Gregor's Top 100 Japanese (Chambara/Karate/Samurai/Ninja)
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- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTakashi ShimuraKeiko TsushimaFarmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.Seven Samurai
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneEijirô TônoTatsuya NakadaiA crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
- DirectorYôji YamadaStarsHiroyuki SanadaRie MiyazawaNenji KobayashiAs the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.The Twilight Samurai
- DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira IshihamaShima IwashitaWhen a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.Harakiri
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMachiko KyôMasayuki MoriThe rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
- DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsToshirô MifuneYôko TsukasaGô KatôThe mother of a feudal lord's only heir is kidnapped away from her husband by the lord. The husband and his samurai father must decide whether to accept the unjust decision, or risk death to get her back.Samurai Rebellion
- DirectorHideo GoshaStarsTetsurô TanbaIsamu NagatoMikijirô HiraWhen poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.Three Outlaw Samurai
- DirectorToshiya FujitaStarsMeiko KajiToshio KurosawaMasaaki DaimonA strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.Lady Snowblood
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsTomisaburô WakayamaKayo MatsuoMinoru ÔkiTrailed by a clan of female ninja, Ogami is paid to assassinate a clan traitor accompanied by three killers known as the Gods of Death.Lone Wolf and Cub 2: Baby Cart at the River Styx
- DirectorTeruo IshiiStarsTetsurô TanbaGorô IbukiTatsuo EndôA ronin Shino Asu (I die Tomorrow) gets rescued by the Bohachi clan. Their leader Shirobei Daimon, charged by the Shogun with running Edo's brothels enlists him to kill clients of tea-house whores who are stealing his business.Boachi Bushido: Code of the Forgotten Eight
- DirectorHideo GoshaStarsTatsuya NakadaiTetsurô TanbaYôko TsukasaA guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
- DirectorYoshihiro IshikawaStarsJunko MiyazonoTomisaburô WakayamaKunio MuraiA female acrobat and a thief plans to steal the gold from the mint. The evil manager have his own plans.Legends of the Poisonous Seductress Volume 1 - Female Demon Ohyaku
- DirectorYôjirô TakitaStarsKiichi NakaiKôichi SatôYui NatsukawaA samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family.When the Last Sword Is Drawn
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsTomisaburô WakayamaGô KatôYûko HamaOgami Itto volunteers to be tortured by the yakuza to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain.Lone Wolf and Cub 3: Baby Cart to Hades
- DirectorYôji YamadaStarsMasatoshi NagaseTakako MatsuHidetaka YoshiokaA 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend.The Hidden Blade
- DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaYûzô KayamaThrough his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.The Sword of Doom
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiTsutomu YamazakiKen'ichi HagiwaraA petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsTatsuya NakadaiAkira TeraoJinpachi NezuIn Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMisa UeharaMinoru ChiakiLured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.The Hidden Fortress
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneMinoru ChiakiIsuzu YamadaA war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.Throne of Blood
- DirectorNorifumi SuzukiStarsReiko IkeAkemi NegishiRyôko EmaDuring the Meiji era, a gambler called Ocho takes revenge on three gangsters who killed her father, shelters a wanted anarchist and confronts a British spy.Sex & Fury
- DirectorNobuo NakagawaStarsJunko MiyazonoReiko ÔnobutaKô NishimuraAn innocent man gets killed for the debt accumulated by his gambler son. This sets Okatsu, a master with the sword and an adopted daughter of the victim, on a path of revenge.Legends of the Poisonous Seductress Volume 2 - Quick-draw Okatsu
