Known for Acting
Denden (でんでん Denden, born Yoshihiro Ogata (緒方 義博); 23 January 1950) is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than one hundred films since 1981.
Born
January 23, 1950 (age 76)
Birthplace
Chikushino, Fukuoka, Japan
Filmography
123 films, 49 shows
Emergency Interrogation Room: The Final
2025
country: Japan
Movie based on the Emergency Interrogation Room series.
A Moon in the Ordinary
2025 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
Kensho Aoto reunites with Yoko Sudo, whom he had feelings for in junior high school, for the first time in 35 years. On the second floor window sill of a small apartment. Yoko was leaning against the window and looking up at the moon in the night sky, then Kensho was watching her from outside. Kensho “What were you thinking back then?” Yoko “...Something like a dream. Just about something like a dream.” The two of them are naturally attracted to each other for the first time at the age of 50. They eventually start talking about the future...
Spirit World
2025 · 1h 35m
country: France
Legendary singer Claire Emery flies to Japan for a final sold-out concert. But when the show ends, so does Claire’s life on earth. However, an unexpected new life in the spirit world - where she will be guided by Yuzo, one of her biggest fans - awaits.
Living in Two Worlds
2024 · 1h 46m
country: Japan
Dai grows up in a small town, interpreting for his loving deaf parents, until he moves to Tokyo in search of his own independent life.
The Parades
2024 · 2h 12m
country: Japan
A mother searches for her missing son after a devastating calamity, only to realize that she has died and is now confined to a realm of restless spirits.
Don't Call It Mystery: The Movie
2023 · 2h 9m
country: Japan
Kuno Totono, a curly-haired college student, visits Hiroshima and becomes embroiled in a mystery surrounding the inheritance of the Kariatsumari family's assets, using his intelligence and loquaciousness to unravel the case.
Mountain Woman
2023 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Late 18th century, Tohoku. An outcast girl, Rin lives in a village suffering from famine. She draws strength from Mt. Hayachine, where the spirits of humans ascend after passing.
Insomniacs After School
2023 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
To keep using their school's abandoned observatory as a refuge, two sleepless high school students decide to revive the defunct astronomy club.
Rental Family
2023 · 1h 47m
country: Japan
Kenta Mikami runs a unique business offering “rental” family members, relatives, and even friends to those in need. From delivering heartfelt congratulations at weddings to offering apologies on behalf of cheaters, Mikami steps into the roles of father, son, or even lover at his clients’ request.
A Man
2022 · 2h 1m
country: Japan
Akira works as a lawyer. One day, he meets with his former client Rie, who asks Akira to perform a background check on her late husband Daisuke.
A Turtle's Shell is a Human's Ribs
2022 · 1h 8m
country: Japan
Based on Satoshi Kawasaki's encyclopedia which illustrates what it would be like if the human body acquired the bodily mechanics of various animals.
I Am Makimoto
2022 · 1h 45m
country: Japan
Sou Makimoto works in the "send-off" department at the city hall. The department's main responsibility is to hold funerals for people who die alone and bury them at a cemetery. Makimoto doesn't like to socialise with his colleagues or listen to them. By doing his job, he meets various people and slowly begins to change his life.
Mugonkan
2022 · 1h 36m
country: Japan
A story about how Kuboshima Seiichiro overcomes various difficulties to open Mugonkan, an art museum in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, featuring artworks by students before they were sent to fight in WWII.
The Supporting Actors in Byplaywood
2021 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
In a studio at the foot of Mt. Fuji, Gaku Hamada is struggling to shoot a movie with a dog in the lead role. Enter a huge cast of veteran actors who get involved in misadventures while on set.
Not Quite Dead Yet
2020 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
After Nanase's father drops dead due to a drug that causes temporal death for 2 days, she is named the president of his pharmaceutical company. Nanase endeavors to prevent her father's enemies from prematurely cremating his body before the drug can wear off and allow him to revive.
Stardust over the Town
2020 · 1h 42m
country: Japan
Story of the struggling chorus group "Yamada Osamu and the Hello Nights", who gain an unexpected new member in the young Ai, who pursues her dream of becoming a singer.
It Stopped Raining
2020 · 1h 39m
country: Japan
A young bioarchaeologist Yukisuke is attracted to a girl Koyomi, who runs a small stand of taiyaki pastry that he often buys. Koyomi is hospitalized, however, by a car accident on a rainy day after they go out together, and wakes up with short term memory loss, where she cannot remember anything beyond the present day. Yukisuke tries to live close to her as before but the lack of collective memory starts to stagger him.
