Hiroko Isayama
Known for Acting
Born
August 18, 1952 (age 73)
Birthplace
Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Filmography
71 films, 9 shows
Known for Acting
Born
August 18, 1952 (age 73)
Birthplace
Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Filmography
71 films, 9 shows

Route29
2024 · 2h
country: Japan
Adapted from a book of poems by poet Taichi Nakao, the film is a road story set in beautiful nature and tranquil landscapes about a lonely janitor who doesn't communicate well and Haru, a teenage girl who is different, who travels on Route 29, which connects Hyogo-Himeji City to Tottori City, and through their encounters with marvelous people, they gain a richness of feelings, strengthen their bonds, and become fulfilled in their hearts.

Yes, I Can't Swim
2022 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
Yuji Takanashi is a university philosophy professor who can't swim. Making awkward justifications to himself about the relationship between water and people, still he decides on the spur of the moment to enroll in a swimming class. There he encounters the teacher Shizuka Usuhara, who ignores his last-minute hesitation and enrolls him.

All the Things We Never Said
2020 · 1h 31m
country: Japan
Atsuhisa Yamada is an ordinary man, with a wife and a 5-year-old daughter. He is close to his childhood friend Takeda. One day, Atsuhisa Yamada leaves his office during work hours and goes back home early. There, he witnesses his wife and an unknown man having sex, but Atsuhisa Yamada is unable to express his feelings like anger, frustration, and depression. His relationship with his wife and his friend Takeda becomes distorted.

The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue
2017 · 1h 48m
country: Japan
Mika works as a nurse by day; by night she entertains covetous men at a girls' bar. Shinji is blind in one eye and ekes out a living as a construction worker. Young and grown-up at the same time, they both lead a lonely existence, but somehow their paths keep miraculously crossing under the Tokyo sky.

Silence
2016 · 2h 41m
country: Mexico
In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.

Disconcerto
2014 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
Set within the fictional city of Mahoro, Keisuke Tada runs a "benriya" - a general problem solver for hire. His assistant is his former high school classmate Haruhiko Gyoten. A big crisis then occurs for them.

The Light Shines Only There
2014 · 2h
country: Japan
A man has thrown away love and a woman has given up on love. The two souls meet in a brief summer in the northern city of Hakodate.

The Great Passage
2013 · 2h 13m
country: Japan
Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, The Great Passage. In the eclectic team, he becomes immersed in the world of dictionaries. But the team is overwhelmed with problems.

GACHI-BAN II
2008 · 1h 22m
country: Japan
Takumi, the former boss of the Black Black Black Skull Gang, is about to graduate and he chooses Taiga as his successor. During the handover, a transfer student named Monji tries to usurp the throne of the Black Skull Gang.

GACHI-BAN
2008 · 1h 14m
country: Japan
Takumi is a sexually frustrated high school freshman Yanki (Japanese delinquent) with an unrivaled iron fist. Along with his group of loyal friends, they plan to take over all Japanese high schools to be the top Yanki, but Takumi's first love deters him from this goal...

The Yakuza Principal 2
2007 · 1h 7m
country: Unknown
After successfully saving his newly acquired daycare center, “Little Chicks Family”, Junji is met with yet another issue. A member of the rival yakuza family, the Yashiki, begins to work in the shadows against him. Will Junji be able to foil Yashiki's plot to overthrow the Okawa Family, all while taking care of four kids?

The Yakuza Principal
2007 · 1h 13m
country: Unknown
Junji, the protagonist of FM89.3MHz, must become the principal of a nursery school in Kabukicho after the death of Okawa Clan's boss.

FM89.3MHz
2007 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
Okawa Family’s yakuza, Junji, is released from prison, and is told to take over a local radio station by his boss. Junji tries to explain that it is not a yakuza’s job to talk on the radio, but no one listens to him. He reluctantly goes to the radio building, and is met by a young, upbeat girl broadcasting a talk show and playing pop music. Will this seasoned gangster really fit in on such a show?

