Shōhei Imamura

Shōhei Imamura

Shōhei Imamura (Tokyo, 15 September 1926 – 30 May 2006) was a Japanese film director. Imamura was the first Japanese director to win two Palme d'Or awards, but was never Oscar nominated for any category. His eldest son Daisuke Tengan is also a script writer and film director, and worked on the screenplays to Imamura's films The Eel (1997), Dr. Akagi (1998), Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001) and 11'9"01 September 11 (2002).

  • Title: Shōhei Imamura
  • Popularity: 3.935
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1926-09-15
  • Place of Birth: Tokyo, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Shohei Imamura, 今村 昌平, Сёхэй Имамура, Shouhei Imamura, Shôhei Imamura
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Shōhei Imamura Movies

  • 1967
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    A Man Vanishes

    A Man Vanishes

    6.8 1967 HD

    A Man Vanishes examines the concept of Johatsu, tackling the phenomenon of people missing in Japan over the years. It picks one such person from the...

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  • 1983
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    I Lived, But...

    I Lived, But...

    6.5 1983 HD

    An extremely lovely tribute to Ozu, on the 20th anniversary of his death. It uses a combination of footage from vintage films and new material (both...

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  • 2002
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    2009: Lost Memories

    2009: Lost Memories

    6.2 2002 HD

    There are breakpoints in the history, the result of a single event may change the whole course. In 1909, an assassination attempt of a Japanese...

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  • 1972
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    The Pirates of Buban

    The Pirates of Buban

    6.5 1972 HD

    By going to the Philippines, Imamura comes to meet people living in an extreme poverty. He discovers very quickly that some communities are under the...

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  • 1973
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    Outlaw-Matsu Returns Home

    Outlaw-Matsu Returns Home

    7.5 1973 HD

    “In Search of Unreturned Soldiers was about former soldiers of the Japanese army who chose not to return to Japan after the war. I found...

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  • 1973
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    Karayuki-San, the Making of a Prostitute

    Karayuki-San, the Making of a Prostitute

    7.5 1973 HD

    Karayuki-san, the Making of a Prostitute is a 1975 Japanese film by director Shohei Imamura. It is a documentary on one of the Japanese...

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  • 1972
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    Oreno Shimokita

    Oreno Shimokita

    1 1972 HD

    Shohei Imamura’s short documentary.

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  • 1995
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    Shohei Imamura: The Free Thinker

    Shohei Imamura: The Free Thinker

    7 1995 HD

    Documentary about Japanese film director Shohei Imamura.

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  • 2002
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    11’09”01—September 11

    11’09”01—September 11

    6.491 2002 HD

    Filmmakers from all over the world provide short films – each of which is eleven minutes, nine seconds, and one frame of film in length –...

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  • 1997
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    The Eel

    The Eel

    7 1997 HD

    A businessman kills his adulterous wife and is sent to prison. After his release, he opens a barbershop and meets new people, talking to almost no...

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  • 1997
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    The Eel

    The Eel

    7 1997 HD

    A businessman kills his adulterous wife and is sent to prison. After his release, he opens a barbershop and meets new people, talking to almost no...

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  • 1961
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    Pigs and Battleships

    Pigs and Battleships

    7.1 1961 HD

    In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.

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  • 1979
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    Vengeance Is Mine

    Vengeance Is Mine

    7.5 1979 HD

    A thief, a murderer, and a charming lady-killer, Iwao Enokizu is on the run from the police.

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  • 1981
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    Why Not?

    Why Not?

    6.4 1981 HD

    The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji...

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  • 1983
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    The Ballad of Narayama

    The Ballad of Narayama

    7.463 1983 HD

    In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should...

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  • 1983
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    The Ballad of Narayama

    The Ballad of Narayama

    7.463 1983 HD

    In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should...

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  • 1966
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    The Pornographers

    The Pornographers

    7.3 1966 HD

    Subu makes pornographic films. He sees nothing wrong with it. They are an aid to a repressed society, and he uses the money to support his landlady,...

