JAPAN BOOKSTORE: Video/DVD Aisle

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Video/DVD

For many people, the first real glimpse of Japan was on a silver (or TV) screen. Of course, some films are more "real" than others, and even an expert blind samuri would cut a bigger swath through contemporary Edo with a cell phone than a sword. Nevertheless, there's nothing like a good movie! Whether you're building your own library, or looking for a unique gift, we hope you will like our selection of over 130 Japanese videos. We've tried to include alternate titles, formats, and related books. You'll have to get your own popcorn, though.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Japanese Film Guides General Film Guides

An Actor's Revenge -1963, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kon Ichikawa
AKA The Revenge Of Ukeno-Jo
A female impersonator in a kabuki troupe vows revenge on the organized crime family who years before drove his parents to suicide.

Angel Dust - 1996, English subtitles, Rated NR, Widescreen, NTSC
Director Sogo Ishii
After a syringe-wielding serial killer attacks on Tokyo subways, a police psychologist goes undercover to track him down.

An Autumn Afternoon - 1962, Subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Yasujiro Ozu
Contemplative study of loneliness and the fleeting nature of life, about a middle-class widower who dutifully arranges the marriage of his daughter.

The Animatrix -- DVD, Region 1, Animated, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby

Astroboy Vol.1: Birth of Astroboy - 1964, Dubbed in English, Rated NR, NTSC

Baby Cart at the River Styx - 1972, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: Perambulator of the River of Sanzu, Sword of Vengeance, Part II
While hired to kill a shogunate spy, Ogami is stalked by a deadly ninja.

Baby Cart in the Land of Demons - 1973, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC, AKA Crossroads to Hell, Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Land of Demons, Sword of Vengeance V
Mercenary warrior Ogami Itto defends a rural lord targeted by Shogunate spies.

The Bad Sleep Well - 1960, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
A young man (Toshiro Mifune), thirsting to revenge his father's death, agrees to marry the crippled daughter of a revered and wealthy business executive -- who, unknown to the groom, is the killer he's searching for in this variation on Hamlet.

The Ballad of Narayama - 1983, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Shohei Imamura
Chilling and effective film about the legend of Mount Narayama, where the elderly are abandoned to die atop a frigid mountain. Also, an interesting fishing technique. There's a 1958 version, too.

Black Rain - 1988, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, Black & White, Widescreen, HiFi, Surround Sound, AC-3)
Director Shohei Imamura
Not the American movie with Michael Douglas. A powerful examination the lingering effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. A young woman witnesses the explosion and survives, but cannot find a husband because suitors fear that she may have radiation sickness. Based on the book by Masuji Ibuse.

Blind Swordsman Cane Sword - 1967, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC (Zatoichi)

Blind Swordsman's Revenge - 1965, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC (Zatoichi)

Branded to Kill - 1967, English subtitles, Rated NR, DVD, Region 1 encoding, Widescreen
Director Seijun Suzuki
AKA Koroshi no Rakuin
Gangster movie about the breakdown of a second-level hitman.

The Burmese Harp -1956, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kon Ichikawa
Anti-war classic about a Japanese soldier at the end of WWII.

Castle in the Sky -- DVD, Region 1, Animated, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby)
Director Hayao Miyazaki

Chushingura - 1962, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), Widescreen, NTSC (DVD version)
AKA 47 Ronin
Director Hiroshi Inagaki
Effective samuri film.

Cowboy Bebop Complete Sessions Collection - DVD
Director Shinichirô Watanabe
Six individual volumes containing all 26 episodes with no case.

Dersu Uzala - 1975, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), Widescreen, NTSC
DVD
Director Akira Kurosawa
Based on the book Dersu the Trapper
A civilized Russian encounters a primitive Asian trapper.

Dodes 'Ka-Den - 1970, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), NTSC
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Unusual story about a Japanese homeless encampment filmed in lurid color. I've never met a Japanese native who liked this movie: I've never met an American who didn't. Judge for yourself.

Double Suicide - 1969, English subtitles, Rated NR, DVD, Region 1, Black & White, Rated: NR
Director Masahiro Shinoda
AKA Shinju Ten no Amijima
Married man falls for a courtesan.

