Japanese Movie Listing

I have loved the Japanese culture and Feudal Japan in particular since I was young. I have watched many Japanese movies over the years, and have put my own notes along with the notes of friends and family. Over the this list has grown and grown, thanks to the input of many web visitors!

Note that since each of these movies was seen by a normal human being, what you read here is just one person's opinion :) Your own opinion may of course be different! If you notice that a movie listing is missing or incorrect, please Contact Me (Really!! WRITE ME!!!) so I can update the list!

Check out Japanese Movies By Director if you want to see what movies a given director made. Otherwise, use this alphabetical listing to view your movie by title.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Lisa's Favorite Japanese Movies

D

The Dagger Of Kamui (Kamui No Ken) (1985)
Animated. Jiro is pursued by minions of the evil Tenkai as he races from Japan to the American Old West and back again. He's trying to avenge the murder of his father and Jiro's only weapon is the mysterious Dagger of Kamui, which holds the source to a treasure and the future of Japan.

The Dawn of Judy
Many years ago I saw a movie I will always remember.It was called "The Dawn of Judo".Have you heard of it.I was wondering if it is called Sanshiro Sugata in Japanese. It was one of the best movies I ever saw. [Jerrym@pc.jaring.my]

Death Ride to Osaka [orig title: Girls of the White Orchid] (1983 - US).
TV Movie. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ann Jilian, Ricard Morita. Can hardly wait to see what this is about. [Gavin Hougham]

Death Shadows (Jittemai) (1988) D: Hideo Gosha.
During the era of the Samurai there dwelt in the ancient Japanese city of Edo a secret band of assassins. Pardoned from their death sentence by the local Magistrate, these cold-blooded killers became officially dead. Dehumanized even more by having their vocal cords severed so they cannot reveal the deadly secret of their order, they are now used by the Magistrate as a merciless killing tool. Feared by everyone, they are called "Shadows," for that is where they lurk, blending with the night, ready to spring out at any instant to deliver final death blows to unwary victims. Mariko Ishihara, Mari Natsuki, Tsunehiko Watase

Dersu Uzala (1975, Japan-Russia) 140m.
Best foreign film Oscar. Simple, gentle gold-hunter guide teaches Russian explorer rules of survival in Siberia, developing mutual respect and friendship. Poignant, poetic examination of contrasting lives. Filmed in Russia. D: Akira Kurosawa.

Destroy all Monsters (1968) 88m.
All-star monster cast teams up to combat alien forces. Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, etc. D: Ishiro Honda

Diary of a Shinjuku Thief (1969) 96m.
Moody, violent tale of a young woman who leads a young man into the revolutionary world of the radicals of the late 1960s. D: Nagisa Oshima.

Dodes Ka-den (1970) 140m.
Episodic chronicle of life in a Tokyo slum; including a little boy who feeds himself and a derelict father by scrounging garbage - together they visualize a dream house, a wan girl who makes artificial flowers to support alcoholic stepfather, etc. The title refers to the onomatopoeic sounds made by a trolley car. Kurosawa's first film in color. Originally 244 min. D: Akira Kurosawa.

Double Suicide (1969) (Shinju-Ten No Amijima) D: Shinoda Masahiro.
Shinoda, a 'new wave' director, films the story with the form of a bunraku (puppet theater) play. The actors are live, but are seemingly controlled by the kuroko (bunraku puppet-masters dressed in black).

The Downfall of Osen (1934) 78m. (Orizuru Osen)
"A pivotal work in Mizoguchi's career and a critical hit in Paris recently, The Downfall of Osen bridged the silent and sound periods. (The voice-over was recorded by a benshi, the traditional Japanese narrator of silent films.) Still remarkable for its narrative structure, which unfolds largely in flashback -- Noël Burch has praised the film as ` remarkably inventive' -- Downfall tells a quintessentially Mizoguchean tale of a woman [played by Isuzu Yamada] who sacrifices everything, including her body and sanity, so that the man she loves can achieve success" (James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario). "The Downfall of Osen is the most dramatic example of this persistent theme in Mizoguchi's work, one which film critic Tadao Sato attributes to the director's guilt feelings about the sacrifices his own mother and sister made for him" (David Owens). Director: Kenji Mizoguchi. Cast: Isuzu Yamada, Daijiro Natsukawa, Genichi Fujii. B&W, In Japanese with English subtitles. [Daniel Richard]

Dragon Princess (Ryu No Oujo) (1981)
A young woman skilled in Karate travels from New York to Japan to do battle with the men responsible for her father's death. Etsuko "Sue" Shiomi, Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba

Dreams (1990) Eight vignettes, crafted and directed by Akira Kurosawa, with very stately pacing, about the encounters of different young men who wander into odd mystical circumstances. Akira Terao, Martin Scorsese.

Drunken Angel (Yoidore Tenshi) (1948) Alcoholic doctor gets mixed up with a local gangster who has been shot in the hand. The gangster is told he has tuberculosis and the two go through transformations. The movie that made Toshiro a famous actor, and Akira a famous director. Takashi Shimura, Toshiro Mifune. Directed by: Akira Kurosawa.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Lisa's Favorite Japanese Movies

Hand Crafted Origami Looking for a present for yourself or someone you care for? I create bouquets of flowers, hanging crane ornaments, beautiful mobiles, earrings, and much more. Each origami I create is hand created to order, with your choice of paper, color, design, and more. Here is the perfect gift that will be treasured forever! Origami Catalogue

Origami Folding Instructions Video DVD Have you always wanted to learn how to fold origami? Would you like to make a bouquet of lily or iris for your loved one? How about crane ornaments for a Christmas tree? Origami is an inexpensive way to beautify every room of your home with color-matching works of art. With my instructional DVD, you can watch on your TV or computer as I lead you step by step through a collection of 17 different traditional origami shapes. Origami Instructional DVD

Lisa's Japanese homepage