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  • 1958
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    Endless Desire

    Endless Desire

    6.5 1958 HD

    Set in post-war Japan, a group of five, four men and one woman, gathers in the basement of a butcher shop to dig up a cache of morphine buried during...

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  • 1963
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    The Insect Woman

    The Insect Woman

    7.4 1963 HD

    A woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle....

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  • 1963
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    The Insect Woman

    The Insect Woman

    7.4 1963 HD

    A woman, Tome, is born to a lower class family in Japan in 1918. The title refers to an insect, repeating its mistakes, as in an infinite circle....

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  • 2001
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    Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

    Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

    6.5 2001 HD

    A down-and-out businessman travels to a seaside town, where he meets a woman with unusual sexual powers.

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  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Nishi Ginza Station

    Nishi Ginza Station

    5.6 1958 HD

    This short comedy concerns the extramarital affair of a drugstore owner. It is based on a popular song by the star of the film, Frank Nagai.

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  • 1958
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    Stolen Desire

    Stolen Desire

    6.6 1958 HD

    A rumbunctious and ribald tale of a troupe of travelling actors who alternate highlights of kabuki theatre with strip shows.

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  • 1998
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    Dr. Akagi

    Dr. Akagi

    6.6 1998 HD

    At the end of WWII, Japanese doctor Akagi searches for the cure for hepatitis in the prisoner-of-war camp.

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  • 1998
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    Dr. Akagi

    Dr. Akagi

    6.6 1998 HD

    At the end of WWII, Japanese doctor Akagi searches for the cure for hepatitis in the prisoner-of-war camp.

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  • 1964
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    Intentions of Murder

    Intentions of Murder

    7.1 1964 HD

    The neglected common-law wife of a Japanese librarian is repeatedly harassed by a young man with a heart condition who seduces her with the prospect...

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  • 1959
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    My Second Brother

    My Second Brother

    6.4 1959 HD

    The film tells the story of four orphans living in an impoverished mining town. An adaptation of a best-selling book based on the diary of a...

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  • 1968
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    Profound Desires of the Gods

    Profound Desires of the Gods

    7.4 1968 HD

    Tokyo engineer Kariya arrives on a primitive tropical island, where he interacts with the Futori clan, to drill a well to power a sugar mill.

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  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Profound Desires of the Gods

    Profound Desires of the Gods

    7.4 1968 HD

    Tokyo engineer Kariya arrives on a primitive tropical island, where he interacts with the Futori clan, to drill a well to power a sugar mill.

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  • 1967
    imgMovies

    A Man Vanishes

    A Man Vanishes

    6.8 1967 HD

    A Man Vanishes examines the concept of Johatsu, tackling the phenomenon of people missing in Japan over the years. It picks one such person from the...

    img
  • 1967
    imgMovies

    A Man Vanishes

    A Man Vanishes

    6.8 1967 HD

    A Man Vanishes examines the concept of Johatsu, tackling the phenomenon of people missing in Japan over the years. It picks one such person from the...

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  • 1976
    imgMovies

    The Youth Killer

    The Youth Killer

    6.5 1976 HD

    Though his parents help him run the family business, Jun still feels persecuted by their love; when they bar him from meeting with his girlfriend,...

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  • 1970
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    History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess

    History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess

    6 1970 HD

    Postwar Japan as it is described by Etsuko, the manager of a bar catering to foreigners in Yokosuka. The way of life of a woman brimming with...

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  • 1970
    imgMovies

    History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess

    History of Postwar Japan as Told by a Bar Hostess

    6 1970 HD

    Postwar Japan as it is described by Etsuko, the manager of a bar catering to foreigners in Yokosuka. The way of life of a woman brimming with...

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  • 1970
    imgMovies

    Following the Unreturned Soldiers: Malaysia

    Following the Unreturned Soldiers: Malaysia

    6.5 1970 HD

    Famed filmmaker tracks down former Japanese soldiers in Malaysia.

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  • 1972
    imgMovies

    The Pirates of Buban

    The Pirates of Buban

    6.5 1972 HD

    By going to the Philippines, Imamura comes to meet people living in an extreme poverty. He discovers very quickly that some communities are under the...