Ten: Akagi Shigeru Funeral Arc
2019 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
Three years after Tozai Ikusa (mahjong tournament), Hiroyuki Igawa receives a letter that Shigeru Akagi’s funeral ceremony will be held. Hiroyuki Igawa attends the funeral, but he is surprised when Shigeru Akagi appears at his own funeral ceremony. Shigeru Akagi states that he is ready to die in a few hours. He then faces the people, including Takashi Ten, whom he played at Tozai Ikusa.
Life: Untitled
2019 · 1h 38m
country: Japan
Follows a group of female escorts who are living life as best they can.
Black School Rules
2019 · 1h 58m
country: Japan
Sōra is a high school student who is basically invisible at school. He is friends with Chūya, who is an unpredictable character that often surprises those around him. Sōra and Chūya both have feelings for the same classmate, Kio Machida. The Machida girl refuses to come to class, because she doesn't want to dye her naturally brown hair black. Their school has unreasonable school rules, especially about uniforms, which include requiring all students to have black hair. Sōra and Chūya decide to stand up to change their school's black school rules so that Machida won’t have to repeat a year of school from missing too many classes.
The Forest of Love
2019 · 2h 31m
country: Japan
A con man and a would-be filmmaking crew force themselves into the lives of two grief-scarred young women. But nothing is as it seems.
Blue Hour
2019 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
Trapped in her anemic career and love relationship, a 30-year-old TV commercial director returns to her countryside home in the company of a free-spirited friend. In a bittersweet reunion with an alienated family, her childhood memories of freedom and yearnings creep in the dreamlike blue hour, transcending into a lyricism of self-realization – at once whimsical, agonizing and yet hopeful.
Love Revolution
2018 · 1h 30m
country: China
Yuukai Houtei: Seven Days
2018 · 1h 46m
country: Japan
39-year-old Meiko Amabuki (Nanako Matsushima) works as an attorney. She is married to Goro Aizawa, but they are separated. They have one daughter. Meiko Amabuki decides to file for divorce. They battle over custody of their daughter. One day, Meiko Amabuki's daughter is kidnapped. The kidnapper demands that a suspect in a murder case Eiji Kunimitsu receive a not guilty judgement. Meiko Amabuki only has 7 days before that trial ends.
The Bastard and the Beautiful World
2018 · 1h 51m
country: Japan
The Bastard and the Beautiful World is an omnibus film consisting of four episodes. Fujiko is running as fast as she can, being chased after by a creepy masked man called Mad Dog. They meet a talented pianist on the way. A mysterious relationship develops between Utagui, a little girl who eats songs to live and an artist who can't sing anymore. A married couple sets off on a journey to find the right arm of their dead son. As they finally reach a beach in Okinawa, they find? Bastards come together on a night dancefloor for a show.
Last Winter, We Parted
2018 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
An ambitious, young freelance journalist takes on the closed case of a famous fine arts photographer whose beautiful female subject died on set in a gruesome fire.
Fumiko's Legs
2018 · 1h 21m
country: Japan
When older man Tsukakoshi asks Unokichi to paint it is of his mistress, the geisha Fumiko. Tsukakoshi loves the feet and legs part of Fumiko's anatomy. The fetishism gives the art student a commission to put his talent to use.
The Other House
2018 · 1h 22m
country: Japan
High school junior Hagi (17) quits school and is spending a lot of time at home when his father reveals that he has another house with a mistress. His father wants to end the relationship and asks Hagi to get the woman to move out. Hagi gets to know his father's mistress, and grows up in the process-
The Last Reunion
2017
country: Japan
After Isao has reached retirement, he receives a phone call from an ex- elementary school classmate Norio inviting him to a reunion. During the reunion, none of them can claim to have had a wonderful life since graduating from primary school and have their respective problems now. It leads them to rethink that their lives are far from over and that there is still hope for them even at this stage of their lives. They encounter many unexpected happenings during the journey which reminds them of the excitement they experienced as kids and find new hope in their bleak lives.
Wilderness: Part 2
2017 · 2h 27m
country: Japan
Set in the near future around Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinji got out from a youth detention center. Barikan suffers from stuttering and extreme shyness. These two men meet in a boxing gym. Shinji and Barikan become friends and pursue boxing under a hopeless situation.
Wilderness: Part 1
2017 · 2h 37m
country: Japan
Set in the near future around Shinjuku, Tokyo. Shinji got out from a youth detention center. Barikan suffers from stuttering and extreme shyness. These two men meet in a boxing gym. Shinji and Barikan become friends and pursue boxing under a hopeless situation.
Love and Other Cults
2017 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
Ai's mother sends her to live with a cult commune, where she remains for seven years. After the cult is broken up by the police, Ai struggles to fit in with society.