Kanashiki Tenshi
2006 · 1h 53m
country: Japan
The body of a 59-year-old male is found on the banks of a river. The stepson, Kazuo, confesses to his involvement but also implicates his estranged sister Nami. Two detectives, Okishima Keisuke and Kono Kaoru, then travel to the resort district of Beppu to stake out the house of Nami's ex-lover. They feel he may also be implicated in the murder and are certain that Nami will make contact. The detectives now wait.

Tales of Terror: Haunted Apartment
2005 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
Aimi and her father move into an old, apartment building and learn quickly that things are not as they seem.

Sayonara Color
2005 · 1h 59m
country: Japan
Shohei works as a doctor in a seaside hospital. One day, a new patient is admitted to the hospital with ovarian cancer. Shohei is surprised to recognize Michiko, his first love from high school. Shohei has been leading a dissolute bachelor life, paying for the company of high school girls and dating an older woman who works in a local bar, but in reality, for the last twenty years, he has not forgotten Michiko. Unfortunately though, Michiko doesn't remember him at all. Shohei becomes more and more persistent in his attempts to get her to recall their past. At first she is annoyed by his overtures, but gradually warms to the doctor. Under Shohei's kind and patient care, Michiko's condition improves and her cancer becomes operable. The operation is a success, but now Shohei himself learns that he has terminal cancer.

Rockers
2003 · 1h 45m
country: Japan
Guitarist Ko-chan is a mess of sexual repression after a childhood at the mercy of two elder sisters eager to use him as a guinea pig for their make-up skills. Bassist Gaku-chan keeps a bucket in the wings for whenever his nerves get the better of him, and drummer Momo-chan is doomed to forever carrying the botched childhood attempts at self-tattooing. It's not until this foursome is forced to look for an additional guitar player after Jin's dad burns his Stratocaster, that attitude and musical ability enter into the equation. Leather-clad, shade-wearing Tani (Tamaki), inseparable from his black Les Paul, is introduced as the king of R'n'R cool and Jinnai keeps him firmly seated on his throne throughout the film, retroactively proclaiming the guitarist, rather than himself, as the band's true hero.

Young Thugs: Kaoru-chan's Strongest Legend Banchou Soccer
2003 · 1h 37m
country: Japan

北の国から 記憶 前編
2003
country: Japan

Vengeance for Sale
2002 · 1h 28m
country: Japan
In a world where vendettas are officially sanctioned, the people sometimes needed help in carrying out their vengeance. Sanada Hiroyuki stars as Sukeroku the Helper, a ‘cool and rambling yakuza’ that has made a business out of helping victims carry out their revenge. When he returns to his hometown to pay a visit to his mother’s grave he meets a deadly ronin who carries a secret which eventually leads him into a vendetta of his own.

Young Thugs: Kaoru-chan's Strongest Legend EPISODE I
2001 · 1h 30m
country: Japan

Dead or Alive 2: Birds
2000 · 1h 37m
country: Japan
Two contract killers cross paths in the middle of the same job and realize they are childhood friends. Together they take a break from killing and visit the small island they once called home. After reflecting on their past lives they decided to team up and use their talents in killing for good... much to the upset of the crime syndicates.

Pickpocket
2000 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
Kaido is a professional pickpocket who works the Tokyo subway with his young foster-daughter, Rei: She lets herself be groped while Kaido relieves the groper of his wallet. More often than not they're observed by a middle-aged cop, who generally lets Kaido go free. Rei is unsettled when Kaido takes on a young street punk, Kazuki, as an apprentice -- with instructions to make Kaido stop drinking. Kazuki, however, would like to go into business with Rei.

As the River Flows
2000 · 1h 48m
country: Japan
2000 live-action Japanese film.

Birdcage of Horrors
1999 · 6h 5m
country: Japan
A murder mystery told in one-minute clips — one for each day of the year — filmed specifically for the SEGA Dreamcast console. It tells the story of Nao Tsunoda, a 16-year-old schoolgirl who moves to Tokyo’s Grauenheim apartment complex. One day, Nao’s life turns into a nightmare when she suddenly discovers the headless corpse of her neighbor on the roof of the house — and a chain of brutal murders continues, becoming clear that a psychopath is hunting the apartment building's inhabitants.

