Birthday:
02-16-1931
Deathday:
11-10-2014 (83 years)
Birthplace:
Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan
Biography
Ken Takakura (高倉 健, Takakura Ken), born Gouichi Oda (February 16, 1931, in Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka, Japan), was a Japanese actor best known for his brooding style and the stoic presence he brings to his roles. Takakura gained his streetwise swagger and tough-guy persona watching yakuza turf battles over the lucrative black market and racketeering in postwar Fukuoka. This subject was covered in one of his most famous movies, Showa Zankyo-den (Remnants of Chivalry in the Showa Era), in which he played an honorable old-school yakuza among the violent post-war gurentai.
A graduate of Meiji University in Tokyo Takakura happened by an audition in 1955 at the Toei Film Company, and decided to look in. Toei found a natural in Takakura as he debuted with Denko Karate Uchi (Lightning Karate Blow) in 1956. Japan experienced a boom in gangster films in the 1960s as the Japanese people struggled with the generational differences between those raised in pre-war and post-war Japan and these were Takakura's stock and trade. His breakout role would be in the 1965 film Abashiri Prison, and its sequel Abashiri Bangaichi: Bokyohen (Abashiri Prison: Longing for Home, also 1965), in which he played an ex-con antihero. By the time Takakura would leave Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films.
Takakura gained international recognition after starring in the 1970 war film Too Late the Hero as the cunning Imperial Japanese Major Yamaguchi, the 1975 Sydney Pollack sleeper hit The Yakuza with Robert Mitchum and is probably best known in the West for his role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) where he surprises American cops played by Michael Douglas and Andy García with the line, "I do speak fucking English". He again proved himself bankable to Western audiences with the 1992 Fred Schepisi comedy Mr. Baseball starring Tom Selleck.
While he has slowed down a bit in his older years, he is still active. His most recent film was the 2005 Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles by Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Ken Takakura, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
A graduate of Meiji University in Tokyo Takakura happened by an audition in 1955 at the Toei Film Company, and decided to look in. Toei found a natural in Takakura as he debuted with Denko Karate Uchi (Lightning Karate Blow) in 1956. Japan experienced a boom in gangster films in the 1960s as the Japanese people struggled with the generational differences between those raised in pre-war and post-war Japan and these were Takakura's stock and trade. His breakout role would be in the 1965 film Abashiri Prison, and its sequel Abashiri Bangaichi: Bokyohen (Abashiri Prison: Longing for Home, also 1965), in which he played an ex-con antihero. By the time Takakura would leave Toei in 1976, he had appeared in over 180 films.
Takakura gained international recognition after starring in the 1970 war film Too Late the Hero as the cunning Imperial Japanese Major Yamaguchi, the 1975 Sydney Pollack sleeper hit The Yakuza with Robert Mitchum and is probably best known in the West for his role in Ridley Scott's Black Rain (1989) where he surprises American cops played by Michael Douglas and Andy García with the line, "I do speak fucking English". He again proved himself bankable to Western audiences with the 1992 Fred Schepisi comedy Mr. Baseball starring Tom Selleck.
While he has slowed down a bit in his older years, he is still active. His most recent film was the 2005 Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles by Chinese director Zhang Yimou.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Ken Takakura, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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The Longest Tunnel
Act like Go Akutsu
event1982
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After a passenger ship sinks in 1954, Go Akutsu devises a life-saving project in the form of a tunnel under the Tsugaru Strait. While working on this project Akutsu becomes involved with Tae Makimura leading to his estrangement from his wife.
Black Rain
Act like Masahiro
event1989 star_border 6.6
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Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They arrest one of their killers and are ordered to escort him back to Japan. However, in Japan he manages to escape, and as they try to track him down, they get deeper and deeper into the Japanese Mafia scene and they have to learn that they can only win by playing the game—the Japanese way.
The Yellow Handkerchief
Act like Yusaku Shima
event1977 star_border 6.8
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The story is about a convict released from prison for an old murder who is thinking about returning to his ex-wife and his former life. If she puts a yellow handkerchief on the window, it would mean that she wants him back at home.
47 Ronin
Act like Kuranosuke Oishi
event1994 star_border 7.5
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Kon Ichikawa's retelling of the classic true story of Samurai honor. When a young clan lord is forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), his loyal followers (now Ronin, masterless Samurai) dedicate their lives to avenging his death.
South Pacific Waves Are High
event1962
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1962 Japanese movie
A Dead Drifter
event1959
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A Dead Drifter / Hyoryû shitaî
Never Give Up
Act like Takeshi Ajisawa
event1978 star_border 5.7
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Special forces officer Ajisawa leaves his paramilitary group to take care of his newly-adopted daughter, Yoriko: the sole survival of a bloodbath for which he is responsible. Years later, Ajisawa is forced to return to the scene of the tragedy for his new job as a claims adjuster where he is subsequently arrested for his suspected involvement. But the threat of jail time is the least of his worries as his former organization comes gunning for him.
Rogue
Act like Isamu Oba
event1968
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Coal miner Isamu Oba is forced to quit his village and leave his mother and siblings behind. Mining buddy Ichiro accompanies him to Tokyo, and the pair enjoy several "fish-out-of-water" sequences before finding employment at a boxing gym with trainer Sawada and his spunky sister Tomoko. The boys also find part time night jobs as roving minstrels in the club district courtesy of benevolent gang boss Asakawa. Of course, they run afoul of boss Karasawa's cruel gang. Karasawa also has it in for Asakawa, and this indirectly throws a spanner into the works as far as Isamu's burgeoning success as a kickboxer. When Asakawa 's HQ is burned to the ground by Karasawa's men, Asakawa tries to kill Karasawa - which, of course, leads to his own gruesome death. Isamu goes on the rampage with his sword, wiping out Karasawa and men.
