Cast: Daisuke Kato

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Takashi Shimura · Yoshio Inaba · Seiji Miyaguchi

Synopsis Seven Samurai (1954) is set in 16th Century Japan and chronicles the struggle of a vulnerable farming community perpetually threatened by roving bandits. The villagers, aware that their harvests will inevitably attract the bandits, send four representatives to a nearby...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Tatsuya Nakadai · Yôko Tsukasa · Isuzu Yamada

Synopsis Yojimbo (1961) is set in the 19th century during the feudal era of Japan, where a skilled samurai wanders into a small, isolated village. The village is torn apart by a power struggle between two rival factions, neither of which...

Direction Akira Kurosawa

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Machiko Kyô · Masayuki Mori · Takashi Shimura

Synopsis Rashomon (1950) unfolds in feudal Japan, where a tragic event in a dense forest sets the stage for a complex narrative. Masako (Machiko Kyo), a woman, and her spouse Takehiro (Masayuki Mori) encounter a dangerous bandit, Tajomaru (Toshiro Mifune), who...

Direction Kenji Mizoguchi

Cast Kinuyo Tanaka · Tsukie Matsuura · Ichiro Sugai · Toshirô Mifune

Synopsis The Life of Oharu (1952) chronicles the journey of Oharu, a woman in her fifties navigating the rigid societal norms of 17th-century feudal Japan. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she becomes the paramour of a man, leading to...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Hideko Takamine · Akira Takarada · Tsutomu Yamazaki · Keiko Awaji

Synopsis A Woman's Life (1963) follows the journey of Nobuko, a resilient woman who endures the loss of her husband and takes on the responsibility of raising their son alone. Her life takes a challenging turn when her son chooses to...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Yûzô Kayama · Yôko Tsukasa · Yu Fujiki · Mie Hama

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Hideko Takamine · Masayuki Mori · Mariko Okada · Chieko Nakakita

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Hideko Takamine · Akira Takarada · Daisuke Kato · Keiju Kobayashi

Synopsis A Wanderer's Notebook (1962) is a compelling biopic that delves into the life of the renowned Japanese writer Fumiko Hayashi. The film chronicles her journey as she builds her career from the ground up, showcasing her determination and resilience in...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Hideko Takamine · Masayuki Mori · Daisuke Kato · Tatsuya Nakadai

Synopsis When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960) follows the story of a seasoned and accomplished proprietor of a Tokyo hostess bar who grapples with the inevitability of retirement as she ages. The narrative delves into her personal and professional life,...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Keiko Enonami · Kyôko Kagawa · Akihiko Katayama · Daisuke Kato

Synopsis Mother (1952) follows the journey of a young girl who observes her recently widowed mother's struggle to maintain the well-being of their family. The narrative delves into the challenges and resilience of a single parent striving to provide for her...

Direction Yasujirō Ozu

Cast Ganjiro Nakamura · Setsuko Hara · Yôko Tsukasa · Michiyo Aratama

Direction Yasujirō Ozu

Cast Chikage Awashima · Ryo Ikebe · Teiji Takahashi · Keiko Kishi

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Keiju Kobayashi · Michiyo Aratama · Mitsuko Kusabue · Tatsuya Mihashi

Synopsis The Stranger Within a Woman (1966) is a film that showcases director Mikio Naruse's return to black-and-white Academy format for his penultimate film, following his exploration of color and cinemascope in the 1960s. This choice of format may have been...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Nobuko Otowa · Jun Fujimaki · Kamatari Fujiwara · Yosuke Natsuki

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Setsuko Hara · Hideko Takamine · Akira Takarada · Hiroshi Koizumi

Synopsis Daughters, Wives and a Mother (1960) follows the story of an elderly woman residing in Tokyo and her five adult children, along with their respective spouses, who are grappling with financial difficulties. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when one...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Hideko Takamine · Yôko Tsukasa · Akemi Kita · Reiko Dan

Direction Hiroshi Inagaki

Cast Yûzô Kayama · Tatsuya Mihashi · Akira Takarada · Koshiro Matsumoto

Synopsis 47 Ronin (1962) follows a young lord who finds himself entangled in a web of official corruption within the Shogunate. His refusal to bribe a Chancelor, who is tasked with teaching him the proper etiquette for receiving the Shogun's envoys,...

Direction Hiroshi Inagaki

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Koji Tsuruta · Kaoru Yachigusa · Mariko Okada

Synopsis Samurai III: Duel on Ganryu Island (1956) follows the journey of Takezo, a modest and straightforward warrior who leaves behind his wandering life. He is pursued by the Shogun, Japan's most influential clan leader, who wishes to employ him as...

Direction Mikio Naruse

Cast Hideko Takamine · Yôko Tsukasa · Eitarô Ozawa · Daisuke Kato

Direction Sadao Yamanaka

Cast Chojuro Kawarasaki · Ganemon Nakamura · Tsuruzo Nakamura · Choemon Bando

Synopsis Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937) unfolds during the Tokugawa era of the 18th century in a destitute neighborhood of Tokyo, where destitute samurai struggle to survive alongside other impoverished individuals from lower social strata. A ronin named Matajuro spends his...