Dreams - 1990, Subtitles, Rated: PG, NTSC (DVD)
Director Akira Kurosawa
Eight "dreams" deal with such concerns as the futility of war, the perils of nuclear power and humankind's need to harmonize with nature.

Drunken Angel - 1959, subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
Described as Kurosawa' "breakthrough" film, it tells the story of a wounded gangster (Mifune) and an alcoholic doctor (Takashi Shimura) fighting to survive in a city destroyed by war.

Eijanaika - 1981, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Shohei Imamura
Peasant experiences political corruption and upheaval during the 1860s.

Fighting Elegy - 1966, English subtitles, Rated NR, Widescreen, NTSC
Director Seijun Suzuki
AKA Kenka Erijii

Fist of the North Star - 1986, Dubbed, Rated NR, Closed-captioned, Animated, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, Closed-captioned, Animated, Digital Sound)
Director Toyoo Ashida
Violent, post-apocalyptic cartoon.

Forty-Seven Ronin, Part 1 - 1941, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi

Forty-Seven Ronin, Part 2 - 1942, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi

Funeral - 1987, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD)
AKA Death, Japanese Style, Zazambo
Director Juzo Itami
Itami's debut black comedy about a traditional Japanese funeral.

Gate of Flesh - 1964, English subtitles, Rated NR, Widescreen, NTSC
Director Seijun Suzuki
AKA Nikutai no Mon
A group of prostitutes all fall for the same criminal.

A Geisha - 1953, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
Life of a young apprentice.

Ghost in the Shell - 1997, Dubbed, Animated, Rated NR, NTSC, (Subtitled version), (DVD version: Region 1 encoding Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby, Making of featurette, production notes, theatrical trailer)
AKA Kokaku Kidotai
Director Mamoru Oshii
A synthetic cybercop battles an intelligent computer virus in this anime classic set in 2029. The subtitled version is better, but it's the animation that carries the film, anyway. It ain't your father's Y2K bug anymore!

Godzilla Movies!
Godzilla Box Set, DVD
Godzilla, King of the Monsters - 1956, VHS
Godzilla, King of the Monsters - 1956, DVD
King Kong Vs. Godzilla - 1963
Godzilla Vs Mothra - 1964
Godzilla Vs Cosmic Monster
Godzilla Vs Sea Monster
Godzilla Vs Megalon
Godzilla Vs Monster Zero - 1968, VHS
Godzilla Vs Monster Zero - 1968, DVD
Son of Godzilla - 1969
Son of Godzilla/SP Mode - 1969
Godzilla Vs. Gigan - 1972
Godzilla Vs Gigan/Vs Mechagodz
Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla/SP Mode - 1975
Godzilla Vs. Biollante - 1989
Godzilla Vs. King Ghidora - 1991, English subtitles
Godzilla & Mothra-Battle for Earth - 1992, English
Godzilla 1985 - 1985
Godzilla 1985/SP Mode
Godzilla '85/Godzilla Vs. Megalon - 1985
Johnny Legend Presents "Bambi Meets Godzilla" & Other Weird Cartoons - 1987
Godzilla Vs. Spacegodzilla - 1994, English
Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah - 1995, English
Godzilla - 1998, VHS
Godzilla - 1998, DVD

Gonza the Spearman - 1986, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Masahiro Shinoda
AKA Yari no Gonza
Samurai drama.

Grave of the Fireflies - 1988, English subtitles, Rated PG, NTSC
Animated antiwar film about two children who lives are shattered by World War II.

Gunhed - 1989, Dubbed in English, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Masato Harada
End of civilization science fiction about a rag-tag band of who repair the last Gunhed robot and attempt to save the world.

Harakiri - 1962, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Masaki Kobayashi
From the director of Samurai Rebellion.

Hidden Fortress - 1958, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), Widescreen, NTSC
AKA Kakushi Toride No San-Akunin
Director Akira Kurosawa
A great mix of American western, Noh theater, and Shakespeare. Everybody knows that this was the inspiration for the first Star Wars movie (recognize the robots?), but it stands quite well on its own merits, thank you.