The Yakuza
Act like Tanaka Ken
event1974 star_border 7.1
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When George Tanner does business with high-ranking Yakuza Tono, Tono kidnaps his daughter, and George summons his old friend, private eye Harry Kilmer, to Japan to investigate.
Men Fighting Whales
Act like Yosuke Yamagami
event1957
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A film about the rivalry between Captain Gondo and the harpooner Yosuke Yamagami, working on the best whaling ship Hayabusa Maru. One day they will have to face a giant, monstrous whale.
Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles
Act like Gou-ichi Takata
event2005 star_border 7.2
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Takada, a Japanese fisherman has been estranged from his son for many years, but when the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. Through a series of obstacles and relationships, he is brought unexpectedly closer to both an understanding of himself and of his son.
The Kamikaze Guy
Act like Fumio Kuroki
event1966 star_border 5
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An elaborate criminal tango based around treasure hidden during WWII.
Antarctica
Act like Ushioda
event1983 star_border 7.2
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Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica.
Delinquent Angel
event1960
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One of the earliest of sukeban / girl boss type eiga
The Bullet Train
Act like Tetsuo Okita
event1975 star_border 6.7
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A Japanese bullet train is threatened with a bomb that will explode automatically if the train slows below 80 km/h, unless a ransom is paid. Police race to find the bombers so the train crew can learn how to defuse the bomb.
Mr. Baseball
Act like Uchiyama
event1992 star_border 5.9
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Jack Elliot, a one-time MVP for the New York Yankees is now on the down side of his baseball career. With a falling batting average, does he have one good year left and can the manager of the Chunichi Dragons, a Japanese Central baseball league find it in him?
Railroad Man
Act like Otomatsu Sato
event1999 star_border 7
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A railway stationmaster at a dying end-of-the-line village in Hokkaido is haunted by memories of his dead wife and daughter. When the railroad line is scheduled to be closed, he is offered a job at a hotel, but he is emotionally unable to part with his career as a railroader. His life takes a turn when he meets a young woman with an interest in trains who resembles his daughter.
Red Peony Gambler
Act like Naoki Katagiri
event1968 star_border 7.2
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Ryuko was raised by her father, a gambler named Senzo Yano in Kumamoto, Kyushu, after her mother died when she was little. When she turned 18 years old, her father was attacked and killed by a stranger in alley. Ryuko then dissolves her yakuza family, and, carrying the wallet left by the killer, she sets out on a journey to avenge her father's death. Five years later, she wanders the nation, known only as! Red Peony Oryu who has a red peony tattooed on her shoulder and has the defiance and courage of a man. She meets Katagiri - a loner gambler, Kumatora - boss of a family in Shikoku, and Otaka - female boss of the Doman Family in Osaka. With their help, she finally catches up with the man who murdered her father.
Manhunt
Act like Morioka
event1976 star_border 6.5
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A tough prosecutor is falsely accused of theft and goes on the run to clear his name. He is assisted by the beautiful daughter of a rich man.
An Outlaw
Act like Minami
event1964 star_border 4.8
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Assassin Nanjo goes on a solitary mission to take revenge on the man who trapped him into a complicated drug deal.
A Distant Cry from Spring
Act like Kosaku Tajima
event1980 star_border 7.2
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The quiet life of a mother and her young son living on a farm in Hokkaido is changed by the arrival of a man who ignites flames of romance in the heart of the mother and shows her boy the importance of grit and kindness, but then he leaves with the autumn wind.
Golgo 13
Act like Duke Togo / Golgo 13
event1973 star_border 4.9
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Live-action adaptation of the hit manga. Golgo 13, also known by the pseudonym Duke Togo, is a professional assassin. His age and birthplace are unknown and there is no consensus in the worldwide intelligence community as to his true identity. Most of his jobs are completed through the use of a customized, scoped M16 rifle. Golgo 13 is contracted to kill Boss Goa, the head of a worldwide crime syndicate responsible for drugs, weapons, and human trafficking.
Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Game
Act like Shogo Hanaoka
event1969 star_border 7
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The third chapter of the ‘Red Peony Gambler’ saga depicts the happiness and sadness of Red Peony Oryu’s life as she seals her femininity with a red peony tattoo and lives in world of chivalry and honor of the yakuza. This story takes place in the middle of the Meiji era in Nagoya. Oryu is wandering the country, training herself to reinstate her family name. With a written recommendation from Kumatora, she appears at the door of the Nishinomaru family. At the same time, the family is preparing for the gambling competition at the Netsuda Shrine Festival, which they have been hosting for generations. Meanwhile, the crooked Kinbara family is plotting to take over the competition. And now Oryu is forced to get involved in the struggle…
The Outsiders
Act like Ichitaro Kazamori
event1958
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A drama about relations between Japanese immigrants and the indigenous Ainu on Hokkaido, the most northerly island of Japan. From a novel by Taijun Takeda.
Brave Red Flower of the North
event1970 star_border 6
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An exciting tale of action on the distant northern island of Hokkaido around the beginning of the 20th Century starring two of the biggest names in Yakuza film history, Fuji Junko and Takakura Ken. Since the death of death of her father, Yuki who has traveled from her home in the southernmost part of Japan must fight corrupt local officials seeking to fill her late father's post. As her life is in danger a mysterious rifleman, played by Takakura Ken watches from the shadows. Can she finish the work her dear departed father started in an untamed land?
Miyamoto Musashi V: Musashi vs Kojiro
Act like Sasaki Kojiro
event1965 star_border 7.3
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The fifth and final installment with the build up of the epic battle between Sasaki Kojiro and Miyamoto Musashi. With all the familiar characters making appearances: Otsu (Musashi's great love), Akemi, Matahachi (his former fellow soldier), old lady Osugi (still doggedly trying to defeat Musashi), and even the return of Priest Takuan (the man responsible for his journey towards enlightenment). But most of all, the boastful, long-haired and long-sworded Sasaki Kojiro.
