residents should check for the
likely availability of these shows on their local cable system before
ordering.Mahalo!
A
SPECTACULAR SHOWDOWN
(Ketto Suikoden Dotou no Taiketsu)
One of the
great stories from Japan's rich history comes to life in this true
tale of the bloody showdown between two rival yakuza gangs in the
1830's. The battle between Boss Sukegoro of Iioka and Boss Shigezo
of Sasagawa has been portrayed many times, most notably in the first
Zatoichi film, where the blind man befriends the tubercular ronin
Hirate Miki, before cutting him down in one of the great duels in
cinema history. This version stays much closer to the true story and
and one of the most exciting finales in Japanese film, the real
story behind this epic struggle comes to life.
This delightful movie is a virtual extravaganza of song, dance, and
swordplay. Featuring the most popular of all Japanese film stars,
Misora Hibari, reprising her role as Oyuki, the daughter
of Tatsugoro of the Shibahamamatsu-cho Megumi Firefighting squad.
Although a woman, she flaunts her chivalrous spirit causing anger
among the more conservative of her contemporaries, leading to
intense confrontations and the crossing of swords in anger. A
terrific example of Toei Film entertainment for young and old.
In 1701, the ruling shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi placed
Asano Takumi-no-kami Naganori, the lord of Ako, in charge of a
reception of envoys from the Imperial Court in Kyoto. He also
appointed the protocol official Kira Kozuke-no-suke Yoshinaka to
instruct Asano in the ceremonies. On the day of the reception, at
Edo Castle, Asano drew his short sword and attempted to kill Kira
after he had insulted Asano. For this, he was sentenced to commit
seppuku, but Kira went without punishment. The Shogunate confiscated
Asano's lands and dismissed the samurai who had served him, making
them ronin. Movie synopsis: While waiting for an opportunity for
revenge on his late master's death, Ako soldier Sugino meets a
skilled spear fighter Tawaraboshi Genban who trains him on mastering
the art of spear fighting. Another great Chushingura movie
version, and with an amazing all-star cast, a must see!
CASE OF UMON: WOMAN OF THE
MAGIC LANTERN
(Umon Torimonocho Maboroshi Toro no Onna)
One of the most entertaining and
popular series is back with this colorful story of the ongoing
rivalry between Japan's most famous detective, Kondo Umon and
his arch-enemy Murakami Keishiro of the South Magistrate's
office. Only one of them can get a highly sought after promotion and
as they vie for the superior position. Meanwhile the mysterious
murder of a ronin named Bizen Yaichiro that was committed in the
Fukazawa district will lead to an exciting and thrilling conclusion.
PART 1: As a result of illness and unemployment, Yamaoka
Tatewaki, a "Hatamoto" (or direct vassal of the Shogun), pawned
his family heirloom, a valuable Gosu plate for 100 ryo. When, of
all occasions, Yokogawa Dewa came to visit and asked to see the
Gosu plate on May 5th, Boy's Festival. Yamaoka then sent his
steward to borrow the plate back, but the pawnbroker
coldheartedly refused. He died soon thereafter of an unknown
cause. Soon after that, two warehouses were broken into, but
nothing was taken. When Detective Shokichi seeks the help of
Young lord samurai, in solving these mysterious crimes that
plague the town he takes the case and immediately surmises that
the thief was looking for something special. Could the answer be
hidden in the coffin of a deceased merchant who had his most
valuable things buried with him. The tension mounts and the
mystery deepens. Can Young lord solve the case?
PART 2: After getting permission to dig up the
pawnbroker's grave, Young lord samurai was surprised to find the
body was missing, as was the Gosu plate. He had a suspect in
mind, and was able to use him to learn of the pawnbroker's
hideout and try to piece together the parts of the puzzle. A
superb and exciting conclusion to a very clever mystery story
set during the Golden Age of Japan. With no easy questions and
his life hanging in the balance, can Young lord solve the
mystery and regain the valuable plate?