High and Low - 1962, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, Widescreen, Letterbox)
Director Akira Kurosawa
Business executive Toshiro Mifune is financially ruined when he pays ransom money to kidnappers who mistakenly stole his chauffeur's son.

The Idiot - 1951, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
The Dostoevski story, set in postwar Japan, stars Toshiro Mifune.

I Like You...I Like You Very Much - 1994, Subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC (DVD, Region 1, Color)
Director Oki Hiroyuki
Gay Japanese couple examines their monogamous relationship after one strays with a young hunk in a train station.

Ikiru - 1952, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
Petty bureaucrat discovers he is dying of cancer and tries to accomplish some good in the world.

In the Realm of Passion - 1980, English subtitles, Rated R, NTSC (DVD)
Director Nagisa Oshima

In the Realm of the Senses - 1976, Subtitles, Rating (Not for sale to persons under age 18), NTSC (DVD version)
AKA Ai No Corrida
Director Nagisa Oshima
A disturbing but beautiful erotic masterpiece whose hardcore and violent elements make it unsuitable for the faint of heart. Men may want to run their significant others through a metal detector after viewing this film. For an examination of the real-life basis of the film, check out the book Geisha-Harlot-Strangler-Star: A Woman, Sex, And Morality in Modern Japan.

Kagemusha - 1980, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
A thief takes the place of a noble in warring, 16th century Japan.

Kiki's Delivery Service - 1989, Dubbed, NTSC, Animated (DVD, Region 1, Animated, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby)
Director Hayao Miyazaki
A headstrong, 13-year-old girl solos as an apprentice witch with help from her cat Jiji (whose voice was dubbed by the late Phil Hartman). Another nice film from Miyazaki that appeals to all ages.

Kwaidan - 1964, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), Widescreen, NTSC
AKA Ghost Story
Director Masaki Kobayashi
Collection of four supernatural stories: "Black Hair" a samurai warrior finds that breaking up is hard to do; "Yuki-Onna" a woodcutter with a secret; "Hoichi The Earless" discovers that sutras are only so effective against the ghost of a samurai; and "The Cup of Tea" contains a very special ingredient.

Late Chrysanthemums - 1954 Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated NR, NTSC
Director: Mikio Naruse

Late Spring - 1949, Subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Yasujiro Ozu
Widowed professor living with his adult daughter realizes that her devotion is ruining her personal life, he pretends to remarry.

The Life of Oharu - 1952, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
AKA Diary Of Oharu
Upper-class woman falls in love with a samurai (Mifune) and is disgraced. This film won the Silver Lion at the 1952 Venice Film Festival.

Lone Wolf and Cub - 1972, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: Child and Expertise for Rent, Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, Sword of Vengeance I
Director Misumi Kenji
First in the series. Samurai Ogami Itto was falsely accused of treason by the vicious Yagyu clan, and his wife was murdered by the family's assassins. Now, with his son in tow (in cart, actually), single dad Ogami roams the Japanese countryside in search of revenge. Careful -- you'll get hooked!

Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart in Peril - 1972, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
AKA Lone Wolf and Cub: In Peril, Sword of Vengeance IV
Director Saito Buichi
Former shogunate executioner Ogami Itto must hunt down and destroy Oyuki, evil mistress of the martial arts.

Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart to Hades - 1972, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
AKA Baby Cart in Hades, Lightning Swords of Death, Lone Wolf and Cub: Perambulator Against the Winds of Death, Lupine Wolf, Sword of Vengeance, Part III
More expert swordplay.

The Lower Depths - 1957, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
A group of down-and-outers struggle to survive hard times. Toshiro Mifune plays a thief.

Maborosi - 1995, English subtitles, Rated NR, Widescreen, NTSC
Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
A newly remarried widow tries move past her first husband's suicide. This debut film took awards at the Venice, Vancouver, and Chicago Film Festivals.

Masseur Ichi Enters Again - 1963, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC (Zatoichi)

Masseur Ichi/Fugitive - 1963, Rated NR, NTSC (Zatoichi)

Minbo - 1994, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Juzo Itami
Nobuko Miyamato (Itami's wife) is hired by a hotel to deal with a yakuza problem.