Mount Hakkoda
Act like Captain Tokushima
event1977 star_border 6.4
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Two infantry regiments of the Imperial Japanese Army—210 men overall—tackled Mt. Hakkoda in the winter of 1902 to prepare for war with Russia.
Buddies
Act like Kadokura
event1989 star_border 6.8
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Based on a celebrated book by Kuniko Mukoda, this film directed by Yasuo Furuhata tells of a close friendship undone by love.
Station
Act like Eiji Mikami
event1981 star_border 6.1
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A detective goes out of his way to crack the case of a serial killer who specialises in murdering police officers.
A Fugitive from the Past
Act like Ajimura
event1965 star_border 7.5
top_panel_open
Three robbers escape with loot from a heist before one of them kills the others. Their corpses wash up near the aftermath of a maritime calamity, provoking a policeman's interest.
Dearest
Act like Eiji Shimakura
event2012 star_border 6.8
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The posthumous wish of Eiji's wife is for her ashes to be scattered in the ocean near her hometown. Eiji also learns that his wife letter for him at the post office before she died.
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry 2
event1966 star_border 7
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Hidejiro is a wandering yakuza with a ‘karashi botan’ (Chinese lion and peony) tattoo. Owing a favor to the Soda Family, he kills the boss of the rival Sakaki Family. When the Soda attacks the Sakaki and double-crosses him, with sword in hand, Hidejiro seeks brutal retribution.
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Lone Wolf
event1966 star_border 6
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The karashi Botan returns in the third chapter of the incredible Showa Zankoden series. This time legendary actor Ken Takakura plays Takei Shigejiro of the Shimazu family. When the boss of the Shimazu is killed, Shigejiro takes revenge and is sent to jail. Upon his release, he meets the dying widow of one of hid followers and takes her to her father, Boss Shiomasa, who take him into his family. But when Shiomasa is killed by an old enemy, Shigejiro is obligated to take revenge...
Demon
Act like Shuji
event1985 star_border 7.7
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Shuji was once a feared member of the Yakuza crime syndicate, but he's reformed his ways, abandoned his old life and left the city for a small coastal fishing town where he's become an honest fisherman.
Manchurian Sunset
Act like Shintaro
event1956
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A film adaptation of the original novel by Kazuo Dan. This exciting film, set in Asia on the eve of violent changes, tells the story of a young man Rinnosuke Date, who, following his dream, love and passion, breaks through the blood- and dust-drenched land of Manchuria with a pistol in a piercing wind.
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry 4
event1967 star_border 6.2
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Fierce war breaks out when Shujiro’s rival clan attempts to sabotage his lucrative construction business.
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 5: Man With The Karajishi Tattoo
Act like Hanada Hidejiro
event1969 star_border 7.5
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Hidejuro is sent to prison after killing the boss of a rival family. After being released, he discovers that his family has scattered and he is taken in by a company of quarry workers, whose boss has a strict code of non-violence. When the rival family tries to take over the company and kills their boss, Hidejuro must choose between his promise of non-violence and his yakuza code of revenge...
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 7: Hell Is a Man's Destiny
event1970 star_border 6
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Young yakuza Shujiro Hanada goes to prison after losing his cool in a rigged gambling game and slashing a few other players. When he's released in 1927, the world has changed. His sister died in the Great Kanto Earthquake and his father is also gone. His brother Jukichi invites him to stay at his in-laws and works in their family pub. He lies low, helping his blind mother-in-law and slowly developing a relationship with Ikuye, the hostess who helped him before his arrest. But trouble lurks when the resident gang decides to show its strength.
Brutal Tales of Chivalry
Act like Seiji Terajima
event1965 star_border 7.1
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After World War II, their town was a pile of rubble. Gennosuke, the second generation boss of the Kamizu Group was upholding yakuza chivalry by keeping black-market and illegal items out of their open-air market. Taking advantage of the mess, Iwasa and his gang take hold of goods from the US military, black-market and controlled items in order to become the most powerful group in Enko area.
Showdown in Blood
event1957
top_panel_open
Hayata and his best friend Ushijima came to Tokyo to become champions. Hayata repeatedly sought to join Tamura's boxing club, but Tamura fell in love with Ushijima's punch. Then Hayata decides to become Ushijima's manager and make good money on his friend's talent. Ushijima himself is a peaceful, kind guy who doesn't really like boxing, but under the wise guidance of Hayata, he starts to defeat one opponent after another...
Abashiri Prison
Act like Shinichi Tachibana
event1965 star_border 7
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Abashiri Prison is located in the coldest place in Japan. Two men, handcuffed together have escaped from the prison, one a yakuza, the other a petty criminal, and although they hate each other they must work together if they are to evade capture in this harshest of climates.
Wolves, Pigs & Men
Act like Jiro Kuroki, the second brother
event1964 star_border 8.1
top_panel_open
Sabu and his pals hold a pauper's funeral for Sabu's mother. His brother Jiro arrives home, fresh out of jail, and Sabu pointedly states that Jiro is not invited. Jiro meanwhile is planning a big job - steal 40 million in cash and drugs, and he invites Sabu and gang to act as decoys, for 50,000 each. The sting is a success, but the double-crossing starts almost immediately. Sabu discovers how little of the take they were promised and hides the stash. Jiro and his slimy partner pressure the kids to fess up. Meanwhile, their respectable elder brother Ichiro is being leaned on by the town's big boss, whose money it was.
All Rascals
event1962
top_panel_open
Ishihama is planning a casino robbery with his wife and mother-in-law. They meet a man named Tsuneda who is planning the same robbery and agree to work together.
The Man
event1971
top_panel_open
Japanese movie.
Karate Cop
Act like Detective Mikami
event1982
top_panel_open
A martial arts master/detective investigates a series of murders and helps a deaf bathhouse attendant, Hisako.
