Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, "Rashomon" is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife.
Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.
Reprising his role from the popular TV series "Koya no Suronin" (The Lowly Ronin), Mifune Toshiro stars in this full-length, stand-alone made for TV movie. The wandering ronin is reminiscent of his most famous role as the samurai without a name in Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro". He travels about Japan, and while he may seek happiness, violence and tragedy always cross his path. This time, he reluctantly agrees when a girl hires him to kill a local offical who has unfairly taxed her villagers. But he soon discoves that not all is at it appears when he finds a direct link to his past.
Reprising his role from the popular TV series "Koya no Suronin" (The Lowly Ronin), Mifune Toshiro stars in this full-length, stand-alone made for TV movie. The wandering ronin is reminiscent of his most famous role as the samurai without a name in Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" and "Sanjuro". He travels about Japan, and while he may seek happiness, violence and tragedy always cross his path. This time it is a woman carrying a young infant who he encounters on the road that leads him into a tale of violence, intrigue and a village in uproar. A great story and cool action scenes, a movie not to be missed!
Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
The second film in the 1953 trilogy based on the long novel series The Great Bodhisattva Pass.
Historical drama about two samurai who fight over everything yet unite together to fight an evil lord.
A film about the struggle of an officer from Edo, Toyama Saemon, with a lightning-fast gang of thieves.
The final film in the 1953 trilogy based on the long novel series The Great Bodhisattva Pass.
A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
The story concerns the efforts of seven master swordsman who join together to protect the new inexperienced Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune from the evil plans of the Owari Clan's corrupt Lord. It's a colorful bunch, a drunk samurai, a master thief, a sword instructor and a Lord who is disguised as a ronin since it is an executable offense for a lord to wander outside of their domain without permission. As the Chief Magistrate becomes suspicious of the Owari plot to send men to Kodenmacho Prison to start a riot he begins to investigate the rumors. He soon calls upon the Lord of Mikazuki Castle and the Shogun's best friend to help thwart the evil ambitions and battle the rouge swordsman hired by the Owari Clan.
Following the death of the second Tokugawa shogun, it is revealed that he was poisoned by retainers of his son Iemitsu in hopes of gaining him the shogunate despite the stammer and birthmark which undermine his respect. Iemitsu and his brother Tadanaga become bitter rivals for the shogunate, and the land is split into factions, eventually erupting into warfare. Iemitsu's mentor, his fencing instructor Yagyu, is fixated upon securing Iemitsu the shogunate and ends up betraying everyone, even his own family, in pursuit of the goal.
A cowardly samurai is sent as an official executioner targeting the clan's former sword instructor, a man whose sword and spear skills are second to none.
The secret map of the treasure of Kenzan was stolen out of the house of a former soldier in Awa. A fight over the treasure that the map shows happens among the Rozyu, a Ronin, a thief, and the Hyodo family. Is the treasure there? Who will get it? Masakazu Tamura plays the role of a ronin from Edo, Hayato Arakida, from the Mumyo Tenshin school dojo and a swordmaster working for Lord Awa. The film is based on the original work of Kyotaro Nishimura. A period show with a fierce fight on a raft going down a river and romance.
The first work in the series "Cases of An Actor in Disguise" starring Kokichi Takada, based on the original work of Tatsuro Jinde. Kasumi Ippei is a popular ronin actor, and when he is not on stage he is investigating intricate crimes, in this film Ippei will solve the abduction of seven beautiful young girls.
Chuji Kunisada returns to his home village to find that Jubei Matsui, the corrupt magistrate, has been responsible for virtually destroying Kunisada's family. A final tragedy leads Kunisada to join with a band of rogues living in the forest in robbing from the rich and giving to the poor, always with an eye toward avenging himself on Magistrate Matsui.
In July of 1864, in an incident at the Ikedaya Inn in Kyoto, thirty Shinsengumi suppressed a cell of twenty Choshu revolutionaries, possibly preventing the burning of Kyoto. The incident made the squad more famous and led to soldiers enlisting in the squad. The leader is Hijikata Toshizo, who is said to have been a spoiled brat in his childhood. One day, Toshizo discovers a woman thief with a stolen purse. In the purse, a note mentioning the name of Ito Kashitaro is found detailing illegal operations. Toshizo fears will become true. There is a rift in Shinsengumi.
The film is inspired by Miyamoto Musashi who was one of the most famous Japanese ronin and warrior philosophers. This very alternate and visual interpretation of the fate of Miyamoto is brought into a mixture of contemporary Yakuza underworld and a hypnotic Samurai after-life. We flow seamlessly between through life, death, rebirth and the afterlife and challenge our traditional definition of the past, present and future. The film explores the agonizing and painful processes that go through the shattered mind of Miyamoto, as he desperately tries to hold on to the only thing he has left - The rapidly fading memories of his undying love for a woman named, Otsu. A love that for a Yakuza-Samurai is strictly forbidden and which will prove to have catastrophic consequences.
Set in the 19th century, "Moeyo Ken" follows the life of Toshizo Hijikata. He was the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi and fought against the Meiji Restoration.
A warrior-in-training and his bumbling friends go in pursuit of a stolen sword.