CASE OF YOUNG LORD 3
(Wakasama Zamurai Torimonocho Mano Shibijin Yashiki)
Based on the popular newspaper series comes a tale of mystery and
intrigue. Starring the handsome Okawa Hashizo as 'Young Lord', Toei
entertainment reaches a high standard as the unlikely sleuth sets
out to solve the mystery of what went on at the Inner Palace, where
a young woman who had served the Shogun came home in fear for her
life. Will Young Lord be able to uncover the truth of what went on
at the Palace, and does it tie into a series of murders that have
been occuring just before the festival? Action, intrigue, and murder
most foul! All the elements of an exciting motion picture!
Starring: OKAWA Hashizo HOSHI Michiko, CHIHARA Shinobu, RYUZAKI
Ichiro, OKA Joji, SAZAN Kakyu, KIYOKAWA Soji, EBARA Shinjiro, OKA
Satomi
Directed by: FUKADA Kinnosuke
CASE OF YOUNG LORD 4
(Wakasama Zamurai Torimonocho Senketsu no Haregi)
A series of home invasions and brutal murders have struck fear into
the hearts of the community lead the townspeople to request the help
of Young Lord in finding out who is carrying out these terrible
crimes. The appearance of a blood-stained wedding Kimono for a
samurai woman makes this on of the most puzzling cases that Young
Lord has ever had to solve. Exciting and tension Young Lord is like
a Japanese Sherlock Holmes or television CSI as he strives to
decipher the mystery and bring the guilty party to justice!
One of the best ninja versus samurai films of all time features the
great Ose Koichi as Shintaro the Samurai getting involved in
the intrigue between the Iga and Koga ninja. While helping a wounded
agent of the Iga, Shintaro is attacked by Koga agents who think he
received an item that they had already killed in an effort to
obtain. While he did not receive any item, the dying Iga ninja had
whispered a cryptic phrase to him; something that would lead him
into the middle of an attempt to overthrow the Shogunate and
threaten his very life. Can Shintaro's expert swordsmanship defeat
the deadly skills of the Koga ninja, a group of heartless assassins
like no other?
Action and adventure abound in this story of friendship between two
rival firefighters, Kichigoro and Jirokichi in old Japan. When Mukai
Sadayu, the vassal of Kaga Clan’s accounting officer, Shinagawa
Daihachi demands that Omon serve him tea in his mansion and she
refuses, the clan’s samurai abduct her setting in motion a series of
events that will bring the two firefighters into a world of danger
and excitement. Jirokichi, leader of the Edo firefighting team
“Ha-gumi” must first rescue Omon from the clutches of the vile Kaga
Clan’s retainers.
With the help of famous yakuza Boss Jirocho, brave and
quick-tempered Eijiro takes revenge on the death of his close
friend. Many films have been made about the real-life yakuza leader
of the area along the Tokaido Road. Having to fight his way to not
only survive, but to become, in effect, the Boss of Bosses, Jirocho
is one of Japan's most colorful characters. Here he's matched up
with one of his staunchest supporters, the vengeful Eijiro, who must
make his enemies pay with blood!
Honor and duty meet in this deeply involved tale of a young woman's
journey to carry out a debt that's long overdue. Young geisha
Koshizu's wish of reuniting with the man, Yukichi, who helped her
ten years ago comes true. While her life has been on track since
being aided by Yukichi, when she learns of the trouble Yukichi's
business is facing, she stands ready to come to his aid, and thus
repay the debt. Pairing two of the Yakuza genre's biggest names this
all-star production is a testament to the finest work from the
masters of Yakuza film at Toei Studios.