Mumon: The Land of Stealth
2017 · 2h 5m
country: Japan
Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his father’s warlord shoes as they expand rule across the country, Mumon jumps into the fray to satisfy his new bride Okuni’s demand that he make good on his promises of wealth. Yet Mumon soon finds what is worth fighting for beyond money or nation.
Tatara Samurai
2017 · 2h 15m
country: Japan
In 16th century Japan, a young man has to choose between becoming a master steel maker like his father and grandfather before him, or becoming a samurai so that he can help protect his village from attacks by the various clans which want the high-quality steel made there.
Black Rose
2017
country: Japan
While investigating a murder case, Kamiki Kyoko finds out the truth behind the death of her father who was a police officer which leads her to the dark secrets within the police force. In order to solve the case and take revenge for her father, Kamiki and her supervisor Orihara must battle the odds against the strong forces trying to cover up the truth.
Sound of Waves
2017 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Umi’s hearing is so sensitive that even notes played slightly out-of-tune give her a headache. Violinist Yuko arrives from Tokyo to play a concert on Umi’s small island near Okinawa, and gradually befriends the girl. Both struggle with friendships and family relationships, but are brought together by music.
Shippu Rondo
2016 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
An illegal biological weapon K-55 is stolen from a university lab. The university lab can't even call the police because the secret nature of the weapon. The school lab then receives a message stating that the entire country is now being held hostage and they must pay a ransom of 300 million yen.
Sniper
2016 · 1h 47m
country: Japan
Detective Ryoko Kozuki receives a demotion after having an affair with a superior. She succeeds in arresting a rapist in an undercover operation that puts her at risk. Her achievement immediately becomes the talk of the precinct, but no one approaches her because of her past. Ryoko is determined to bring criminals to justice. She takes on “The Prime Ministerial Candidate Snipe Case” which took place 15 years earlier.
Solitary Gourmet Summer trip to Miyagi Prefecture in northeastern Japan
2016
country: Japan
Destruction Babies
2016 · 1h 48m
country: Japan
Taira is a disaffected youth from a seaside town reveling in violence. Enamored by his strength, Yuya joins his crusade in attacking strangers. Meanwhile, Taira's brother looks for him.
Lowlife Love
2016 · 1h 50m
country: Japan
Tetsuo is a lowlife. A film director with a small indie hit many years back, yet he has never gotten any further as he refuses to go against his 'artistic integrity'.
To Eat To Live
2016
country: Japan
Yusuke (Kirato Wakayama) is in the 6th grade of elementary school. He has lived in the city all of his life and his father Keita (Kazuya Takahashi) recommends to Yusuke that spend his winter vacation at his grandparents' home. His grandparents live in a mountain village. There, Yusuke has a hard time adapting to the area, customs and the people. He longs to go back home. Soon, Yusuke learns the true meaning of the pre meal phrase "Itadaki-masu" ("thank you for the meal").
Nobunaga Concerto: The Movie
2016 · 2h 6m
country: Japan
Saburo is a high school student good in sports, but not very good with his studies. One day, Saburo travels back in time and arrives in the Sengoku period of 1549. There, Saburo meets Nobunaga Oda who looks and sounds just like Saburo. Nobunaga Oda is the son of a warlord and magistrate of the lower Owari Province. Nobunaga Oda though is physically weak and he asks Saburo to take his place. Then, Saburo as Nobunaga Oda attempts to unify the country of Japan.
Something Like, Something Like It
2016 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
Master Shinkome asks Shinden to find a former disciple, Shintoto, from his rakugoka (comic storytelling) family. Shinden visits ex-disciples in his search for Shintoto.
Kazoku gokko
2015 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Different people and five different families are acting out various scenarios, scripts and what-ifs. First there is the four Suzuki family members, who are not, sitting around a table in isolation. Then there is the unveiling of a will and what happens when it is read out, there are the sisters who are at it against each other, then there is the funeral that does not go according to plan and more.
The Daimon
2015 · 1h 7m
country: Japan
Based on the popular comic of the same name by Tetsumi Doko, who is known for drawing such as "Dochinpira", Tashiro, a man who swings between Katagi and gangsters. A chivalrous entertainment depicting Monjiro's way of life is born.
Making of Tokyo Tribe
2015 · 1h 4m
country: Japan
Documentary on Sion Sono's Tokyo Tribe.
Yakuza Apocalypse
2015 · 1h 55m
country: Japan
When young protege Akira Kageyama is bitten by his dying vampire boss, Genyo Kamiura, he must get used to his new powers before seeking revenge.
Meikyu Sousa
2015
country: Japan
Detective Yoichiro arrives at a crime scene involving the brutal murder of three family members to find a young five-year-old boy hiding in the closet. The discovery of the young boy takes Detective Yoichiro back to his own tragic childhood when his parents were killed in a fire. Without any real clues, the murder investigation continues unsolved. That is, until another murder takes place one year later, this time with a mother and son as the victims. And evidence found at the scene links the killer to the murder that took place a year ago.
