Discoveries from Japan World Cinema

Kinichi and Akiko meet when they visit their fathers in prison. After successfully gambling on a bicycle race, they spend an enjoyable day together at the beach.

In August, 1918, Matsuura Ito lives in a coastal village of Toyama with her husband and three children. During the summer, there wasn't much fish to catch, so her husband has been far away from home to catch fish. To support herself and her children, Ito carries goods from ships like the other women in the village. Meanwhile, the residents encounter rising prices for rice. The women are unable to feed their family due to the high prices of rice. The women ask a nearby rice store to sell rice at lower prices, but it fails. The price of rice continues to rise daily. Due to an incident, Ito and the other village women step up to the plate.

Brave cat Pero once had a bet with treacherous multimillionarie Grumon that he can travel around the world in 80 days. The stake is high, in case of success Grumon will give all of his fortune to Pero, but in case of failure Pero becomes slave of Grumon for the rest of his life. Pero departs together with his faithful friends behemoth Kato and brave Small Mouse. Grumon tries everything to prevent their arrival to the finish.

Tamako graduated from a university in Tokyo, but she now lives with her father back in Kofu. Tamako doesn't help her father or tries to get a job. She spends her time just eating and sleeping throughout the four seasons of the year.

Two Kyushu based yakuza groups are desperate for domaination of the area. When more powerful yakuza groups get involved in their power struggle, a group of childhood friends, belonging to different yakuza families, are caught in the middle. Lies, deceit, and backstabbing are in play resulting in a bloodbath and a quest for revenge...

Ah, my body's on fire! Roku, a company employee, learns that his ex-girlfriend, Nanako, has broken up with her lover and heads to her parents' house, only to be told that she has died. Roku meets Nanako's childhood friend, Emi, spends the night with her, and returns to Tokyo...

Misa's father, the Minowa clan leader, was killed by assassins from the rival organisation Shinsui Rengo. She decides to live her life as a yakuza and together with her boyfriend Ryuji, she is building up the gang. However, the betrayal of the acting chairman, Izawa, who was a close associate of her father, is discovered. A takeover in collusion with the Shinsui Union is taking place behind the scenes.

When Kai begins a multi-tier attack in order to eliminate Airi, both Ryotaro and Yuuto try to stop him, with a Imagin deciding to help in trying to make sure that the past and future is protected... Special director's cut edition of episodes 47-49 of Kamen Rider Den-O.

Tetsuo is a young man living in Tokyo, who falls in love with a deaf-mute factory girl. He has always felt jealous of his college-educated brother, but ultimately wins both the girl and his father's acceptance and support in a touching and refreshing way.

They have the reputation of being the top martial arts team in the world. They have combat techniques which can control the very elements. They have a small penguin. They are the Ninku, full of martial art prowess, low on brain power, and totally devoid of the respect they deserve.

A botanist woos the secretary of an industrialist whose company threatens the local water supply.

The city is infested with mysterious parasites that bore into their human hosts to increase their host's power and sexual desires. A beautiful girl, Suzune Arizono is a vet with a specialty in parasites, and who fights daily to end the plague. Before long, she learns that an evil organization, the Kito Zaibatsu, is behind the explosive growth of this ferocious parasite. She also learns that her long-missing father, Dr. Arizono, is also involved. In order to crush the Kito Zaibatsu's ambition and to see her father again, Suzune takes on the fight without regard to the danger involved.

A college student's relationship is going nowhere until she meets a bisexual medical artist who makes prosthetic body parts.

Koichiro Shimada is sent to a research facility in Kenya, Africa by a teaching hospital in Japan. He encounters a desperate situation and decides to work there as a doctor, treating patients hurt in battles. He struggles with nurses and colleagues at the hospital. Koichiro Shimada then encounters a boy soldier severely wounded mentally. This changes Koichiro Shimada’s fate.

Yukio is a typical high school student in every way except that he's an only child in a family of five. This is because he has four fathers, each with their own unique personalities and interests. The only thing they share in common is their love of their son. When Yukio witnesses a robbery, he becomes involved in a bizarre string of incidents involving his fathers.

The Amamiya Brothers, Masaki and Hiroto, keep looking for their older brother Takeru who disappeared one year ago. The three Amamiya brothers lost their parents when they were young. Since then, they relied only on each other. On the anniversary of their parents' death, Masaki and Hiroto expect Takeru to appear. Instead, they meet a person who has a clue on Takeru's whereabouts.

Mataemon Araki, a renowned swordsman, helps a young man find vengeance.