- DirectorHideo GoshaStarsMikijirô HiraGô KatôShima IwashitaAfter killing a counselor of his clan, a fugitive samurai befriends a couple poaching the shogun's gold in the mountains.Sword Of The Beast
- DirectorAkira KurosawaStarsToshirô MifuneTatsuya NakadaiKeiju KobayashiA crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen trying to save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.Sanjuro
- DirectorNorifumi SuzukiStarsShin'ichi ChibaYutaka NakajimaMakoto SatôSonny Chiba plays the character referred to as "Mr Soh", who is based on the true life founder of Shorinji Kempo, Doshin So. Mr Soh has been acting as a secret agent in Manchuria during the Japanese occupation. He is first seen spying on a meeting of Chinese soldiers as they plan a surprise ambush on the retreating Japanese Army. He is discovered and has to fight his way out, using fists, feet and then a machine gun. He rushes to inform the Japanese commanders of the plot, but is horrified to learn that Japan has done the unthinkable by surrendering unconditionally. Soh returns to his homeland to find a ravaged land of beaten people. Victimised by gangsters, occupation forces and corrupt local officials, the poor and the disenfranchised have lost the will to fight back. Using his "Shao Lin" skills (subtitle translation of Shorinji Kempo), he regularly champions the weak and teaches the black market thugs the error of their ways, becoming a regular guest at the local prison. He is seen to assist a former soldier, Otaki, who is seeking his lost wife at the bottom of a bottle, a fallen woman (Kiku) who has turned to prostitution after suffering rape by Russian soldiers, her little brother Kimio who gets injured by some American G.I.s who subsequently try to flee from accident. The Prison Governor warns him that the US Administration will not be so tolerant now that he has "crippled" the troops, suggesting a likely death sentence. He helps him to "escape" the jail and Soh leaves town in a hurry, pausing only to give advice to the band of orphans that he has befriended. Soh leaves the city of Osaka (central Japan) to go to the rural island of Shikoku where he finds a similar situation. He determines to bring new hope to the locals by teaching his martial arts skills to a growing band of followers. He gathers the loafers, ruffians and aimless, teaches them Shorinji Kempo (referred to as "Shao Lin" in subtitles) to build them up to be stronger physically and mentally. He meets some new characters, who he soon enlists in his school; Tomoda the young ex-soldier and his sister Miho. When the noodle-stall girl Noriko is raped by a gang of yakuza thugs, Soh and Tomoda dish out some rough justice (with some sharp scissors to one of the miscreant's tenderest flesh). Later, Tomoda and Miho are attacked and Tomoda has his arm cut off with a katana (Samurai sword). Soh avenges that with a visit to the local yakuza boss that leaves the boss with a dislocated arm and his minion missing a digit. Otaki, the former drunken soldier from Osaka joins the group, then in an emotional scene, discovers his wife is alive but has re-married after he was reported dead in the war. When the small-time local yakuza gangs are joined by familiar faces from Osaka seeking to expand their activities, it is time for action with a capital A. Before the final climactic face-off between Soh's students and the yakuza mob, there is time for Soh to receive an urgent message to see Kiku in Osaka. He returns to find the orphans caring for a terminally ill Kiku, who had turned to prostitution to help support them all. Soh experiences an epiphany and comes to recognise that "Strength and Compassion must be together" (Riki Ai Funi). In a typically cinematic finale, Soh's friend Otaki dies is killed by yakuza thugs paid to clear the honest poor from land to be used to build brothels and gambling dens. Soh goes on a final rampage to clear the yakuza right out of town forever. The epilogue reveals how Soh's school has flourished and spread across Japan (circa 1975), with scenes filmed at the organisations magnificent headquarters still based in the town of Tadotsu.The Killing Machine
