Takeshi Ōbayashi

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Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)

An independent group of researchers called the Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN) actively track Godzilla as he makes landfall in Nemuro. Matters are further complicated when a giant meteor is discovered in the Ibaragi Prefecture. The mysterious rock begins to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takao Okawara
CAST:  Takehiro Murata  •  Naomi Nishida  •  Mayu Suzuki  •  Hiroshi Abe

An independent group of researchers called the Godzilla Prediction Network (GPN) actively track Godzilla as he makes landfall in Nemuro. Matters are further complicated when a giant meteor is discovered in the Ibaragi Prefecture. The mysterious rock begins to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takao Okawara
CAST:  Takehiro Murata  •  Naomi Nishida  •  Mayu Suzuki  •  Hiroshi Abe

Heaven and Earth (1990)

Warlords Kagetora and Takeda each wish to prevent the other from gaining hegemony in feudal Japan. The two samurai leaders pursue one another across the countryside, engaging in massive battles of cavalry and infantry. Younger and less brutal, Kagetora must find ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Haruki Kadokawa
CAST:  Takaaki Enoki  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Atsuko Asano  •  Hironobu Nomura

Warlords Kagetora and Takeda each wish to prevent the other from gaining hegemony in feudal Japan. The two samurai leaders pursue one another across the countryside, engaging in massive battles of cavalry and infantry. Younger and less brutal, Kagetora must find ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Haruki Kadokawa
CAST:  Takaaki Enoki  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Atsuko Asano  •  Hironobu Nomura

Gate of Youth (1981)

The story of Shinsuke, a young man who lives through a stormy life as a poverty-stricken coal miner. Ranging from Shinsuke's infanthood to his mid-teens. Coal workers and the mines dominate nearly every aspect of his life. Shinsuke's father a group leader at the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kinji Fukasaku  •  Koreyoshi Kurahara
CAST:  Bunta Sugawara  •  Keiko Matsuzaka  •  Koichi Sato  •  Kaoru Sugita

The story of Shinsuke, a young man who lives through a stormy life as a poverty-stricken coal miner. Ranging from Shinsuke's infanthood to his mid-teens. Coal workers and the mines dominate nearly every aspect of his life. Shinsuke's father a group leader at the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kinji Fukasaku  •  Koreyoshi Kurahara
CAST:  Bunta Sugawara  •  Keiko Matsuzaka  •  Koichi Sato  •  Kaoru Sugita

The Imperial Navy (1981)

A lavish retelling of the true story of the final voyage and ultimate destruction and sinking of the battleship Yamato, Japan's greatest flagship during the Second World War.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shūe Matsubayashi
CAST:  Susumu Fujita  •  Toshiyuki Nagashima  •  Hiroshi Hasegawa  •  Kenichi Kaneda

A lavish retelling of the true story of the final voyage and ultimate destruction and sinking of the battleship Yamato, Japan's greatest flagship during the Second World War.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shūe Matsubayashi
CAST:  Susumu Fujita  •  Toshiyuki Nagashima  •  Hiroshi Hasegawa  •  Kenichi Kaneda

A Brief Message from the Heart (1995)

A young woman tries to reconcile with her mother, who left their family for another man.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shinichirô Sawai
CAST:  Yukiyo Toake  •  Nae Yuuki  •  Ryuji Harada  •  Sawa Suzuki

A young woman tries to reconcile with her mother, who left their family for another man.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shinichirô Sawai
CAST:  Yukiyo Toake  •  Nae Yuuki  •  Ryuji Harada  •  Sawa Suzuki

Hold Me and Kiss Me (1992)

Keiko’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has been infected with HIV. As she struggles to cope with the situation and resist the infection, she finds new friendship and companionship with a journalist named Miyuki and a man named Akira.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Junya Satō
CAST:  Yoko Minamino  •  Hidekazu Akai  •  Tomokazu Miura  •  Mitsuru Hirata

Keiko’s life is turned upside down when she discovers that she has been infected with HIV. As she struggles to cope with the situation and resist the infection, she finds new friendship and companionship with a journalist named Miyuki and a man named Akira.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Junya Satō
CAST:  Yoko Minamino  •  Hidekazu Akai  •  Tomokazu Miura  •  Mitsuru Hirata

Heavenly Sin (1992)

Elite lawyer Ryoko enlists the help of a foreign mafia in rescuing her son from a criminal who holds grudge against her.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Masuda
CAST:  Sayuri Yoshinaga  •  Omar Sharif  •  Hiroki Matsukata  •  Toshiyuki Nishida

Elite lawyer Ryoko enlists the help of a foreign mafia in rescuing her son from a criminal who holds grudge against her.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Masuda
CAST:  Sayuri Yoshinaga  •  Omar Sharif  •  Hiroki Matsukata  •  Toshiyuki Nishida

