college and finds a job, but his yearning for Yuki leads him into depression and alcoholism. Meanwhile, Yuki is involved in a car accident and suffers a life altering injury. Now, 10 years later the two former lovers come across each other once again. They are both shells of their former selves ...

Prosecutor Kohei Kuryu takes charge of a case with a foreign embassy possessing the key to solve the case. Due to the extraterritoriality involving the case, the investigation has not gone anywhere. A crisis then ensues. Kohei Kuryu and his office attempt to extract the truth behind the wall of the Neustrian Embassy.

A young couple's announcement of their engagement to their friends is followed by a series of interactions and conflicts that forces everyone to reflect on their lives.

Taking advantage of their summer holiday, Kō and his little sister Yae visit their cousin at Nozaki located at the sea-side. However, on the day they arrive, a typhoon hits the town for the first time in many years. At this time, their cousin tells them: When the storm hits, the spirits of those who perished at sea... will return.

The 1923 Kanto earthquake sparks fears of a Korean uprising in Japan. Many anti-colonial and leftist activists are arrested, including Fumiko and her partner Yeol. Accused of a plot to assassinate the Crown Prince, they are sentenced to death, later reduced to life in prison.

Ayako Wakao portrays a downtown rice ball shop girl whose heart is set on her business. Involved in her life are three young men—stage actor Goro, businessman Kokichi and Sanpei Pachinko.

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

Fictionalized account of 20-year-old Noriko Tsuji, a real-life victim of a severe birth defect which afflicted 8,000 Japanese, children whose mothers took the sedative thalidomide during pregnancy. Tsuji has stunted flipper-like arms amputated at the behest of a father who deserted her soon after her birth. Nonetheless, the resourceful Noriko uses her feet to accomplish most of the tasks others would do with their hands.

One day, Hara Nobuo witnessed his father assaulting Tokiko, whom he loved as a surrogate mother. Tokiko then committed suicide. As Nobuo grew up, he was still burdened with this horrible trauma and became sexually impotent. His friend Junichi tried to cure Nobuo's impotence. Then one day, Nobuo rescued Sachiko from being about to being attacked in a park. Since then, the two were rapidly drawn to each other...

Ryô is a young leopard, Maki a rhythmical wave. The barrier between a teacher and a student gives way to the passionate embrace of a man and a woman desperately in love.

When a group of young geologists declares a mountainside marked for residential development unstable, they are met with scorn on two fronts. On one end, they must contend with the local villagers who balk at the prospect of relocation; on the other, they face the ambitions of the headstrong lumber baron, whose actions will only further destabilize the land. Their pleas for reason ignored, the scientists can do little but observe as nature runs its inevitable course.

Urumi Kenji is a scoundrel who tricks women with his handsome looks and charm into a marriage yarn and swindles them out of their money. He is not a one-man show however. He works with Sengoku Ruriko. They use plotting, scheming, tricking, engagement rings, gourmet and sex to succeed.

Hagino, her husband Atsuhiro and her teenage stepdaughter Moeka move into a new house. For someone who was not blessed with a warm affectionate family, this was what she had always dreamed of. However, one day while Hagino is out, she receives a call from Moeka asking for her help. She rushes home and finds her house turned upside down, Moeka's clothes torn to shreds and a strange young girl is standing over her, with a pair of scissors in her hand.

During the 1200's, legendary Buddhist monk Nichiren returns from his studies to lead Japan out of moral crisis and prepare to fight Mongol invaders by creating a new form of Buddhism. He runs afoul of the existing Buddhist sects and their government supporters and is persecuted. Can Nichiren persevere before the Mongol fleet reaches Japanese shores?

A real all-star cast turns out for this modern yakuza yarn.

Keiko is pretty and intelligent but her home life is not a happy one. Never having known a father's love, she develops a possessive attachment to Mr. Mazaki, the new mathematics teacher.

Hoping to land a role, two Japanese actresses begin a fight within their apartment that keeps escalating.

Miki, a nursing care robot, is popular among some medical staff and patients for her dainty and efficient work, but others are more skeptical. One day, Miki malfunctions and begins to see and hear fragmented images and voices.

