Discoveries from Japan World Cinema

Suspense drama about an assassin charged with breaking up a gold smuggling ring, and the contract subsequently purchased against him and his employer.

Second part of the series where sex magic skills of female and Iga ninjas clash over enourmous treasure of the Toyotomi family, discovered in connection with the plot to overthrow the shogunate.

During the ultra-violent era of the downfall of the Tokugawa Shogunate one man rose above the rest with his ideas of how to overthrow the corrupt government and end the bloodshed between the Choshu and Satsuma clans which would ultimately lead to the alliance of these 2 clans and restoration of the emperor to full power. Based on the play that made Sawada Shojiro famous, this is the story of Tsukigata Hanpeita, a forward looking samurai from Choshu, who along with Katsura Kogoro and Sakamoto Ryoma of Tosa worked to bring their dream of a new era in Japan.

A woman with no past or identity, Rei is a gorgeous undercover agent for the Zero Department, a deadly shadow division of the police force. But her skillshave made her a threat and this sleek, sexy assassin has been marked for death by a rival organization. It will take this deadly seductress every ounce of her cunning to survive!

Sakurako, an aspiring model living in a flat in downtown Rome, is chosen as the new character of the conglomerate.

Based on the first Tengai Makyou game, that initially came out in 1989 as one of the first titles for NEC's PC Engine CD-ROM.

In consequence of his professional mistakes and declining career, Shuji and his family, the Sasaya’s, are forced to leave the wealthy suburb of Tokyo. The move is slow, long and heartbreaking, and the two Sasaya children, an old teenager and a young adult, unwittingly turn the grieving process into an exuberant and unpredictable farewell party!

Daigo Asahina is Medaka Gumi #2's/Me Gumi's new rookie firefighter, and already he's done crazy things, like throwing people off of a rooftop to save them from an explosion. He had good intentions, but his deeds are starting to hurt the company's reputation. At Sengoku City's Concert Hall, a fire breaks, and the some Emergency Rescue Squad needs rescuing. Daigo will do all he can to keep his promise: Not to let anyone die on the job.

Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Club's first Blu-ray release! It includes footage from the first singing event "ODAIBA TOKIMEKI Stage" held at Diver City Tokyo in November 2018, the first handover event "Nationwide TOKIMEKI Relay" held at 9 locations across Japan, and the first live event "School Matching Festival" held at Shinagawa Stellar Ball in March 2019. Festival" held in March 2019 at Stellar Ball in Shinagawa, Tokyo. [Translate Description]

Japanese comedy film.

In Nagasaki, Tora-san and an acquaintance help an old woman who has fallen and injured herself. She invites them to her home where the three share a night of eating and drinking. The old woman's health deteriorates and she dies. At her funeral, Tora-san falls in love with the old woman's daughter, but winds up acting as a go-between for her and a young law student.

When Haruka Fujinami starts his job at Yebisu Graphics he takes an immediate dislike to his tyrannical boss, Mr. Daijou. Haruka is given the most menial tasks imaginable and is subjected to Daijou's verbal abuses as well, but oddly enough, he learns that his attraction to his boss grows with each new humiliation. Will Haruka finally stand up to Daijou and assert himself, or will he completely surrender his body and soul to the tall, dark stranger?

In the chaos of the Jinshin-no-Ran civil war of 762, a child with a small horn in his forehead was born. The child's mother condemned him as an oni and cast him away. An elderly shūgenja woman claimed the child and named him Utsunomiko, or 'Divine Child of the Heavens', telling Miko that his horn smybolizes the union of heaven and earth. Miko matured in the wilderness learning the ways of Shugendō, and soon started venturing into villages out of curiosity. He found that the common people of the villages live in poverty and suffering, and began using his spiritual powers to help them. But his anger at the self-serving rulers and their petty power-struggles grew until he came into open conflict with the Imperial Court, setting Miko down a long path as a champion of the oppressed.

A comedy-action film depicting a kind-hearted protagonist who, feeling disillusioned with the world, asks a hitman for assistance with suicide, only to find himself embroiled in a thrilling and hilarious journey involving money and women.

