The Life of a Chivalrous Man in Suruga: Broken Swords

The Pinkie(ja)

Since they were both five, Ryosuke has been stalked by Momoko - the ugliest girl in the village. Her love for Ryosuke is so boundless that she has her face surgically altered to suit his taste - but still he wants nothing to do with her. Ryosuke goes in for fleeting romance - for example, with the girlfriend of a gangster boss. But when he finds out about their affair, he has Ryosuke's little finger hacked off. Magically, the finger falls into Momoko's hands, and she uses it to clone Ryosuke, so she can finally have him (or almost him) for herself. And this is just the first five minutes of Lisa Takeba's short-but-powerful feature debut. Just like in her previous short films, the director - who cut her teeth in the advertising world and as the writer of a video game - throws a lot of genres and techniques into the mix: from science fiction to gangster films, from hospital eroticism to animation. Hectic and absurd, but with its heart in the right place. © IFFR

Blue in Isezaki(ja)

Dochinpira 10(ja)

Chased out of Shōnan for trespassing on gang turf, Jin Kaito flees to Yokohama. There he’s rescued by Makoto, a mysterious and seductive woman that runs the nightclub Southern Cross alongside other women, all sworn off men until their business becomes a hit. Their solution? Hire Jin as their exclusive sexual partner. Now, he lives the dream, satisfying a new woman every day, no strings attached. But things take a dark turn when Makoto’s ex-boyfriend returns, determined to steal control of the club by force.

Unification of Japan 27(ja)

Tension continues at the Kyowakai headquarters. Kawatani, Himuro, and Tamura are unable to hide their anger and confusion at the events that occur one after another, such as Shibuya's death and a series of absentees from meetings. Meanwhile, in Kobe, a new anti-chivalry group is starting to move. However, Baba, who plays the role of chairman and does not know about Shibuya's death, postpones the official raising of the company.

CONFLICT: Outbreak(ja)

The Hyodo-gumi boss—part of Tendokai, Japan’s largest yakuza syndicate—has been brutally murdered. Kazuma Washio (Hitoshi Ozawa), the head of the Washio-gumi and Tendokai’s wakagashira (underboss), is convinced that Yoshinari Myojin (Sho Aikawa), a former Tendokai wakagashira-hosa now running Tokyo’s underworld of thugs and mafia, is behind the killing. Around the same time, Tendokai's 5th-generation chairman Katsushige (Hakuryu) orders Washio to secure a woman named Nagi Toyama (Akane Hotta). Washio sets out with his men, Okita (Yasukaze Motomiya) and Date (Hideo Nakano), but they’re ambushed by a group of heavily armed youths. Barely escaping, they manage to bring Nagi to their hideout—only to discover she’s a key player in a power struggle over the Tokyo Casino Project. And so begins the greatest conflict yet, entangling yakuza, mafia, street gangs, the police, and even the state itself—

Sonatine(ja)

Murakawa, an aging Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life, is sent by his boss to Okinawa along with a few of his henchmen to help end a gang war, supposedly as mediators between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, his group is attacked in an ambush. The survivors flee and make a decision to lay low at the beach while they await further instructions.

Naniwa Chūshingura(ja)

The Great Okinawa Yakuza War(ja)

Chiba, looking gnarly, and acting as animalistic as ever, stars alongside Matsukata as violent gangsters battling their way through fight after bloody fight with rival yakuza on the streets of Okinawa.

Dochinpira 8(ja)

Jin Kaito is back to his usual game: smooth talk, effortless charm, and a trail of lovers left behind. But everything changes when he meets Kumiko, a stunning, headstrong ex-biker girl who’s completely immune to his advances. Obsessed and intrigued, Jin refuses to give up and, when he learns Kumiko is desperate to help the man she loves pay off a crushing debt, he decides to step in, even if it means crossing the deadly Kuroiwa gang. With the clock ticking and the stakes higher than ever, Jin must risk everything to rescue Kumiko before she’s shipped out of the country.

Japan's Most Chivalrous(ja)

Taxi 2(fr)

A cabdriver and a cop race to Paris to rescue a love interest and the Japanese minister of defense from kidnappers.

Dochinpira 11(ja)

After being rejected by the beautiful woman Saeko, Jin approaches an office lady named Tomomi and "pleasures" her, but she turns out to be the mistress of a Shinryu-gumi gang. Meanwhile, he discovers that Saeko is the wife of the murdered underboss of the Issei-kai...

