Akio Tanaka

A Taxing Woman (1987)

Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at hiding the true extent of his assets from the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Yasuo Daichi

Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a thriving chain of seedy hourly hotels, who has for years succeeded at hiding the true extent of his assets from the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Yasuo Daichi

The Last Dance (1993)

A successful Japanese movie director in his sixties becomes increasingly ill while working on his latest film. Though his family, friends, and doctor try to keep the secret of his terminal cancer from him, Buhei gradually comes to realize the truth of his condition ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Rentaro Mikuni  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Yoshiki Arizono

A successful Japanese movie director in his sixties becomes increasingly ill while working on his latest film. Though his family, friends, and doctor try to keep the secret of his terminal cancer from him, Buhei gradually comes to realize the truth of his condition ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Rentaro Mikuni  •  Masahiko Tsugawa  •  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Yoshiki Arizono

Tampopo (1985)

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In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Ken Watanabe  •  Koji Yakusho

In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Tsutomu Yamazaki  •  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Ken Watanabe  •  Koji Yakusho

Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion (1992)

An upscale Japanese hotel hires Mahiru Inoue, a lawyer adept at dealing with the Yakuza, to help them rid their hotel of the local gangsters so they can get a contract for a meeting of important foreign officials.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Yasuo Daichi  •  Akira Takarada  •  Takehiro Murata

An upscale Japanese hotel hires Mahiru Inoue, a lawyer adept at dealing with the Yakuza, to help them rid their hotel of the local gangsters so they can get a contract for a meeting of important foreign officials.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Jūzō Itami
CAST:  Nobuko Miyamoto  •  Yasuo Daichi  •  Akira Takarada  •  Takehiro Murata

The Storm over Arabia (1961)

Japanese action film set in Arabia.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kō Nakahira
CAST:  Yūjirō Ishihara  •  Izumi Ashikawa  •  Yuji Odaka  •  Ryōji Hayama

Japanese action film set in Arabia.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Kō Nakahira
CAST:  Yūjirō Ishihara  •  Izumi Ashikawa  •  Yuji Odaka  •  Ryōji Hayama

Blood Is Dry (1960)

An employee in an assurance company threatens to commit suicide when management announces a massive layoff, the company uses this threat to its own advantage by turning the incident into an advertising campaign. With the success of the campaign, however, he is no ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshishige Yoshida
CAST:  Keiji Sada  •  Kaneko Iwasaki  •  Shinichirō Mikami  •  Masao Oda

An employee in an assurance company threatens to commit suicide when management announces a massive layoff, the company uses this threat to its own advantage by turning the incident into an advertising campaign. With the success of the campaign, however, he is no ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshishige Yoshida
CAST:  Keiji Sada  •  Kaneko Iwasaki  •  Shinichirō Mikami  •  Masao Oda

Pale Flower (1964)

Muraki, a hardboiled Yakuza gangster, has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for murder. Revisiting his old gambling haunts, he meets Saeko, a striking young upper-class woman who is out seeking thrills, and whose presence adds spice to the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masahiro Shinoda
CAST:  Ryō Ikebe  •  Mariko Kaga  •  Takashi Fujiki  •  Chisako Hara

Muraki, a hardboiled Yakuza gangster, has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for murder. Revisiting his old gambling haunts, he meets Saeko, a striking young upper-class woman who is out seeking thrills, and whose presence adds spice to the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masahiro Shinoda
CAST:  Ryō Ikebe  •  Mariko Kaga  •  Takashi Fujiki  •  Chisako Hara

The Man with a Shotgun (1961)

Ryoji, a wanderer, arrives in a remote mountain town, carrying a shotgun and claiming to be a hunter. He quickly becomes embroiled in a web of trouble surrounding the town's mill.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Seijun Suzuki
CAST:  Hideaki Nitani  •  Izumi Ashikawa  •  Yuji Odaka  •  Yôko Minamida

Ryoji, a wanderer, arrives in a remote mountain town, carrying a shotgun and claiming to be a hunter. He quickly becomes embroiled in a web of trouble surrounding the town's mill.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Seijun Suzuki
CAST:  Hideaki Nitani  •  Izumi Ashikawa  •  Yuji Odaka  •  Yôko Minamida

Flying Phantom Ship (1969)

Hayato's home city is under attack from a gigantic robot. His parents are lying dead in the rubble and the only remaining friend is his dog. His only thought now is revenge against the owner of the Phantom Ship (from where the robot said he was sent). He ends up in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Hiroshi Ikeda
CAST:  Masako Nozawa  •  Akio Tanaka  •  Akira Nagoya  •  Gorō Naya

Hayato's home city is under attack from a gigantic robot. His parents are lying dead in the rubble and the only remaining friend is his dog. His only thought now is revenge against the owner of the Phantom Ship (from where the robot said he was sent). He ends up in ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Hiroshi Ikeda
CAST:  Masako Nozawa  •  Akio Tanaka  •  Akira Nagoya  •  Gorō Naya

Lost in the Sun (1961)