Maestro!
2015 · 2h 9m
country: Japan
Due to the economic recession, the orchestra is shut down. The members hear later that the orchestra will be reformed. Only some of the members, who have not yet been rehired, gather for the orchestra. For the first time since they disbanded the orchestra plays together, but they sound horrible. At that time, the conductor Tetsusaburo Tendou appears in front of them.
Pro Bono
2014 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
A young, mentally retarded boy is wrongfully accused of murder, but his family lacks the means to hire an attorney to defend him. The boy’s sister, Kiriko, pleads with an accomplished attorney named Otsuka to defend her brother pro bono. But because of Otsuka’s busy schedule and other priorities, he refuses to take the case. Lacking a proper defense, Kiriko’s brother is eventually convicted of murder, and dies in prison. From that point on, Kiriko is determined to take revenge against Otuska.
Tokyo Tribe
2014 · 1h 56m
country: Japan
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.
Killers
2014 · 2h 17m
country: Indonesia
A psychotic executive triggers a journalist's dark side, and they begin to form a strange bond through the internet.
Judge!
2014 · 1h 45m
country: Japan
After taking the blame for another disastrous advertising campaign, Ota Kiichiro is asked by his arrogant boss Otaki Ichiro to take his place as a judge at the world's biggest advertising competition in Los Angeles.
Pikanchi Half: Life is Hard Tabun Happy
2014
country: Japan
Pikanchi Half is a spin-off of the two previous movies in the Pikanchi series, showing the five friends, now in their 30s, having a reunion as they are running into problems with family and work
The Kiyosu Conference
2013 · 2h 15m
country: Japan
After the forced suicide of Nobunaga Oda at the Incident at Honnō-ji, powerful figures Katsuie Shibata, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, Nagahide Niwa and Tsuneoki Ikeda meet to decide on a successor. The conference would become Japan's first group made political decision. The meeting was known as the Kiyosu Kaigi.
Why Don't You Play in Hell?
2013 · 2h 10m
country: Japan
In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.
A Boy Called H
2013 · 2h 2m
country: Japan
Told from the viewpoint of the father Morio, "A Boy Called H" follows a young boy named Hajime Senoh, nicknamed "H". His father, Morio runs a tailor shop. With the onset of World War II, their family must endure difficult times. Nevertheless, H is filled with curiosity and a sense of justice. Based on the autobiographical novel "Shonen H" by Kappa Senoh (published by Kodansha, July 9, 1999).
The Daimon 2
2013 · 1h 21m
country: Japan
The second in the series about a former businessman who rises in the world of the yakuza. Monjiro Tashiro sets out on his path. As war with the Hamaike clan escalates, Ishimaru, the chairman of the Ishinokai, is shot dead by an assassin. Monjiro's girlfriend is also taken hostage.
The Daimon
2013 · 1h 21m
country: Japan
Based on the manga of the same name, this hard-boiled action drama depicts the life of a man torn between being a respectable civilian and a respected yakuza. Monjiro Tashiro, a salesman for an event company, is asked by a woman who appears out of the blue to find the truth behind the death of her best friend. Monjiro is forced to cooperate...
Princess Sakura
2013 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
One evening, Princess Sakura is attacked by a man. At that time, the Princess could not see his face and only sees a tattoo on his body. Because of that that night, Princess Sakura falls in love with the man. In order to find the man she gives up everything and gets the same identical tattoo. The princess then works as a prostitute. Meanwhile Gonsuke is the man who attacked Princess Sakura. He also stole a scroll and, because of that, he is chased by assassins.
The Serialist
2013 · 1h 55m
country: Japan
Ippei Akabane (Takaya Kamikawa) is an unpopular novelist. He barely makes ends meet writing serials novels under different pen names. Daigo Kurei (Shinji Takeda) is on death row. He killed four women twelve years ago. During his murdering spree, he sent pictures of his decapitated victims with flower decoration to the police. The murders and photos caused widespread panic in Japan. One day, Ippei is contacted by Daigo from prison. He asks Ippei if he wants to interview him and write his memoirs. Soon, more women are killed in the same grisly manner as the serial murders from twelve years ago. Now, Ippei becomes the prime suspect of the police and Ippei must quickly find the real murderer. Based on the novel "The Serialist" by David Gordon (published by Simon & Schuster; Original edition on March 9, 2010).