The Kanto Scarlet Cherry Gang
Act like Kuramoto
event1972 star_border 6
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The Ni Family is the most well know and respected group of firefighters in the Kanto region. When their leader dies and the successor disappears, Tsuruji, a beautiful yet tough geisha, becomes the boss. But will she be able to confront a yakuza gang trying to take over the area?
Uragirimono wa jigoku daze
event1962
top_panel_open
1962 Japanese movie
Winter's Flower
Act like Hidetsugu Kano
event1978 star_border 6.2
top_panel_open
Kanno is a Yakuza. He had to kill Matsuoka who betrayed their boss. Kanno knew Matsuoka had a 3-year-old daughter named Youko. Before he gave himself to the police, he asked his trusted man to take care of her. While in prison, Kanno kept sending letters to Youko, disguising as an uncle in Brazil. 15 years later, Kanno is released. He is determined to live legitimately, however the Yakuza has not forgotten his wicked deed!
The Firefly
Act like Yamaoka Shuji
event2001 star_border 7
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Japanese film icon Ken Takakura, who has starred in over 100 films, stars in this elegiac look at war and remembrance. Hideji Yamaoka (Takakura) was a suicide pilot during the war who somehow survived Japan's surrender. After decades of working as a fisherman in Kumamoto, a provincial seaside city in southern Kyushu, Yamaoka remains reluctant to discuss his wartime experiences with anyone, much less an intrusive reporter looking for a feature story. Then a series of events shake Yamaoka to the core, forcing him to re-evaluate his past.
G-men of Japan 4: Special Armed Unit Mobilization
event1956
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The fourth installment of G-men of Japan
Robert Mitchum: The Reluctant Star
Act like Self (archive footage)
event1991 star_border 7
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A retrospective on the career of Robert Mitchum through interviews with friends and co-workers, scenes from his films and the actor himself.
The Domain
event1964 star_border 5.8
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The feud between two rival delivery companies, Kibamasa and Okiyama, heats up as the head of Kibamasa falls ill.
The Homeless
Act like Jokichi Anabuki
event1974 star_border 7.5
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Two inmates are simultaneously released from jail, but go their separate ways, only to cross paths again in the nearest brothel. There they make the acquaintance of a would-be prostitute. They help her escape and decide to guide her on her quest for sunken contraband somewhere off the coast.
A Portrait of the Author
Act like Self
event1984
top_panel_open
Actor Takakura Ken visits Santa Cruz in Portugal and traces the footsteps of the writer Dan Kazuo, who spent his last years living there.
Too Late the Hero
Act like Major Yamaguchi
event1970 star_border 6.5
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A WWII film set on a Pacific island. Japanese and allied forces occupy different parts of the island. When a group of British soldiers are sent on a mission behind enemy lines, things don't go exactly to plan. This film differs in that some of the 'heroes' are very reluctant, but they come good when they are pursued by the Japanese who are determined to prevent them returning to base.
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: Forbidden Love
Act like Hidejiro Hanada
event1971 star_border 7
top_panel_open
A story of lone wolf struggling with human compassion and duty.
Lightning Karate Blow
event1956
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Ken Takakura's screen debut, following his admission into Toei ranks via the studio's annual New Faces program, came surprisingly enough in this pair of Okinawa karate films. The two-parter was released on Jan. 29, 1956 as two thirds of a triple feature. Both halves run just under one hour. The fighting is actually pretty good for the time, and it's fun to see Takakura as an impatient, bearded karate rascal.
Prison Boss
event1968 star_border 7
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Rival gangs fight over ownership of bicycle race track.
Choji Snack Bar
Act like Eiji
event1983 star_border 7
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Eiji lives a quiet life running a small Izakaya with his wife. He spends his days cooking for and serving the lively residents of his small hometown.
The Day the Sun Rose
event1968 star_border 7
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Shinkichi, a peasant employed as a cloth-dyer, has a dream: in the midst of the civil war which ravages Japan, he hopes to revive the long-banned custom of the Kyoto Gion Festival, and by doing so, bring together the warring clans and rampaging brigands in peaceful celebration.
The Path of the King
Act like Ryutaro Fudo
event1971 star_border 6
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When the aging leader of the yakuza gang Maeda-gumi decides to retire, many of the gang members have no confidence in the young man he has chosen to replace him. A fight for the succession begins.
The Deep Blue Sea
event1957 star_border 5
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To fulfill a friend’s dying wish, a young sailor Kenji takes on the task of delivering an heirloom to his friend’s daughter, Harumi, who has been adopted by another family. When he arrives, Kenji soon discovers that Harumi and her adopted family are the targets of an evil gang boss. In an attempt to help them, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
Classmates
Act like First Lieutenant Kenmochi
event1967 star_border 6.5
top_panel_open
A story of young students trained to become Kamikaze pilots in World War II.
The Last Kamikaze
Act like Koji Yashiro
event1970 star_border 6
top_panel_open
With World War II is coming to its end and Japan nearing defeat, Japanese military leaders step up suicide attacks on Allied ships. Toei legend Koji Tsuruta stars as a Kamikaze squad leader who has second thoughts about suicide runs. He becomes torn between his own morality and his duty to his country when he must deal with a pilot under his command who refuses to complete his mission.
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha Part 2
event1960
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Young geisha Kohana scrambles to realize her dream of bringing back her grandmother’s restaurant business.
The Revolt
Act like Keisuke Miyagi
event1980 star_border 6
top_panel_open
When a young soldier is killed while trying to prevent his younger sister, Kaoru, from being sold into a life of prostitution, his commander, Col. Miyagi, tries to honor his dying wish to rescue his sister. Upon finding Kaoru at a party working as a geisha and later rescuing her from committing suicide, Col. Miyagi allows her to move in with him. Over time, the two grow close, but in spite of Kaoru's growing feelings for him, Col. Miyagi is unable to bring himself to return her love. On the night of his deployment to war, Col. Miyagi finally admits his feelings for Kaoru, but will they ever be able to enjoy a peaceful life together now that a very violent and bloody military revolt is under way...