Kazoku Cinema
1998 · 1h 54m
country: South Korea
A savage look at food and sex, helms this black comedy about Japan's sizable and often beleaguered Korean-Japanese community. Motomi Hayashi (Eri Yu), a producer who is thoroughly dedicated to her career, returns to her abode to discover that her porn star sister (Ichio Matsuda) is going to make a film about her family's first reunion in 20 years. Motomi is less than thrilled with the prospect, seeing as all is not well at the Hayashi household. Motomi's father recently got canned from his longtime job at a Pachinko parlor, while her mother secretly plans to mortgage the house to finance her affair with a younger lover. Motomi grows more uneasy when she learns that the porn director in charge of the undertaking is known for mixing fact with fantasy.

Junji Inagawa's the Story of Terror II
1998
country: Japan
Second "The Story of Terror" film by Junji Inagawa.

Happy People
1997 · 1h 20m
country: Unknown
Japanese anthology follows the depressing lives of several people just trying to keep going in a nihilistic world. Movie version of Kosuke Suzuki‘s previous SOV movie by the same title.

Mogura
1996 · 1h 10m
country: Japan
Mogura, a shut-in former musician, falls in love with a young cellist after seeing her photo in a magazine.

Helpless
1996 · 1h 20m
country: Japan
Yasuo is a gangster just released from jail. Believing his boss double-crossed him, enraged Yasuo is on his way to find the boss. But before setting out for the dangerous trip, Yasuo asks Kenji to take care of his mentally challenged sister, Yuri, and a mysterious black bag.

The Man with Two Hearts
1996 · 2h
country: Japan

Mitabi no kaikyô
1995 · 2h 3m
country: Japan

Turning Point
1994 · 1h 58m
country: Japan
A middle-aged journalist looking to make her big break. After working the same beat on the "women's page", Yumiko gets promoted to editorials.

The Girl from the Darkness
1993 · 45m
country: Japan
A popular author becomes concerned when she learns of the unusual behavior of a man's eight-year-old daughter before her marriage to a used bookstore owner.

Bakayarō! 4 You!
1991
country: Japan

Virgin Story
1991 · 1h 30m
country: Japan
Kotaru's Life is turned upside down when his favorite AV actress moves in next door.

Inamura Jane
1990 · 2h
country: Japan

Ronin-gai
1990 · 1h 57m
country: Japan
Near the end of Japanese civil war, several disgraced ronin living in Edo's red light district attempt to regain their honor by defending a brothel from a hostile militia bent on wiping out local prostitutes.

Kaito Ruby
1988 · 1h 36m
country: Japan
Toru Hayashi is an unremarkable bachelor who lives with his mother, until one day a young woman named Rumi moves in in the apartment upstairs. Rumi is a self-proclaimed master thief, but she needs socially awkward Toru's help to actually kickstart her so-called career.

That's Roman Porno: Smile of Goddesses
1988 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
A documentary compilation that shows various clips from the Roman Porno series of movies from 1971 to 1988.

Apartment Wife: Serial Murders
1986 · 2h
country: Japan
Murders of housewives occur one after another in a suburban apartment complex. All of the victims have had an intimate relationship with a certain man, and behind him lies a woman with a past...

Choji Snack Bar
1983 · 2h 5m
country: Japan
Eiji lives a quiet life running a small Izakaya with his wife. He spends his days cooking for and serving the lively residents of his small hometown.

Women’s Secrets Behind Bars
1983 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
After being falsely charged with murdering her husband, Nao is sent to a prison for women where her fellow inmates try to help her escape.

