Tadashi Hattori

A descent into Eastern Europe's haunted woodlands uncovers the secrets, fairy tales, and bloody histories that shape our understanding of man's place in nature.

In 1955 Tadahito Mochinaga was asked to create commercials for Asahi beer, which he created using stop-motion, followed by the 1956 short film "Beer Mukashi Mukashi" (Beer, those were the days...), created specifically for theatres. With the help of Kikachiro Kawamoto and Noburo Ofuji, this is the first animated short/commercial in stop-motion made for Japanese cinemas!

A Japanese drama featuring the one-eyed, one-armed swordsman

Japanese war film.

A kappa village is devastated by a large storm during festival preparations. With no fish in the river, the village is weakened. Kawatarou and his girlfriend head the mountains to find anything to bring back.

Japanese war drama.

A comedic retelling of the legend of the loyal 47 ronin.

Based on the story of Shimizu no Jirocho.

Japanese comedy film.

Directorial debut by Umetsugu Inoue, the famous director of Musicals

Yoshitsune Minamoto, disguised with his retinue as monks, must make do with a comical porter as their guide through hostile territory en route to safety.

Though recognized worldwide almost exclusively for his colorful kaiju fare, director Ishirō Honda (Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra) was a natural humanist with a particular understanding of the relationship between people and their social environs. His debut fiction feature, The Blue Pearl (Aoi Shinju) – virtually unseen in the west until now – depicts the melodramatic, but keenly-observed interplay between a young man from Tokyo and two ama (pearl divers; literally “women of the sea”) in a superstitious coastal town. Though raised within the same tradition-bound crucible, the two women – Noe and Riu – are portrayed as diametric opposites; the former meek but affectionate, the latter strong-willed but jaded by a tryst with metropolitan life. Nonetheless, Honda provides equal weight to their desires and their ambitions to break free from the social mold imposed upon them from birth.

Japanese comedy film.

Three humorous love stories set in rural Japan.

Japanese noir.

A young man rents an apartment in Tokyo and discover it was built by his father. He falls in love with the daughter of the mistress of the house and decides to marry her. Only to discover that his father is is in debt and wants him to marry Ranko so that she may help his company by granting 1.5 million yen. Teruko decides to borrow money from a greedy bar owner who lends her money on certain conditions and photographs her without her consent. A love traingle forms between Koroku, Ranko, and Teruko. Things complicate when Koroku marries Teruko and Tsugawa threatens them for the money causing many twists and turns.

A family of cats find an abandoned kitten and take him in to their home. But one of the siblings becomes jealous about the attention the new cat gets from her mother and runs away from home. The new member of the family goes looking for her. Can he bring her back home safely and get her to accept him as part of the family?

A family of cats find an abandoned kitten and take him in to their home. But one of the siblings becomes jealous about the attention the new cat gets from her mother and runs away from home. The new member of the family goes looking for her. Can he bring her back home safely and get her to accept him as part of the family?

楽しくなるはずの日曜日のデートでことごとく厳しい現実に遭遇して落ち込む恋人たちが、最後にはそれでも明るい未来に希望を抱き絆を強める姿を巨匠・黒澤明監督が描いた瑞々しい感動編。とある日曜日にデートを計画した雄造と昌子。でも、手持ちのお金はたった35円。お金がないなりになんとか工夫して楽しいデートをと考えるのだが、そんな二人に容赦ない現実が待っていた。すっかり惨めな気持ちになって帰路につく二人だったが…。

黒澤明監督の戦後最初の監督作品。京大・滝川事件とゾルゲ・スパイ事件をモチーフに、ファシズムの吹き荒れる時代にあって自らの信念に基づいて強く生きる女性の姿を謳い上げたドラマ。国民的アイドル原節子が芯の強いヒロインを好演。昭和8年。京都帝国大学の教授・八木原の教え子たちにとって教授の一人娘、幸枝は憧れの的。野毛、糸川の二人の学生も幸枝に想いを寄せていた。秀才型で日和見的な糸川に対して実直で行動派の野毛。軍国主義が強まる中、野毛が左翼運動へと身を投じる一方、糸川はひたすらに法曹の道を目指していた。やがて、幸枝は信念を持って行動する野毛に魅力を感じ始めるのだったが……。

After learning that he has accidentally killed a man in a fight, Unokichi must look after the man's pregnant widow.

1946 Toho film directed by Kiyoshi Saeki

Based on a short story by Dazai Osamu, produced under the national film law. The film's hero falls in love with the youngest daughter of a family he is visiting to arrange an engagement for his friend who has been drafted to fight in the war.

The premature death of a young mother serves as inspiration for her husband and son.

Story of Jiro

Arichan the Ant finds a violin in a sandbox and keeps it. However, realizing how important it is to its owner, he returns it to her.

The conflict between ducklings and frogs escalates into war. However, a lightning strike makes the fighters realize the trivial nature of their battle.

Song of the White Orchid was a co-production of Toho and Mantetsu, the railway that served the colonial region of Manchuria, and the first film in the Kazuo Hasegawa/Shirley Yamaguchi (Ri Koran) “Continental Trilogy.” Handsome Hasegawa (representing Japan) runs up against an impertinent Yamaguchi (representing the continent); not surprisingly, in the course of the film the woman comes around and realizes the benevolent intentions of the Japanese. In Song of the White Orchid Yamaguchi leaves Hasegawa, who plays an expatriate working for the railway, because of a misunderstanding. She joins a communist guerilla group plotting to blow up the Manchurian railway. Learning of the subterfuge that led to the misunderstanding, she renews her faith in Hasegawa—and by extension Japan—and tries to undermine the plot.

Two young girls, Nobiko and Tomiko, go to the same school. The less fortunate girl Nobiko is one of the top students, while the rich girl Tomiko is not. At one time Tomiko's father was quite fond of Nobuko's mother.

亡くなった父親の財産を母子が食いつぶし、唯一の頼りは叔父の株投資。しかしその叔父も相場で失敗して、追い詰められるが、末っ子の娘以外は現実を見ようとしない。

A priest in Hokkaido adopts a blind orphan girl, and as she grows up he finds himself falling in love with her.