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DIRECTION:  Toshio Masuda
CAST:  Mitsuo Hamada  •  Sayuri Yoshinaga  •  Tamio Kawachi  •  Shosei Muto

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DIRECTION:  Toshio Masuda
CAST:  Mitsuo Hamada  •  Sayuri Yoshinaga  •  Tamio Kawachi  •  Shosei Muto

Surgical Designs in Flames (1986)

A story of the skilled brain surgeon, Todo, whose talent and ambition are put to test through a series of high risk surgical procedures.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masanobu Deme
CAST:  Masao Kusakari  •  Yukiyo Toake  •  Yuko Asano  •  Kei Satō

A story of the skilled brain surgeon, Todo, whose talent and ambition are put to test through a series of high risk surgical procedures.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masanobu Deme
CAST:  Masao Kusakari  •  Yukiyo Toake  •  Yuko Asano  •  Kei Satō

The Petrified Forest (1973)

Follows a young med student's relationships with two women: a dangerous affair with a childhood friend and his mother's struggle to rebuild their estranged relationship.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masahiro Shinoda
CAST:  Kenichi Hagiwara  •  Shima Iwashita  •  Takeshi Kusaka  •  Sayoko Ninomiya

Follows a young med student's relationships with two women: a dangerous affair with a childhood friend and his mother's struggle to rebuild their estranged relationship.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masahiro Shinoda
CAST:  Kenichi Hagiwara  •  Shima Iwashita  •  Takeshi Kusaka  •  Sayoko Ninomiya

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DIRECTION:  Tatsuoki Hosono
CAST:  Hiroshi Abe  •  Yuuko Nitou  •  Hiroko Sakuramachi  •  Koji Yakusho

Heaven and Earth: Dawn Episode (1990)

Some of the greatest battles during the Age of Civil Wars were fought between the Uesugi and Takeda clans. Leading up to them was the incredible life of Uesugi Kenshin, who rose from a son out of favor with his...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masaru Konuma
CAST:  Kumiko Akiyoshi  •  Takashi Ebata  •  Kanô Miyuki  •  Hiroyuki Konishi

Some of the greatest battles during the Age of Civil Wars were fought between the Uesugi and Takeda clans. Leading up to them was the incredible life of Uesugi Kenshin, who rose from a son out of favor with his...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Masaru Konuma
CAST:  Kumiko Akiyoshi  •  Takashi Ebata  •  Kanô Miyuki  •  Hiroyuki Konishi

I Want to Be a Shellfish (1958)

Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshihiko Okamoto
CAST:  Frankie Sakai  •  Mutsuko Sakura  •  Toshie Takada  •  Shin Saburi

Television production of I Want to Be a Shellfish. On a post-war peaceful day in Japan, Toyomatsu Shimizu, a barber as well as a good father and husband, is suddenly arrested by the Prefectural Police as a war criminal and sued for murder. According to the ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yoshihiko Okamoto
CAST:  Frankie Sakai  •  Mutsuko Sakura  •  Toshie Takada  •  Shin Saburi

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DIRECTION:  Koreyoshi Kurahara
CAST:  Jō Shishido  •  Reiko Sasamori  •  Ryōji Hayama  •  Arihiro Fujimura

Detective Kyosuke Kozu's Murder Reasoning 10 (1990)

Kyosuke (Masaomi Kondo) and his sister Nobuko (Yoko Moriguchi) were invited to the 10th anniversary party of the travel agency "Pigeon". At that seat, Ayako, the younger sister of President Gentaro, is shot dead. Other venues included Gentaro's brother-in-law, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yasutada Nagano
CAST:  Masaomi Kondo  •  Yôko Moriguchi  •  Baku Ohwada  •  Hideko Hara

Kyosuke (Masaomi Kondo) and his sister Nobuko (Yoko Moriguchi) were invited to the 10th anniversary party of the travel agency "Pigeon". At that seat, Ayako, the younger sister of President Gentaro, is shot dead. Other venues included Gentaro's brother-in-law, ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  Yasutada Nagano
CAST:  Masaomi Kondo  •  Yôko Moriguchi  •  Baku Ohwada  •  Hideko Hara

Quick Draw Sanshiro (1962)

Koji Wada, who is good at shooting, karate, judo and boxing, has a tough fight with the sea gangsters!  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tokujirō Yamazaki
CAST:  Kōji Wada  •  Reiko Sasamori  •  Ryōji Hayama  •  Yūko Kusunoki

Koji Wada, who is good at shooting, karate, judo and boxing, has a tough fight with the sea gangsters!  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tokujirō Yamazaki
CAST:  Kōji Wada  •  Reiko Sasamori  •  Ryōji Hayama  •  Yūko Kusunoki

Aniki (1962)

1962 Japanese movie  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tokujirō Yamazaki
CAST:  Hideaki Nitani  •  Toshio Sugiyama  •  Sanae Nakahara  •  Mayumi Shimizu

1962 Japanese movie  (more)

DIRECTION:  Tokujirō Yamazaki
CAST:  Hideaki Nitani  •  Toshio Sugiyama  •  Sanae Nakahara  •  Mayumi Shimizu