Cast: Shinobu Otake

Direction Yasuo Furuhata

Cast Ken Takakura · Shinobu Otake · Ryoko Hirosue · Hidetaka Yoshioka

Synopsis Poppoya: Railroad Man (1999) follows the story of a dedicated railway stationmaster in a remote village in Hokkaido, where the railway line is on the brink of closure. The stationmaster is deeply affected by the loss of his wife and...

Direction Isao Yukisada

Cast Yôsuke Kubozuka · Kou Shibasaki · Shinobu Otake · Taro Yamamoto

Synopsis Go (2001) follows the journey of Sugihara, a second-generation Korean immigrant navigating the complexities of life in Japan. Struggling to find a sense of belonging in either of the two cultures, Sugihara's existence is deeply influenced by violence, a legacy...

Direction Keisuke Kinoshita

Cast Go Kato · Yukiyo Toake · Chikage Awashima · Masatomo Nakabayashi

Synopsis Children of Nagasaki (1983) is a poignant film inspired by the life and work of surgeon Takashi Nagai, who succumbed to radiation sickness in 1951 after enduring the atomic bomb explosion in Nagasaki. The narrative unfolds through the recollections of...

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Etsushi Toyokawa · Akira Emoto · Shinobu Otake · Naomasa Musaka

Synopsis Postcard (2010) unfolds towards the conclusion of a war, where a group of 100 middle-aged soldiers are dispatched to the frontline based on a lottery system orchestrated by their commanding officer. On the fateful night of the draw, a soldier,...

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Rentarô Mikuni · Shinobu Otake · Akira Emoto · Hideko Yoshida

Synopsis Will to Live (1999) explores the enduring legend of leaving elderly individuals in the mountains, a tale deeply rooted in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, with parallels found in folktales across the country. This narrative has inspired numerous poems throughout history....

Direction Hideaki Anno

Cast Shunji Iwai · Ayako Fujitani · Jun Murakami · Shinobu Otake

Synopsis Ritual (2000) follows the journey of a disenchanted filmmaker who crosses paths with a young girl who has a peculiar habit. Every day, she repeats the phrase, "Tomorrow is my birthday." Intrigued by her ritual, the filmmaker attempts to connect...

Direction Masato Harada

Cast Junichi Okada · Kentarô Sakaguchi · Mayu Matsuoka · Takamasa Ishihara

Synopsis Hell Dogs (2022) follows Shogo Kanetaka, a police officer haunted by the murder of a loved one, consumed by a relentless quest for vengeance. Assigned to infiltrate a yakuza group, Shogo is tasked with initiating a confrontation with Hideki Murooka,...

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Akira Emoto · Daijirô Harada · Mansaku Ikeuchi · Ayumi Ito

Synopsis Owl (2003) unfolds in the early 1980s, focusing on two women, a mother and her daughter, who are the last inhabitants of a deserted farming village named "Kibogaoka," originally established for Japanese returnees from Manchuria. Facing starvation, the women resort...

Direction Kazuaki Ue

Cast Mao Inoue · Jonathan Sherr · Ryoko Kuninaka · Naho Toda

Synopsis My Darling Is a Foreigner (2010) presents an offbeat narrative centered around a Japanese manga artist, Saori (Mao Inoue), and an American language enthusiast, Tony (Jonathan Sherr), who form an unlikely bond. Tony, captivated by the Japanese language, travels to...

Direction Takashi Ishii

Cast Ken Ogata · Shinobu Otake · Kimiko Yo · Mai Kitajima

Direction Hideyuki Hirayama

Cast Koyuki · Sôsuke Ikematsu · Takuya Ishida · Shinobu Otake

Synopsis Forget Me Not (2010) unfolds a poignant narrative set against the backdrop of a modest mining community, spanning the transformative decades from the 1960s to the 1970s. The tale delves into the lives of its inhabitants, exploring themes of love,...

Direction Isao Yukisada

Cast Hiroshi Abe · Jun Fubuki · Yûichi Haba · Goro Kishitani

Synopsis Before the Vigil (2013) follows the story of Matsuoi (Hiroshi Abe) and his wife Tsuya, who relocate to Oshima City due to her volatile behavior. Despite Tsuya's infidelities, Matsuoi remains deeply devoted to her. Their lives take a dramatic turn...

Direction Toshiya Fujita

Cast Keiko Matsuzaka · Shinobu Otake · Tsunehiko Watase · Rentarô Mikuni

Synopsis Beyond the Shining Sea (1986) follows the tumultuous journey of Ukiko, a woman whose life is as unpredictable as the ocean. After a heart-wrenching breakup, she seeks solace with a relative, only to find herself entangled in a perilous relationship...

Direction Yoshimitsu Morita

Cast Shinobu Otake · Hitomi Kuroki · Eri Fukatsu · Kyôko Fukada

Synopsis Like Asura (2003) unfolds the narrative of four siblings who stumble upon a hidden truth about their father. The cinematic journey commences with the third sister, Takiko (Eri Fukatsu), disclosing to her sisters that their father has been involved in...

Direction Yoshimitsu Morita

Cast Seiyô Uchino · Shinobu Otake · Masahiko Nishimura · Misato Tanaka

Synopsis The Black House (1999) follows a timid insurance agent at Showa Life who gets a distressing call from a client threatening to end her life and inquiring about her policy's payout. Driven by worry, he goes to her residence and...

Direction Makoto Wada

Cast Hiroyuki Sanada · Michelle Reis · Akira Emoto · Junichi Haruta

Synopsis Round About Midnight (1999) follows Koji, a talented jazz musician, as he steps outside for a smoke during his performance at a bustling Tokyo nightclub. His break takes a dramatic turn when he becomes an eyewitness to a brutal murder...

Direction Katsuro Onoue · Yuki Takafumi · Masae Ichiki · Tsuyoshi Inoue

Cast Kantarou Nakamura · Takeshi Kitano · Mirai Moriyama · Kanji Furutachi

Synopsis Idaten: Tokyo Olympics Story (TV Series) (2019) presents a compelling narrative that intertwines the history of Tokyo with the Olympic Games. The series delves into the journey of Kanakura Shizo (Nakamura Kankuro), a marathon runner of Olympic caliber, as he...

Direction Satsuo Yamamoto

Cast Shinobu Otake · Mieko Harada · Chikako Yuri · Yûko Kotegawa

Synopsis Oh! The Nomugi Pass (1979) delves into the challenging world of Japan's silk industry during the early 20th century, focusing on the young women who toiled as silk spinners. The narrative is set in Okaya, a town situated near the...

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Akira Emoto · Etsushi Toyokawa · Naomasa Musaka · Maiko Kawakami

Synopsis Teacher and Three Children (2008) unfolds in the late Taisho era (1920s) at Ishiuchi Jinjo Higher Elementary School, nestled in the mountains of Hiroshima prefecture. The story revolves around the dedicated educator, Mr. Ichikawa, portrayed by Akira Emoto, who prioritizes...

Direction Yôji Yamada

Cast Shinobu Otake · Yuki Kuroda · Nenji Kobayashi · Casey Takamine