Cast: Koreya Senda

Direction Kenji Mizoguchi

Cast Narutoshi Hayashi · Raizô Ichikawa · Tatsuya Ishiguro · Akitake Kôno

Synopsis The Taira Clan Saga (1955) unfolds in the vibrant and tumultuous 12th Century Japan, where a complex tapestry of social and political intrigue sets the stage for an epic narrative of power dynamics, familial conflicts, and human vulnerability. The story...

Direction Richard Fleischer · Kinji Fukasaku · Toshio Masuda

Cast Martin Balsam · Sô Yamamura · Joseph Cotten · Tatsuya Mihashi

Synopsis Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) unfolds in 1941, as Japan and the United States find themselves at a diplomatic impasse, with negotiations underway at the Japanese embassy in Washington. Should these talks falter, Japan's military is secretly devising a plan for...

Direction Teinosuke Kinugasa

Cast Machiko Kyô · Kazuo Hasegawa · Isao Yamagata · Yataro Kurokawa

Synopsis Gate of Hell (1953) unfolds in the year 1350, amidst a tumultuous political climate where a court lady, in a daring move, impersonates the lord's wife to facilitate her escape during a failed coup. A devoted samurai, tasked with her...

Direction Kenji Mizoguchi

Cast Kinuyo Tanaka · Mitsuko Mito · Kuniko Miyake · Ichiro Sugai

Synopsis My Love Burns (1949) tells the story of a woman's fight for gender equality in late 19th-century Japan. Eiko Hirayama journeys from Okayama to Tokyo, where she supports the emerging Liberal Party and develops romantic feelings for its leader, Kentaro...

Direction Kenji Mizoguchi

Cast Kinuyo Tanaka · Sô Yamamura · Sugisaku Aoyama · Kyoko Asagiri

Synopsis The Love of Sumako the Actress (1947) follows the story of Shimamura, a pioneering stage director who is dedicated to introducing Western theater to Japan. His life takes a dramatic turn when he becomes deeply infatuated with the bold and...

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Jûkichi Uno · Nobuko Otowa · Harold Conway · Masao Mishima

Synopsis Lucky Dragon No. 5 (1959) is a poignant Japanese film that recounts the harrowing tale of the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, a Japanese tuna fishing vessel that was tragically exposed to nuclear fallout from the United States’ Castle Bravo thermonuclear test...

Direction Ishirô Honda

Cast Akihiko Hirata · Kenji Sahara · Koreya Senda · Yumi Shirakawa

Synopsis The H Man (1958) follows the mysterious disappearance of a drug dealer named Misaki, who vanishes without a trace, leaving behind only his clothes. The police, in their investigation, visit his girlfriend, singer Chikako Arai, who claims to have no...

Direction Ishirô Honda

Cast Kôzô Nomura · Ayumi Sonoda · Fumito Matsuo · Koreya Senda

Synopsis Varan the Unbelievable (1958) begins with the discovery of an unusual butterfly species in an enigmatic valley in Japan, prompting a duo of entomologists to explore further. Their investigation leads them to an unexplored lake, but tragedy strikes as they...

Direction Ishirô Honda

Cast Ryo Ikebe · Kyôko Anzai · Koreya Senda · Minoru Takada

Direction Koji Shima

Cast Ayako Wakao · Yukihiko Iwatare · Akihiko Yusa · Yoshiro Kitahara

Synopsis Maboroshi no uma (1955) follows the story of the Shiraishi family, modest farmers who acquire a young colt named Takeru. The youngest member of the family, Jirô, forms a strong bond with Takeru, becoming deeply attached to the spirited foal....

Direction Tomotaka Tasaka

Cast Kinnosuke Nakamura · Katsuo Nakamura · Hiroshi Fujikawa · Minoru Chiaki

Synopsis Shinran (1960) is a cinematic portrayal that delves into the life and spiritual journey of Shinran, a pivotal figure in Japanese Buddhism. The film chronicles his transformation from a young monk to a revered religious leader, highlighting his struggles, enlightenment,...

Direction Tomu Uchida

Cast Kinnosuke Nakamura · Ken Takakura · Wakaba Irie · Chieko Naniwa

Direction Ishirô Honda

Cast Denjirô Ôkôchi · Hiroshi Nihon'yanagi · Masao Shimizu · Eijirô Yanagi

Synopsis Eagle of the Pacific (1953) follows the story of Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, a master strategist who remains devoted to the emperor despite his deep reservations about Japan's naval involvement in a conflict with the United States. Yamamoto strongly opposes...

Direction Teinosuke Kinugasa

Cast Kazuo Hasegawa · Machiko Kyô · Raizô Ichikawa · Ayako Wakao

Direction Masaki Kobayashi

Cast Kinuyo Tanaka · Keiko Awaji · Chieko Higashiyama · Akira Ishihama

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Nobuko Otowa · Koreya Senda · Jûkichi Uno · Haruko Sugimura

Synopsis Life of the Woman (1953) is set in Kyoto during the early Showa period, spanning the late 1920s to early 1930s. The story revolves around Fujiko, a young woman who, after completing her education at a girls’ high school, marries...

Direction Kaneto Shindô

Cast Nobuko Otowa · Chikako Hosokawa · Eijirô Tono · Taiji Tonoyama

Direction Yasuki Chiba

Cast Hideko Takamine · Kumeko Otowa · Yoshio Kosugi · Sadako Sawamura

Synopsis Hideko the Cheerleader (1940) presents an early wartime perspective on the Japanese "Idol" film genre. The movie features the talented young actress Hideko Takamine as an enthusiastic baseball enthusiast. She is driven by her passion to support her beloved baseball...

Direction Kôzaburô Yoshimura

Cast Eiji Funakoshi · Tatsuo Hanabu · Gen Harada · Yuzo Hayakawa

Direction Koji Shima

Cast Ayako Wakao · Yôko Minamida · Miki Odagiri · Bontarô Miake

Synopsis Jûdai no seiten (1953) delves into the lives of four teenage girls as they navigate the complexities of sexuality and personal awakening. Kaoru, a devout Christian, struggles with a deep-seated disdain for men following a traumatic rape. Eiko, on the...