- DirectorBuichi SaitôStarsTomisaburô WakayamaYoichi HayashiMichi AzumaOgami is hired to kill a tattooed female assassin. Gunbei Yagyu, an enemy samurai, happens upon Ogami's son, and sees his chance for revenge.Lone Wolf and Cub 4: Baby Cart in Peril
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsTomisaburô WakayamaFumio WatanabeGô KatôThe story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures.Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
- DirectorYasuzô MasumuraStarsShintarô KatsuKeiko AikawaKazuko InanoDuring the currency devaluation by the Edo treasury, officer Hanzo deals with a temple priestess who sells her pupils as prostitutes, and a notorious thief who plans to rob the mint.Hanzo the Razor 2: The Snare
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuMasayo BanriRyûzô ShimadaThe adventures of a blind, gambling masseur who also happens to be a master swordsman.Zatoichi 1: The Tale of Zatoichi
- DirectorYôji YamadaStarsTakuya KimuraRei DanMitsugorô BandôA look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.Love and Honor
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsShin'ichi ChibaKenji SawadaAkiko KanaCenturies ago, a samurai survives the massacre of 35,000 Christians and denounces God for ignoring the pleas of the believers. He sells his soul to the devil and receives the power to resurrect the dead to join him on a murderous rampage.Makai tenshô: Samurai Reincarnation
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsKinnosuke NakamuraShin'ichi ChibaHiroki MatsukataAfter the Tokugawa shogun's death by poisoning, his sons Iemitsu and Tadanaga compete for the shogunate, dividing the land into warring factions. Iemitsu's mentor, betrays all to secure Iemitsu's power, leading to widespread conflict.The Shogun's Samurai
- DirectorTen ShimoyamaStarsYukie NakamaJoe OdagiriTomoka KurotaniStar-crossed lovers must fight on opposing sides in a battle that will determine the next Shogun.
- DirectorFumihiko SoriStarsHaruka AyaseShidô NakamuraYôsuke KubozukaIchi is a blind woman who roams about town with her shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese guitar), but she has exceptional sword skills with which she fights off yakuza and other villains.
- DirectorYoshiyuki KurodaStarsTomisaburô WakayamaAkihiro TomikawaJunko HitomiIn the sixth and final film of the Lone Wolf and Cub series, the final conflict between Ogami Itto and the Yagyu clan is carried out.Lone Wolf and Cub 6: White Heaven in Hell
- DirectorKimiyoshi YasudaStarsShintarô KatsuJimmy Wang YuMichie TeradaTwo of Japan and China's greatest heroic swordsman find themselves caught in a plot to protect a young child. But will national distrust and simple misunderstanding keep the two kindred spirits apart?Zatoichi 22: Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman
- DirectorTeruo IshiiStarsMeiko KajiHoki TokudaMakoto SatôThe head of a yakuza gang is being trailed by a mysterious, vengeful blind woman.The Blind Woman's Curse
- DirectorTokuzô TanakaStarsShintarô KatsuMikiko TsubouchiSeizaburô KawazuWishing to find peace, Zatoichi travels to his old village but only finds trouble when he ends up in a love triangle and finds old scores have followed him home.Zatoichi 3: New Tale of Zatoichi
- DirectorKazuo MoriStarsShintarô KatsuYaeko MizutaniMasayo BanriThe blind masseur and swordsman, Zatoichi, learns of a powerful political figure's secret and is quickly tailed by a group of killers.Zatoichi 2: The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKoji YakushoTakayuki YamadaYûsuke IseyaA group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.13 Assassins
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsKoji YakushoMunetaka AokiNaoto TakenakaA tale of revenge, honor and disgrace, centering on a poverty-stricken samurai who discovers the fate of his ronin son-in-law, setting in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against the house of a feudal lord.Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai
- DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsTatsuya NakadaiEtsushi TakahashiYuriko HoshiTwo ronin - an ex-samurai and an ex-farmer - get caught up in a local official's complex game of murder and betrayal.Kill!