My Neighbor Totoro - 1993, Dubbed, NTSC, Animated
Director Hayao Miyazaki
Animation master Hayao Miyazaki blows Disney away with this story about two young sisters who move to the country and meet a friendly forest spirit named Totoro. Get your tokens ready for the big cat!

No Regrets for Our Youth - 1946, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
A woman's struggle in pre-WWII Japan.

Okoge - 1992, Subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC (DVD, Region 1, Color)
Director Takehiro Nakajima

Onibaba - 1964, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
AKA The Demon, Devil Woman, God Told Me To, The Hole, The Ogress, The Witch
Director Kaneto Shindo
In medieval Japan, a peasant woman and her daughter murder stray soldiers and sell their armor. A crafty warrior seduces the daughter, but the mother gets her revenge.

Osaka Elegy - 1936, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
A woman is condemned by society for behavior that would be tolerated if she
were a man. This print was digitally transferred from a 35mm composite print in its original aspect ration of 1.33:1 and was minted from a composite duplicate negative.

Princess Yang Kwei Fei - 1955, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
Tragic tale about an Emperor who takes a country girl as his concubine.

Ran - 1985, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: Not for sale to persons under age 18, NTSC (DVD)
AKA Chaos
Director Akira Kurosawa
Shakespeare's epic tragedy King Lear re-worked into a 16th-century warlord who attempts to divide his kingdom among his three sons. A great film. "Ran" is the kanji for "chaos."

Rashomon - 1951, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD)
Director Akira Kurosawa
Hard to imagine a more influencial Japanese movie. The story of a rape and murder is told from four different (and contradictory) points of view, using basically the same facts. The Western The Outrage (starring Paul Newman) is just one of many copies. Consider picking up Rashomon and Other Stories or Rashomon (Rutgers Films in Print, Vol 6) by Akira Kurosawa (Photographer), Donald Richie (Editor).

Red Beard - 1965, English subtitles, Rated NR, Widescreen, NTSC (DVD)
Director Akira Kurosawa
Explores a complex relationship between a crusty older doctor (Mifune) and a brash young intern.

Record of a Tenement Gentleman - 1947, Subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Yasujiro Ozu
Daily life in a small Japanese town centered around the story of a stubborn widow who reluctantly adopts a stray orphan.

Return of the Street Fighter - 1975, Not rated, NTSC
Director Sakae Ozawa
Sonny Chiba returns to infiltrate a prison.

Rhapsody in August - 1994, English subtitles, Digital Video Transfer, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
Japanese grandmother who recalls the bombing of Nagasaki.

Ringu - DVD, Region 1, Color, Widescreen, Dolby
Director Hideo Nakata

Rikyu - Rated NR, NTSC
Director Hiroshi Teshigahara
A Buddist priest's relationship to the powerful warlord Hideyoshi Toyotomi.

Roujin Z - 1991, English subtitles, NTSC, Animated
Also available in DVD. Region 1 encoding, Closed-captioned, Widescreen letterbox

Samurai 1 - Musashi Miyamoto - 1955, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, HiFi Sound, Theatrical trailer, Full-screen format)
AKA Legend of Musashi, Master Swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, Samurai
Director Hiroshi Inagaki
Samurai goes off to war, suffers defeat, returns as an outlaw, but is saved by a Buddhist priest and the love of a woman. Academy Award (Honorary): Best Foreign Language Film. Also available in a box set: The Samurai Trilogy - 1956, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Three tapes. Books related to Musashi include: Way of the Samurai (Musashi Book 1) by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry (Translator) Mass Market Paperback, Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry (Translator) Hardcover, and The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi Paperback.

Samurai 2 - Duel at Ichijoji Temple - 1955, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, HiFi Sound, Theatrical trailer, Full-screen format)
AKA Swords of Doom, Zoku Miyamoto Musashi
Director Hiroshi Inagaki
Also available in a box set: The Samurai Trilogy - 1956, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Three tapes. Books related to Musashi include: Way of the Samurai (Musashi Book 1) by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry (Translator) Mass Market Paperback, Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry (Translator) Hardcover, and The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi Paperback.