Hariko no tora
1983 · 1h 32m
country: Japan
Nishimura Gosaku, an aspiring photographer who loves mountain scenery, meets a boy named Sada Ichiro one evening who asks to borrow train fare. For some reason, Ichiro follows Nishimura everywhere. When told to go home, Ichiro refuses, claiming he doesn't want to return because of his estranged parents. Reluctantly, Nishimura lets Ichiro stay the night. The next day, Nishimura takes photos of Ichiro by the Sumida River, and they part ways on good terms. Meanwhile, Ichiro's worried father, Shigeo and mother, Fujiko, desperately ask Ichiro's classmates and tutoring teachers for his whereabouts, but no one knows where he is. Suddenly, Shigeo receives a phone call demanding a ransom of 10 million yen.

The Longest Tunnel
1982 · 2h 22m
country: Japan
After a passenger ship sinks in 1954, Go Akutsu devises a life-saving project in the form of a tunnel under the Tsugaru Strait. While working on this project Akutsu becomes involved with Tae Makimura leading to his estrangement from his wife.

At This Late Date, the Charleston
1981 · 1h 56m
country: Japan
A young man gets thrown into detention after an episode of sexual assault; he soon meets several impostors in the same situation.

Manon
1981 · 1h 48m
country: Japan
A story about a woman who is a research student of a theater company and the three men who are at the mercy of her.

The Fighting Rascal
1979 · 1h 27m
country: Japan

Hakatakko Pure Heart
1978 · 1h 34m
country: Japan
Based on the comic by Housei Hasegawa

Dynamite Don-Don
1978 · 2h 22m
country: Japan
Yakuza Gang War is at the height in North Kyūshū Area in the summer of 1950, particularly between the Okagen Group and the rising Hashiden Gang. Now with the mediation/interference of the Americans, they decide to settle it in a peaceful, *democratic* way, that is, to settle it with a baseball game. Now, with its money and power, The Hashiden group soon recruits a group of gamblers known to be good at baseball from the whole country. So, what is the Okagen Gumi gonna do?

New - No Longer Human
1978 · 1h 38m
country: Japan
Based on the novel by Osamu Dazai and distributed by ATG. The story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself "disqualified from being human" (a literal translation of the Japanese title) and goes down the stairs to self-destruction step by step.

Teacher Deer
1978 · 1h 27m
country: Japan
Mejika, reputed for her iron discipline, is hired as a biology teacher at a renowned high school. But her provocative attitude starts to worry the school's administration as she reveals vice and corruption that are running rampant in the school.

Boxer
1977 · 1h 34m
country: Japan
In the midst of a match, a successful boxer - Hayato, has had enough of the sport. He lets himself get knocked, quits boxing, leaving his wife and start living alone with his mangy dog. One day a young mediocre boxer knocks at the door and wants to be Hayato's apprentice.

The Life of Chikuzan
1977 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
After over 50 years of wandering up and down Japan, finally in the 1970s, the rough-hewn blind shamisen player and folk-song collector named Takahashi Chikuzan became a musical sensation. This biographical drama chronicles his wanderings and his life, with a particular focus on his humble beginnings as a peasant on a remote and arid island.

Case of the Disjointed Murder
1977 · 2h 20m
country: Japan
In the summer of 1947, various men and women gather at a mansion in the countryside at the invitation of Kazuma Utagawa. They are artists, novelists, poets, painters, playwrights, actresses, etc. Then the murders begin, one after another. The incident seemed to have no continuity...

Kawachi Rascal Is Spurred On
1976 · 1h 33m
country: Japan

Ah! That Pep Squad
1976 · 1h 39m
country: Japan
Life in the pep squad is all about harsh discipline. Seniors are "Gods", juniors are "Humans", sophomores are "Slaves" and freshmen are treated like "Trash". One sunny day, two freshmen are entrusted with the task to dry out the squadron's flag; the most cherished and symbolic item of the squad. When they accidentally burn a hole in the flag with a cigarette, they blame Aota. Aota attempts to take full responsibility by committing "harakiri", but changes his mind during the process – a deep stab to the stomach has inspired him with a better idea.