- DirectorMasahiro ShinodaStarsHiroshi AoyamaJun HamamuraOsamu HitomiThe legendary samurai Sasuke Sarutobi gets caught in a web of political intrigue, deception and espionage during the early 17th century.Samurai Spy
- DirectorTakeshi KitanoStarsTakeshi KitanoTadanobu AsanoYui NatsukawaThe blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.Zatoichi 2003
- DirectorShigehiro OzawaStarsShin'ichi ChibaGoichi YamadaYutaka NakajimaAfter failing to reach a deal with her enemies, a mercenary karateka protects the daughter of a recently-deceased oil tycoon from the evil conglomerate gunning for her inheritance.The Street Fighter
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuYukiji AsaokaMari AtsumiHanzo Itami is an incorruptible Edo officer who learns that an infamous killer has fled from his island prison. Hanzo begins tracking him down using his unorthodox interrogation techniques.Hanzo the Razor 1: Sword of Justice
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsTomisaburô WakayamaMichiyo YasudaAkihiro TomikawaFive warriors challenge Ogami to duels. Each holds a part of information needed to complete the assassination of a mad clan leader.Lone Wolf and Cub 5: Baby Cart in the Land of Demons
- DirectorKeishi OtomoStarsTakeru SatohEmi TakeiYû AoiA former assassin who has resolved to never kill again has his vow sorely tested.
- DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsToshirô MifuneShintarô KatsuAyako WakaoZatoichi tries to unrest the mob rule over a small village all while the gang leader's bodyguard is actually the Yojimbo, secretly taking the gang down from the inside. Will the two heroes realize in time that they are on the same side?Zatoichi 20: Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo
- DirectorShinsuke SatoStarsYumiko ShakuHideaki ItôYôichi NumataRaised by assassins, Yuki is the last of the Takemikazuchi royal bloodline. A deadly weapon in her own right, she learns the gruesome truth about the death of her beloved mother and joins forces with a mysterious rebel leader.The Princess Blade
- DirectorRyûhei KitamuraStarsAya UetoKenji KohashiHiroki NarimiyaRaised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart.
- DirectorKazuaki KiriyaStarsYôsuke EguchiTakao OsawaRyôko HirosueBased on a Japanese folk legend that echoes the tale of Robin Hood, this ninja thriller follows the exploits of Goemon Ishikawa (Yôsuke Eguchi), who leaves his fighting clan after its chief is murdered and uses his skills as a thief to help the poor. But after learning the identity of his leader's killer - the traitorous Hideyoshi (Eiji Okuda) - Goemon sets out on a bloody path of vengeance, joined by his loyal friend, Saizo (Takao Ôsawa).
- DirectorNorifumi SuzukiStarsShin'ichi ChibaHiroyuki SanadaEtsuko ShihomiIn the middle of the 16th century, Hideyoshi, a power hungry warlord sets out to destroy the Momochi clan. He sends his war commander in search of the clan's hidden gold only to find that two daggers are the key to the hiding place of the treasured gold. Spanning decades, the quest for the missing daggers takes Shiranui through war and ancient tradition.Shogun's Ninja
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsShin'ichi ChibaKinnosuke NakamuraTsunehiko WataseThis is the story of "The Forty-Seven Ronin." Based on historical events in 1701-2, the movie tells the tale of the Asano clan's downfall and the revenge of its former samurai on the perpetrator of the catastrophe.Swords of Vengeance
- DirectorNobuo NakagawaStarsJunko MiyazonoReiko ÔnobutaTôru AbeMiyazono again plays a character named Okatsu in the final installment, Okatsu the Fugitive (1969), as the devoted daughter of parents who are put to death for refusing to release a document that could send a venal merchant to prison.Legends of the Poisonous Seductress Volume 3 - Okatsu the Fugitive