Yuzo Kayama is an American-Japanese operative working for the US to uncover an arms deal between an American seller and Chinese communists, and to take out both parties. After almost getting assassinated himself, he takes a wounded civilian with him despite living in a world where no one can be trusted.

Elite lawyer Ryoko enlists the help of a foreign mafia in rescuing her son from a criminal who holds grudge against her.

A film adaptation of Rikuo Honjo's novel "Ishikari River".

Two brothers run a bar called Zenigata in a backstreet of a fishing port. At midnight, the bar changes to a lending place, where the brothers lend money and charge high interest. One day, they hire a former boxer

A man named Saeki who frequents the cinema and meets a beautiful college student known only as the midnight companion. When everybody had left the cinema, the two would stay behind but this suddenly stopped when the midnight companion disappeared. Three years later, he has returned but a darkness inhabits him. Their love is rekindled but…

When the man who seduced the famous painter Otoko as a teenager--and then wrote a bestselling novel about it--reappears in her life, her pupil--and lesbian lover--hatches a plot to destroy the man and his family.

Based on a 1956 television feature on Japan’s national network, NHK, this is one of Uchida’s rarest films. A socially conscious drama with a contemporary backdrop, Dotanba focuses on the attempts to rescue a group of trapped miners. The title is a figure of speech — (essentially “last minute” or “eleventh hour”) — that refers to a situation of peril. The film boasts a script co-written by Uchida and Akira Kurosawa’s frequent screenwriter, Shinobu Hashimoto, and stars Kurosawa’s frequent star Takashi Shimura.

Drama depicting the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that occurred on March 11, 2011 from the perspective of a female doctor. Takako Kawashima works as head anesthesiologist at the Sendai Medical Center. She balances her married life with help from her husband Teiichi, who runs a private clinic, but their lives are upturned by the disaster.

An agent who was sent riding on Halley's comet to the earth. He was actually given an order to destroy the earth. Captivated by planet's beauty, however, he is no longer able to destroy the planet. Seventy-six years later, another agent from Halley's comet is sent to the earth to liquidate this traitor, who is now disguised as a girl named Lamina in Vietnam.

A 30-something Gundam fan and engineer is forced to live with his recluse brother Maury and younger sister Lisa to take care of their Japanese grandmother after their mother's funeral.

What is the dark fate of a young up-and-coming artist who is on the verge of achieving glory? The story depicts the fate of a detective who relentlessly pursues a murder case that seemed to be heading into a labyrinth, and the young man who is the culprit. It was produced and aired on the TV Asahi network on October 1, 1991 (20:02-22:24) as the "Each station's competition series commemorating the 40th anniversary of Matsumoto Seicho's work" (each station created two Seicho works) . TV drama (1 episode in total). Selected from the top 21 programs of the 9th ATP Awards .

One day, a middle-aged man comes to develop for Hideo Hamada, the store owner at an old photo studio. “I think you'll be surprised to see the photo, but don't say anything else,” the man leaves. Hamada is surprised to see the finished photo. There was a beautiful nude of a young woman who couldn't be imagined in this world. Hamada is instantly fascinated by the woman in the photo. The owner of the photo is Joji Kawai. He promised to "purchase" her little girl from her parents, Naomi (Iori Furukawa), and raise her to be her ideal woman and become a couple. Over time, Naomi has become just the ideal woman, as Jouji had expected. However, curious Naomi often invites a young man to his house. Joji is resentful and locks Naomi in his house. On the other hand, Hamada gradually escalated his feelings for Naomi in the picture, and finally got into the picture and began to talk about his love for Naomi.

The story of an airport and its air traffic control crew in a remote and northern Japanese town. Three of the air traffic controllers are female with one of them working with her dead fiancé's sister. The engaged man had gone to war and never returned.

Two pilots compete to be the best jet fighter. A commander with a troublesome past, a female director who wants a good scoop, a competition that is looking for their best guy.

Two lesbian lovers escape the city to commit a lovers-suicide deep in the forest. There they are captured by the queen of a lesbian colony who uses the two lovers for her own sex games. The couple organize a revolt against the queen.

