Akira Shioji

The third film in the Zenka-mono series.At the beginning of the Showa period, Matsukichi Iwaki was released from prison after 10 years in prison....

Ryutaro Otomo as the Edo magistrate Umon Kondo is out to solve a crime that centers around the murder of a jail guard & the escape of a criminal who...

While imprisoned, Tatsu encounters Danshi, a man who is a big honcho in the prison pecking order. After initial conflict they become sworn brothers....

Ginshiro, threatened by poor repute and upcoming star Tachibana, forces his friend Yasu to marry Konatsu, Ginshiro's pregnant mistress; Yasu becomes...

Reconstruction, in the form of episodes, of the most bizarre crimes that occurred in Japan after World War II.

The sole survivor of a shipwreck pursues the whereabouts of his friends’ missing family members in Edo.

In Osaka, a family sets up shop in Tsuruhashi. Trouble brews for three brothers – Jinzuke, Tadayoshi, and Eizo – when they come together...

Two short stories set in Edo during the Shogun era. 1 - During a time when Christians are persecuted vehemently, Iori falls in love with young...

Intrepid tax investigator Ryoko Itakura sets her sights on the mysterious and philandering Hideki Gondo, a suspected millionaire and proprietor of a...

Part 4 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and...

Kiku Nakakawa, the only daughter of an old kimono shop owner in Kyoto, is enthusiastic about karate. To help her friend Michi avenge her brother, she...

A rich retired middle-aged man is seduced by young bar dancer and she moves into his mansion. He enjoys his newfound girlfriend when her sexy mother...

The second part of the Gamblers series.

Tsunetaro Asakura AKA "Dynamite Tsune" is a talented gambler, but not infallable. After losing his Boss's money in a dice game he repays his debt by...

A sadistic Daimyo (feudal lord) rapes a woman and murders both her and her husband, but even when one of his own vassals commits suicide to bring...

Tai Kato’s early 20th century set yakuza epic about an ordinary merchant girl (Hiroko Maki) who crosses paths with an assassin (Tetsuya...

Kiba Okaminosuke finds himself entangled with a group of prisoners being transported to their executions, one of whom oddly looks exactly like his...

Kokubu Masaru (Bunta Sugawara) is a hard-headed, hot-tempered member of a street vendor clan run by an elderly boss (Kanjuro Arashi). They come into...

A tale of three Yakuza gamblers who traveled Japan during the samurai era living by their wits and sword skills. Told in 3 separate vignettes, each...

Lord Gennosuke and Princess Yoshi are to be betrothed to one another, however Gennosuke is already in love with Suzue who is from a lower caste. The...

Playhouse employees Okimi and Otoshi become involved in an undercover officer’s investigation of a gang when they accidentally walk in on a...

A man is brutally murdered and his famed shamisen (a three-stringed musical instrument) called the "Yamabiko" stolen. Prince Kogenta swears to avenge...

Komatsu Takioka is boss of a Yakuza group rival to Masakichi Kijima boss of the Kikuya group which supports the town vendors unlike Takioka, who will...

Girl Boss Ruriko and her cellmates escape from a greedy corrupt reform school that's more interested in cheating the government out of money than...

A former soldier is caught working the black market and sent to prison while his partner escapes and goes on to become a gangster, but their paths...

Natsu, the older of two sisters, has a relationship with Yonosuke, the local kimono trader. Unlike her more conservative sister Oshichi she tries to...

Megastar Kataoka Chiezo is Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi in this realistic tale of Japan’s inner battles that led to the...

Osaka, 1907: Asajiro lives between a rock and a hard place: he has to keep his business clean and running, tame his late oyabun’s hot-blooded...

A Yakuza film directed by Kôsaku Yamashita

The Dogma Kingdom attacks the Matagi (mountain tribe) village of Yamabiko to steal the sacred Flying Dragon Fortress and wreak havoc all over Japan....

Watari and his ninja friends continue their battles against evil people in long ago Japan.

Namie's in trouble again, getting snatched by an evil gang in search of treasure. Kirimaru sets out to rescue his sweetheart, and falls in with a...

Ken Takakura stars as Ryoji one of the Aramasa family's loyal lieutenants whao takes the burden of his family being insulted by the Tanuma's family...

Terry Sugury is hired to recover one of two tapes containing a formula for making heroin for a price of 200 dollars a pound. But he gets double...