Gray Wall Gear(ja)

The stage of this work is Saitama, a suburb of Tokyo in the early Heisei period. Immediately after the bubble burst gangster countermeasures law, there were gangsters who defended the last territory and young people who freely controlled the city. The youth conflict escalated day by day and became a force that surpassed the yakuza, and the runaways were sent to juvenile prisons one after another, where exclusive rules awaited.

Dochinpira 13: Virgin Palace Breaking(ja)

Trying to demonstrate his gigolo skills to some rookies, Jin gets shot down by the beautiful and feisty Mao. His next attempt, Ami, turns out even worse, because she steals his money and vanishes. Discouraged and considering retirement, Jin wanders into a bar called “Life Counseling”, where the bartender moonlights as a fortune-teller. The reading is grim: Mao, the beloved sister of a friendly yakuza, is destined to be defiled by a gigolo. When Jin finds Ami again, he uncovers the truth: she's not only a virgin but is being blackmailed by a gang that forces her to seduce and rob men. Now Jin must dive into the criminal underworld to save Ami… and maybe find redemption along the way.

Life of Hishakaku(ja)

After eloping with a prostitute named Otoyo, Hishakaku takes refuge in the Kogane family’s turf. Indebted to Boss Kogane for his kindness, Hishakaku swears to dedicate himself to protect the Koganes in time of crisis. Hishakaku’s humble life comes to a sudden halt when the Kogane family becomes involved in a fatal feud with their rival, and Hishakaku’s services are called upon.

Dochinpira 6(ja)

Urged to quit the gigolo life, Jin sets out to prove he’s still got it. But his pride gets him into increasingly risky situations, including a disastrously public tryst. While fleeing a group of Yokohama punks, he hides in a car and meets Akiko, a fierce, beautiful woman who immediately becomes his new obsession. There’s just one problem: Akiko is the leader of a rival biker gang. And when Jin seduces the girlfriend of the opposing gang’s boss, he becomes the target of a dangerous vendetta. To make things worse... Ranko is kidnapped!

Brother(ja)

A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang.

Dochinpira 9(ja)

Looking for a change from city girls, legendary gigolo Jin Kaito heads to the beach town of Shōnan in search of sun, sea, and summer romance. He sets his sights on Ai — a stunning jet-skiing beauty — but she couldn’t care less. Worse yet, her friends beat him up right on a yacht. And the yacht belongs to none other than Ushio, a feared yakuza boss. As punishment, Jin is taken captive by Ushio’s classy but cold wife, Noriko, and her freakishly strong butler. Their demand? Instead of paying for the damages… Jin must satisfy Noriko. Still undeterred, Jin makes a daring bet with Ai, but can he really charm his way out of this mess?

Unification of Japan Gaiden: Yamazaki Ichimon 7 — The Little Romances of the Yamazaki(ja)

Yamamura (Kenta Kawasaki), an anime otaku since his school days, hid his passion while living as a delinquent. Back then, he fell in love at first sight with transfer student Akiko (Kazusa Okuyama), only to be heartbroken. Years later, on the way to a regular family meeting, Yamamura, Joji (Takashi Kitadai), and Ishizawa (Hiroto Honda) stop by a café—where Joji and Ishizawa both instantly fall for the waitress, Akiko. Seeing the trio completely smitten, self-proclaimed love expert Nakashima (Yoshimi Tachi) offers to investigate her tastes, but secretly begins dating her himself. Determined to confess, Yamamura visits Akiko’s home, only to be met by her troubled expression. Behind it all is Horiuchi, a café regular who had always lingered on the edge of her world. Learning the truth, Yamamura races to save Akiko from her situation.

Unification of Japan Gaiden: Yamazaki Ichimon 8 — Metro Police vs. Yamazaki Ichimon(ja)

A burglary hits the Yuseikai Kazo branch. The cash had already been moved from the safe, but Teru (Yutaka Kyan) is left pale and shaken. He drives Sakuragi (Takuma Sugawara) and the others out and locks himself inside the office, worrying Himuro (Yasukaze Motomiya) and Tamura (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi). Teru, however, is desperate to recover something he cannot afford to lose. As Nakashima (Yoshimi Tachi) predicted, the thief returns. Teru lies in wait and tries to capture him, but the burglars—two agile brothers known locally as the parkour brothers—escape with ease. The elder brother Ichiro (Joey) fell in with a theft ring for a specific reason. Meanwhile, it emerges that the string of burglaries may be connected to Fujimura, a Marubo detective…

Yakuza: Like a Dragon(ja)

Former yakuza underling Kazuma Kiryū has recently been released from prison after a lengthy incarceration and is trying to piece his life together and distance himself from his yakuza past. Unfortunately, Kiryū's problems slowly escalate as he is pursued by a former associate, the baseball-bat-wielding psycho Gorō Majima, who has a grudge to settle with Kiryū.