Samurai 3 - Duel at Ganryu Island - 1956, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Digital Sound (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, HiFi Sound, Theatrical trailer, Full-screen format)
AKA Ketto Ganryujima, Miyamoto Musashi Yori: Ketto Ganryujima, Musashi and Kojiro
Director Hiroshi Inagaki
Also available in a box set: The Samurai Trilogy - 1956, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Three tapes. Books related to Musashi include: Way of the Samurai (Musashi Book 1) by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry (Translator) Mass Market Paperback, Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa, Charles S. Terry (Translator) Hardcover, and The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi Paperback.

Samurai Assassin - English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Mifune Toshiro joins a gang of ronin and murders his best friend.

Samurai Banners - 1969, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC

Samurai Rebellion - 1967, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Widescreen
Director Masaki Kobayashi
Mifune revolts when his lord claims Toshiro's unwilling daughter-in-law as a mistress. Winner of a special International Film Critics Award at the Venice Film Festival.

Samurai Reincarnation - Dubbed in English, Rated NR, NTSC
Sonny Chiba vehicle.

Sanjuro - 1962, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Widescreen, Digital Video Transfer (DVD, Region 1, Black & White, Widescreen, Dolby)
Kurosawa bailed on this sequel to Yojimbo, but Mifune returns to help nine bumbling, younger samuri .

Sanshiro Sugata - 1943, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa's debut. Sugata, a young fighter, becomes a judo master and seeks inner peace.

Sansho the Bailiff - 1954, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
AKA The Bailiff
In 11th-century Japan, a provincial governor is exiled, his children become slaves and the mother is sold as a prostitute.

The Seven Samurai - 1954, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, Commentary by Japanese film expert Michael Jeck, Theatrical trailer(s), Full-screen format)
Director Akira Kurosawa
A defenseless village, constantly besieged outlaws, tries to hire a band of samurai for protection. What they get is quite different, and it makes for a classic film that has spawned dozens of pale imitations (including the Magnificent Seven). An absolute must-see.

Shall We Dance? -1996, English subtitles, Rated: PG, NTSC
Director Masayuki Suo
Funny and touching film about a middle-aged salaryman who breaks out of his daily routine with -- ballroom dance! Great movie.

Sister Street Fighter - 1976, Rated R, NTSC
Director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Tina Long joins Sonny Chiba.

The Sisters of the Gion - 1936, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
Story of two Geisha sisters looking for wealthy patrons in Kyoto.

Sonatine - 1993, English subtitles, Rated Not for sale to persons under age 18, NTSC
Director Takeshi Kitano
Middle-aged gangster find himself between two yakuza factions. Violent.

Spirited Away - DVD, Region 1, Animated, Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby)
Director Hayao Miyazaki

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum - 1939, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
In 1885 Tokyo, an actor falls in love with a family servant.

Stray Dog - 1949, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Akira Kurosawa
In 1940s Tokyo a detective (Toshiro Mifune) loses his revolver he must go undercover among the down-and-out and desperate.

Street Fighter - 1974, Rated R, NTSC
Sonny Chiba takes on the Mafia and the Yakuza.

The Street Fighter's Last Revenge - 1979, Rated R, NTSC
Sonny Chiba gets double-crossed, and mad.

Street of Shame - 1956, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
The stories of prostitutes in Dreamland, a Tokyo brothel.

The Sun's Burial - 1960, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Nagisa Oshima

Sword of Doom - 1967, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kihachi Okamoto
Samurai action.

Taboo - 2000, Subtitles, Color, Widescreen, NTSC (DVD, region 1 , Color, Widescreen)
Director Nagisa Oshima
Beat Takeshi (a samurai captain) struggles to maintain order in the ranks as gay passions flare among the samurai of an 1865 militia.

Tampopo - 1986, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Widescreen (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, Widescreen)
Director Juzo Itami
A minor classic that inspired a whole cycle of "food=love/life" movies. A young widow running a noodle restaurant is assisted in her quest for the perfect bowl of ramen by a stoic truck driver; a gourmet gangster satisfies his erotic/peverse attracton to food; and the audience learns a new trick with a vacuum cleaner. Anybody feel like yams?

Taxing Woman - 1987, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD version: Region 1 encoding, Theatrical trailer, Widescreen letterbox)
Director Juzo Itami
Great comedy by the Tampopo team about a tireless, female Japanese IRS investigator (played by the director's wife) who takes on a cheating, hotshot businessman.