- DirectorTeruo IshiiStarsReiko IkeMakoto AikawaArumi KuriOcho gets abducted by a yakuza clan that uses a gang of women to smuggle drugs in their vaginas. Finding out that the kingpin had killed the last boss and abducted his daughter, Ocho joins forces with the drug mules against the clan.Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture
- DirectorShigehiro OzawaStarsShin'ichi ChibaClaude GagnonYôko IchijiMercenary karate master Tsurugi gets mixed up in a plot by the American mafia to take over the karate dojos in Asia, aided by a corrupt dojo master.Return of the Street Fighter
- DirectorToshiya FujitaStarsMeiko KajiJûzô ItamiKazuko YoshiyukiTo avoid a death sentence for her prior acts of bloodshed, the vengeful swordswoman Lady Snowblood is conscripted by the Japanese Secret Police to assassinate political dissidents.Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance
- DirectorYoshio InoueStarsShintarô KatsuKô NishimuraMako MidoriAfter extracting information by raping a ghost, Hanzo uncovers a plot among high officials to steal the shogunate's gold and loan it out to the poor.Hanzo the Razor 3: Who's Got the Gold
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsHiroko YakushimaruHiroyuki SanadaShin'ichi ChibaPrincess Shizu was born under a terrible curse. Only the eight legendary samurai, hailing from across Japan, can protect her from an ancient supernatural clan to fulfill their destinies as foretold by prophecy.Legend of the Eight Samurai
- DirectorTomu UchidaStarsChiezô KataokaRyûnosuke TsukigataChizuru KitagawaA samurai travels to Edo with his two servants. On their way, they meet many people and encounter great injustice.A Bloody Spear on Mount Fuji
- DirectorHiroshi InagakiStarsToshirô MifuneMariko OkadaRentarô MikuniDepicts the early life of the legendary warrior Musashi Miyamoto; his years as an aspiring warrior, an outlaw and finally a true samurai.Samurai 1
- DirectorHiroshi InagakiStarsToshirô MifuneMariko OkadaKôji TsurutaMusashi Miyamoto returns to Kyoto after years of absence. After a series of fights against the Yoshioka School, he challenges its master to a duel.Samurai 2
- DirectorHiroshi InagakiStarsToshirô MifuneMariko OkadaKôji TsurutaMusashi Miyamoto is challenged to a duel by a confident swordsman Sasaki Kojiro. He agrees to fight him in a year's time.Samurai 3
- DirectorKeishi OtomoStarsTakeru SatohEmi TakeiTatsuya FujiwaraKenshin Himura goes up against pure evil Makoto Shishio who is attempting to overthrow the Meiji government. The fate of the country hangs in the balance as Kenshin Himura takes up the sword that he vowed to never draw again.
- DirectorKeishi OtomoStarsTakeru SatohTatsuya FujiwaraEmi TakeiShishio has set sail in his ironclad ship to bring down the Meiji government and return Japan to chaos, carrying Kaoru with him. In order to stop him in time, Kenshin trains with his old master to learn his final technique.
- DirectorShigehiro OzawaStarsShin'ichi ChibaReiko IkeKôji WadaMercenary karate master Tsurugi is hired to retrieve a cassette tape which holds a very sensitive recording of governmental corruption. A back and forth game of who got the tape ensues.The Streetfighter's Last Revenge
- DirectorKazuhiko YamaguchiStarsEtsuko ShihomiShin'ichi ChibaAsao UchidaA young martial artist is on a mission to rescue her brother who's being held captive by a sadistic drug lord.Sister Street Fighter
- DirectorKazuhiko YamaguchiStarsEtsuko ShihomiTamayo MitsukawaMichiyo BandôThis time Koryu heads to Yokohama in search of a woman named Birei, kidnapped by diamond smugglers who move their hot rocks by surgically implanting them into the nubile buttocks of Chinese prostitutes. Koryu's older sister, working as a jewelry designer, is secretly if unhappily involved with the gangsters.Sister Street Fighter 2: Hanging by a Thread
- DirectorAkihiko ShiotaStarsSatoshi TsumabukiKô ShibasakiKiichi NakaiA female warrior who was raised as a man joins a young samurai's quest to recover 48 of his body parts from 48 demons and to avenge her parents death.