American Yakuza(en)

When Nick Davis leaves prison after one year in solitairy, he is hired to operate a forklift in a warehouse in the harbor owned by the Japanese Yakuza patriarch Isshin Tendo. The place is assaulted by the Italian Mafia lead by Dino Campanela and Nick rescues and saves the life of Shuji Sawamoto, who is the representative of Yakuza interests in America. Shuji hires Nick to work for Yakuza and becomes his godfather in the family after his oath to join Yakuza. However, Nick is a lonely FBI undercover agent assigned to penetrate the criminal organization. When the FBI discovers that Campanela is organizing a massive attack to destroy the Yakuza, Nick's boss Littman calls off the operation to leave the dirty work to the Italian Mafia. But the connection of Nick with Shuji and his goddaughter Yuko forces him to help his Japanese family.

The Return of Sister Street Fighter(ja)

When Koryu's childhood friend Shurei is abducted by gangsters, the desperate young woman recruits a female martial artist and a tough-as-nails stranger to join her for a dangerous rescue mission.

Graveyard of Honor(ja)

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

Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima(ja)

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 love with boss Muraoka's niece. Meanwhile, the ambitions of mad dog Katsutoshi Otomo draws our series' hero, Shozo Hirono, and the other yakuza into a new round of bloodshed.

Rainy Dog(ja)

A Japanese assassin stranded in Taiwan must take work from a local crime boss to make ends meet when suddenly a woman from his past delivers a son to him.

Youth of the Beast(ja)

When a mysterious stranger muscles into two rival yakuza gangs, Tokyo's underworld explodes with violence.

Vengeance Is Mine(ja)

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

The Outsider(en)

A former American G.I. joins a yakuza family after his release from prison in post-World War II Osaka.

Female Yakuza Tale(ja)

Ocho is accidentally captured by a drug trafficking cartel who use Chinese women to smuggle drugs into Japan by hiding it in their vaginas. She is tortured, and manages to escape, fighting both the male yakuzas and a gang of female thieves.

Street Mobster(ja)

After serving time, a defiant street thug is incensed to find his town overrun by two yakuza factions. He gathers his crew and takes them on.

Tokyo Drifter(ja)

After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.

Graveyard of Honor(ja)

A barkeeper saves a Yakuza boss' life and thus makes his way up in the organization. However, his fear of nothing soon causes problems.

Belly(en)

Tommy Bundy and Sincere are best friends as well as infamous and ruthless criminals and shot-callers in the hood. Respected by many but feared by all. As the police are closing in on them and new players are looking for a come up, will their reign last?

Hell Dogs(ja)

Bent on revenge, a traumatized ex-police officer must infiltrate a yakuza organization by befriending one of the group's most unhinged members.

Branded to Kill(ja)

After botching his latest assignment, a third-ranked Japanese hit man becomes the target of another assassin.

Fudoh: The New Generation(ja)

In order to settle a business dispute, a mob leader murders one of his own teenage sons. The surviving son vows to avenge his brother's death, and organizes his own gang of teenage killers to destroy his father's organization.

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues(ja)

Returning to the village where a year before he had killed Hirate, a much-admired opponent, Zatoichi encounters another swordsman and former rival in love.

Zatoichi on the Road(ja)

Zatoichi is sworn to protect the life of a young girl and without any real allies finds himself in the middle of a bloody turf war.

Tokyo Tribe(ja)

In an alternate Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. Merra, leader of the Wu-Ronz tribe of Bukuro, joins forces with heavy-hitting gangster Buppa of Buppa Town. With Buppa's support, Merra aims to initiate a gang war between the Wu-Ronz and the Musashino Saru, and in a confrontation between the two attempts to kill Kai of the Musashino Saru. The inadvertent murder of Kai's friend Tera (a Musashino Saru member beloved by all Tribes since before their formation) leads to the joining of forces between all of the Tribes in an all-out war against Merra and Buppa.