Takayuki Akutagawa

The Third Shadow Warrior (1963)

In the mountain regions of Hida, the dreams of a peasant named Kyonosuke, who longed to be a samurai, come true when he becomes one of three doubles, of shadows, of Lord Yasutaka. After months of intense and cruel training, he faces his destiny when the Lord and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Umetsugu Inoue
CAST:  Raizō Ichikawa  •  Hizuru Takachiho  •  Masayo Banri  •  Shigeru Amachi

In the mountain regions of Hida, the dreams of a peasant named Kyonosuke, who longed to be a samurai, come true when he becomes one of three doubles, of shadows, of Lord Yasutaka. After months of intense and cruel training, he faces his destiny when the Lord and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Umetsugu Inoue
CAST:  Raizō Ichikawa  •  Hizuru Takachiho  •  Masayo Banri  •  Shigeru Amachi

The Blazing Sword (1966)

Set during the last days of the Tokugawa (Edo) Period, Moeyo-ken tells the story of Hijikata Toshizo and the Shinsengumi. Hijikata Toshizo is a samurai eager to test his skills and sword and make his first kill. The dojo he belongs to practices the Tennen Rishin ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Hirokazu Ichimura
CAST:  Asahi Kurizuka  •  Shunya Wazaki  •  Tetsuko Kobayashi  •  Hidehiko Ishikura

Set during the last days of the Tokugawa (Edo) Period, Moeyo-ken tells the story of Hijikata Toshizo and the Shinsengumi. Hijikata Toshizo is a samurai eager to test his skills and sword and make his first kill. The dojo he belongs to practices the Tennen Rishin ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Hirokazu Ichimura
CAST:  Asahi Kurizuka  •  Shunya Wazaki  •  Tetsuko Kobayashi  •  Hidehiko Ishikura

Withered Tree, the Adventures of Monjiro (1972)

Kogarashi Monjiro is a lone samurai who agrees to take responsibility for a murder that his friend committed so that he can stay with his dying mother, with the expectation that his friend will confess and get him pardoned once she dies. Monjiro is sentenced to an ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sadao Nakajima
CAST:  Bunta Sugawara  •  Gorō Ibuki  •  Tsunehiko Watase  •  Takayuki Akutagawa

Kogarashi Monjiro is a lone samurai who agrees to take responsibility for a murder that his friend committed so that he can stay with his dying mother, with the expectation that his friend will confess and get him pardoned once she dies. Monjiro is sentenced to an ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sadao Nakajima
CAST:  Bunta Sugawara  •  Gorō Ibuki  •  Tsunehiko Watase  •  Takayuki Akutagawa

Message from Space (1978)

The peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kinji Fukasaku
CAST:  Sonny Chiba  •  Vic Morrow  •  Etsuko Shihomi  •  Peggy Lee Brennan

The peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kinji Fukasaku
CAST:  Sonny Chiba  •  Vic Morrow  •  Etsuko Shihomi  •  Peggy Lee Brennan

Destroyer Yukikaze (1964)

Yutaro Kida, a worker at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, volunteers for the navy but finds himself a cook's mate in the galley of a gunboat. But his dream is eventually realized when he is transferred to the new and powerful destroyer Yukikaze which he helped to build. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tatsuo Yamada
CAST:  Isamu Nagato  •  Teruo Yoshida  •  Homare Suguro  •  Bunta Sugawara

Yutaro Kida, a worker at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, volunteers for the navy but finds himself a cook's mate in the galley of a gunboat. But his dream is eventually realized when he is transferred to the new and powerful destroyer Yukikaze which he helped to build. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tatsuo Yamada
CAST:  Isamu Nagato  •  Teruo Yoshida  •  Homare Suguro  •  Bunta Sugawara

Red Diamond (1964)

After losing all his money, Kizuka Keita, a seller on the black market, is trying to commit suicide. But he is saved by Morigen, a broker on the azuki beans market. A young man tries to regain his wealth in the bean market.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michio Konishi
CAST:  Makoto Fujita  •  Yoshiko Mita  •  Meichô Soganoya  •  Chōchō Miyako

After losing all his money, Kizuka Keita, a seller on the black market, is trying to commit suicide. But he is saved by Morigen, a broker on the azuki beans market. A young man tries to regain his wealth in the bean market.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Michio Konishi
CAST:  Makoto Fujita  •  Yoshiko Mita  •  Meichô Soganoya  •  Chōchō Miyako

An Innocent Witch (1965)

Ayako, a young woman from a rural fishing village, is sold by her family into a brothel when her father takes ill. There, she is quickly stripped of her innocence and illusions.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Heinosuke Gosho
CAST:  Jitsuko Yoshimura  •  Keizô Kawasaki  •  Taiji Tonoyama  •  Minori Terada

Ayako, a young woman from a rural fishing village, is sold by her family into a brothel when her father takes ill. There, she is quickly stripped of her innocence and illusions.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Heinosuke Gosho
CAST:  Jitsuko Yoshimura  •  Keizô Kawasaki  •  Taiji Tonoyama  •  Minori Terada

Bakeneko: A Vengeful Spirit (1968)

Nabeshima Naoshige murders his lord, Ryuzoji Takafusa, seeking to gain power and steal his Lord’s wife. To avoid her fate, Lady Takafusa drowns herself along with her cat in a nearby marsh. A decade later, Naoshige’s efforts to steal another woman trigger a curse ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshihiro Ishikawa
CAST:  Ryôhei Uchida  •  Kotaro Satomi  •  Kyoko Mikage  •  Masumi Tachibana

Nabeshima Naoshige murders his lord, Ryuzoji Takafusa, seeking to gain power and steal his Lord’s wife. To avoid her fate, Lady Takafusa drowns herself along with her cat in a nearby marsh. A decade later, Naoshige’s efforts to steal another woman trigger a curse ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshihiro Ishikawa
CAST:  Ryôhei Uchida  •  Kotaro Satomi  •  Kyoko Mikage  •  Masumi Tachibana