This documentary follows the unstoppable all-female Japanese idol group, AKB48. With a complicated balance of competition and friendship among the members, their bond is strong. The footage was taken from over 1000 hours of recorded videos throughout 2010 and includes personal interviews with select members revealing each of the girls' struggle, joy, growth, and dream.

A woman is found dead and three other women, incarcerated at a psychiatric hospital. The body belonged to the wife of the hospital President, Dr. Kiriyama who has gone missing since the day of the murder. As Detective Hayashida and his partner start to investigate the case and interview the women linked to the victim, they soon find themselves tangled in a web of the women’s lies and deceptions.

Accompanied by his friend Miyata, Sano returns to Izu, a seaside resort in Japan where five years before he fell in love with his wife Nagi.

This movie is the compilation of the mini-parody episode trailers that ran at the end of every Record of Lodoss War: Chronicles of the Heroic Knight episode, which featured characters depicted in their chibi forms.

In Hong Kong an International Secret Police (ISP) Agent is murdered while investigating ZZZ, a group bent on assassinating the Prime Minister of Buddhabal. ISP Agents Carter and Kitami are assigned to the case. When the Prime Minister arrives in Tokyo for a friendship visit, Carter and Kitami are on hand to protect him. On hand, too, are assorted ZZZ blackguards. Several attempts on the Prime Minister's life fail, until finally the ZZZ introduces a new device designed to eliminate not only the Prime Minister but the ISP Agents as well: THE KILLING BOTTLE, then, is a pocket-sized container filled with a substance that can expand to thousands of times its size and throttle its victim, then disappear leaving only the corpse.

Zatoichi comes upon the town of Tonda, overrun by gangsters. Using one of his favorite techniques, Zatoichi proceeds to win 8 ryo in a rigged gambling game. Of course, the local gangsters attempt to kill him, and the adventure begins. It turns out a blacksmith named Senzo examines Zatoichi's cane sword, and discovers it to be forged by his old mentor. Senzo discovers the sword is at the end of its usefulness and will break when it is used next.

The Metropolitan Police Department '0'section, known as an organization in the police department that investigates a closed case. Well-trained detective in the '0' section, Rei, is looking for her memory that was lost during the training, while also investigating a human traffic which young woman being a victim. One day, classified killer virus was seized by rising terrorists. To investigate this case, public safety sent Sarah Kodama who specializes in molecular biology and computer, to work with Rei but Rei refuses to work with Sarah. Sarah was curious about mysterious Rei, so she starts to collect Rei's information and goes to see Rei's former boss, Asami. However, the man who appeared in front of Sarah was an assassinator who contemplates destruction of '0' section. What happens to Sarah...!? What is in Rei's lost memories!?

Rai, a frustrated student and part-time labourer, is wandering home after setting up a museum exhibition on the classic novel "The Tale of Genji". There is a blinding flash of light and he finds himself mysteriously time-slipped into the Heian period, the setting for the famous novel. Armed with a pamphlet on the history of the period and a bottle of headache tablets he passes as an onmyoji (magical protector of the capital) and is hired by the emperor’s wife Nyogo Kokiden. Fearless and coldly analytical she plots to have her son take over the Emperor’s position. Rai is expected to help. This light-hearted historical fantasy is a treat for lovers of sumptuous kimono.

Orphan girl Mei is adopted by a wealthy family and receives the ticket out of the orphanage. The girl finds herself with a sister who has arrived at the family under similar circumstances. They bond and become close. Things take a turn for the worse, however, when the family's fortunes take a nosedive allowing the family to keep no more than one of the girls. That means someone has to trod back to the orphanage. Well, neither is volunteering.

Yasuhiko is a transfer student to a classroom with Miyuki. She barely notices him until he suddenly appears before her in the library. The truth comes out: Yasuhiko is from the future. Bound by this special secret, they become closer and closer. Yasuhiko reveals that this trip is inspired by a book from Miyuki’s era, a book, she later learns from her future self, that she authored. On the day of his departure, Miyuki makes a promise, that she will write that novel to treasure this unforgettable summer, just as her future self says. Ten years later, the book is about to be published. As Miyuki waits to reunite with her past self, nothing happens! Did something go wrong in the past? Are there more secrets to come?

Kaibutsu-kun's father, the Great Monster King, suddenly complains of pain in his chest and collapses. It turns out that the rival Demon King has placed a curse on him with the "Demon Sword". Kaibutsu-kun and his three companions head into enemy territory, Demon Land. Prince Demokin, the son of the Great Demon King, appears. Out of curiosity, he invites the monsters to the temple where the demon sword is located.

A story of the skilled brain surgeon, Todo, whose talent and ambition are put to test through a series of high risk surgical procedures.