Tatsuya Kawakami's mother becomes a member of a religious group after her husband commits suicide, and makes a large donation to the organization. Her three children are forced to live in poverty, and her eldest son, who is blind in one eye due to illness, takes his own life. Kawakami comes to believe that the religious group has ruined his life, so he creates a homemade gun and carries out an assassination plot against former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who has close ties to the religious group, which has been accused of siphoning off money from its members.

This science-fiction anime was inspired somewhat by the life of Kinshiro Toyama (1793-1855), who was first popularized in the 1893 kabuki play "Toyama no Kinsan."

Tokyo Family Court judicial research official Akira Yamanobo is in charge of Tetsuo and Ayano Katase's divorce arbitration. Ayano, the wife, who works for a boutique company, insists her husband is involved with another woman. Supported by her employer Kotomi Saegusa, the company president, she demands a divorce as soon as possible. On the other hand, her husband Tetsuo, a trading professional, denies having a relationship with a woman. He says he will not agree to the divorce and does not plan to let his only son Kenta go, so the arbitration continues. According to Akira's investigation, Ayano gave birth to Kenta as a single mother five years ago when she was working as a hospital clerk, making him Tetsuo's stepson. Tetsuo loves Kenta as his own child, so Akira doesn't understand why Ayano is so insistent on getting a divorce. However, Tetsuo's insistence on not giving up custody of his stepson Kenta is also very unusual.

It has been 14 years since the murder of an elementary school student by a classmate. At the time, Akari was deified by the name Sunny, "the cutest murderer in criminal history". Two men, abduct Akari. Holding her captive, they upload pictures and video of her on the internet. Meanwhile, Akari makes every effort to escape from her prison.

On an evening lit by a crimson full moon, an ordinary high school girl named Mei Ayazuki meets a self-proclaimed magician named Charlie at a festival. Through Charlie's magic, she time-travels to the Meiji era in Tokyo, where she meets and falls in love with various great historical figures from that time period.

Two shorts about the making of Hideaki Anno's movie "Love & Pop", one from the perspective of a bumbling assistant, and one from the perspective of a AV director filming a documentary about Anno but narrated by a worker from a bread factory

A scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel.

In this film, Sora Aoi plays two roles, the high school teacher, and a girl who had committed suicide the year before the high school teacher arrived.

Bincho-tan, an orphan lives alone in the forest, she always has a piece of coal bonded on her head. Occasionally, she ventures into the town situated near the mountain, in search of work opportunities. In gratitude for her work, the townspeople offer her food as a gesture of appreciation. Bincho-tan leads a challenging life, but her joyful and warm demeanor endears her to those around her, leading her to make new friends. As time goes on, one after another heartwarming stories unfold, Bincho-tan finally illuminates her smile like a happy child.

When a group of men from the Hanya clan search his town for a missing geisha, a brave ronin decides to help her and a drunken calligrapher. In doing so, he uncovers a wider scheme.

A dangerous mobster threatens the life of a businessman's mother in this thriller. As Ryuji oversees the building of a bridge in Japan, a powerful gangster plans to stop the project. By any means necessary.

Young Yuichi (Kayama) romances Sumiko (Hoshi) while helping out at his family's restaurant, singing in a band, and preparing for an important boxing tournament.

When Ami and her step-brother, Hiroshi embrace one another in bed, the phone rings. A year later, Ami lives with Hiroshi and his wife, Mariko, but there is an undeniable tension between Ami and Mariko. One day, Mariko gets mad at Ami.

A story about the lives of people in a small town dealing with an aging, shrinking population, centered around a family that runs a barbershop.

When Armaroid Lady's body starts to disappear, Cobra must dive 20 years into the past to discover how to save his partner.

Tells the story of an up-and-coming Yakuza, who makes a name for himself alongside his two friends just before 1992, when the enforcement of the new gang law came in place.

Nagaoka is a former high school teacher. He decides to start a school with an ideal learning environment. To achieve this goal, he struggles to make money by running a bar and a publishing company.