A court fortune-teller loses his mind after a conspiracy leads to the death of his lover. Hope appears to be on the horizon after he becomes...

Three young yakuza, Fujitaro, Matsugoro and Kanjuro, travel the country fighting evil.

During the Taisho Period (early 1920's) a monastery of warrior monks was split apart between two factions. One of these factions was led by the Chief...

Matsukichi, a worker at a fish market, tries to settle the business between the two competitors on his turf.

It is the third film in the Gokudo series. In this episode, set in 1937, the main character of the series gang leader Shimamura is drafted into the...

The evil Hikita clan rises from the dead to fulfill a curse on the Satomi clan by restoring the face of their warlord by using the skin of Princess...

The continuing adventures of the Jirocho gang.

Third part of Nihon Kyokakuden series is set in Kanto in 1924. Ken Takakura playing a ship's mate befriending fish shop owners harassed by yakuza.

Commentary: The first work in the "Asian Beat" series, in which young directors from six Asian countries, including Japan, compete to create the same...

Based on Kazuo Taoka's autobiography, this film follows a Kobe gangster as he builds the small Yamaguchi-gumi into Japan's largest criminal clan.

Richshaw man Tatsu has wandered to Osaka from Tokyo. He has quarrels with Kimiyakko, a geisha, and throws her into the river. But later, he falls in...

In gangster-infested 1920s Yokohama, gambler Ishiguro gets in with the local gang -- but his view of life changes after the Great Kanto Earthquake.

The film adaptation of the novel "Three Little Rats" by Tatsuro Jinde. In this fascinating story, the rebellious Jirokichi and three men, united by a...

A variety of characters, including ninja Noto, a swordsman disguised as a komuso monk, and a young samurai chasing them, participate in a chaotic...

The industrual revolution comes to Japan with the introduction of the railroad system. This led to clashes between boatmen, who livihoods are...

In 1930, the chance meeting of a novelist and one of his fans opens the door to a series of mysterious events culminating in the death of a wealthy...

A woman on the run is raped, rescued, then raped again. Escaping, she heads for the hills and finds safe haven at a convent. After becoming a...

A young Japanese man finds himself in the company of a strange, effeminate gay man and a girl with a seedy sexual history and who even now is...

Zenjiro (Masaru Shiga) is a lowlife criminal, roaming the country with his merry band of crooks, gamblers and rapists. When he gets done with his...

The long awaited second film in the Wicked Priest series is a masterpiece of sword swinging fury as Shinkai is asked by a man on the run to bring his...

The story is set in Bakumatsu and revolves around the Bunta Sugawara character, a yakuza (of course :) but instead of a modern yakuza/gangster, he's...

A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the Japanese mafia but quickly loses his self control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa.

When a lucrative waterfront development becomes available, the Kawade gang quickly use their political connections to secure the land. However, the...

Bunta Sugawara is Miyoshi, a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir, family member Aoki...

Ichibei is assigned by Shogun Tokugawa to prevent the sale of a Dutch ships-load of rifles to the hostile Shogun Satsuma. On his mission he meets a...

Osaka in the early 1600s, aftermath of the historical Battle of Sekigahara; a group of orphan children are wandering through the battlefield...

Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hitman and falls in...

A suspenseful Ninja fantasy based on Shiba Ryotaro's novel, woven with the mysterious fate and romance of Shinzo and a beautiful Princess who find...

In ancient Japan, a good lord is killed and his throne is taken by the trecherous Yuki Daijo and his wizard friend Oroki-maru. The young prince...

In Part I we see the young would-be swordsman setting out to achieve greatness in war, achieving nothing because fighting on the losing side, & then...

Shozo Hirono has managed to separate from the Yamamori family and create his own small family, and extend his circle of acquaintances. These new...

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...

The third chapter of the ‘Red Peony Gambler’ saga depicts the happiness and sadness of Red Peony Oryu’s life as she seals her...

Oryu searches for blind child she left behind and get involved in a Yakuza turf war that takes place in the Tokyo Theater.

The seventh chapter of the stunning Hibotan Bakuto series. Many years have passed since Oryu the Red Peony began her soul-searching journey after her...

The eighth sequel of the series by the successful “Fukasaku and Bunta” collaboration revolves around the men of a lesser organization...