In a hotel room, there is a man lying on the bed. He wakes up to the piercing sound of the phone ringing. Picking up the phone, he hears a message from the hotel concierge, “If you have any trouble, please visit the front desk.” He doesn’t even know why he is in the hotel. In fact, he doesn’t remember anything at all. As he begins to look around, he suddenly finds a woman tied up and unconscious. The evening news on the TV shows the man himself, allegedly wanted as a serial killer. Then comes the sound of knocking on the door. "A new wave interactive movie game" where your actions, and the ending of the story, are determined by your choices.

Being acquainted with the bride's uncle, a famed private detective is invited to a wedding ceremony. The groom's family is moneyed and owns large tracts of land. The bride is a former teacher and was rumoured to have had an affair, which explains why the groom's family opposed the union. On the night of the ceremony the bride and groom are killed in a sealed room. There is evidence left, however, as there is a hand print on the wall albeit with only the trace of three fingers.

A young intellectual conscientious objector is forced to serve with the Japanese army in Manchuria. He joins with a dim-witted former gangster in an effort to desert by stealing a train.

A carefree country girl runs away to Tokyo and meets a guy in a suit, ready to take advantage of her, unaware that her personality will soon change the usual course of events.

Might Guy Akira's unique action drama depicts the bizarre fate of a young doctor who vows to avenge his girlfriend, who was shot by a yakuza on a whim!

The girl asked, "Where is Manga Island?" Only manga artists can set foot on the island. Idle people are not allowed to enter, but Manga Island is also like a besieged city. People outside want to enter, while those inside want to come out. A few manga artists trapped on a small island, accompanied by snakes and insects, perform the horror of a deserted island, and even rush to draft day and night, pouring their emotions and desires onto paper. When it comes to brain block, I finally come up with the legend of mermaid monster Tan and dungboat, and I'm afraid of being taken by someone. Everyone was hungry, afraid of both starvation and exhaustion of inspiration. Struggling with the barren environment, but also entangled with one's own demons. Shouwu Wenxiong initially made a long film, wrote and acted by himself, cleverly transforming the desire, pain, confusion, and joy of creation into a fantasy drift of a group of cartoonists.

A girl who dreams of herself being molested realizes the intense desire that lies dormant in her through hypnotherapy... The desire that has been awakened is unstoppable.

Hanako is looking for stability with her man. She gets dumped instead. She begins dating. Miki studied and worked hard to get to where she is and is holding down a job. They are introduced through an intermediary man.

Taking place between episodes 38 and 39 of the Tomica Hero: Rescue Force television series, the film features Doktor Madu joining forces with the Neo Thera to hijack the super express train Mach Train with his Metal Train, intending to use the Mach Train in the most Super-Disaster ever.

Arakawa Ao lives happily on his own and hardly ever leaves Shimokitazawa, where he works at a vintage clothing shop, goes to occasional concerts and hangs out at his favorite bar. Then, he gets an unusual request to appear in an independent film.

For one year, Master Swordsman Eiji Shinjo has been haunted by the memory of his battle with the renegade champion, Gaia. A battle that was cut short by the forces of the malevolent syndicate known as "The Organization." Denied victory, Eiji left the tournament followed by his opponent's mocking laughter. Worse still, Eiji walked away no closer to finding his long lost brother, Sho. But now, a mysterious warrior is hunting down the champions of the previous tournament and using their own moves against them, and it looks like that person may be Sho. Who is this powerful, new foe and who be his next target? Eiji and Kayin, his closest friend and greatest rival, struggle to unravel the mystery before they too join the ranks of the defeated. The answer lies at the heart of The Organization and its plans for world domination. At last, the ultimate battle between the greatest fighters in the world will be decided. But if Eiji loses, his friend, Ellis, may Die...

A beautiful older sister and her younger brother, both designers who paint the dreams of young hope, are paired with an innocent young artist and the daughter of a company president, creating a miniature picture of the youth of Tokyo that revolves around these four characters.

A member of the Self-Defense Forces escapes with a microfilm containing important military secrets of Japan and the United States. In order to protect the microfilm from his pursuers, he pretends to molest a girl on a crowded train and hides it in the private parts of a high school girl. A battle for the missing microfilm unfolds among the Metropolitan Police Department, the Public Security Bureau, a delinquent high school girl, and even spies from the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union, but what will become of the high school girl who has become a party to the matter?

