Mitsuo Asano

Throne of Blood (1957)

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Toshirō Mifune  •  Isuzu Yamada  •  Akira Kubo  •  Hiroshi Tachikawa

Returning to their lord's castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit's prophecy comes true, Washizu's scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit's ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akira Kurosawa
CAST:  Toshirō Mifune  •  Isuzu Yamada  •  Akira Kubo  •  Hiroshi Tachikawa

The Conspirator (1961)

Young lord Saburo Nobuyasu struggles to find comfort in life. His arranged marriage to Tokuhime, daughter of one-time family enemy Oda Nobunaga, provides little happiness. His manipulative mother adds further complications through her constant interference and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daisuke Itō
CAST:  Kinnosuke Nakamura  •  Hiroko Sakuramachi  •  Haruko Sugimura  •  Kaneko Iwasaki

Young lord Saburo Nobuyasu struggles to find comfort in life. His arranged marriage to Tokuhime, daughter of one-time family enemy Oda Nobunaga, provides little happiness. His manipulative mother adds further complications through her constant interference and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Daisuke Itō
CAST:  Kinnosuke Nakamura  •  Hiroko Sakuramachi  •  Haruko Sugimura  •  Kaneko Iwasaki

Miyamoto Musashi (1961)

In this first episode, we are introduced to Takezo, what Musashi used to be before he became the man of legend. His beginning are not exactly auspicious. He sides with the Toyotomi at Sekigahara, and as a result finds himself on the losing side of the historic ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tomu Uchida
CAST:  Kinnosuke Nakamura  •  Akiko Kazami  •  Wakaba Irie  •  Isao Kimura

In this first episode, we are introduced to Takezo, what Musashi used to be before he became the man of legend. His beginning are not exactly auspicious. He sides with the Toyotomi at Sekigahara, and as a result finds himself on the losing side of the historic ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tomu Uchida
CAST:  Kinnosuke Nakamura  •  Akiko Kazami  •  Wakaba Irie  •  Isao Kimura

Souls in the Moonlight (1957)

First part of the famous Dai-bosatsu toge trilogy, based on Kaizan Nakazato’s unfinished long series of novels (41 books, written from 1913 to 1941). Set in the last period of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Daibosatsu Toge tells the story of Tsuke Ryunosuke, a nihilistic ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tomu Uchida
CAST:  Chiezō Kataoka  •  Kinnosuke Nakamura  •  Yumiko Hasegawa  •  Satomi Oka

First part of the famous Dai-bosatsu toge trilogy, based on Kaizan Nakazato’s unfinished long series of novels (41 books, written from 1913 to 1941). Set in the last period of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Daibosatsu Toge tells the story of Tsuke Ryunosuke, a nihilistic ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tomu Uchida
CAST:  Chiezō Kataoka  •  Kinnosuke Nakamura  •  Yumiko Hasegawa  •  Satomi Oka

Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji (1955)

Tragicomic road movie set during the Edo period. It follows a samurai, his two servants – including spear-carrier Genpachi – and the various people they meet on their journey, including a policeman in pursuit of a thief, a young child and a woman who is to be sold ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tomu Uchida
CAST:  Chiezō Kataoka  •  Ryūnosuke Tsukigata  •  Chizuru Kitagawa  •  Yuriko Tashiro

Tragicomic road movie set during the Edo period. It follows a samurai, his two servants – including spear-carrier Genpachi – and the various people they meet on their journey, including a policeman in pursuit of a thief, a young child and a woman who is to be sold ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tomu Uchida
CAST:  Chiezō Kataoka  •  Ryūnosuke Tsukigata  •  Chizuru Kitagawa  •  Yuriko Tashiro

Heavenly Dragon (1960)

From the opening theme song to the grand finale, you know that you have found something special as this exciting movie stars the great Misora Hibari in one of her most memorable performances as she plays Shintaro and Oharu, a brother and sister, the children of a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Eiichi Kudo
CAST:  Hibari Misora  •  Tomisaburō Wakayama  •  Michiko Hoshi  •  Ryūji Shinagawa

From the opening theme song to the grand finale, you know that you have found something special as this exciting movie stars the great Misora Hibari in one of her most memorable performances as she plays Shintaro and Oharu, a brother and sister, the children of a ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Eiichi Kudo
CAST:  Hibari Misora  •  Tomisaburō Wakayama  •  Michiko Hoshi  •  Ryūji Shinagawa

Restoration Fire (1961)

Megastar Kataoka Chiezo is Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi in this realistic tale of Japan’s inner battles that led to the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Excellent performances and extremely good swordplay highlight this glimpse into the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sadatsugu Matsuda
CAST:  Chiezō Kataoka  •  Chikage Awashima  •  Takashi Shimura  •  Ryūnosuke Tsukigata

Megastar Kataoka Chiezo is Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi in this realistic tale of Japan’s inner battles that led to the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Excellent performances and extremely good swordplay highlight this glimpse into the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sadatsugu Matsuda
CAST:  Chiezō Kataoka  •  Chikage Awashima  •  Takashi Shimura  •  Ryūnosuke Tsukigata

Kagemaru of the Iga Clan (1963)