As two Japanese high school students, Rena and Yuko, navigate their first uncertain sexual experiences, they travel across Japan, discovering how choices they face can both separate and unite them.

In 1701, an insult led to a sword slash between the heads of the Ako clan and the Kira clan in Shogun's court. The head of the Ako clan was ordered to commit seppuku, and his loyal retainers plotted revenge against the Kira clan. This led to the legendary events known as the "47 ronin incident". However, unknown to most, the head of the Kira clan, Kozukenosuke Kira, is already dead from his wounds. Impersonating him is his slacker monk brother Takaaki, who has to prevent his brother's death being found out to protect his clan – and accidentally befriends Ooishi, the leader of the Ako men who wouldn't really want to go through with the revenge. Will Takaaki survive with his head?

Mari is a gorgeous girl working In Pachinko Centre “SEVEN”. One day, Yamazaki, a food chainstore tycoon proposes to take over the Pachinko Centre to build a food mial. Mari strongly objects to this idea because this Pachinko Centre is the place where she often played with her father in childhood. To reserve her good memory of her father in childhood. To reserve her good memory of her father and a hope to see her father again in this Pachinko Centre, she has to win in the Pachinko Game Competition. White there’s a story behind Yamazaki’s intention to take over this Pachinko Centre…

The final chapter of the Hibotan Bakuto series. Oryu the Red Peony visits an old dying Boss of an ally family and promised her that she would help guide the new Boss. Meanwhile a turf war breaks out. When the family is betrayed from within and the rival family becomes violent, Oryu takes things into her own hands…

This is an omnibus of six short films by six different directors, whose lead characters are unconventional women. They are "Hijoshi," females who live true to themselves and their desires.

In a mythical kingdom, the mighty Imperial Knights harness a magical substance known as Aer to power their weapons and protect humanity from the monsters of the forest. But something strange is afoot; the Aer is somehow changing, causing the wilderness to waste away and stirring the woodland beasts to attack with greater frequency. As danger creeps steadily closer to civilization, two young recruits - Flynn, the rigid son of a fallen hero, and the rebellious and brash Yuri - must ride with their fellow Imperial Knights to distant ruins in hopes of uncovering the truth behind the transforming Aer.

A teenage boy discovers that the planet Icarus is on a collision course with Earth by gazing through his telescope. Scoffed at by the scientific establishment, the boy is kidnapped and brought to a secret UN base in the Japan alps. He is immediately inducted into the secret program whose mission is to finish the Super-Destruction Beam cannon and destroy Icarus. The cannon is missing a special mineral for the lens. The team heads for a mysterious island in the middle of the Pacific. There they find ancient ruins of Atlantis but they are suddenly attacked by a strange drill shaped metal squid spaceship. It's commanded by the evil being Nazu who has engineered the collision with Icarus! He doesn't want to share the universe with humans and he really doesn't want the cannon finished. The action is on and the team discovers the Golden Bat who has been asleep for over 10,000 years awaiting this very moment to save the earth!

Wasao, an Akita dog in Aomori Prefecture that became famous as an ugly-yet-cute dog from a traveller's blog. Heartwarming drama starring Wasao himself turns part of the life of this former stray into an original story. Setsuko, who runs a grilled-squid shop in a fishing village at the foot of the Shirakami mountains, decides to take in a large dog with a long, unruly fur that has shown up in town. She names the dog Wasao and showers it with affection, but Wasao at that time doesn't take to Setsuko.

Zatoichi, the famed blind swordsman, returns to his home village for the first time in many years. He is befriended by Omiyo, who had the same wet-nurse as Zatoichi. He also encounters a boyhood friend, Shinbei, who is now wealthy and appears not to remember Zatoichi. Shinbei seems to be interested in repaying the villagers' debts, but is, in reality, manipulating the ownership of a now valuable rock quarry. Zatoichi learns of the subterfuge and confronts his old friend, who has a score of yakuza swordsmen backing his play.

Cha-Cha is the love story between the titular Cha-Cha, a free-spirited artist, and Raku, a boy with increasingly questionable tastes. Cha-Cha is painted with the whimsical colors of a romantic comedy at its surface that belie much, much, much darker hues to be found in its deranged depths. Cha-Cha is silly, sweet, screwball, and completely unexpected.

Ichitaro is a young man with weak health who has the power to see ghosts. Since the age of five, he has become friends with them, and works with them to solve mysterious incidents.

A private detective and a college student find themselves in hot water while investigating the murder of a night club owner.