The Incredible Truth
2013 · 1h 31m
country: China
An artist named Jiajia promised to show her girl friend Wei Ling around in Japan but eventually fails to show up for no reason. After Wei Ling goes and gets accommodated in a family-run hot spring hotel of Shimizu, Jiajia's Japanese boyfriend, she begins her endless weird experience as if she's haunted, and the hotel even sinks into a series of horrible homicides, in which the victims are all family members of the Shimizu's without exception. Every clue found is connected to Jiajia.
7 Days of Himawari & Her Puppies
2013 · 1h 57m
country: Japan
Set within an animal shelter, where if the owner of an animal doesn't claim their pet in 7 days, the animal is put to sleep. Himawari, is a female dog and a mother. She tries to desperately save her baby dogs.
Memory Sculptor
2013 · 17m
country: Japan
The wife of a wealthy man hires memory erasing agents to erase the memory of the young lover with whom he is having an affair, but soon realizes that the young lover will stop at nothing to keep the man's love for her alive.
Suzuki Sensei
2013 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
Teacher Akira Suzuki breaks away from long-held customs and norms at his school. He tries hard to have the ideal classroom by using his own "Suzuki method". The new semester begins. His homeroom 2-A class is about to have a student council election and preparations for a school festival. A man then takes a female student hostage...
The Samurai That Night
2012 · 2h
country: Japan
Five years after a hit-and-run accident kills his wife, a distraught metalworker comes face to face with the man behind the steering wheel.
The Land of Hope
2012 · 2h 13m
country: United Kingdom
An old couple, their only son, the son's wife, a young man and his lover live peacefully in a village. Then, a terrifying earthquake strikes that causes a nearby nuclear station to explode. The residents must evacuate, but the family lives on a farm, with only half of the area designated as an evacuation area.
Like Someone in Love
2012 · 1h 49m
country: France
An old man and a young woman meet in Tokyo. She knows nothing about him, he thinks he knows her. He welcomes her into his home, she offers him her body. But the web that is woven between them in the space of twenty four hours bears no relation to the circumstances of their encounter.
SPEC: Heaven
2012 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
Saya Toma is a female detective with an IQ of 201. Takeru Sebumi is a career detective with a distinguished background. They work on cases by postulating the "SPEC" of the unknown criminals and then deduce the criminal's unknown "SPEC" to make arrests. A mystery occurs when bodies are found on a cruiser in the ocean. Saya Toma and Ryo Kase of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are brought in to solve the case.
Himizu
2012 · 2h 9m
country: Japan
Two 14-year-olds from troubled, abusive homes come together sharing misery and pain. In the aftermath of an earthquake, the classmates learn how to survive while relying on one another for emotional and physical support.
Cut
2011 · 2h 13m
country: France
Shuji is an uncompromising young filmmaker at odds with Japanese society. One day he learns that his loan shark brother, who had helped to finance his films, has been executed by his own yakuza gang for failing to repay his debts.
Early Autumn
2011 · 1h 54m
country: Japan
As summer gives way to autumn, Matsubara Tatsuhira (played by Yakusho Koji), who runs a wine specialty store in Nagano, feels a mix of emotions as he sends his daughter off to her wedding. Since his wife passed away 20 years ago, Matsubara has dedicated himself to raising his daughter, even sacrificing another chance at love. However, his daughter's marriage seems to have left this strong man feeling a sense of emotional loss and loneliness. Afterward, he temporarily sets aside his work and travels to Kyoto to visit his old friend, the writer Shigeo Shuzuki (played by Iwasaki Ryō), and also reunites with his high school friend Yamabe Kōsuke (played by Ten Ten). At Yamabe's request, Matsubara went to a nightclub to investigate the other man's daughter—who was also Matsubara's daughter's friend—Reiko (played by Nakagawa Noriko). Reiko had secretly loved Matsubara since childhood, and the hidden emotions in this middle-aged man seemed to be awakening once again...
Someday
2011 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
The annual kabuki show is the main attraction in a rural Japanese mountain town. However, Yoshi's life is thrown into disarray days before the performance when his estranged wife and former best friend arrive back in town...
Mr. Inukai Keeps a Dog
2011 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
Tamotsu Inukai is a married middle-aged man with a wife, daughter and son. Mr. Inukai has a strong dislike for dogs, but while he is working on the island his family takes in a Samoyed dog to fill in the father's absence, the family decides to raise the dog. At first Mr. Inukai opposes the family taking the dog in, but he can't persuade his family to abandon the dog. When Mr. Inukai arrives back in Tokyo, he now has to has to live with the Samoyed dog. Can he?
A Honeymoon in Hell: Mr. & Mrs. Oki's Fabulous Trip
2011 · 2h 1m
country: Japan
Although Nobuyoshi and Saki just got married and moved into a new apartment, their relationship still lacks spark. Things start to change as they meet a weird fortune-teller who also happens to operate tours to hell. Without further ado the young couple books a honeymoon trip which takes them to the most bizarre, colorful and fun vision of hell you could ever dream of.