Taxing Woman's Return - 1990, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC
Director Juzo Itami
No-nonsense tax inspector Ryoko Itakura spars with a phony religious sect and a band of underhanded businessmen. Will the "little woman" prevail?

Tetsuo: The Ironman - 1988, English subtitles, Rated Unrated, NTSC
Director Shinya Tsukamoto
Really weird, Cronenberg-esque film about a man whose flesh gradually becomes machine.

Tetsuo II: Bodyhammer - 1992, English subtitles, Rated Not for sale to persons under age 18, NTSC
Director Shinya Tsukamoto
Japanese businessman turns -- literally -- into a human weapon, with a collapsible chest cannon and an assault rifle for an arm. Wierd and grotesque.

Textile Magicians: Japan - Rated NR, NTSC
Director Cristobal Zanartu
Featured on PBS and in the 1999 Museum of Modern Art exhibit "Structure and Surface," this video shows five contemporary textile artists: natural indigo dyeing, weaving with sand, installations in cedar forests, and the ancient techniques of kasuri (ikat) and shibori dyeing.

Throne of Blood - 1957, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC (DVD, Region 1)
AKA Castle of the Spider's Web, Cobweb Castle, Macbeth, Spider Web Castle
Director Akira Kurosawa
Kurosawa's version of "Macbeth" is full of the sound and fury of feudal Japan. How many times does he ride out of that fog? For an interesting stylistic comparison check out the classic 1948 Orson Welles version.

Tokyo Decadence - 1993, Subtitles, Rating (Not for sale to persons under age 18), NTSC (Dubbed version), (DVD, Region 1, Color)
Director Ryu Murakami
Kind of silly tale involving crime, kinky sex and high finance.

Tokyo Fist - 1995, English subtitles, Rated Unrated, NTSC (DVD, All Regions, Color)
Director Shinya Tsukamoto
Tetsuo director punches into new territory with this odd and violent story of a love triangle consisting of an insurance salesman, his fiancee and a boxer.

Traffic Jam - 1991, Subtitles, Rating (Not Rated), NTSC
Director Mitsuo Kurotsuchi
Dark comedy about a Japanese family whose trip to the country is interrupted by a terrible traffic jam. Original soundtrack by Kenny G. Other than the Kenny G. thing, well worth watching.

Ugetsu - 1953, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi
Two peasants leave their families to seek fame and fortune in this ghost story set in 16th-century Japan.

Utamaro and His Five Women - 1946, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Kenji Mizoguchi

Vengeance Is Mine - 1979, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Widescreen
Director Shohei Imamura
Based on a true story, a detailed look at the shocking life of a cold and brutal criminal. By the director of Black Rain and The Ballad of Narayama.

Violence at Noon - 1966, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC
Director Nagisa Oshima

Warm Water Under A Red Bridge 2001, Subtitles, Color, Widescreen, NTSC (DVD region 1, widescreen)
Director Shohei Imamura

White Heaven in Hell - 1997, Subtitles, Widescreen, Rated: NR, NTSC
AKA Baby Cart 6: Go to Hell, Daigoro!, Jigoku e ikuzo! Daigoro, Lone Wolf and Cub: White Heaven in Hell, Sword of Vengeance VI
This sixth (and last) film in the Lone Wolf and Cub series features the final conflict between Ogami Itto and the Yagyu clan.

Woman in the Dunes - 1964, English subtitles, Rated NR, NTSC (DVD, All Regions, Black & White)
Director Hiroshi Teshigahara
AKA Suna no Onma
Amateur entomologyst visits a strange village built in sand dunes and is trapped, in a house surrounded by constantly encroaching walls of sand, with an attractive widow.

The Yakuza - 1975, Rated R, NTSC
Director Sydney Pollack
Interesting tough-guy misfire starring Robert Mitchum, Brian Keith and Ken Takakura. Mitchum battles the Yakuza in post-World War II Japan!