Yakuza Zombie opens with an introduction to a mysterious Yakuza graveyard deep in the forest, and a story of the baddest Yakuza of them all, Naruo Ryuuji (shown in cut scenes played by Ozawa Hitoshi). Naruo Ryuuji was a fearless killer who eventually got into heroin and, exactly like Ishimatsu Rikuo in Takashi Miike's Graveyard of Honor, eventually leaps to his death from the top of a prison, claiming he'll be back. I'm assuming this is a reference to real life crazy Yakuza Ishikawa Rikio, whom the original Graveyard of Honor was based on. It's established that the corpse of the fierce Yakuza Ryuuji is buried in the graveyard beneath a marker with the Japanese characters "Jingi" (Honor), and then we are taken to the modern day.

Once again, Lady Ninja Kasumi is a candidate for a dangerous mission that will use all of her abilities as both a kunoichi and a woman. Her clan elder approaches a specific former member of their group, Sakichi, for his aid in the matter. Unfortunately, due to a tragedy and a lost love, he is unwilling to lend his help to the Sanada ninja, and Kasumi volunteers to handle the matter. Ultimately, she is captured and it is up to Sakichi to help her get to safety... but not before she settles the score with a rival lady ninja.

Poor Yoko knows she is getting played and used by a playboy, but she loves him with all her heart and soul.

A story of a rat family who have to leave their home because humans start a construction site. Now the rats are searching for a place to stay.

A recap of Kimetsu no Yaiba episodes 50–55, Tanjiro's journey leads him to the Swordsmith Village, where he reunites with two Hashira, members of the Demon Slayer Corps' highest-ranking - Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji. With the shadows of demons lurking near, a new battle begins for Tanjiro and his comrades.

At the behest of a friend, an unsung rock artist takes on the role of a substitute teacher and finds himself in the picturesque, seaside town of Amanohashidate, located in Kyoto Prefecture. This unorthodox educator, driven by personal motivations, endeavors to forge connections with students grappling with various challenges through the universal language of music. Together, they set their sights on the ‘Sneaker Age’ club contest, aspiring not just to perform but to resonate deeply with their audience, intertwining their hearts through the harmonies of their shared passion.

The fourth movie in the four-part King of Prism: Shiny Seven Stars movie series.

His bloodline damned by a witch, Waldemar Daninsky heads to Japan to seek a cure for his werewolf curse.

In the short, Astro Boy gives his life to save a densely populated space colony from a collision with the sun. The doctor Black Jack saves him, reborn to a new identity as Neo Astro Boy.

Noboru and Takashi meet in prison. Shocked by his lover's betrayal, Akira becomes addicted to hunting for men in Hattenba, and is eventually imprisoned for drugs. Noboru, who was a sexual outlet for prisoners in prison, was helped by Takashi, a member of the Ogasawara gang of the chivalry organization. Takashi persuaded Noboru to take care of himself, and as a result of his efforts, Noboru was able to rehabilitate himself and come to respect Takashi as an older brother. One day, Takashi's older brother, Kanzaki, comes to visit and informs him that he has been excommunicated from the group...

The government in Edo era is suffering from a financial crisis. It hires "Kage" to provoke the collapse of small hans (prefectures). "Kagekari" are people who were hired by Daimyos (mayors of local governments) to resist kage. The young mayor of Suwa Takashiwa, Tadamaru was assaulted by a kage on his way to Edo. Zyubei and Gennnosuke, the Kagekaris, try to carry injured Tadamaru to Edo.

Window cleaners Tatsuyo, Yuusuke, Kazuma, Kudou, and Hagiwara are of different ages and backgrounds, but work side by side with their heads in the clouds. The oldest of the group, 40-year-old Hagiwara is already a husband and father but hasn't given up his dream of becoming a novelist. Young aspiring musicians Tatsuyo and Yuusuke keep trying their luck with record labels, but their demos go straight to the trash can. Tatsuyo does find a receptive listener though in Kanako, a young hearing-impaired woman who falls in love with Tatsuyo and his music. Tatsuyo and group continue to move toward their dreams with small steps and big hearts until one day an accident at work completely changes their lives.