With Songs in My Heart
event1958
top_panel_open
Sayuri, a young woman born to a simple life on a farm, moves to Tokyo to pursue a life long dream of becoming a singer. Through dance, music, and songs, this story shows how a girl raised on a farm was able to make her dream a reality, with the love of those around her.
The Sand City in Manchuria
Act like Hari
event1960 star_border 6.5
top_panel_open
When the plague threatens a small town in Manchuria, a young doctor finds himself struggling to save the lives of his townspeople.
Prison Walls of Abashiri 4
Act like Shin'ichi Tachibana
event1965
top_panel_open
A gripping tale of friendship set against the backdrop of Hokkaido. Shinichi sets out to earn a few honest dollars with which to bail a friend out of jail.
New Prison Walls of Abashiri
Act like Katsuji Suehiro
event1968 star_border 6
top_panel_open
Former soldier, Suehiro Katsuji, fights violent gangs and powerful Chinese merchants during the post-war period in Japan.
Flower, Storm and Gangster
Act like 'Smiley' Ken
event1961 star_border 6
top_panel_open
A gang of bank robbers plan a big robbery, but they all plot to betray each other after the heist for different reasons.
Romance Freestyle
event1958
top_panel_open
The love between young college students Toki and the handsome Takaga is tested when Takaya's parents, who despise Toki's family's geisha house business, intervenes in their relationship.
Four Hours of Terror
Act like Captain Yamamoto
event1959 star_border 5.7
top_panel_open
Airline captain saves passengers from a brutal murderer on a plane during four hours of terror.
Devil's Nursery Rhyme
Act like Kosuke Kindaichi
event1961
top_panel_open
1961 Toei adaptation of Yokomizo's novel.
Jet Air Base 101
Act like Jiro Nakata
event1957
top_panel_open
The first batch of flight control officer candidates, full of yearning for the sky, are assembled at the 101st Air Regiment base. Nakata, Sato, and the other cadets undergo intensive training under Captain Kotani, a famous pilot, but gradually begin to resent his strict leadership. A youthful story that vividly portrays the young pilots of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force who place their hopes in the sky. Japan's first full-length film about jet aviation, it was shot on location at the Hamamatsu Air Self-Defense Force Base over an extended period of time, with dozens of jets being mobilized for the filming.
Detective Duel
event1958 star_border 6
top_panel_open
A friendly rivalry turns into romance for Yukiko, an elite female detective, and a handsome private eye named Mitamura while both are investigating the missing person's case from a wealthy family.
Sister with Sister
Act like Hiroshi Ishioka
event1958
top_panel_open
Yoshiko finds new life and love interests when she takes a new job as an office worker.
A Fishwife's Tale
event1961
top_panel_open
Hibari Misora plays Yoshiko, the popular daughter of a fish market owner. After discovering that she was adopted, she sets out to help her biological father who has fallen victim to an evil plot orchestrated by those who would take over his successful business.
Glorious Fights
Act like Ichiro Takita
event1966 star_border 7
top_panel_open
A young leader of the Yamazaki family of Nagasaki, Takida (Ken Takakura) is an A-bomb survivor. He fiercely battles violent elements in southern Japan like there is no tomorrow.
Hishakaku and Kiratsune: A Tale of Two Yakuza
event1968 star_border 6
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With his penultimate film, Uchida revisited one of his popular prewar titles, 1936’s Theatre of Life, an adaptation of Shiro Ozaki’s eponymous novel. Three-time Seijun Suzuki collaborator Goro Tanada wrote a gangsterized adaptation of Ozaki’s story for Uchida at a time when the yakuza had eclipsed the samurai genre as Toei's main cash crop. Protagonist Hishakaku murders a man in a quarrel over a barmaid and goes to jail. In his temporary absence, his girlfriend Otoyo, a former geisha, falls for Hishakaku’s brother, inciting a dangerous love triangle that, in typical yakuza fashion, ends tragically.
The International Gang of Kobe
Act like Masato Dan
event1975 star_border 5.7
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In 1947, in Kobe, Japan, a local street gang fights for their survival when its turf is overrun by United States occupation forces and international gangs.
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha and the Girl of Osaka
event1962
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A geisha helps a runaway who looks just like her.
Ken San
Act like Self
event2016 star_border 6
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KEN SAN pieces together the puzzle of the life and legacy of Japan's mythical acting icon, Ken Takakura. Collaborators, friends and family tell intimate stories of Ken's journey: how one man of quiet dignity became a cultural barrier-breaking film star.
365 Nights
event1962
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A touching drama about a love triangle between a young architect, Koroku, and two women, Ranko and Teruko. Ranko comes from a wealthy family and is offering to repay Koroku’s family debts in exchange for marriage, but Koroku is in love with his landlord’s daughter, Teruko. Things are further complicated when the wicked Tsugawa takes interest in both women, for his own marriage.
Feisty Edo Girl Nakanori-san
Act like Kenichi Oka
event1961
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Daughter of a lumber shop in Edo strives to protect her family business from the competitor.
Tales of President Mito
Act like Sukesaburo Sasa
event1962
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Mr. Mito, a former president of an instant food company, with two young men’s help, solves the quality problems and wins a big ramen contract with a large Chinese company.
Man of the World 2
event1960
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An upstanding young man’s racy adventure filled with conspiracies and love.
No Advice Taken
event1958
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A comical love story between two college students — Hitomi, a strong-willed girl, and Shogo, a handsome, earnest and poverty stricken man.
Outlaw Under a Blue Canopy
event1960
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Sheriff Goro goes undercover to investigate drug smugglers.
The Bullet and the Horse
event1966
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A number of recently released prisoners become involved in a racket with a rancher who is a rival to a neighboring landowner and wants to use the convicts to seize his ranch. The rancher does not know, however, that he had years before killed the parents of one of their number.