When Boss Juzo's Shinmachi Yakuza family struck fear into the hearts
of his adversaries, Boss Shohei's Okabe Yakuza family with a
merciless gang of raiders, Itaro of Asama was missing. With the
courage of a lion he had gone off to face the enemy and settle the
score all by himself. As a result he had to take the blame in place
of Boss Shohei, and went off to adventures on his own. These
adventures are among the most violent stories ever filmed by Toei, a
true masterpiece on the life of a wandering gambler with a talent
for killing.
This romantic samurai film stars the most beloved of all Japanese
entertainers Misora Hibari who plays a double role as Osome
and Omitsu in one of the best perform-ances of her amazing career.
Omitsu and Osome are rivals for the love of Hisamatsu, who is faced
with the hardest of choices. Meanwhile, Osome's family faces a
crisis when her good-for-nothing brother becomes a thief and loses
his chance to inherit the family oil business. Both heartwarming and
hearbreaking, this is a timeless story of love and loss.
GOLDEN NINJA
(Boken Daikatsugeki Ougon no Touzoku)
Just after the Battle of
Sekigahara, a pair of children Denji and Kichizo witnessed a team of
the defeated forces hide the Toyotomi treasure. When the leader cuts
down the rest of the team, a bloodstained footman seems to be the
only survivor, and his image haunts the pair for the next twenty
years. As they are serving a prison sentence a plan is hatched to
get them released so they can lead their captors to the hidden gold
on Hikone Beach. Danger and excitement await the two as they run
into unexpected and dangerous obstacles. This is one of the most
exciting and bloody ninja films from the
golden era of samurai films. Not to be missed!
A colorful group of characters
clash over a crooked gambling game when they meet head to head in
old Edo during the samurai era in Japan. From a carnival
atmosphere with a few touches of humor to a powerful swordfight
drama, this is an exciting and highly enter-taining film. Great
performances and an excellent cast which includes the soon to be
famous "Tora-san" actor Atsumi Kyoshi in a rare jidai geki
appearance.
MAN OF MEN
Isshin Tasuke: Otoko no Nakano Otoko Ippiki
In the third entry into this mega-hit series, Isshin Tasuke, a
spirited fishmonger in Edo who looks just like Shogun Iemitsu
undergoes a series of unforeseen troubles in his newly wedded life.
Loaded with action and humor, this is one of Nakamura's most popular
roles and helped to define the character. As an "Edokko" (native of
Edo)
Tasuke is known for his short temper, bad mount, and willingness to
fight. He also possesses a genuine humanity, is quick to tears, and
is a bit of a busybody who loves helping people.
When an incident occured at 7 a.m. on Jan. 2, 1629 in front of the
main gate to Edo Castle it set in motion one of the most exciting
stories ever told about the early days of the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Just one day earlier, the Shogun's relatives and high ranking Daimyo
lords had paid their New Year's respects. The next day was for lower
ranking lords and Hatamoto retained by the Shogun to do the same.
Lord Horio Inaba had just switched loyalties from the losing
Toyotomi side to that of the Tokugawa and was rudely greeted by a
detractor who threw the disloyal samurai and his palanquin into the
Edo Castle moat. What followed is a tale not to be missed. A true
classic of Japanese history torn from the pages of time.
LORD MITO 4: STRUGGLES OF SUKE
AND KAKU
(Tenka no Goiken Ban)
The story of two young men whose ambition is to become the personal
bodyguards to the Shogun's uncle, Lord Mito Komon. Portrayed by a
pair of up and coming stars, Sasaki Suke-saburo (Matsukata), the son
of a widower and Atsumi Kakunoshin (Kitaoji), whose mother is a
widow find themselves constantly in trouble and are forced to become
two of the most powerful fighters in all Japan. The stories about
Mito Komon and his travels througout Japan are many, but this is one
that had yet to be told. The struggles of Suke-san and Kaku-san
faced in order to join the Elder in his quest to fight against
injustice and corruption during the samurai era.