A group of Iga ninja risk their lives to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu from the villianous Koga Ninja. Kagemaru uses his amazing Iga ninja skills to fight the evil Koga Ninja in the name of justice! A stunning old-school Ninja action adventure, full of special effects! ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Noboru Ono
CAST:  Hiroki Matsukata  •  Ryuji Kita  •  Hisashi Hashiba  •  Kinnosuke Takamatsu

A group of Iga ninja risk their lives to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu from the villianous Koga Ninja. Kagemaru uses his amazing Iga ninja skills to fight the evil Koga Ninja in the name of justice! A stunning old-school Ninja action adventure, full of special effects! ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Noboru Ono
CAST:  Hiroki Matsukata  •  Ryuji Kita  •  Hisashi Hashiba  •  Kinnosuke Takamatsu

Cantankerous Edo (1957)

It's fighting fires and swordsmen with a touch of music in this free-for-all of action and excitement combining the talents of Japan's most popular couple... Misora Hibari and Okawa Hashizo. Along with the great Otomo Rytaro as Tatsugoro the fire chief, they keep ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kiyoshi Saeki
CAST:  Hibari Misora  •  Hashizo Okawa  •  Kenji Susukida  •  Miki Sanjō

It's fighting fires and swordsmen with a touch of music in this free-for-all of action and excitement combining the talents of Japan's most popular couple... Misora Hibari and Okawa Hashizo. Along with the great Otomo Rytaro as Tatsugoro the fire chief, they keep ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kiyoshi Saeki
CAST:  Hibari Misora  •  Hashizo Okawa  •  Kenji Susukida  •  Miki Sanjō

The Scarlet Cherry Lord (1958)

Light-hearted samurai comedy. The second son of a feudal lord runs away from an arranged marriage. He saves the life of a princess whom he gets to fall in love with. It turns out that she is just his prospective bride.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tai Katō
CAST:  Hashizo Okawa  •  Keiko Okawa  •  Harue Akagi  •  Ushio Akashi

Light-hearted samurai comedy. The second son of a feudal lord runs away from an arranged marriage. He saves the life of a princess whom he gets to fall in love with. It turns out that she is just his prospective bride.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tai Katō
CAST:  Hashizo Okawa  •  Keiko Okawa  •  Harue Akagi  •  Ushio Akashi

Pleasure of Youth (1967)

Pinku from 1967.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akitaka Kimata
CAST:  Mari Iwai  •  Kaori Aihara  •  Keiko Aoyagi  •  Akitaka Kimata

Pinku from 1967.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Akitaka Kimata
CAST:  Mari Iwai  •  Kaori Aihara  •  Keiko Aoyagi  •  Akitaka Kimata

Yonaki Hada (1969)

Pinku from 1969.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shumei Onishi
CAST:  Mari Iwai  •  Mitsuo Asano  •  Kazuyo Kyomachi

Pinku from 1969.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shumei Onishi
CAST:  Mari Iwai  •  Mitsuo Asano  •  Kazuyo Kyomachi

Case of a Young Lord 4: Bridal Robe in Blood (1957)

A murdered pawnbroker found clutching a blood-soaked wedding gown, the kidnapped daughter of a Shogun vassal, mysterious robberies, brutal killings, a vault with no key, a suspect killed while in police custody. This fragmented trail of clues could well be one of ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shigehiro Ozawa
CAST:  Kusuo Abe  •  Koji Arima  •  Mitsuo Asano  •  Kin'nosuke Fujiki

A murdered pawnbroker found clutching a blood-soaked wedding gown, the kidnapped daughter of a Shogun vassal, mysterious robberies, brutal killings, a vault with no key, a suspect killed while in police custody. This fragmented trail of clues could well be one of ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shigehiro Ozawa
CAST:  Kusuo Abe  •  Koji Arima  •  Mitsuo Asano  •  Kin'nosuke Fujiki

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DIRECTION:  Masamitsu Igayama
CAST:  Kotaro Satomi  •  Seishiro Sawamura  •  Hiromi Hanazono  •  Eiko Maruyama

Warriors of Ako: Scroll of Heaven, Scroll of Earth (1956)

Chronichles the story of the Forty-seven Ronin.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sadatsugu Matsuda
CAST:  Harue Akagi  •  Ushio Akashi  •  Ryūtarō Aoyagi  •  Koji Arima

Chronichles the story of the Forty-seven Ronin.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Sadatsugu Matsuda
CAST:  Harue Akagi  •  Ushio Akashi  •  Ryūtarō Aoyagi  •  Koji Arima

続変化大名 (1954)

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DIRECTION:  Yasushi Sasaki
CAST:  Utaemon Ichikawa  •  Mitsuko Miura  •  Kazuo Ishii  •  Ryūtarō Aoyagi

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DIRECTION:  Yasushi Sasaki
CAST:  Utaemon Ichikawa  •  Mitsuko Miura  •  Kazuo Ishii  •  Ryūtarō Aoyagi

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DIRECTION:  Yasushi Sasaki
CAST:  Utaemon Ichikawa  •  Yukiko Todoroki  •  Kunitaro Sawamura  •  Michiko Hoshi