Patience Has An End
Act like Isamu Tekada
event1971 star_border 5.7
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Young coal miner Takeda leaves Kyushu in search of a better job in Tokyo, only to fall into the lucrative yet dangerous life of a yakuza.
House of Gamblers
event1970 star_border 7
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Ken Takakura stars as Ryoji one of the Aramasa family's loyal lieutenants whao takes the burden of his family being insulted by the Tanuma's family goons, by retaliating on his own. After injuring the head of Tanuma's family, and slaying others along the way, he then surrenders to the law and serves time.
Before his last year to serve, the head of the Aramasa family falls ill and decides to retire, Ryoji miss chance to be successor, his old friend is reluctant but accepts. Now this gives the Tanuma family a chance for revenge! But with Tomisaburo Wakayama (Sekine) always having your back, how can you go wrong?
The Pledge
event1972 star_border 5
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When Omuro Yahachi of the Omuro family is selected as Mutsumikai Soke's successor, the conflict between the Kitakyushu and Wakamatsu begins.
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha, Part 4
Act like Kenichi Hanamura
event1961
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A comedy of a high-spirited geisha, Koharu, who is at risk of being trapped in a conspiracy to take over a lucrative diamond mine business.
The Prickly Mouthed Geisha, Part 3
event1960
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Popular geisha Koharu suspects that Yusaku, a handsome stranger she falls in love with, is involved in a robbery of precious diamond.
Black Rain: Making The Film
Act like Self (archive footage)
event2006 star_border 6
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A documentary on the making of the film, Black Rain, which actually encompasses 4 parts, Production, Filming, The Script and Cast, Post-Production
The Second Bullet is Marked
event1960 star_border 6
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Tsunokichi and Ken face off against a rival yakuza in Kyushu.
Contemporary Tales of Chivalry: The Traitor Shall Die
event1972
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The ninth and final film in the Contemporary Tales of Chivalry series.
Brutal Tales of Chivalry 6
event1969
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This is the sixth film in the Brutal Tales of Chivalry series
The Chivalrous Life
Act like Ryuma Ibuki
event1967 star_border 7
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Ryoma is a former military man who gets to know the leader of a yakuza group and begins to work with them, helping them defend themselves against other yakuza gangs.
New Prison Walls of Abashiri 2
event1969 star_border 6
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Suehiro Katsuji, a prisoner of Abashiri, is sent to Shikoku to work at a dock where a fierce turf battle takes place between a local gang and the dock operator.
Prison Walls of Abashiri 3
Act like Shinichi Tachibana
event1965
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Upon returning to his hometown of Nagasaki, recently released prisoner Tachibana Shinichi must rejoin the Asahi gang family in order to pay back a past debt. Trouble brews when the rival gang that was responsible for sending him to prison learns of his return. Left with no alternative to their constant harassment and threats, Tachibana decides to take them on.
Jakoman and Tetsu
Act like Tetsu
event1964 star_border 6
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In a village subsisting on its herring fishery, a one-eyed criminal named Jakoman terrorizes the inhabitants. One of them, the son of the head of one of the fish companies by the name of Tetsu, decides to overthrow Jakoman and his cohorts.
Samurai Geisha
Act like Shimada Seikichi
event1969 star_border 6
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Popular geisha Shinji (Fuji Junko) must defy a gang who plot to steal a lucrative coal business from struggling miners during the turbulent Meiji Era. With a stellar all-star cast, thrilling story and Takakura Ken's violent swordplay, makes this into a classic Yakuza movie!
Miyamoto Musashi: Birth of Two Sword Style
Act like Sasaki Kojiro
event1963 star_border 7
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In the third installment of Yoshikawa's novel Musashi, things continue from the 2nd film at the end of battle, where Miyamoto continues on a mission of learning; with the introduction of his arch-rival Sasaki Kojiro; and lastly the large cast of characters rendezvouses for a fateful finale.
Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel at Ichijo Temple
Act like Sasaki Kojiro
event1964 star_border 7
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In the fourth installment, Musashi's potentially greatest opponent Kojiro jumps in and out of the story at the oddest and most coincidental moments. As his great love Otsu has succumbed to madness. Musashi then sets off to beat the functionaries of a treacherous clan in an arranged duel. 73 against one. Boastful Kojiro watches, secure in the knowledge that only he is a worthy opponent.
A Story from Abashiri Prison—Duel in Snow Storm
Act like Shin-ichi Tachibana
event1967
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Convict son revenges innocent father's death.
Life of Hishakaku
event1963 star_border 8
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After eloping with a prostitute named Otoyo, Hishakaku takes refuge in the Kogane family’s turf. Indebted to Boss Kogane for his kindness, Hishakaku swears to dedicate himself to protect the Koganes in time of crisis. Hishakaku’s humble life comes to a sudden halt when the Kogane family becomes involved in a fatal feud with their rival, and Hishakaku’s services are called upon.
Song of Kagoshima
Act like Shuhei Tategami
event1962
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Yumemi, the president of Shirayuri Tours, visits Kagoshima in an attempt to save the contract with Satsuma Inn. After learning about the abrupt cancellation of the contract with the family-run Satsuma Inn in Kagoshima, Yumemi, launches her own investigation into the matter. Amidst her efforts to resume her company’s contract with the inn, Yumemi finds herself personally involved in the inn’s family affairs and with their guests in a surprising discover of love and friendship.
The Drifting Avenger
Act like Ken Kato
event1968 star_border 6.7
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Ken, son of a former samurai settles with his family in the west from Japan. Soon his family is killed in front of him by stagecoach robbers, making him aim to get revenge. Marvin an experienced gunman befriends Ken and becomes his mentor.
Beyond the Seasonal Wind
event1958
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Japanese drama film.
Memoir of Japanese Assassinations
Act like Saburo Aizawa
event1969 star_border 7
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This anthology film consists of nine incidents in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when assassins changed the course of Japanese history.
