Yôkirô

1983

Japanese

6.9

♡ 2

Drama

geisha

War

Hideo Gosha Director

Yoshio Inaba as

Mami Kumagai as

Noriko Hayami as

Mitsuko Baishô as Osodé

Yokiro was the most successful Geisha house in Western Japan during the first half of the 20th century and remains open to this day. At its peak, it was home to over 200 geisha, however behind the fabulous facade, there were many battles - between family members, men and women, and with the Yakuza. Momokawa was sold to Yokiro at age 12, and despite being the top geisha, her many complicated relationships provide unending challenges throughout her glamorous but turbulent life.

Winter's Flower

1978

Japanese

6.7

♡ 5

Yasuo Furuhata Director

Tôru Minegishi as

Ken Takakura as Hidetsugu Kano

Mitsuko Baishô as Merry

Yoichi Miura as Otohiko Takeda

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 Crazy Family

1984

Japanese

7.0

♡ 6

Gakuryû Ishii Director

Kazuhiko Kishino as

Yoshinori Inoue as

Mitsuko Baishô as Saeko Kobayashi

Hitoshi Ueki as Yasukune Kobayashi

Shortly after moving to the suburbs, the Kobayashis start to come undone. Convinced a family curse is at the root of their erratic behavior, the man of the house takes it upon himself to course-correct before it takes the last of their sanity.

Cabaret

1986

Japanese

5.1

♡ 2

Haruki Kadokawa Director

Mitsuko Baishô as Megumi Nanbu

Hiroyuki Sanada as Tanokura

Hiroko Yakushimaru as Waitress

Shin'ichi Chiba as Yakuza boss

A young jazz musician's desire to advance in his career runs afoul of organized crime in this thriller from Haruki Kadokawa. After a saxophonist starts playing at a particular nightspot, a thug from the Yakuza adopts him as a special friend for no greater reason than he plays one of his favorite songs well. As the dangerous life of the gangster intertwines with that of the musician, it brings harm to the musician's girlfriend, who is raped. This changes the young saxophonist's attitude about his patron, but his Yakuza "friend" is still too embroiled in his own problems to worry about anything else.

Zegen

1987

Japanese

7.0

♡ 5

83%

Shôhei Imamura Director

Ken Ogata as Iheiji Muraoka

Mami Kumagai as Kino

Chôichirô Kawarasaki as Kunikura

Mitsuko Baishô as Shiho

At the time between the World Wars, Japan is involved in empire-building throughout East and Southeast Asia. After a brief career as a low-level military adventurer, Iheiji sets up chains of brothels throughout Asia. As Japan's power in the region grows, so does Iheiji's prosperity and patriotism.

Sanmon yakusha

7.2

Kaneto Shindô Director

Rinko Kikuchi as

Mitsuko Baishô as

Maiko Kawakami as

Nobuko Otowa as Okaji

The film is a series of vignettes from Taiji Tonoyama's life and film clips, interspersed with a dialogue to camera by Nobuko Otowa, addressing the camera as if she is addressing Tonoyama himself, recollecting events in his life. The film focuses on Tonoyama's alcohol dependence and his various sexual relationships, as well as his film work with Shindo.

Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron

1978

Japanese

6.6

♡ 6

92%

Hideo Gosha Director

Kappei Matsumoto as

Mitsuko Baishô as Omatsu

Yoshio Inaba as Seizô

Keiko Matsuzaka as Shino

Kumokiri Nizaemon, a former samurai warrior, has abandoned his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan.

A Last Note

1995

Japanese

6.8

♡ 3

86%

Action

Drama

Kaneto Shindô Director

Yutaka Matsushige as Daigoro

Mitsuko Baishô as Naoko Yazawa

Masahiko Tsugawa as Saburo Morimoto

Nobuko Otowa as Toyoko Yanagawa

A retired actress whose husband has recently died visits her summer home. There she has encounters with old friends and acquaintances who bring various stories and news of death and the past

Manhunt

1976

Japanese

6.8

♡ 6

Jun'ya Satô Director

Eiji Okada as

Yoshio Harada as Detective Yamura

Ken Takakura as Morioka

Mitsuko Baishô as Otsuki Kyoko

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.

Vengeance Is Mine

1979

Japanese

7.7

♡ 8

100%

88%

Action

based on novel or book

Shôhei Imamura Director

Ken Ogata as Iwao Enokizu

Mitsuko Baishô as Kazuko Enokizu

Chôichirô Kawarasaki as Pawnshop owner

Kazuko Shirakawa as Sachiko Yoshizato

A thief, a murderer, and a charming lady-killer, Iwao Enokizu is on the run from the police.

Wanko: The Story of Me, My Family and Rock

2011

Japanese

5.2

♡ 2

Isamu Nakae Director

Mieko Harada as

Mitsuko Baishô as

Yoshinori Okada as

Hitomi Satô as

A boy, Shin, and his family are forced to evacuate the island of Miyakejima, when it erupts in 2000. Shin's dog, Rock, is mistakenly left behind.

Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

2001

Japanese

6.7

♡ 6

80%

female ejaculation (squirt)

Romance

sexuality

small town

Shôhei Imamura Director

Hijiri Kojima as Mika Tagami

Mitsuko Baishô as Mitsu Aizawa

Misa Shimizu as Saeko Aizawa

Toshie Negishi as Tomoko Sasano

A down-and-out businessman travels to a seaside town, where he meets a woman with unusual sexual powers.

Hitokiri

1969

Japanese

7.4

♡ 12

Hideo Gosha Director

Kei Yamamoto as

Kunie Tanaka as Gaoler

Tatsuya Nakadai as Hanpeita Takechi

Mitsuko Baishô as Onimo

A ronin desperately seeks a way out of financial straits; he allies with the Tosa clan under the ruthless leader Takechi, who quickly takes advantage.

52 Hertz no Kujiratachi

2024

Japanese

6.5

♡ 3

abuse

based on novel or book

Drama

exploitation

return to hometown

Izuru Narushima Director

Jun Shison as Ango Okada

Hio Miyazawa as Chikara Niina

Kimiko Yo as Noriko Okada

Mitsuko Baishô as Sachie Mura

After a life of abuse, Kiko moves to a quiet seaside town. There, she meets a young boy who, like her, has also suffered domestic abuse. Through their shared pain, they also find much-needed solace

September 11

2002

French

6.8

♡ 6

Drama

israeli–palestinian conflict

media

palestinian-israeli conflict

skyscraper

unsociability

war on terror

Alejandro González Iñárritu Director

Mitsuko Baishô as Kayo Furuhashi

Liron Levo as Le démineur

Henry Kissinger as Self

George W. Bush as Self

An anthology of short films inspired by the events of the September 11 World Trade Center attacks.

The Ballad of Narayama

1983

Japanese

7.8

♡ 17

93%

Shôhei Imamura Director

Fujio Tokita as Jinsaku

Mitsuko Baishô as Oei

Ken Ogata as Tatsuhei

Nenji Kobayashi as Tsune

In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should refuse they would disgrace their family. Old Orin is 69. This winter it is her turn to go to the mountain. But first she must make sure that her eldest son Tatsuhei finds a wife.

Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior

1980

Japanese

7.9

♡ 55

89%

Akira Kurosawa Director

Yû Shimaka as Jingoro Hara

Tsutomu Yamazaki as Nobukado Takeda

Kaori Momoi as Otsuyanokata

Mitsuko Baishô as Oyunokata

Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.