Yojimbo - 1962, Subtitles, Rated: NR, NTSC, Widescreen
Director Akira Kurosawa
This semi-comic classic follows a drifting samurai-for-hire (Toshiro Mifune) who outwits two warring factions while defining his own sense of honor. It spawned a generation of "spaghetti Westerns" (can you say "Clint Eastwood"?) and was recently remade as Last Man Standing (Bruce Willis).

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo - English subtitles, Rated NR
Ichi seeks tranquillity in a favorite village, but runs into Yojimbo.

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 1 - The Tale of Zatoichi - DVD, Region 1, Black & White, Widescreen)
Director Kimiyoshi Yasuda

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 2 - The Tale of Zatoichi Continues - DVD, Region 1, Black & White, Widescreen)
Director Kazuo Mori

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 3 - New Tale of Zatoichi - DVD, Region 1, Color, Widescreen)
Director Tokuzo Tanaka

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 4 - The Fugitive - DVD, Region 1, Color, Widescreen)
Director Tokuzo Tanaka

Zatoichi the Blind Swordsman, Vol. 5 - On the Road - DVD, Region 1, Color, Widescreen)
Director Kimiyoshi Yasuda

Zero Woman - 1995 (DVD Region 1)
Director Daisuke Gotoh
Inspired by La Femme Nikita, executed with low-budget slickness, and spiced with soft-core interludes, this series follows the exploits of a female assassin for a secret government agency.

Japanese Film Guides

Contemporary Japanese Film by Mark Schilling Paperback
400 pages
Nearly four hundred reviews of individual films and a dozen interviews and profiles of leading directors and producers.

Eros in Hell: Sex, Blood & Madness in Japanese Cinema (1999) by Jack Hunter Paperback 256 pages
An illustrated guide to Japanese exploitation cinema. Profusely illustrated with over 200 explicit and rare photographs.

The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Richie, Joan Mellen Paperback
280 pages

Films of Oshima Nagisa: Images of a Japanese Iconoclast by Maureen Cheryn Turim Paperback
317 pages

From Book to Screen: Modern Japanese Literature in Films by Keiko I. McDonald Paperback

Japanese Cinema: An Introduction (1990) by Donald Richie Hardcover
102 pages
Fairly academic Japanese film history, from the silent period to the present day.

Japanese Cinema: The Essential Handbook (1998) by Thomas Weisser Paperback 397 pages

Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: Horror Fantasy and SciFi Films (1998) by Thomas Weisser Paperback
325 pages

Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films (1998) by Thomas Weisser Paperback
600 pages

Japanese Cinema: The Essential Handbook (1998) by Thomas Weisser Paperback
397 pages

The Japanese Film by Joseph L. Anderson Paperback
526 pages
Chronological overview, film techniques, directors, actors and audiences.

Kurosawa: Film Studies and Japanese Cinema Paperback
424 pages

The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film by Tom Mes, Jasper Sharp Paperback
376 pages
A comprehensive study of Japanese filmmaking, both live action and animated, profiling 19 contemporary Japanese filmmakers, from the well-known (Kitano, Miike, Miyazaki) to the up-and-coming (Naomi Kawase, Satoshi Kon, Shinya Tsukamoto) and reviewing 97 of their recent films. 100+ images. Foreword by Hideo Nakata, director of Ringu.

Reframing Japanese Cinema: Authorship, Genre, History by Arthur Nolletti Paperback
365 pages

The Warrior's Camera by Stephen Prince Paperback
432 pages
Study of Akira Kurosawa.

The Yakuza Movie Book: A Guide to Japanese Gangster Films by Mark Schilling Paperback
320 pages

General Film Guides/Etc.

Time Out Film Guide (13th Ed, 2004) by John Pym (Editor) Paperback
1618 pages
Strong international coverage with award listings for the Berlin, Venice, and Cannes festivals as well as the Oscar winners since 1927. Cross-referenced with extensive indexes covering films by country, genre, subject, director, and actor.

Halliwell's Film & Video Guide 2003 by Leslie Halliwell Paperback
992 pages
Another monster guide with more than 23,000 entries.

Film Is Content: A Study Guide for the Advanced ESL Classroom by Julia A. Williamson, Jill C. Vincent Paperback
Short introductions, plot descriptions, worksheets and suggestions for themes. Chapters include: Classic Films, Feminism, Discrimination, etc.