Discoveries from Japan World Cinema

A school teacher visits the home of a boy who's been absent from school for a long period of time, unaware of the horrific tragedy which occurred in the boy's household many years ago.

A group of demons in the ancient Japanese capital of Heian is dismembering members of a family of Japanese nobles.

One day in February, 2005, Metropolitan Police Department Superintendent Muroi (Toshiro Yanagiba) is arrested to take responsibility for a botched murder case he headed. His faithful colleagues, including Arashiro (Toshio Kakei) and Okita (Miki Maya), only exacerbate the situation when they try to help clear his name. Is Muroi guilty as charged or merely taking the fall? What is the truth behind the murder? Two lawyers, one determined to get Muroi, the other resolved to save him, a feud between two police departments, political power plays and legal trappings, all combine to orchestrate Muroi’s downfall.

A group of sinners involved in interconnected tales of murder, revenge, deceit and adultery all meet at the Gates of Hell.

This movie is based on an immortal literary work "The Snow Country," a story about a life of geisha Komako who lives in a region with heavy snowfalls.

After 5 years in Tokyo, 5 part-time jobs, 5 boyfriends, Sawako's life is going nowhere. When her father gets seriously ill, she has to take over his struggling factory. Gradually she becomes the decider of her own life.

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.

The unit Over The Rainbow succeeds in its debut. Aiming to become like the boy band, more students enroll in Edel Rose. Hiro and the others begin practice for the Prism King Cup, an event that is held once every four years. However, a rival called "Schwarz Rose" appears... Who will become the Prism King, the one who can make girls' hearts throb the most!?

Ryu, a ladder-climbing salaryman exploring the galaxy on the company’s dime, crash-lands in the middle of a generational war over the seat of power on the planet Gdleen.

Arrested and interrogated by the police for a murder, Kiyoshi Ōkubo remembers his past and ends up confessing to several murders. Inspired by the true story of the serial killer who raped and killed eight women in Japan in 1971. The case moved the whole country.

Tracking a mysterious man leaping through the night air of Tokyo, Ryotaro and the Imagins find themselves in November 2008, where the DenLiner is stolen by none other than Kaitou Daiki, Kamen Rider Diend! As Daiki tracks his past self, he faces off with Time Police officer Reiji Kurosaki, aka Kamen Rider G Den-O! Just what is the connection these two men share and who will prevail when the trigger is pulled?!

Sarya lives between three worlds: Having fled from Turkey to Japan, her small family tries to maintain their Kurdish traditions. On the other hand, Sarya, who arrived when she was five, feels at home in Japan. But then, the family loses its refugee-status. Life becomes unpredictable and their days in Japan seem numbered. A haunting story about the balancing act of finding your place in the world.

One summer day, the chief monk of the Hojuin Temple dies. Harumichi rushes back to town hearing about his brother's death and requests for a grand funeral. He had been unwilling to take over the family business and had chosen a life as a middle school teacher far away from home, but considering the circumstances, he changes his mind. As the new chief of Hojuin, Harumichi scrambles around day after day for donations. He has kept strictly to the straight and narrow, until he passes a bicycle race track where the sounds of cheering fans induce him into a new way of life...

In 1947, in Kobe, Japan, a local street gang fights for their survival when its turf is overrun by United States occupation forces and international gangs.

The third movie of a four-part finale of Tamayura.

Sangokushi is set in the waning days of the Han dynasty. Central rule has disintegrated, and the land is controlled by multiple warlords. Liu Bei Xuande is a warrior who aspires to build a just state and to serve the people.

A brave, highly principled warrior resigns his post as a body guard to the head of a powerful clan after he learns that his employers have been smuggling arms to the enemy. The remaining samurai try in vain to coerce him back, but their efforts are thwarted by crooked warriors who launch an attack...

A drunk husband has a gambling compulsion that ends up putting him in a bad way with the local Yakuza. Unable to pay his debt, he hocks the deed to his wife’s restaurant in order to stay out of trouble with the thugs. But it’s not enough. The wife has to sacrifice her body as well.

Working on a documentary about infamous painter Mamiya Ichiro, a TV crew filming at his old home come under attack from the ghost of the painter's wife.

Pinku film released in 1997. An erotic love story about a woman searching for a man who is sexually attracted to her feet, and a man who is only sexually attracted to feet.