- DirectorKôsei SaitôStarsHiroyuki SanadaNoriko WatanabeJun MihoA fortuneteller prophesizes that whoever marries the beautiful Ukio will become the ruler of the world. Naturally, this makes her very popular with those vying for power, particularly the insatiably greedy Lord Donjo. Only the ninja Jotaro can stop Donjo's plan, but to do so, he must first battle the deadly team of "Devil Monks" serving the lord. Will Jotaro succeed in his mission? And if so, will Ukio marry him, thus making him the ruler of the world?Ninja Wars
- DirectorHideyuki HirayamaStarsYôsuke KubozukaKumiko AsôTetta Sugimoto37,000 Peasants perished in the Shimbara Revolt: among them, the leader of that uprising, Shiro Amakusa. Amakusa is resurrected from hell bent on revenging the death of his fellow comrades by over throwing the Shoganate. Shiro resurrects an army of living dead swordsmen by "Makai Tensho" (Demonic transmigration). Only the Legendary Samurai Jubei Yagyu, stands in his way!Samurai Resurrection
- DirectorYukio NodaStarsShin'ichi ChibaRyôji HayamaMachiko YashiroAn undercover cop befriends a yakuza underling who through his contacts helps him infiltrate two rival Yakuza gangs. He pits the two rival gangs against each other in hopes that they will cross each other out.Yakuza Deka
- DirectorRyûichi TakamoriStarsShin'ichi ChibaRyôhei UchidaFumio WatanabeHayata is an undercover cop assigned to infiltrate not one, but two rival Yakuza gangs. Things get complicated when Hayata gets into a relationship with a young schoolteacher, the daughter of a fellow officer who was slain by one of the gangs.Yakuza Deka 2: The Assassin
- DirectorKazuhiko YamaguchiStarsEtsuko ShihomiAkane KawasakiMei-Ho ChangWhen Koryu's childhood friend Shurel is abducted by gangsters, the desperate young woman recruits a female martial artist and a tough-as-nails stranger to join her for a dangerous rescue mission.Return Of The Sister Street Fighter
- DirectorShigehiro OzawaStarsEtsuko ShihomiMitchi LoveKen WallaceAlthough not an official sequel (Shihomi plays a different character), the film is often referred to as a sequel to the series. Kiku Nakakawa, the only daughter of an old kimono shop owner in Kyoto, is enthusiastic about karate. In order to help her friend Michi avenge her brother, she sneaks into a movie studio in Kyoto where a drug dealing syndicate is based.Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist
- DirectorKihachi OkamotoStarsToshirô MifuneKeiju KobayashiMichiyo AratamaFebruary 17 to March 3, 1860, inside Edo castle. A group of assassins wait by Sakurada Gate to kill the lord of the House of Ii, a powerful man in the Tokugawa government, which has ruled Japan for 300 years. They suspect a traitor in their midst, and their suspicions fall on Niiro, an impoverished ronin who dreams of samurai status, and Kurihara, an aristocratic samurai who befriends Niiro. Niiro longs to identify his father, knowing he is a high-ranking official who will disclose himself only if Niiro achieves samurai status. With American ships in Japan's harbors, cynicism among the assassins, and change in the air, Niiro resolves to reach ends that may prove ephemeral.Samurai Assassin
- DirectorHiroshi InagakiStarsYûzô KayamaChûsha IchikawaToshirô MifuneAfter their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsMakoto FujitaHiroaki MurakamiKazuko KatôFollowing the local magistrate's death during a bloody massacre, a new maverick magistrate rides into town, and soon ends up toe-to-toe with the local law enforcement.Sure Death 4
- DirectorTokuzô TanakaStarsShintarô KatsuMiwa TakadaMasayo BanriA yakuza gang targets the blind masseur Zatoichi after he defeats their group in a wrestling match. Meanwhile a long lost love of Zatoichi's returns to his life.
- DirectorKimiyoshi YasudaStarsShintarô KatsuShiho FujimuraRyûzô ShimadaZatoichi promises to deliver a maiden safely home but finds two dangerous gangs have a mysterious interest in the young girl.
- DirectorKazuo IkehiroStarsShintarô KatsuShôgo ShimadaMikiko TsubouchiZatoichi is mistaken for a thief. To clear his name he must find and defeat the real villain.