誰よりも君を愛す！
2011
country: Japan
Denden Interview
2011 · 20m
country: Japan
Interview with actor Denden on Himizu
Journey of a Dying Wife
2011 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
Why is it a crime for two people to be together? In the silence so profound that you could even hear the sound of falling snow, the man buried his wife alone. That was what his wife had wished for. When a loved one is dying, what can one do for them? 272 days, 6000 km—this is the true story of a couple's extraordinary love. December 2, 1999. A small article about the arrest of a man appeared on the social page of the newspaper. The charge was "abandonment resulting in death"—the crime of abandoning someone who needed assistance due to old age, childhood, physical disability, or illness, and causing their death. The man had been wandering around Japan for nine months with his wife, who had terminal cancer, in a van. In the fall of 2000, the monthly magazine "Shincho 45" published the memoir of the arrested man, Hisanori Shimizu, in two issues, which caused a great sensation.
Cold Fish
2011 · 2h 26m
country: Japan
When fish shop owner Shamoto's teenage daughter Mitsuko is caught stealing, a generous middle-aged man named Murata helps resolve the situation. The man and his wife offer to have Mitsuko work at their opposing fish store. Shamoto soon discovers that something far more sinister lives behind Murata's friendly demeanor.
A Lone Scalpel
2010 · 2h 6m
country: Japan
Dr Toma, a skilled surgeon, starts work at a regional hospital in Japan. After performing an operation to remove a patient’s liver cancer, something that normally would not be done at this hospital, he quickly gains a very good reputation amongst the town’s people. Some of his colleagues become so jealous they are resentful and waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to crucify him. Soon they get their chance as Dr Toma considers performing a controversial operation…
月と嘘と殺人
2010
country: Japan
Yellow Kid
2010 · 1h 51m
country: Japan
Fired from his part-time job in a restaurant kitchen for absenteeism, rookie boxer Tamura has a lot to be angry and frustrated about in his life. But things start to change when he’s approached at the gym by the artist Hattori, who wants to use him as the new model for the manga character Yellow Kid. Yellow Kid first appeared in an American comic in the late 19th century, and Hattori revived him as an older character a century later.
Golden Slumber
2010 · 2h 19m
country: Japan
When easy-going Aoyagi meets an old friend for a fishing trip, he ends up drugged, framed for the Prime Minister's assassination, and on the run from corrupt cops. It's only the beginning of what quickly becomes the worst, weirdest day of his life. But he'll get by with a little help from his friends, who include a famous pop diva, a rockabilly deliveryman, a crippled old gangster, and the world's most cheerful serial killer.
Boys on the Run
2010 · 1h 54m
country: Japan
A socially awkward salesman for a toy-capsule company tries to change his nerdy ways when a slick rival moves in on the beautiful co-worker he loves.
Kanikôsen
2009 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
On board at the boat Kanikosen, where fish and crabs preserves, forced workers to work under miserable conditions, with minimum wages. Some can not cope with conditions and even death from malnutrition, and is also the supervisor of the more vicious variety. Shinjo, one of the employees, trying to convince the others that they will get good luck and fortune in his next life, and persuades them because they commit suicide to get there faster. It ends, however, in a single major failure. Rather than flee Shinjo being picked up by a Russian ship. Once there, he is overwhelmed by the social conditions that are completely different from those he has just left and decided therefore to return to Kanikosen to save their employees.
Be Sure to Share
2009 · 1h 49m
country: Japan
Shiro's struggle with his father's cancer and impending death leads to a realization that he must communicate his love and admiration for him before it's too late. A series of flashbacks reveals their relationship over time, and the trouble Shiro faced connecting to his strict father who was also his teacher and soccer coach. With a consuming secret of his own, Shiro, now in his late twenties and about to get engaged, must eventually learn how to share the pain of it with his loved ones.
Tokyo Sonata
2008 · 2h
country: Japan
A young boy takes interest in piano while his family begins to disintegrate around him after his father loses his job.
Gu Gu, the Cat
2008 · 1h 56m
country: Japan
Asako, a comic book artist in her early forties, is devastated by the death of her precious cat, Saba, which kept her company for over 15 years, as her assistant Naomi watches on with concern. Naomi is a young woman in her early twenties, who has her set of worries about love and future. Then one day, Asako meets a new cat, Gu Gu, which brings new joy and vitality to her life. What is more, she finds potential for love in a man named Seiji. Like Asako, Naomi, too, embarks on a new life plan.
Tokyo!