A couple who just started living together and her best friend, they are a threesome. Then, the couple's girlfriend will leave her cohabitation apartment on her overseas business trip, and the boyfriend promises her abstinence for a month and a half during her absence as a proof of her love. About a month after her departure, when her best friend Moe came to visit the couple's house ... the boyfriend who had increased sexual desire approached her cute best friend, and from there the physical relationship began to release libido. To go. Moe Tenshi's all-out lust drama.

Based on a popular comic by Kazuto Okada, this is the sixth episode of the series, which is the final story of the school romantic comedy "Not in Textbooks!" that depicts the cohabitation life of a cute and popular high school girl and a Japanese language teacher swayed by her. Aya Shirakaba became a third-year student at Otome High School, and now it's only one year before graduating. It's been another year since she lived with her homeroom teacher, Arihiko Tairaku, but at that time, a story about a marriage with May was brought up in Tairaku. On the other hand, Aya's father, who wanted to separate her daughter who is too close to Tairaku from him, tells Aya about studying abroad. Aya listens to her father and decides to study abroad. Ayaka Morikawa and Ryouma Baba, who have starred in the whole series, play Aya and Tairaku respectively, and Sena Natsuki, a gravure idol, plays the role of May who is in a triangular relationship with the two.

Seeking revenge after a brutal attack that left him disfigured, a former assassin gets drawn into a high-stakes conflict over a valuable treasure.

Saburo runs away from home without telling his wife, Kyoko, that he was restructured. Saburo was given the name of Unkokusai when he was told by a mysterious priest, Chinkokusai, who appeared in front of him at a loss to become the same priest as himself. The husband and sister started living together from the married woman Shiori who met, and it is said that this is because the evil spirits possessed them, and they are invited to their home. A fake monk, Unkokusai, tries to enjoy the body of beautiful sisters as a reward.

Sachiko Suzuki is a female high school student. She claims that she is an alien and her mission on Earth is to conceive a child with a human man. Sachicko seduces her class teacher Mr. Fukuda. After their intimate encounter, Mr. Fukuda becomes becomes convinced that Sachiko is not a human. Meanwhile, female student Kobato Hagimoto knows that Mr. Murata has a crush on some male students. Because of this, Mr. Murata is treated as a pig by Kobata until he can't bear the situation anymore.

The narrative centers on Taichi Tamiya, a television scriptwriter living in modern-day Tokyo with his family. Their ordinary lives are disrupted when they inexplicably time-travel to June 1944, during the height of World War II. Confronted with the harsh realities of wartime Japan—scarcity of resources, constant air raids, and societal pressures—the family struggles to adapt and survive. The story delves into their attempts to navigate this perilous era while seeking a way back to their original time.

Coal miner Isamu Oba is forced to quit his village and leave his mother and siblings behind. Mining buddy Ichiro accompanies him to Tokyo, and the pair enjoy several "fish-out-of-water" sequences before finding employment at a boxing gym with trainer Sawada and his spunky sister Tomoko. The boys also find part time night jobs as roving minstrels in the club district courtesy of benevolent gang boss Asakawa. Of course, they run afoul of boss Karasawa's cruel gang. Karasawa also has it in for Asakawa, and this indirectly throws a spanner into the works as far as Isamu's burgeoning success as a kickboxer. When Asakawa's HQ is burned to the ground by Karasawa's men, Asakawa tries to kill Karasawa - which, of course, leads to his own gruesome death. Isamu goes on the rampage with his sword, wiping out Karasawa and men.

Heidi is five years old when her aunt Dete, who has raised Heidi since her parents' deaths four years earlier, takes the orphaned Heidi to live with her formidable grandfather in the Swiss Alps. The American feature-length adaptation of Heidi (1974), the Japanese anime series produced by Zuiyo Eizo.

A musical journey through Tokyo's Jazz Cafes.

A Tokyo family escaping the war relocates to a Hokkaido village; their daughter is set to marry the local leader's son, but her siblings disapprove.