Manhunt
1976 · 2h 31m
country: Japan
A tough prosecutor is falsely accused of theft and goes on the run to clear his name. He is assisted by the beautiful daughter of a rich man.

The Perennial Weed
1975 · 1h 27m
country: Japan
A detective wonders that his sister is a murder suspect.

Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
1975 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
A mountain man beheads his many wives to prove his love to an alluring woman he meets in an enchanted forest.

Battle Cry
1975 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
During the military phase of the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Sentaro joins a local militia loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate in order to fight Imperial troops. But Sentaro's friendship with a pickpocket, who switches sides whenever it suits his needs, leads to complications that could cost Sentaro his life as they infiltrate enemy lines.

Akumyo: Notorious Dragon
1974 · 1h 45m
country: Japan
About small-time gangster Asakichi's chaotic life in the 1930s. His gambling addiction means that he must not continue working in the family business. Instead he supports himself by arranging cockfights. He becomes ex-geisha Okinu's patron and lover, and falls directly into disfavor with the yakuza.

Girl Boss: Escape From Reform School
1973 · 1h 30m
country: Japan
Girl Boss Ruriko and her cellmates escape from a greedy corrupt reform school that's more interested in cheating the government out of money than reformation. Each having their own reasons for escaping, they go their separate ways. With the help of a young mechanic, who's also on the lam, Ruriko tries to realize her dream of leaving the island of Japan behind. But the authorities are always one step behind her...

Woods Are Wet
1973 · 1h 5m
country: Japan
Sachiko has just committed a crime. She is helped by a couple to whom she grants her confidence. Quickly this couple blackmails her and threatens to deliver her to the police. Sachiko has no other choice but to obey them.

Hell Riders in Kyoto
1973 · 1h 23m
country: Japan
The rich punk Junya has only one thing in mind: to race with the police on his motorcycle. That makes him unpopular, not only with the police, even with his Bosozoku buddies, who slowly but surely distance themselves from him. Junya falls in love with the equally speed-hungry Hiroko.

Sweet Scent of Eros
1973 · 1h 15m
country: Japan
Yukie, Koichi and Akira are rogues looking for a place to crash. They move into a house which Etsuko (Kaori Momoi) inherited from her parents. Soon after getting settled, the hippies slip into a communal lifestyle. They eat, have sex, and generally share everything together.

Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41
1972 · 1h 30m
country: Japan
After being used and betrayed by the detective she had fallen in love with, young Matsu is sent to a female prison full of sadistic guards and disobedient prisoners.

Sex Hunter: Wet Target
1972 · 1h 9m
country: Japan
While rotting away in jail, Okamoto learns of the death of his beloved sister, Natsuko. Violently assaulted by a group of U.S. military men during a drunken joyride, she was found dead by local authorities. Haunted by the tragedy, Okamoto escapes from jail to hunt down and kill those who destroyed the life of his sister. What he uncovers during his investigation is much more horrifying than he could ever imagine...

Shadow Hunters 2: Echo of Destiny
1972 · 1h 29m
country: Japan
The great Daimyo enlists the aid of the three Shadow Hunters in ensuring the delivery of an illegal cannon in this sequel to Toshio Masuda's bloody adaptation of the manga by Takao Saito. Despite the Shadow Hunters's remarkable skill, this mission is no walk in the park, and in order to survive they must face a relentless army of ninjas and female warriors willing to sacrifice their lives to disrupt the delivery and claim the cannon for themselves.

Ichijo's Wet Lust
1972 · 1h 9m
country: Japan
Ichijo Sayuri, once the legendary queen of Osaka strippers, has retired to run a sushi shop. She is awaiting her day in court after having been arrested for indecency at her farewell performance. While she was active, she was both the rival and the model for many young strippers. Harumi was one of them. Ichijo Sayuri was the real-life queen of Osaka strippers who was arrested on her final performance.

Playful White Fingers
1972 · 1h 15m
country: Japan
A girl falls for a pickpocketer who gets arrested, so she hooks up with his ex-girlfriend and his ex-cellmate.