2008 · 1h 52m
country: South Korea
Three distinct tales unfold in the bustling city of Tokyo. Merde, a bizarre sewer-dweller, emerges from a manhole and begins terrorizing pedestrians. After his arrest, he stands trial and lashes out at a hostile courtroom. A man who has resigned himself to a life of solitude reconsiders after meeting a charming pizza delivery woman. And finally, a happy young couple find themselves undergoing a series of frightening metamorphoses.
Climber's High
2008 · 2h 25m
country: Japan
On August 12, 1985, a jumbo jet crashes, causing 520 fatalities, making the accident the biggest single-plane accident in the world. The local press reporters are tossed about by the waves of facts and rumors. While overwhelmed by the magnitude of the accident, Yuuki, in charge of this crash report at a local newspaper, faces a string of decision-making moments. What are news and a reporter? How should a man do his work and survive in a corporate hierarchy? What do family and friends mean to him? An intriguing story, which keeps the audience on the edge of tension and reality.
Double Trouble
2008 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
Chief Iizuka, who works at the Cultural Center, misunderstands two chorus groups with similar names and double-books the concert hall on New Year's Eve. Although they talk to each other, neither of them gives up a step and develops into a big problem. Iizuka, who has lived his life with a "no-nonsense" attitude, finds himself in the middle of two groups and at a loss for words.
Kabei: Our Mother
2008 · 2h 13m
country: Japan
Set in Tokyo in 1940, the peaceful life of the Nogami Family suddenly changes when the father, Shigeru, is arrested and accused of being a Communist. His wife Kayo works frantically from morning to night to maintain the household and bring up her two daughters with the support of Shigeru's sister Hisako and Shigeru's ex-student Yamazaki, but her husband does not return. WWII breaks out and casts dark shadows on the entire country, but Kayo still tries to keep her cheerful determination, and sustain the family with her love. This is an emotional drama of a mother and an eternal message for peace.
Dororo
2007 · 2h 19m
country: Japan
Hyakkimaru, a warrior on a quest to reclaim 48 of his body parts which were each taken by a demon, is joined by Dororo, a thief on a quest to avenge the death of her parents.
弁護士 灰島秀樹
2006
country: Japan
Watcher in the Attic
2006 · 1h 27m
country: Japan
A 2006 film.
Love Tomato
2006 · 2h 6m
country: Japan
Middle-aged farmer Noda Masao (Daichi Yasuo) is a good, honest man, but his attempts for marriage have all met with failure. Through a friend, Masao meets Liberty (Ruby Moreno), a Filipino woman working in Japan. When they decide to get married, Masao borrows money from his Agricultural Association and travels to the Philippines for the wedding - only to discover that it was all a scam. Stranded in Manila with no money, Masao ends up staying to work. One day he meets a beautiful farmer's daughter, Christina (Alice Dixson), reawakening not only his chances for love, but also his love for farming.
What the Snow Brings
2005 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
Following a tip, Manabu Yazaki loses his last money betting on the older "banba" horse "Unryu" (jockied by Makie, a legendary jockey's daughter) in a draft-horse race held in his childhood home of Obihiro on the island of Hokkaido.
DV: Domestic Violence
2005 · 1h 25m
country: Japan
Shogo (Kenichi Endo) and Yasuko (Yuka Hanabusa) are happily married. Until one evening when he slaps her in the face for reconsidering the promise she made before their wedding: to quit her job and devote herself to domestic chores once the knot was tied. From that first instance of aggression, things rapidly spiral out of control. Mounting violence becomes the new order of the day between the couple. (from midnighteye.com)
Rikidozan: A Hero Extraordinaire
2004 · 2h 19m
country: South Korea
Story of Rikidozan, a sumo wrestler who can only achieve limited success in Japan because he's half Korean. But when Rikidozan goes to the United States and discovers professional wrestling, he becomes a hero back home.
Onna no naka no futatsu no kao
2004 · 1h 30m
country: Japan
2004 film
Pika**nchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy
2004 · 1h 46m
country: Japan
Sequel to the 2002 film Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy, starring members of boy band Arashi.
Shooting Stars in the Twilight
2002 · 1h 39m
country: Japan
Hiromi works in a posh French restaurant. One day, he meets an ordinary-looking old man who has a discerning palate. He is no ordinary cook, and can pinpoint the exact problems with Hiromi's dishes. His name is Tatematsu Ippei, a legendary chef renowned for his work in France once upon a time. After a food poisoning mishap, his fiance Sophie had left him and he cut himself off from the culinary world. Hiromi is engrossed with Ippei's cuisine and asks for lessons. Meanwhile, Sophie, now the wife of the director of a top tableware manufacturer, comes to Japan. Ippei cooks a banquet for her using Hiromi's restaurant as a front. Sophie notices that the food is made by Ippei, her former lover. The two meet and enjoy a short-lived reunion, but go on to live their own separate lives.