In a valley, with a dense growth of trees, a baby is killed. The baby's mother Satomi is arrested as the prime suspect. The police also learn that Satomi is involved in a romantic relationship with her next door neighbor Ozaki. The information was provided by the neighbor's lover Kanako.

When a married man begins an affair with a woman from his past, he comes to suspect her young son intends to murder him.

The touching and dramatic tale of the relationship between a Japanese family, their dog and her three puppies, set against the backdrop of a devastating earthquake and the ensuing chaos, rescues and heroism.

A collection of 14 shorts ranging from animated to live-action. Released by Toei Video on VHS.

A ghost of a girl Aisuke suddenly appears in the room of Yohei who was dumped by his lover. Aisuke, who has never experienced love during her lifetime, is very interested in "dating" and giving Yohei useless advice.

The second film outing of the Hurricaneger team. Hurricaneger the theatrical movie introduces new, original hardware and characters, including "Tenrai Senpuujin," the Gattai Robot. Sayaka Yoshino guest stars!

Saho Takahashi, capable but a disillusioned nurse, has lost all motivation for her job working at Sumidaku Sakuraoka General Hospital. She seeks solace in the company of her bed-ridden patient, former Honorary Head Nurse, Sae Yukino. As she opens up about her despair, a sudden earthquake sends Saho into the depths of a strange, unfamiliar jungle.

Set in 19th Century Japan a young samurai who finds himself in love with a farm girl leaves his home to begin a new life. He has to take stock of his new life when he is put to the test and ordered to kill a traitor who just happens to be his dearest friend.

This surrealistic comedy follows the life of Haruo Maekawa, a young man who makes a living catching squid. Haruo is obsessed with catching a legendary giant squid rumored to live in Tokyo Bay. Haruo's uncle Takashi, fallen on hard times, comes to stay with his nephew until he can get back on his feet. Uncle Takashi is addicted to energy drinks, and seduces any woman in sight, including Haruo's girlfriend Rika. While praying at a Shintō shrine, Uncle Takashi is bitten in the scrotum by a poisonous snake and dies. The uncle is destined to spend the afterlife in Hell unless his nephew and girlfriend can rescue him from the King of Hell.

5th-grader Atsuko Kagami, nicknamed Akko, comes into possession of a magical mirror that lets her transform into anything she wishes. Wanting to grow up beautiful, she gets a job at a cosmetics company, and finds true love. What will Akko do to keep the company afloat and her secrets hidden? Only her technical magical compact can help!

As a young boy, Xu-Xian is forced to free his pet, a small snake. Unbeknownst to him, the snake is actually a young snake goddess named Bai-Niang and she is in love with him. Many years later, when they are both adults, the princess is magically transformed into a human and sets out to find her love. But the local wizard believes her to be a vampire, and banishes Xu-Xian from the village in order to save him. Xu-Xian's pet pandas Panda and Mimi set out to save him and bring him, in the process becoming leaders of an animal gang.

A lonely retired girl's High School Principal who's lost his wife to alcoholism moves to an old apartment in a country town. There he forms a relationship with a neglected little neighborhood girl.

Kintaro is a reformed delinquent, the former leader of a biker gang who has gone straight. Working at a construction company, his unorthodox tactics cause trouble with his colleagues. He is transferred to a tiny countryside branch, where he butts heads with his lazy superior until the two men discover a plot by the competition to put the construction company out of bussiness. With the help of his old biker friends, Kintaro prepares to confront the masterminds behind the scheme.

Centres on Jeanne, a journalist tracking a mysterious rare herb that appears only once every 997 years.

A Masked Monster being chased for stealing a microfilm with EAGLE secrets hides on a houseboat to avoid Kaijo and Asuka's pursuit.

Keiko Inagawa pays a visit to neurologist Aizawa about her fiancé Tatsuo Tamura. A mysterious case involving the disappearance of Tatsuo’s three brothers, one after the other, is yet to be resolved and now Tatsuo, seized with the idea that he too may disappear, has had a nervous breakdown. Aizawa suggests that Tatsuo recount his dreams as a means of solving the mystery, since human beings have an instinct that foretells the near future in the form of a dream. Keiko and Tatsuo eventually discover that the three disappearances have a strange connection…

When a mob boss retires under political pressure, his successor and yakuza family are tested to their limits as new alliances and enemies are formed.

Pepe Benengeli is a second-class cyclist, only there to support the star member of the team. This summer he is participating in the Tour of Spain, which passes through the streets of his hometown of Andalusia. In a coincidence, his brother and ex-girlfriend are getting married on the same day as the climax of the race. Pepe, who left his hometown after suffering a breakdown, is determined to achieve something special on this day.