Masahiko Shimazu

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

The family of an older man who runs a small sake brewery become concerned with his finances and his health after they discover him visiting an old mistress from his youth.

A lighthearted take on director Yasujiro Ozu’s perennial theme of the challenges of inter­generational relationships, Good Morning tells the story of two young boys who stop speaking in protest after their parents refuse to buy a television set. Ozu weaves a wealth of subtle gags through a family portrait as rich as those of his dramatic films, mocking the foibles of the adult world through the eyes of his child protagonists. Shot in stunning color and set in a suburb of Tokyo where housewives gossip about the neighbors’ new washing machine and unemployed husbands look for work as door-to-door salesmen, this charming comedy refashions Ozu’s own silent classic I Was Born, But . . . to gently satirize consumerism in postwar Japan.

This short comedy concerns the extramarital affair of a drugstore owner. It is based on a popular song by the star of the film, Frank Nagai.

A theater troupe master's visit with his old flame unintentionally sets off a chain of unexpected events with devastating consequences.

Shūmatsu-ya hanjō-ki

In the nine part Wataridori series (1959-1962), Kobayashi played a wanderer on Japan’s back roads with most of the accoutrements of a Western hero, from a horse to fringes, guitar and even a trusty bullwhip.

The life of a toilet-seller during the Japanese Economic Miracle.

1962 Japanese movie

Koji Wada, who is good at shooting, karate, judo and boxing, has a tough fight with the sea gangsters!

Based on the original work of Yasunori Kawauchi of "Moonlight Mask", this is the second in the "Ginza Whirlwind Child (Mitsutogai)" series in which Asahi Kobayashi plays an active role in the death of a divine ghost in a skillful disguise. Takuya Nikaido appears in Kobe and approaches the mystery of the fake bill case.

A vengeful contractor hires a series of young killers to target a woman muckraker. Trouble brews when an amateur marksman shows up his eclectic competition.

The young rambler, Shinji Taki, with his guitar arrives a hot spa town at the foot of Mount Aizu Bandai. Of course he solves the problems in the town while encountering the sinister rival, Masa "the pistol guy".

A woman and her daughter are each forced to contend with an increasing pressure to marry, particularly from three men who knew her late husband.

The story is of two people. One is deaf, the other deaf and mute. They marry after meeting at a school reunion, and the film follows their trials and tribulations ... and joys.

After being fired from his company, Hitoshi Ueda opens a arbitration company. Experts from various fields gather around him and with their natural vitality, they solve one dispute after another. But as it turns out, their next dispute will be at a global scale.

Dokuritsu bijin-tai

A wandering swordsman helps a doll maker and his fiancée fight against a ruthless gang in a small town. As tensions escalate, epic duels and betrayals lead to a final showdown that shifts the balance of power. The swordsman departs, leaving a lasting impact on those he helped.

When noble wanderer Moritaro saves a disowned merchant’s son from gangsters, he becomes entangled in a town’s struggle against corruption. Teaming up with a rogue monk, bold tea-picking girls, and even a reformed thug, he battles a violent crime boss exploiting local families. Amid betrayals and brawls, justice and solidarity triumph.

Taro Uno, nicknamed "Fighting Taro," has joined Hyakusho Trading Company, which is currently busy with bidding for Southeast Asian reparations supplies. This is because their competitor, Toyo Bussan, is considered a strong contender. One day, Taro comes to the rescue of Toyo Bussan's president, Iwashita, and his illegitimate son, Kenji, who are being harassed by a local gangster named Kankichi.