Prison Walls of Abashiri, Part 2
Act like Shinichi Tachibana
event1965 star_border 6
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Two convicts just released from prison find a green bauble filled with diamonds — and try to prove they didn't steal it.
Third Generation Boss
event1974
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Based on Kazuo Taoka's autobiography, this film follows a Kobe gangster as he builds the small Yamaguchi-gumi into Japan's largest criminal clan.
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: Stormy Cape
event1971 star_border 5
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Former inmate Katsuji gets involved in the horse gambling business while lending a helping hand to a ranch operator.
Brothers Serving Time
event1969 star_border 8
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While imprisoned, Tatsu encounters Danshi, a man who is a big honcho in the prison pecking order. After initial conflict they become sworn brothers. Tatsu and the sworn brothers he acquires weren’t really gangsters before their prison time, just ruffians. Prison, however, introduces them to plenty of gangland characters and three years later, they’re out of prison and enmeshed in the yakuza world.
Gambler's Legacy
Act like Tsukuda Ginjiro
event1969 star_border 6.5
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A yakuza member embarks on a trail of revenge for his murdered boss. Senzo, the successor of the Mita Family, searches for the man bearing a tattoo of a dragon who is said to be responsible for the death of their former leader.
Bloodiest Flower
event1971 star_border 5.2
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A dramatic captivating tale tells of widowed Tei (Junko Fuji), she has become a coalmine operator and is determined to be successful despite mining being a predominately male domain. Overcoming the natural hardships, a more serious threat to Tei and her mine, the menacing presence of rival mining gangs who sense her vulnerability... Nihon jokyo-den:ketto midarw-bana is an outstanding drama, highlighted by wonderful characterizations/performances. Yamashita's excellent direction maintains a rich emotional flow from the opening seconds to the last. Intense and bloody encounters punctuate throughout the engaging multi layered tale!
Red Peony Gambler: Second Generation Ceremony
Act like Koji Yashiro
event1969 star_border 6.2
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The industrual revolution comes to Japan with the introduction of the railroad system. This led to clashes between boatmen, who livihoods are threatened, and the railroad construction workers. Oryu the Red Peony returns to her home in Kumamoto to accept her position as second generation leader of the Yano Family. But the ceremony is interrupted by fighting between local boatmen and railroad works. And it seems a rival family is pulling the strings behind the clashes.
Man of Thirteen Eyes
event1958
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Japanese mystery film.
Mother Peacock
event1956
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Japanese drama film.
The Escape
event1962 star_border 7
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Film about the 2-26 Incident.
The Biggest Gamble
Act like Shuzo Honjo
event1969 star_border 7
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When Honjo is selected as Kansai district's chairman, Iwasa of the rival gang asks Itsuki to do everything possible to have Honjo step down, which puts Itsuki between a rock and a hard place.
The Prickly-Mouthed Geisha Goes to Sado
event1961
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Japanese comedy film.
Man of the World
event1960
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An upstanding young man who is popular with the ladies takes on a corrupt group of men in his company.
The Happy Family
event1959
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Japanese family drama.
The Domain: Kanto Legends of Chivalry
event1965 star_border 6
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Third part of Nihon Kyokakuden series is set in Kanto in 1924. Ken Takakura playing a ship's mate befriending fish shop owners harassed by yakuza.
Gang Loyalty and Vengeance
Act like Asano
event1963 star_border 5
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A modern gang version of Chushingura, chronicling almost scene for scene the Brave 47 Ronin story, transposed from the Genroku Period to the Showa Era.
Great Jailbreak
Act like Ichiro Kozue
event1975 star_border 7
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A group of prisoners attempts to break the Abashiri prison. This film can be considered a sequel to the Abashiri Bangaichi series, written and directed by Ishii Teruo. The friendship between two men on death row, a fleeting love affair with a traveling dancer and a deadly battle with the real culprit who has hunted him down filmed over a long period of time on location in Hokkaido.
The Japan Derby Race
event1970
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A story about a man who stakes his life on horse racing.
The Big Boss
event1963
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A shooting incident occurs at the Asahina family gambling hall in Tokyo's Joto district. It is the work of Gaijin boss Brown and his henchman Yamaoka, whose territory is in the Jonan district, in response to Kikuya, the head of the Asahina family, refusing to join the Syndicate. Yamaoka relentlessly pursues the Asahina family and uses his brother Komatsu to kill Shibaki, Kikuya's brother, who owns Nagoya territory. When Kikuya receives information that a general meeting of the Brown and Yamaoka Syndicate is to be held in Nagoya, he is determined to root out the syndicate and rushes to Nagoya, ready to die...
Lullaby for a Tough Guy
event1972
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A ruffian joins the ranks of the emperor’s guards.
Men in a Rough Town
Act like Fumio Sone
event1959
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An action-packed, dramatic gangster film.
Storm Party
event1964
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Many outlaws are gathered at the front line of the Japanese Army in a shock troop.
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: The Vagrant Comes to a Port Town
event1969 star_border 6
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Katsuji takes revenge on evil Tamaru who forcefully took control of the fishery business run by Katsuji’s friend.
Japan's Top Gangster
Act like Kazuo Taoka
event1973
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A boy born in a poor village in Tokushima spends his days idly until a chance meeting sets him on the road to becoming boss of Japan's largest gang.
Abashiri Prison: Duel in the Snow Country
event1966
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Based on Ito Hajime's original story, this is the seventh installment in the "Bangaichi" series, adapted jointly by Kamba Fumio and Matsuda Hiroo, and directed by Ishii Teruo of "Kamba 101: Killing Bouncer" fame. The film was shot by Kiichi Inada, who also directed "Abashiri Bangaichi: Confrontation in the South" in the same series.
Abashiri Prison: Duel in the South
event1966
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This is the sixth film in the "Abashiri Series," based on an original idea by Hajime Ito, and written and directed by Teruo Ishii of "Operation Big Bad" fame. The film was shot by Kiichi Inada, who also worked with Ito.