The seventh in the shocking "Jingi Naki Tatakai" movie series, which exposes the true lives of the yakuza that is hidden by a mask of "jingi". The...

The third movie following the exploits of bounty hunter Shikoro Ichibei. The theft of almost a half ton of gold from the shogunate's official mine...

Historical action film about the struggle for gold of two feudal clans in the Edo period.

An unusual blending of elements comes together in this crime story drawn from Japanese history. During the early Meiji period a number of...

Former inmate Katsuji gets involved in the horse gambling business while lending a helping hand to a ranch operator.

Young coal miner Takeda leaves Kyushu in search of a better job in Tokyo, only to fall into the lucrative yet dangerous life of a yakuza.

A high-ranking yakuza rises to national notoriety.

Bank robbers steal 30 million yen and try to elude the cops and escape with the cash. Of the three, only one manages to avoid capture. Yoko, a female...

A yakuza member embarks on a trail of revenge for his murdered boss. Senzo, the successor of the Mita Family, searches for the man bearing a tattoo...

President of the territorial yakuza organization is being manipulated by a crooked leader in the military and some capitalists Ishikiri. The plan is...

Taking place in Shinshu in the 1920s, Tsumakoi Okoma, while traveling to hone her gambling skills, teams up with the vagabond Tsukuba Tsuneji and...

In the 20th century, the Japanese government exploits prisoners as expendable slave laborers in a coal mine, which results in conflict between the...

This anthology film consists of nine incidents in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when assassins changed the course of Japanese history.

Convicted of murder, Masayuki Ueda is sent to Hiroshima Prison along with his accomplice. But for a man like him, breaking out of prison is easy.

These are the first two parts of the popular series in which a young samurai learns that he is the illegitimate son of the Shogun. Hoping to reunite...

This is the story of a vagrant samurai – the solitary, savage and scrupulous Kiba – who arrives at a village to defend a beautiful, blind...

Junko (Sho Aikawa) is a low-level yakuza in the service of Yoshikawa (Toru Minegishi), despite the misgivings of his uncle (Jo Shishido). He lives...

Frustrated with the bad behavior of his lord, Inaba Yajuro (Otomo) declares that he is leaving the clan and sets off on a journey that leads him...

In the beginning of the World War I in 1914, Japan is being invaded spies from Russia and Germany. To eliminate the spies the army hires Sakuragi, a...

Hanjiro, a one eyed vagrant arrives in Okinoshima to save the town from a violent Yakuza group with the help of six handicapped guys.

The story of five easygoing Yakuza who come together to save the live of a young innocent girl, Oichi, from an evil vassal.

After World War II, when Okinawa was under control of the United States, the local yakuza prospered. But when Okinawa is returned to Japan, the...

A ruffian joins the ranks of the emperor’s guards.

The Silk Hat Boss becomes involved in a car imports business during his trip to Atami.

Four ninja are hired to fight against the Shogunate’s plot to abolish the Gamo Clan, the regional barons struggling to reinstate their young...

A boy born in a poor village in Tokushima spends his days idly until a chance meeting sets him on the road to becoming boss of Japan's largest gang.

Female ninjas nudity and sword-weilding action directed by Takayuki Miyagawa is bawdy and thrilling! The female ninjas are sent undercover (sometimes...

Fujiko wanders aimlessly through the country, seeking vengence on the man she onced loved, who betrayed her, and destroying her family and her life....

When Omuro Yahachi of the Omuro family is selected as Mutsumikai Soke's successor, the conflict between the Kitakyushu and Wakamatsu begins.

The lord of the Oshi fief is killed by his trespassing neighbour, the cruel and despotic Nariatsu, son of the former Shogun. After an investigation,...

Saburo Kitajima, one of Japan’s most famous Enka singers, returns in the fifth of the Kyodai Jingi series. During the early 20th century, Ryuji...

Famous for his coin tossing when capturing criminals, an Edo detective, Heiji, launches an investigation into the mysterious murder of his friend...

Monjiro, reunited with his long lost sister, is pursued by a yakuza gang because he killed their boss. He also meets a fellow gambler who idolizes...

In 17th century Japan, Young Lord Masato returns after years abroad to find everything changed: his peace-loving father has died in what he soon...

Popular geisha Shinji (Fuji Junko) must defy a gang who plot to steal a lucrative coal business from struggling miners during the turbulent Meiji...