Higashigaoka Junior High School is in turmoil as one of the pupils, Noguchi, who had been bullied, attempted suicide last term. On the first day of the new term, a substitute teacher arrives to take the second year class. When the teacher, Murauchi (Hiroshi Abe), introduces himself, the pupils are surprised by his stutter. He has a speech impediment. Unable to speak eloquently, Murauchi faces his pupils with ‘words of truth’. His first instruction to the pupils is to return Noguchi’s desk and chair to the original place in the classroom. Every morning Murauchi greets the empty desk, “Good morning, Noguchi.” This causes a ripple beyond the classroom and among other teachers and parents, but Murauchi will not stop doing it. Eventually the day comes when Murauchi must leave.

The 8th All-Japan Road Race Championship. The internationally ranked A-level SUGO circuit is on the edge of its seat as the 500 cc final draws near. Akio Kitano and Keishi Ooki face off: private team versus factory team. In the final lap, Akio is overtaken by Ooki and loses by a hair. The reason for his defeat? The difference between their two machines. With their scores tied, the two wait for the next match to settle the score for good.

The remake of Yoshikawa's novel continues with the second installment in which Takezo, soon to be Miyamoto Musashi, emerges from the Himeji Castle after three years of intense contemplation and philosophical study and starting on his epic quest to complete his skill in the Way.

In the alternate universe set in an RPG world, the students of Kunugigaoka Junior High School are heroes under training and students of Class 3-E are those with bug, making them weaker than other heroes. They ae tasked a defeat Koro-sensei, a Demon King who intentionally teaches them so they can defeat him one day.

In one of the districts of Tokyo, an old school is planned to be torn down after the summer holidays. The only person who is seriously worried about this is the Japanese language teacher Nakajima. He decides to hold special additional classes for the lagging students during the summer holidays, which they will keep as a memento of the old school.

Mitamura Yuka is a normal, shy high school student. Except for the fact that she has psychic powers. When a new student with similar powers begins to show her skills, creating a force of psychic Nazi student enforcers, Yuka and her friends vow to stop her. But behind it all is a mysterious force that will put Yuka's powers to the ultimate test!

"Shin Mimibukuro," which has greatly influenced numerous Japanese horror works such as "Ring" and "Ju-on," is finally being fully adapted into a complete visual format for the first time. The directors include Takashi Shimizu of "Ju-on," Hideo Nakata of "Ring 0," actor Shiro Sano, and Akio Yoshida, the veteran of TBS dramas such as "Kamaitachi no Yoru," all of whom are distinguished talents in the horror world. The cast is also spectacular, featuring a diverse array of talents such as Rina Uchiyama, Kaoru Okunuki, Nao Omori, Mako Ishino, Hitomi Miwa, Riko Kurita, Nobuto Okamoto, and Ikkei Watanabe.

Ohyaku is a grifter who falls in love with a thief, who recruits her for his plan to rob a shipment of government gold. When this plan goes wrong and Ohyaku ends up in prison, she resolves to do anything to escape and claim revenge on the ones who betrayed her and her lover.

A young boy’s dream of a woman is entrusted to the love of a flower. When that beautiful flower withers and the boy discovers the ugliness of women’s true nature, he vows revenge.

A young man rents an apartment in Tokyo and discover it was built by his father. He falls in love with the daughter of the mistress of the house and decides to marry her. Only to discover that his father is is in debt and wants him to marry Ranko so that she may help his company by granting 1.5 million yen. Teruko decides to borrow money from a greedy bar owner who lends her money on certain conditions and photographs her without her consent. A love traingle forms between Koroku, Ranko, and Teruko. Things complicate when Koroku marries Teruko and Tsugawa threatens them for the money causing many twists and turns.

The Seibu Lions baseball team makes it to the next round of a baseball tournament thanks to the heroic efforts of its star player, Tabuchi, but the next stage will involve hard work and cooperation.

A young Japanese actress remembers her war childhood in Korea. Her father goes to fight, her baby sister Miko dies of typhoid, her beloved Korean maid Ohana is fired due to a mistake which could cost Chiko her life... By and by Chiko realizes that the country is being ruled by the Japanese and the Koreans are persecuted. When the war ends, the Koreans chase the Japanese rule and the roles change. Now Chiko's family is unwanted. But then the Russians come and this is the end. They have to burn all the pictures to avoid all suspicions... even Miko's picture. But when the Russians come to their house, they decide to flee over the 38th Parallel towards freedom. A group of men, women, children struggles along the mountains, led by the light of the Northern Star. Along the way they meet a Korean man, who is willing to help them to escape the Russian soldiers although his family was killed by the Japanese.