The Boss
event1965
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Teruo Ishii portrays the bitter conflict over the right to develop land in a gripping and humorous way. Nakagami, the head of the Kanto Joseikai, is ordered to acquire the rights to work to level the reclaimed land and prevent the Doshikai from expanding from Kansai into Tokyo, but the interference of the Koda-gumi, associated with the Kansai Doshikai, intensifies. Nakagami's younger brother Hayami, unhappy that the situation is moving slowly, tries to blackmail the mayor into moving forward, but...
A true Toei gangster film with an all-star cast including Koji Tsuruta and Ken Takakura!
New Prison Walls of Abashiri: High Stakes at Abashiri
event1970
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Prisoner Katsuji must fend for himself and his prison mates in the fierce battle involving a family feud.
Lady Sen and Hideyori
Act like Naomori
event1962 star_border 8
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From the late 1500's through the founding of the Tokugawa Shogunate many battles were fought as the great warlords vied for power over the nation. Princess Sen, a daughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, is caught amidst the family feud between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi families. When her father Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu attacks her husband Toyotomi Hideyori's castle, her life takes a sudden turn for the worse. Will she ever find peace in her life again? One of Hibari Misora's most memorable performances, a movie you will never forget!
The Domain: The Naniwa Story
event1965 star_border 3.2
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Second film of Makino's Nihon Kyokakuden series set in Osaka's harbor. The series also known as "The Domain" Each a stand alone film in it's own, none are connected other than starring the famous Ken Takakura as the main Character. This story begins with Ken Takakura's character coming to Osaka after his brother's death. Another exciting yakuza story with superb yakuza action!!
The Domain: Rising Dragon
event1970
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The Domain: Rising Dragon
Showdown of Men
event1966
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Part one.
The Domain: White Blade
event1967
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The Domain: White Blade
The Domain: Severed Relations
event1968
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The Domain: Severed Relations
The Domain: Kanda Festival Showdown
event1966
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The Domain: Kanda Festival Showdown
The Domain: Where The Blade Enters
event1967
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The Domain: Where The Blade Enters
The Domain: Duel at Thunder Gate
event1966
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The life of entertainers in Asakusa’s pleasure quarters. An exciting yakuza story with superb action.
Path of Japanese Chivalry: Story of All-Out Attack
event1975
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Toei studios last ninkyo eiga of the 70's.
See You
event1988
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Even while having tremendous technology, now have a funeral shop walk picking up the car was retired in the desert Honma (Ken Takakura) is invited from the team DANKAI which declined to Paris-Dakar Rally, the team because of the publicity to supporting popular star had to join. Eventually Among the various speculation of various people, rally began ....
A Hoodlum At The Risk Of His Life
event1970
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A reporter is framed for murder while investigating organized crime. Upon being released from prison the plan for his revenge unravels.
The Great Road
event1960
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The story of a certain engineer from his youth until he retired from the Japanese National Railways after the war .
Histories of the Chivalrous
event1968
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A Kansai gang is up to conquer the whole country under the mask of a patriotic group. However after an assassination their henchmen will struggle to avenge the death of their master.
The Chop Professor
event1956
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Junpei Kihara, a young president of the University's wrestling club, is nicknamed "Mr. Chop". One day, on the way back from visiting the hospital after being thrown by Nobuyoshi Shinohara during practice and injured, he met Asako, the sister of Arisawa's mother, Katsuko. When they entering a coffee shop run by Asako's best friend Hisako, Hisako misunderstood them as lovers...
Gambler Biography
event1968 star_border 5
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Historical Yakuza gangster film set the early years of the Showa era.
The detective whose path was crossed by a snake
event1995
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Starring Ken Takakura, this TV special depicts a detective (Akira Hayasaka) who lives in a harsh life with pride and conviction. Minoru Akiba, Chief of the Investigation Division 1 of the Metropolitan Police Department, is a veteran detective who has passed through the shrine in numerous incidents. His wife was killed by a criminal he caught 13 years ago as revenge. There is a report that his former subordinate, Constable Murasawa, was stabbed to death under Akiba... Suzuki Kyoka plays his daughter.
Meteor Karate Strike
event1956
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Sequel to the movie Denko karate uchi.
A Man's Dark Finger
event1959
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A touching action film about a young yakuza who becomes infected with evil because he has the ability to easily decipher the mechanism of a safe. After being released from prison, he hopes to be rehabilitated thanks to the love of his family and risks his life to fight the evil that stands in his way.
Older brother
Act like Eiji (13 ep.)
event1977
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The series tells about the life of construction foreman Eiji and his sister. Both have a love interest: she has a boyfriend, and he has a young girl. The sister is thinking about marriage, and the brother has too strict principles to recklessly rush into the abyss of passion.
SMAP×SMAP
Act like Bistro Guest (1 ep.)
event1996 star_border 8.5
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SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%.
Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
An Elegy of Tyrole
Act like Tateishi Jiro (2 ep.)
event1992
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In the past, it was bustling with coal mines, but due to the closure of the mine one after another, the city of Nupuka no Shiki in Hokkaido is currently suffering from depopulation. The mayor, Yamagata, is trying to revitalize the city by proceeding with the construction of the theme park "Tyrolean World" with capital participation from the Kanto Electric Railway in Tokyo.
Tateishi, the head of the engineering department of the Kanto Electric Railway, is assigned to Hokkaido, leaving his daughter Aki in Tokyo to be responsible for the construction and operation of Tyrolean World. There he meets Kikukawa, whom Tateishi had dissuaded from committing suicide in the past. Soon complicated triangle forms, beetwen Tateishi feeling responsible for Kikukawa, his wife and Kikukawa himself, trying run from the situation.
Korekara: Umibe no Tabibitotachi
(1 ep.)
event1993
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Through the lives of people aging in a seaside retirement home, the drama depicts the aging process that comes to everyone.
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