Action-comedy film featuring the adventures of an itinerant merchant (Hiroki Matsukata) that becomes an unlikely hero.

Just after the Battle of Sekigahara, a pair of children Denji and Kichizo witnessed a team of the defeated forces hide the Toyotomi treasure. When...

It is about the life of Ueshiba - the founder of aikido. We can see how he decided to develop aikido and how he did it. We can see why he developed...

A woman who runs a bar with her older sister has her life disrupted when she has a chance meeting with an old lover.

Set in Japan's Tenpyou era (729-749 CE), four young monks are sent to China to study Buddhism and bring a high priest back to Japan with them. The...

The Bohachi Clan, the most vile, corrupt organization with ties deep in the Shogunate, have controlled the flesh trade in Japan for generations. When...

Three high school student girls are on their spring break. They are expecting to get some sex of course. One becomes an adult magazine model. The...

Prisoners with special skills from all over Japan are sent to the battlefront on a mission.

In this gritty tale of gamblers battling in the samurai era, Okawa Hashizo gives perhaps his greatest performance as a gambler returning to his home...

Hiroshi, a small-time racketeer, makes a name for himself extorting vulnerable companies and their directors for financial gain.

In the year 1873, a Japanese woman is sold as a mistress to an American diplomat stationed in Japan.

Gonza was a handsome young laborer, a footman and spear-carrier, working hard for his meager wage. All Gonza wanted was to marry his young...

We find Reiko Ike once again cast as a tough schoolgirl who has to band together with her enemies to upset the reign of their private Catholic high...

The Kanto Gypsies, a tough girl gang, hide out from the law in the middle of a disputed gang territory, where they end up getting kidnapped by...

Upon his release from prison, Masa (Bunta Sugawara) is disappointed to not be picked up by his brother Katsu (Tamio Kawaji). After hitching a ride on...

A comedy about the lives of people living in the shopping district of Osaka.

A young doujinshi writer doesn't win the literary prize award, and ends up killing the selection committee.

Tetsu, is a honourable and noble yakuza caught in a conflict between rival clans, and obligations each has toward their yakuza boss and brothers. A...

Ninkyo with Hideki Takahashi.

Film with Junko Miyazono.

Second film of Makino's Nihon Kyokakuden series set in Osaka's harbor. The series also known as "The Domain" Each a stand alone film in it's own,...

Friendship between good samurais and aborigines in Hokkaido.

A group of men living a low life in Edo help each other to make the best out of their lives.

8th part of the Gamblers / Bakuchi-uchi series.

A kindhearted wandering gambler named Hajiro gets involved in a crisis of a village as he passes through and decides to lend a sword in hopes to...

A headstrong young man seeks to join the Shinsengumi, but while his determination impresses his superiors, questions begin to arise as to his true...

The final chapter of the Hibotan Bakuto series. Oryu the Red Peony visits an old dying Boss of an ally family and promised her that she would help...

A V-Cinema tokusatsu movie released by TOEI and Bandai Visual. Creature design by Keita Amemiya. It was originally planned to include Space Sheriff...

Takuma Tsurugi takes on the government, the police, the mafia and an international ring of kidnappers who aim to dispossess a beautiful young heiress...

A young girl, Okimi, falls in love with Kiritaro, a handsome thief disguised as a wealthy young master.

As Japan’s Tokugawa shogunate nears the end of its rule, Edo North Magistrate Toyama no Kinsan is called upon to judge the most difficult case...

Takashi, a bank robber, dreams of his final heist and escaping to Brazil... but in his way, stands a woman that loves him, his dead partner's...

The last in the series. Sugawara runs into two mahjong cheaters (Ichiro Araki and Mako Midori + sidekick Takuzo Kawatani) whom he takes for friends...

The most dangerous hired gun in Kyushu's underworld has managed to trigger a vicious gang war, and now, there's a contract on his life. Though nobody...

Part 7 in a long running (8+1 films) action/comedy/melodrama series about a pair of short tempered, amoral, but not evil chinpira (Bunta Sugawara and...

A dashing edition with fights , love, and laughter, in which the sorrows and joys of the guiltless world are colored by the guiltless travel crow,...

Action drama about a Japanese gangster in Manchuria circa 1932, who finally joins some Chinese mountain bandits.

Historical Yakuza gangster film set the early years of the Showa era.

The Domain: Kanda Festival Showdown