From one of the most important
forces in Japanese filmmaking, Ito Daisuke, comes the biography of
the greatest Warlord in Japan’s history. Tokugawa Ieyasu was a
brilliant general who rose through a combination of good luck and
better strategies than his mentors and enemies. Having served under
the powerful leaders who preceded him, Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi
Hideyoshi, his ambition knew no bounds. How he was able to defeat
the forces of the Western Army and seize control of Japan is a story
which must be told properly. While Ieyasu’s rise was the basis for
James Clavell’s “Shogun” which fictionalized his story using the
false name Toranaga, before this film, little was known of Ieyasu
before now.
THE MYSTERIOUS PURPLE HOOD
(Hengen Murasaki Zukin)
On a spring night in 1784, from Kyoto’s Fushimi Magistrate, Kobori
Masakata a live gift arrived at this Edo mansion. A woman had been
abducted and sent to the mansion with the threat of death to her
parents, who were being held in Kyoto’s Rokkaku jail. With their
lives in her hands she is ordered to “do her duty” with the evil
Senior Councilor Tanuma Okitsugu. This corrupt official had
monopolized Shogun Ieharu’s patronage and was unequalled in power.
He privatized politics and handed out positions according to the
amount he received in bribes. It would take a man in a mysterious
purple hood to
try and save her and help the townspeople of Edo.
NOBLE TASUKE
(Edo no Meibutusu Otoko: Isshin Tasuke)
The story opens in October of 1624 when the newly appointed Shogun
Iemitsu visits the famed Kan-ei temple. On his way the procession is
disrupted when a small child runs into the street, a crime
punishable by execution. One man steps forward to save her life by
putting his on the line. Brave and compassionate, Isshin Tasuke, a
spirited fishmonger from Edo, has come into the limelight as a hero
of legendary proportions. His uncanny resemblence to Shogun Iemitsu
will lead to many adventures that formed on of the great series in
Japanese cinema. With his intelligence and personality, Tasuke seeks
to intervene in the struggle between opposing factions in the
Shogun's Ruling Council.
Mine, the only daughter of Kiyagen, is faced with running the
family's timber business when her father falls ill. Under a great
deal of pressure to continue the five generation long run of the
business, Mine is put to the ultimate test when a former gangster
sets his sights on closing her down.
Starring: MISORA Hibari, HAYASHI Yoichi, OSE Koichi
Directed by: SAWASHIMA Tadashi
THE PHANTOM GOBLIN
(Maborshi Tengu)
The great Okawa Hashizo plays a double role in this thrilling
tale of intrigue and corruption within the capital city of Edo. When
Moriya Shuma, an injured Edo officer is rescued by a vassal whose
appears to be his exact double, he swears to sweep out all the
criminals from the city. Directed by one of Japan's most revered
filmmakers, Nakagawa Nobuo, this story is filled with twists and
turns, and loaded with surprises. Plenty of realistic swordplay
highlights this exciting motion picture.
THE SEVEN FACES OF BANNAI TARAO-PRIVATE
EYE
(Tarao Bannai Senritsu no Nanakamen)
In this modern-day crime drama, hard-boiled Detective Tarao goes
undercover to battle an evil gun smuggling business. With a bravura
performance from Toei’s greatest star Kataoka Chiezo as he puts his
life on the line by getting in between two rival yakuza gangs
fighting for supremacy. A true classic of the ‘film-noir’ genre,
this black and white motion picture is loaded with intrigue and
action. Surprise
after surprise abounds as Bannai gets deeper into the mob while
searching for a brutal killer.
THE BORED HATAMOTO: THE
ACROBATS OF DEATH
(Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko Nazo no Nanbandaiko)
During the reign of 5th Shogun
Tokugawa Tsuneyoshi a troupe of Chinese acrobats travel to Japan to
help celebrate the building of the Yushima Shrine. At the same time
a series of mysterious assassinations take place with a strange and
unknown weapon. Master swordsman
Saotome Mondonosuke, a ’Hatamoto’ (direct retainer of the Shogun)
and a man who loves action takes it upon himself to get to the
bottom of the mystery and and solve the puzzling crimes. Could the
visitors have anything to do with it, or is this the case of a major
frame-up being carried out by those who would take over the
Shogunate themselves? One of the most popular and intriguing
characters in Japanese cinema, Mondonosuke, who sports a ’crescent
shaped scar' on his forehead that signifies his right to kill in the
name of the Shogun faces one of his most dangerous enemies in this
exciting entry in the series.