In the chaotic days of the 1960s, Misuzu, a lonely high school girl from a troubled family, finds sanctuary with her nihilistic brother, Ryo, and his friends. They pass their days hanging around a shadowy jazz cafe bar, indulging themselves in a life of sex, drugs and alcohol.

For a girl who works in a 3rd rate bar, Ayuko is full of vanity. Nomura, her patron, is besotted by her and it is their habit that they cannot reach a climax unless they peek at a couple, across the way, making love. Intent on climbing up in the world, Ayuko uses all her wiles to get her patron, who is putty in her hands, to move her from her grubby apartment house to a dreamboat of a place. She then tries to find a place to work more befitting her new home but all the elite night clubs will have nothing to do with her and with time heavy on her hands, the devil finds mischief for idle hands to do.

As representatives of Japan, Haruka, Rin, and Ikuya are heading to Sydney to participate in the Swimming World Cup. They will finally compete with world class athletes but can they survive these games? This is the climax of the “Free!” series from Kyoto Animation.

Akira Yamazaki and Akira Kaido are new employees at Industrial Central Bank. They are both outstanding at their jobs and fierce rivals, but they come from totally different backgrounds. When Akira Yamazaki was a child, his father's factory went bankrupt and his family ran away in the middle of the night. Because of that experience, Akira Yamazaki wants to work as a banker to save people. On the other hand, Akira Kaido was born into a family that runs a large company. He works with a calm demeanor. Due to a case, Akira Yamazaki receives a demotion. Akira Kaido continues to be successful at work, but his family's company is on the verge of bankruptcy due to their family-oriented management style. The employees there and their families are all in a crisis situation. With this desperate situation unfolding, the reversal of fate of these two men begin.

A lonely university student develops a romance with a beautiful interesting woman, who turns out to be a cyborg from the future.

The third installment in the Shacho Series.

A woman has a fine life with rewarding work, a nice house, and a serious boyfriend in the lowlands of Japan. In walks her long lost husband who years ago disappeared and abandoned her. The wife allows her lost husband to secretly live in her house. More specifically, he lives in the wife's closet. The closet has a peep hole, so he does nothing day and night but watch his wife live her life.

The second volume of eros suspense depicting a terrible living hell that unfolds in a secret cell that does not officially exist. A giant women's prison built in the basement of Tokyo. There, the drug G-Men Saki, who got the information that illegal drugs are being manufactured, begins a dangerous undercover investigation.

Remi, an orphan kid gets hired out to a traveling street entertainer Vitalis when her foster parents fall on hard times.

Kanjuro Nomi is an aging samurai who only has a scabbard. Deserting his lord to wander the land with his daughter Tae, Kanjuro is captured and sentenced to an unusual punishment: he has 30 days to bring a smile to the sad prince who has lost his mother — or else he must die.

While celebrating with her friends in her new cheaply rented apartment on the thirteenth floor of a building, the young Sayaka unexpectedly jumps off the balcony committing suicide. Her mother goes insane and her older sister, Mariko, decides to investigate the mysterious death of her sister.

The final chapter of the event "Mobile Suit Gundam UC Film & Live" held at Pacifico Yokohama in July 2014 comes out on Blu-ray. Features performance of music used in "Mobile Suit Gundam UC" by Hiroyuki Sawano, reading of the scenario (written by Harutoshi Fukui) read by orginal voice cast, and more.

Naomi Armitage and Ross Sylibus have changed their names and live with their daughter Yoko as a happy and normal family on Mars — until an android riot breaks out at an anti-matter plant on Earth.

In Osaka during the Edo period, ruler Sanada Yukimura was in losing position, fearing Toyotomi's blood descendents would end, he impregnates one of five Shinano female ninja with the seed of Toyotomi Hideyoshi in hopes of continuing the bloodline. Princess Sen and the five female ninja escape from Osaka castle by blending in with the handmaidens. Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu who was supposed to rule all under the heavens was informed of this secret. So Ieyasu orders five samurai of the Iga Ninja clan (brought by Hattori Hanzo) to stop the Toyotomi bloodline by killing the Kunoichi ninja. An attack of ninja magic arts unfolds in a battle of the sexes.

Kenji is overjoyed when his usually thrifty boyfriend takes him on a trip to Kyoto for his birthday, but the trip ends up uncovering a painful topic.