Nanami Hoshino, a wealthy entrepreneur, marries potter Kim Jun-ho, and they both live a seemingly happy life until Nanami is killed by a biker on her way home. Now a ghost whose presence cannot be seen, she realizes that her death was no coincidence and seeks help from the elderly psychic Unten in hopes of saving Jun-ho's life.

Keiko Tsuruoka’s film is at once traditional and contemporary: it gently mixes present-day gender and sexuality politics with the old-fashioned Japanese domestic drama. Traditional lacquerwork kitchenware is the Aoki family’s legacy, handed down to patriarch Seishiro (Kaoru Kobayashi) by his now-ailing father (Masayuki Suzuki). Seishiro expects to pass it in turn to his son Yu (Ryota Bando), but Yu has no interest in the craft—quite unlike daughter Miyako (Mayu Hotta), who loves it dearly. The stage is set for conflict, as established cultural traditions collide with modern mores…

March 1952, the only doctor in the village Shiba had found a dead body of Sanako. The cause of death is overdose of sleeping pills. Sanako had been suspected for killing her own husband so Dr. Shiba's sister Kana is guessing that she has committed suicide due to being tormented by killing her husband. Everyone who was in Mr. Kuroido's house is the suspect, including all the members of Kuroido family, butler, secretary, maids, etc. The Detective Suguro (Hercule Poirot) will investigate the case. Dr. Shiba will be assisting him. As things are searched by them, a shocking fact has been brought to light…

Akari Dojima (Yukie Nakama), an illustrator, is the third daughter of Chairman Dojima, the head of a construction company. During her childhood, she had an accident which left her crippled and forced her to spend her life in a motorized wheelchair. The sudden suicide of Akari's father sets off a chain of events. Members of Dojima family and their servants are killed one after another and an investigation begins. After that, the body of their driver (Kitaro), who had hung himself, is found in the garage...

Kozue loves to stargaze and does so regularly. On a trip to view a meteorite, she happens to meet a boy named Ginga. He has a mysterious ability to discover more information about the stars, which he uses to help scientists with astronomical research. Unfortunately, his life is mostly dictated for him, and when carrying out missions, he must always wear a protective suit. Kozue helps Ginga to gradually take control of his life by encouraging him to make his own decisions.

Japanese comedy film.

Japanese rock band Ziggy comes to London and gets attacked upon arrival at the hotel after a recording session. The musicians barely escape the attack; however, soon they learn that their producer has been murdered, and they are the suspects! Chased by police and some mysterious organization, they find shelter at a local rockers' place and even give a performance there; but it is not too long before their pursuers appear again.

Episode 57 "Dr. Hell Occupies Japan" of the original TV show, shown as a movie.

A film about family life in Osaka. Following the death of their father, three boys struggle to find their own identity with the help of their outgoing mother and weak-willed uncle.

Ken Ogata plays Shiro Miyagi, a sprinter with Olympic aspirations whose dreams were shattered by WWII. A broken man, he leads the dissolute life of a gigolo until a chance meeting with a fiery young athlete named Hiroko (Michiyo Yasuda). Realizing that she has talent as a sprinter, Miyagi sees a second chance at Olympic glory in becoming her coach. Following Miyagi’s unconventional, military-style training, Hiroko sets a record for the 100-meter dash, but her greatest hurdle proves to be a “sex check” which all professional athletes must pass.

The year is 1805. Napoleon ruled Europe. Ienari is the 11th Tokugawa Shogun. An incident, which was an open official secret, took place on the foothills of Mt. Fuji. Fearing attacks from within and without, the Shogunate planned to build a training castle utilizing the most advanced techniques. Two master castle architects, Sato Kikutaro and Kumai Hakuten, were selected to compete for the honor of building this castle. Lord Mizuno Dewa has even ordered the townspeople to assist both sides with their land surveys and preparations. This leads to fear on the part of farmers that their land will be taken away from them, and sets off a series of events which rock the nation to its very roots. With an all-star cast, this is an important story with relevance to current times. One of Ichikawa Utaemon's finest performances, a true classic!