Cinematography: Tatsuo Suzuki

Direction Toshio Matsumoto

Cast Katsuo Nakamura · Yasuko Sanjo · Juro Kara · Masao Imafuku

Synopsis Pandemonium (1971) delves into the grim and relentless journey of a Ronin, Gengobe, as he seeks retribution for the injustices he has endured. This isn't a typical action-packed adventure or a thrilling Samurai saga; instead, it's a profound and contemplative...

Direction Toshio Matsumoto

Cast Osamu Ogasawara · Shotari Akiyama · Kiyoshi Awazu · Emiko Azuma

Synopsis Funeral Parade of Roses (1969) is a provocative Japanese film that presents a unique and controversial take on the Oedipus legend. The narrative revolves around a young man who, in a shocking turn of events, takes the life of his...

Direction Yoshishige Yoshida

Cast Mariko Okada · Shinsuke Ashida · Shigeru Tsuyuguchi · Tamotsu Hayakawa

Synopsis Woman of the Lake (1966) follows Miyako, a woman who, despite appearing content in her eight-year marriage, feels unfulfilled due to her husband Yuzo's single-minded focus on his career. She finds solace in an affair with a young interior designer,...

Direction Shuji Terayama

Cast Yoshio Harada · Isao Kimura · Sen Hara · Kaoru Yachigusa

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Tetsuya Fujita · Yuji Horioka · Katsuhisa Yamazaki · Noritake Kobinata

Synopsis Childhood Days (1990) unfolds against the backdrop of World War II, as aerial bombardments drove entire city populations to seek refuge in rural areas, leading to a blend of urban and rural lifestyles. The narrative follows Shinji, a young evacuee...

Direction Kazuo Kuroki

Cast Mariko Kaga · Hosei Komatsu · Toshie Kimura · Takeshi Kusaka

Synopsis Silence Has No Wings (1966) follows a young boy living on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, who captures a butterfly originating from Nagasaki, located at the southern tip of the archipelago. His educators accuse him of deceit, believing he...

Direction Shuji Terayama

Cast Tsutomu Yamazaki · Mayumi Ogawa · Yoshio Harada · Yôko Takahashi

Synopsis Farewell to the Ark (Goodbye Ark) (1984) presents a visually captivating narrative directed by Shuji Terayama, who unfortunately passed away before the film's release. The story revolves around the illicit love between two cousins, Su-e (Mayumi Ogawa) and Sutekichi (Tsutomu...

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Tomisaburô Wakayama · Shima Iwashita · Hiroko Isayama · Kô Nishimura

Synopsis Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees (1975) unfolds the narrative of a captivating urban woman and a daring bandit who becomes infatuated with her. Following her abduction by the bandit, she is taken to his secluded mountain hideout. There, the bandit...

Direction Yoshishige Yoshida

Cast Mariko Okada · Ruriko Asaoka · Yasunori Irikawa · Isao Yamagata

Synopsis A Story Written with Water (1965) follows Shizuo Matsutani, a dedicated bank employee, who is set to marry Yumika, the daughter of a wealthy shopowner named Denzô Hashimoto. However, Shizuo's life takes an unexpected turn when he uncovers a secret...

Direction Shuji Terayama

Cast Hiroshi Mikami · Takeshi Wakamatsu · Keiko Niitaka · Jūzō Itami

Synopsis Grass Labyrinth (1979) is a 50-minute avant-garde cinematic experience inspired by a narrative from the surrealist author Kyoka Izumi. Director Shuji Terayama employs the journey of a young man, driven to retrieve the lyrics and melody of a cherished childhood...

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Shima Iwashita · Masao Kusakari · Rentarô Mikuni · Rie Yokoyama

Direction Kazuhiko Hasegawa

Cast Yutaka Mizutani · Mieko Harada · Etsuko Ichihara · Ryohei Uchida

Synopsis The Youth Killer (1976) begins with Jun Saiki engaging in a heated dispute with his disapproving father regarding his girlfriend. In a moment of intense emotion, Jun tragically takes his father's life. Initially, Jun plans to surrender to the authorities,...

Direction Kazuhiko Hasegawa

Cast Kenji Sawada · Bunta Sugawara · Kimiko Ikegami · Yûnosuke Itô

Synopsis The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979) follows the story of an eccentric high-school science teacher who embarks on a dangerous mission to construct his own atomic bomb. Adopting the terrorist alias "Nine," he symbolically represents the ninth nuclear threat,...

Direction Toshiya Fujita

Cast Meiko Kaji · Yoshio Harada · Kazuko Yoshiyuki · Shin Kishida

Synopsis Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) follows the gripping tale of a woman, known as Lady Snowblood, who, after being apprehended by law enforcement and condemned for her past actions, finds herself in a dire situation. As she...

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Akira Nitta · Shima Iwashita · Hosei Komatsu · Rentarô Mikuni

Synopsis Punishment Island (Captive's Island) (1966) follows the journey of a young man who revisits the island where he was once a captive during his childhood. Sent to the island to conceal the identities of military police involved in his family's...

Direction Shuji Terayama

Cast Isabelle Illiers · Klaus Kinski · Arielle Dombasle · Sayoko Yamaguchi

Direction Walerian Borowczyk · Just Jaeckin · Shuji Terayama

Cast Roland Blanche · Laura Gemser · Catherine Gandois · Marpessa Djian

Synopsis Private Collections (1979) presents a trio of tales. The first narrative follows a lone sailor who tumbles from his vessel and lands on a secluded tropical island. While looking for help, he encounters a nearly nude woman who is both...

Direction Toshio Matsumoto

Cast Yôji Matsuda · Shijaku Katsura · Hideo Murota · Eri Misawa

Synopsis Dogra Magra (1988) follows the story of a man who is committed to a psychiatric facility after attempting to harm his fiancée. The facility's two physicians attribute his issues to an Eastern philosophy that suggests mental disorders can be inherited...

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 Sadao Nakajima

Cast Toshirô Mifune · Mariko Okada · Bunta Sugawara · Tomisaburô Wakayama

Synopsis Conquest (1982) follows the gripping narrative of a powerful yakuza family in Japan. After the family's patriarch is fatally shot, his resilient wife steps into the void, determined to uphold the family's legacy and maintain control over their criminal empire.