Lifetime Insecurity (1994)

In the midst of a bad economy, Yokoyama, the vice president of Taiyo Real Estate, launches a plan to cut back on his labor force. Fifty employees are segregated into a special assignment division and given an ultimatum: meet a sales goal of 1.5 billion yen within ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shunichi Kajima
CAST:  Kyôhei Shibata  •  Atsuo Nakamura  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Hisako Manda

In the midst of a bad economy, Yokoyama, the vice president of Taiyo Real Estate, launches a plan to cut back on his labor force. Fifty employees are segregated into a special assignment division and given an ultimatum: meet a sales goal of 1.5 billion yen within ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shunichi Kajima
CAST:  Kyôhei Shibata  •  Atsuo Nakamura  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Hisako Manda

The Eyes of Asia (1997)

Nakaura of Julian (Julião Nakaura), a priest of the Society of Jesus, was one of four young ambassadors sent to Rome by the Jesuits in 1538, as proof that Japan had converted to Christianity. Fifty years after the mission, which so fascinated European royalty, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  João Mário Grilo
CAST:  Geraldine Chaplin  •  João Perry  •  Yoshi Oida  •  Yasukiyo Umeno

Nakaura of Julian (Julião Nakaura), a priest of the Society of Jesus, was one of four young ambassadors sent to Rome by the Jesuits in 1538, as proof that Japan had converted to Christianity. Fifty years after the mission, which so fascinated European royalty, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  João Mário Grilo
CAST:  Geraldine Chaplin  •  João Perry  •  Yoshi Oida  •  Yasukiyo Umeno

The Highest Honour (1982)

After a highly successful raid on Singapore Harbour, soldiers of Z Special Unit lead a new expedition in Singapore, with disastrous results.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Seiji Maruyama  •  Peter Maxwell
CAST:  Michael Aitkens  •  John Howard  •  Vincent Ball  •  Steve Bisley

After a highly successful raid on Singapore Harbour, soldiers of Z Special Unit lead a new expedition in Singapore, with disastrous results.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Seiji Maruyama  •  Peter Maxwell
CAST:  Michael Aitkens  •  John Howard  •  Vincent Ball  •  Steve Bisley

Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy (2002)

"Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy" centers around five friends who are residents in a Tokyo apartment complex. Now senior high school students, the five friends live the wild life in Harajuku before encountering unforeseen surprises.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yukihiko Tsutsumi
CAST:  Jun Matsumoto  •  Masaki Aiba  •  Kazunari Ninomiya  •  Satoshi Ohno

"Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy" centers around five friends who are residents in a Tokyo apartment complex. Now senior high school students, the five friends live the wild life in Harajuku before encountering unforeseen surprises.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yukihiko Tsutsumi
CAST:  Jun Matsumoto  •  Masaki Aiba  •  Kazunari Ninomiya  •  Satoshi Ohno

SP: The Motion Picture (2010)

At an event hall in Roppongi Hills, there is a charity event for landmine eradication. Kaoru does security with Security Police officers Soichiro Ogata, Eri Sasamoto, Takahumi Yamamoto and Mitsuo Ishida. Kaoru Inoue senses a threatening existence and starts to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takafumi Hatano
CAST:  Junichi Okada  •  Yoko Maki  •  Teruyuki Kagawa  •  Satoru Matsuo

At an event hall in Roppongi Hills, there is a charity event for landmine eradication. Kaoru does security with Security Police officers Soichiro Ogata, Eri Sasamoto, Takahumi Yamamoto and Mitsuo Ishida. Kaoru Inoue senses a threatening existence and starts to ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takafumi Hatano
CAST:  Junichi Okada  •  Yoko Maki  •  Teruyuki Kagawa  •  Satoru Matsuo

Memory & Desire (1998)

Sayo and Keiji have eloped to New Zealand to marry, away from the interference of Keiji's disapproving mother in Japan. On their honeymoon, they have the freedom to express their love away from her repressive influence. However, on what should be the happiest of ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Niki Caro
CAST:  Eugene Nomura  •  Yuri Kinugawa  •  Brenda Kendall  •  Yōko Narahashi

Sayo and Keiji have eloped to New Zealand to marry, away from the interference of Keiji's disapproving mother in Japan. On their honeymoon, they have the freedom to express their love away from her repressive influence. However, on what should be the happiest of ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Niki Caro
CAST:  Eugene Nomura  •  Yuri Kinugawa  •  Brenda Kendall  •  Yōko Narahashi

Chameleon (2008)