TANGE SAZEN & THE PRINCESS
(Tange Sazen Nuretsubame Ittoryu)
In 1732 the restoration of Nikko Tokugawa Shrine began. The
financial burden which fell upon the Daimyo lord who was appointed
'Restoration Minister' was a method the
Shogunate used to weaken the lords. Usually the most powerful clans
that the Shogun feared the most were chosen, but this time the
financially strapped Yagyu Clan was appointed to the task. This
oft-told tale takes on new light as Otomo Ryutaro, the actor most
associated with the role of Tange Sazen gives a portrayal for the
ages. One of the best versions of the one-armed, one-eyed
swordsman's adventures yet!
This superb story is based on the writings of famed Kabuki
playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon, and won the 1959 "Fine Arts Award".
With Chikamatsu himself being portrayed in this film by Kataoka
Chiezo, one of Japan's greatest actors, this remarkable motion
picture blends reality with fiction as it represents the true world
of Kabuki and how being seen in the West, as never before.
Chikamatsu Monzaemon is the William Shakespeare of Japan, and his
plays include Chushingura" (The Tale of the 47 Ronin), and "Yotsuya
Kaidan” (Yotsuya Ghost Story).
TOYAMA NO KINSAN 3 – WHIRLWIND
MAGISTRATE
(Tsumaki Bugyo)
One of the most popular history-based characters is back when
Magistrate Saemonojo Toyama no Kinsan investigates the tragic
shipwreck of the 'Sado-maru' near Cape Kasumigaseki. The ship
carrying gold bars from Sado Island to Edo for the Shogunate
disappeared into the ocean on a day with clear skies and no wind.
While it is conveniently blamed on a surprise tornado or whirlwind,
the Sado Magistrate asks his lifelong friend Magistrate Toyama to
get to the root of the mystery in order to save his reputation and
avoid a life of shame.
Misora Hibari stars in this heartwarming story of
love and forgiveness about a young woman's efforts to
keep her family together after her sister is disowned by
their father for marrying the wrong man.
THE BRIDE IN UGUISU
CASTLE
(Uguisu-Jo no Hanayome)
Romance and action are the order of the day when
Princess Matsu of the Uguisu Castle, who takes no
interest in getting married, has a change of heart when
she meets the handsome lord Hikoshiro. Nothing is as it
seems in this exciting and heartfelt film. Otomo Ryutaro
turns in a stellar performance at the height of his
career.
THE BLACK-HOODED
MAN
(Gozonji Kaiketsu Kurozukin Maguna no Hitomi)
In the year 1867 Japan was undergoing a period of
upheaval that pitted clan against clan and man against
man in battles that would event-ually bring about the
dawn of a new nation. While these factions fought each
other for supremacy corruption was running rampant. Lord
Matsukawa Katsutoshi was sentenced by order of the
Shogunate to confinement and forced to vacate his post
as Nagasaki Magistrate due to his conspiring with
merchants to line his own pockets. His replacement was
Matsudaira Mondonosho, a man above reproach who promised
to support the Tokugawa to the end. Mean-while a
mysterious black hooded man
intervenes when a notorious anti-Shogunate group attempt
to steal a rare blue diamond called the Maguna no Hitomi.
Political intrigue leads to an exciting showdown between
the opposing factions in this brilliant sketch of Japan
at the height of her civil unrest. The battles have just
begun!
residents should check for the
likely availability of these shows on their local cable system before
ordering. Mahalo! 