Red Shadow
2001 · 1h 48m
country: Japan
The secret warriors of feudal Japan were the ninja. Sent on impossible missions, the ninja were trained to work in shadows, gather information and defeat the enemy to build a world of peace. Akakage, Aokage, and Asuka are rookie ninjas under the tutelage of Shirokage. Their life is a series of perilous missions that entail intrigue, deception and intimidation.
Drowning Fish
2001 · 1h 41m
country: Japan
When corporate executives are blackmailed into public displays of nudity on the busy streets of Shinjuku, the big guns are called out to locate "Oboreru Sakana". The "big guns" are a misfit duo of ethically questionable characters who must infiltrate a gay nightclub and "fit in" while they search for clues. What ensues is both hilarious and action-packed. Oboreru Sakana is a rather ambitious and often hilarious contemporary crime thriller. Its narrative swings from the grisly to the humorous and pulls in as many pop culture elements as it can manage.
Eureka
2001 · 3h 38m
country: Japan
In rural Japan, the survivors of a tragedy converge and attempt to overcome their damaged selves, all while a serial killer is on the loose.
Hakata Movie: Chinchiromai
2000
country: Japan
A musical- style comedy movie set in Hakata.
Ju-on: The Curse 2
2000 · 1h 16m
country: Japan
On his request, the sensitive sister of a real estate agent visits a house he intends to put up for sale, only to cross paths with its resident curse.
Uzumaki
2000 · 1h 30m
country: Japan
The inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.
Ju-on: The Curse
2000 · 1h 10m
country: Japan
When elementary school teacher Kobayashi investigates the absence of one of his young pupils from the classroom, he finds himself at the doorstep of an anonymous suburban house that harbours a horrible secret, and into which all who enter are doomed.
Kunoichi Financial Road
1999 · 1h 39m
country: Japan
Sacho the financial ninja saves the common folk from corporate villains with the use of her "financial ninjutsu."
Amateur Singing Contest
1999 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
Traditional Japanese pop singer Reiko (Muroi) decides to enter a well-known TV program for amateur singers along with a confused teenager (Ôtomo) and a 40-year-old father of four (Bito).
Unlucky Monkey
1998 · 1h 46m
country: Japan
A dark and strange comedy about a bank robber with bad luck. Bungling a bank robbery turns out to be a profitable mistake for Yamazaki, an amateur crook who ends up with 80 million yen after a string of improbable accidents. But having so much cash doesn't make his life is any easier. In fact, it gets much more complicated when Yamazaki stabs a hairdresser by mistake and instantly becomes a hunted fugitive. He's just one unlucky monkey but can he turn his luck around?
Cure
1997 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
A detective starts spiraling out of control when a wave of gruesome murders with seemingly similar bizarre circumstances is sweeping Tokyo.
Gotoshi Co. Ltd. Special Police Department Crime Prevention Division No. 5104 Case
1995 · 1h 34m
country: Japan
The fourth 'Gotoshi' film.
MARKS
1995 · 2h 18m
country: Japan
Assistant police inspector Aida is assigned to investigate the murder of a former gang member. When a justice ministry official is killed days later in a similar manner, he begins to suspect that something bigger is going on...
Gotoshi Co. Ltd. III
1994 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
The third 'Gotoshi' film.
Gotoshi Co. Ltd. II
1994 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
The second 'Gotoshi' film.
Dark Society in the East
1993 · 1h 50m
country: Japan
A story about the activities of Southeast Asian Mafia gangs in Shinjuku. Ryosuke Kano is an ex French Foreign Legion soldier and is now a cocaine smuggler and dealer. He is acquainted with Larry, a Japanese American, but he turned out to be an undercover cop from New York.
The Games Teachers Play
1992 · 1h 46m
country: Japan
The story of an unconventional teacher facing up to his unruly and apathetic class.
Ibu wa hatsukoi no yō ni
Ibu wa hatsukoi no yō ni
1991 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
An office lady (Yasuko Tomita) who has a bitter memory of Christmas Eve breaks up with her affair partner (Shoji Sadaoka) and finds a new love.
The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses
1991 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
After his fiancée is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza turf war, a man on the edge remorselessly hunts down the gangsters responsible.
Something Like It
1981 · 1h 43m
country: Japan
Life seems to be good for Shintoto, an up-and-coming rakugo artist who has just had his first sexual experience at a local brothel. Lucky for him, he gets to date the beautiful sex worker he meets that day, and a younger high school rakugo aficionado is also vying for his attention. But for clumsy, heart-on-his-sleeve Shintoto, life doesn’t stay rosy for long.