Keiko who leads a lonely life as a fortune teller on the streets meets Goro, a leader of the con-artists. One day, Goro witnesses a group of men kidnapping a middle-aged man in the parking garage. Goro records the man on his cell phone without knowing he could be ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Junji Sakamoto
CAST:  Tatsuya Fujiwara  •  Asami Mizukawa  •  Shun Shioya  •  Kosuke Toyohara

Keiko who leads a lonely life as a fortune teller on the streets meets Goro, a leader of the con-artists. One day, Goro witnesses a group of men kidnapping a middle-aged man in the parking garage. Goro records the man on his cell phone without knowing he could be ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Junji Sakamoto
CAST:  Tatsuya Fujiwara  •  Asami Mizukawa  •  Shun Shioya  •  Kosuke Toyohara

Space Battleship Yamato (1977)

When vile aliens known as the Gamilons wreak nuclear havoc on Earth, a group of survivors refit the Japanese battleship Yamato for intergalactic travel and set off on a mission to retrieve a neutralizer that will eradicate the radiation from Earth's atmosphere.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Masuda
CAST:  Gorō Naya  •  Kei Tomiyama  •  Shūsei Nakamura  •  Yoko Asagami

When vile aliens known as the Gamilons wreak nuclear havoc on Earth, a group of survivors refit the Japanese battleship Yamato for intergalactic travel and set off on a mission to retrieve a neutralizer that will eradicate the radiation from Earth's atmosphere.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Toshio Masuda
CAST:  Gorō Naya  •  Kei Tomiyama  •  Shūsei Nakamura  •  Yoko Asagami

Achilles and the Tortoise (2008)

Machisu is a painter. He never had the success he thinks he is entitled to. Regardless of this, he always remains trying to be successful. His wife Sachiko keeps supporting him, despite all setbacks.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takeshi Kitano
CAST:  Takeshi Kitano  •  Kanako Higuchi  •  Kumiko Aso  •  Aya Enjoji

Machisu is a painter. He never had the success he thinks he is entitled to. Regardless of this, he always remains trying to be successful. His wife Sachiko keeps supporting him, despite all setbacks.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Takeshi Kitano
CAST:  Takeshi Kitano  •  Kanako Higuchi  •  Kumiko Aso  •  Aya Enjoji

Heroic Purgatory (1970)

Rikiya Shoda is an engineer working for the Atomic Agency in Japan. One day, his wife Nanako returns home with a lost teenager called Ayu. A man, pretending to be the father, comes to get her back; Ayu keeps telling him that Rikiya and Nanako are her parents. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshishige Yoshida
CAST:  Mariko Okada  •  Naho Kimura  •  Kaizo Kamoda  •  Kaneko Iwasaki

Rikiya Shoda is an engineer working for the Atomic Agency in Japan. One day, his wife Nanako returns home with a lost teenager called Ayu. A man, pretending to be the father, comes to get her back; Ayu keeps telling him that Rikiya and Nanako are her parents. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshishige Yoshida
CAST:  Mariko Okada  •  Naho Kimura  •  Kaizo Kamoda  •  Kaneko Iwasaki

Ekiro (2009)

An employee of a bank goes missing following his retirement from the bank. Veteran detective Yobuno (Koji Yakusho), who is set to retire himself, is charged with the investigating the missing person case. Det. Yobuno quickly finds more mysterious as he delves into ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shigemichi Sugita
CAST:  Koji Yakusho  •  Eri Fukatsu  •  Tae Kimura  •  Sousuke Takaoka

An employee of a bank goes missing following his retirement from the bank. Veteran detective Yobuno (Koji Yakusho), who is set to retire himself, is charged with the investigating the missing person case. Det. Yobuno quickly finds more mysterious as he delves into ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Shigemichi Sugita
CAST:  Koji Yakusho  •  Eri Fukatsu  •  Tae Kimura  •  Sousuke Takaoka

Pika**nchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy (2004)

Sequel to the 2002 film Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy, starring members of boy band Arashi.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yukihiko Tsutsumi
CAST:  Jun Matsumoto  •  Kazunari Ninomiya  •  Masaki Aiba  •  Masahiro Koumoto

Sequel to the 2002 film Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy, starring members of boy band Arashi.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yukihiko Tsutsumi
CAST:  Jun Matsumoto  •  Kazunari Ninomiya  •  Masaki Aiba  •  Masahiro Koumoto

Antarctica (1983)

Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Koreyoshi Kurahara
CAST:  Ken Takakura  •  Eiji Okada  •  Masako Natsume  •  Keiko Oginome

Two Japanese scientists, Ushioda and Ochi, develop a bond with their sled dogs while on an expedition in Antarctica.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Koreyoshi Kurahara
CAST:  Ken Takakura  •  Eiji Okada  •  Masako Natsume  •  Keiko Oginome
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