- DirectorKazuo IkehiroStarsShintarô KatsuTatsuo EndôTakashi EtajimaAfter being wounded in a fight, Zatoichi is nursed to health by a young woman and her father. Now indebted to the family, he works to protect their ferry business from local thugs.
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuSaburô DateKôji FujiyamaWhen Zatoichi witnesses the murder of a young mother he promises to deliver the baby to the father. Along the way he gains the help of a reluctant criminal.
- DirectorKimiyoshi YasudaStarsShintarô KatsuMiwa TakadaEiko TakashiroThe blind swordsman tries to locate a girl's missing father.
- DirectorAkira InoueStarsShintarô KatsuNorihei MikiMikiko TsubouchiAfter Zatoichi learns of his sensei's murder he uncovers a horrible conspiracy involving the local government and crime family.
- DirectorKazuo MoriStarsShintarô KatsuKanbi FujiyamaEiko TakashiroThe blind masseur and swordsman, Zatoichi, searches for proof an imprisoned man's innocence.
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuMikio NaritaChizu HayashiA samurai with a high skill in chess makes friends with Zatoichi, who finds that things become peculiar in his presence.
- DirectorTokuzô TanakaStarsShintarô KatsuShigeru AmachiJun HamamuraPromising to make a delivery for a dying man, the blind swordsman Zatoichi comes across the usual crime gangs but also meets a blind monk who brings into question his use of violence.
- DirectorKazuo IkehiroStarsShintarô KatsuMichiyo YasudaKunie TanakaZatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss.
- DirectorKimiyoshi YasudaStarsShintarô KatsuShiho FujimuraYoshihiko AoyamaZatoichi, while fighting off the usual group of gangsters, meets the apprentice of the swordsman who created his blade, who relays bad news about the sword.
- DirectorSatsuo YamamotoStarsShintarô KatsuRentarô MikuniKô NishimuraIn a town where debt-ridden peasants are being ruthlessly exploited, Zatoichi is forced to take sides between a cruel yakuza boss and his seemingly altruistic rival.
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuJûshirô KonoeMiwa TakadaAfter an artist is threatened by the yakuza into creating valuable but highly illegal pornography, the law aims to execute him. Zatoichi, having been honor bound to protect the man and his family, must now run against the law.
- DirectorKimiyoshi YasudaStarsShintarô KatsuKayo MikimotoKyôsuke MachidaZatoichi runs afoul of some evil fugitives, working for a corrupt law official.
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuYoshiko MitaMakoto SatôZatoichi is tricked by a crime gang into killing a man. Realizing his mistake, he sets out to protect the dead man's sister, who is conflicted in accepting his help.
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsShintarô KatsuReiko ÔharaPîtâZatoichi meets an infamous blind leader of a gangster organization as he contends with a gloomy ronin widower.
- DirectorKazuo MoriStarsShintarô KatsuRentarô MikuniHisaya MorishigeOn the road, Zatoichi meets a dying pregnant woman and delivers the child moments before she passes. Honor bound, he sets out to find the next-of-kin who he discovers have their own problems.
- DirectorShintarô KatsuStarsShintarô KatsuKiwako TaichiKyoko YoshizawaAfter accidentally causing an old lady's death, Zatoichi seeks out her daughter to atone for the tragedy, consequently getting into all sorts of trouble.
- DirectorKimiyoshi YasudaStarsShintarô KatsuYukiyo ToakeEiji OkadaZatoichi returns to his home village for the first time in over ten years to find much has changed and that corruption abounds.
- DirectorShintarô KatsuStarsShintarô KatsuKanako HiguchiTakanori JinnaiOlder, wiser but still a wandering loner, the blind, peace-loving masseur Ichi seeks a peaceful life in a rural village. When he's caught in the middle of a power struggle between two rival Yakuza clans, his reputation as a deadly defender of the innocent is put to the ultimate test in a series of sword-slashing showdowns.