Lords of Oppression

Four thousand gold coins were stolen from the vault of Nijo Castle in Kyoto, which were collected as a tax to the shogun. The guard of Nijo castle Asaka Keinosuke, disguised as a komuso monk, proceeds to investigate the theft, traces of thieves lead to Edo, where Asaka goes.

An inept and recently graduated Japanese man begins working in the administration of Manchuria, under the supervision of his uncle. Meanwhile, he becomes acquainted with both a Japanese and Manchurian woman.

Protecting the peace of the Edo Period is the fictitious but cool plainclothes detective they call Boss Heiji, Zenigata Heiji. A friend of the people, he hates corruption and will not take any kind of bribe, which means he lives in total poverty and sometimes it takes two months just to come up with the rent. The ones there to help Heiji are his old, but comical friend, Hachigoro and his beloved wife, O-Shizu. O-Shizu, who always sends Heiji off after a "kiribi" (good-luck purification), is the one supporting Heiji and his heart... it is for O-Shizu's sake that he's tried to hold back on his "coin tossing" and be thrifty.

Tale of tragic love between samurai and princess during Heian period.

A blacksmith is chased out of the village by the sinister village chief and forced to move to the forest with his wife and two sons. The blacksmith's younger son is disabled, and the other children in the village tease him. The older son aspires to become a doctor in order to fix his brother's leg. The film depicts the bond between a father and his sons. Only 18 minutes survive.

In Depression-era Japan, a courteous bus driver carries an eclectic group of passengers from the mountainous Izu to Tokyo.

Set in the port city of Yokohama, two girls, Sunako and Dora who attend a Christian school, pledge to be friends. But when a youth named Henry appears on his motorcycle and offers to take Sunako for a ride, we know that this friendship won't last and that the lives of both girls will change in ways they are barely able to comprehend, and can do little to change.

One of the great stories from Japan’s rich history comes to life in this true tale of the bloody showdown between two rival yakuza gangs in the 1840’s. The battle between Boss Sukegoro of Iioka and Boss Shigezo of Sasagawa has been portrayed many times, most notably in the first Zatoichi film, where the blind man befriends the tubercular ronin Hirate Miki, before cutting him down in one of the great duels in cinema history. This all-star extravaganza pulls out all the stops, with appearances by virtually all of the great actors and actresses from Toei’s studio at the time. Ichikawa Utaemon’s portrayal of the kind-hearted, noble yakuza boss Shigezo of Sasagawa contrasts sharply with the devious Sukegoro of Iioka. Corrupt as he may have been, his men were all willing to give up their lives for him.

Master swordsman and loyal vassal Saotome Mondonosuke goes on a mission to find a missing princess.

Orphaned Kiku was raised at a Buddhist temple and learned theatrical arts and martial arts as a child, which were used to put on stage productions to raise money for the temple, but also to display young lads who were essentially for sale to the highest bidder. When Kiku gets fed up with how the temple uses the orphans and wants to leave he gets accused of a double murder and has to flee for his life and liberty.

Graduate Okajima finds his old-fashioned beard makes life difficult in a comedy exploring the tension between tradition and modernity.

After the plans of a group of college students to cheat on their final exams goes awry, they're left to reassess their lives and educations and get back on track.

The stormy tale of the Shinsengumi is told from its birth by master filmmaker Sasaki Yasushi, with an all-star cast based on the original story by Shirai Kyoji. The battles between the royalists and Shogunate supporters come to a fever pitch during the Gion Festival as the exclusionists plot to burn Kyoto and kidnap the Emperor. From its earliest beginnings as a group of ronin brought from Edo to protect the Shogun when he is in Kyoto to see His Imperial Highness, the group had to face difficulties both from within and without. Commander Serizawa Kamo's corrupt practices threaten the group's very existence, as they try to recover from the bad reputation he left them with. Their redemption comes when they learn of Katsura Kogoro plans to gather men at Kyoto's Ikedaya Inn for his attack on the city. Along with Hijikata Toshizo and Okita Soji, Kondo leads the group in an attempt to save Japan from the rebels.

A swordsman must foil a minister's sinister plan to assassinate the shogun.

From his early days as Matsudaira Motoyasu through his rise to the most powerful man in Japan as Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first of the Tokugawa Shoguns, this is the story of the man who truly unified Japan under one ruler. Tokugawa Ieyasu is quoted as saying: “People carry burdens through life as they travel a long road. Never rush” “If you think of privation as normal, you’ll be contented. If you know only about winning and losing, harm may fall upon you. Being inferior is batter than being superior.” These writing reflected the beliefs and military strategy of Ieyasu, a man before his time who was destined to take over the entire country in order to ensure the safety of his children.