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  • 1971
    imgMovies

    Following the Unreturned Soldier: Thailand

    Following the Unreturned Soldier: Thailand

    6.3 1971 HD

    In Thailand, three Japanese soldiers, left in the jungle more than a quarter of a century after their country's defeat, come together to discuss what...

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  • 1973
    imgMovies

    Outlaw-Matsu Returns Home

    Outlaw-Matsu Returns Home

    7.5 1973 HD

    “In Search of Unreturned Soldiers was about former soldiers of the Japanese army who chose not to return to Japan after the war. I found...

    img
  • 1973
    imgMovies

    Karayuki-San, the Making of a Prostitute

    Karayuki-San, the Making of a Prostitute

    7.5 1973 HD

    Karayuki-san, the Making of a Prostitute is a 1975 Japanese film by director Shohei Imamura. It is a documentary on one of the Japanese...

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  • 1989
    imgMovies

    Black Rain

    Black Rain

    7.544 1989 HD

    Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his wife and niece just after the devastating atomic...

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  • 1987
    imgMovies

    Zegen

    Zegen

    6.4 1987 HD

    At the time between the World Wars, Japan is involved in empire-building throughout East and Southeast Asia. After a brief career as a low-level...

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  • 1989
    imgMovies

    Black Rain

    Black Rain

    7.544 1989 HD

    Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his wife and niece just after the devastating atomic...

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  • 1968
    imgMovies

    East China Sea

    East China Sea

    1 1968 HD

    Rokurō starts a part-time job on a fishing boat, but the ship has an engine failure in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

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  • 1968
    imgMovies

    East China Sea

    East China Sea

    1 1968 HD

    Rokurō starts a part-time job on a fishing boat, but the ship has an engine failure in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

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  • 1955
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    The Moon Has Risen

    The Moon Has Risen

    6.8 1955 HD

    Mokichi is the widowed father of three daughters, with whom he lives on the premises of a temple since the war. All three daughters become involved...

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  • 1972
    imgMovies

    Oreno Shimokita

    Oreno Shimokita

    1 1972 HD

    Shohei Imamura’s short documentary.

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  • 1966
    imgMovies

    The Pornographers

    The Pornographers

    7.3 1966 HD

    Subu makes pornographic films. He sees nothing wrong with it. They are an aid to a repressed society, and he uses the money to support his landlady,...

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  • 1963
    imgMovies

    A Modern Samurai Village

    A Modern Samurai Village

    1 1963 HD

    Tajima Yumi, in grade school, is overjoyed when her father says they are moving to an apartment in a big city. But the beautiful home she had...

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  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Neon taiheiki

    Neon taiheiki

    1 1968 HD

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  • 1981
    imgMovies

    Why Not?

    Why Not?

    6.4 1981 HD

    The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji...

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  • 1952
    imgMovies

    The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice

    The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice

    7.5 1952 HD

    The arranged marriage between a capricious woman from Tokyo high society and a quiet and rustic man is tested by a marital crisis.

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  • 1987
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    The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On

    The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On

    7.4 1987 HD

    Kenzo Okuzaki, a 62-year-old veteran of the New Guinea campaign in World War II, sets out to conduct interviews with survivors and relatives to find...

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  • 1951
    imgMovies

    Early Summer

    Early Summer

    7.8 1951 HD

    A 28-year-old single woman is pressured to marry.

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  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Endless Desire

    Endless Desire

    6.5 1958 HD

    Set in post-war Japan, a group of five, four men and one woman, gathers in the basement of a butcher shop to dig up a cache of morphine buried during...

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  • 1986
    imgMovies

    Have You Seen the Barefoot God?

    Have You Seen the Barefoot God?

    6 1986 HD

    2 almost inseparable friends. The talented painter recognized by all decided to leave the town where they live and become an artist and the shy poet...

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  • 1987
    imgMovies

    Zegen

    Zegen

    6.4 1987 HD

    At the time between the World Wars, Japan is involved in empire-building throughout East and Southeast Asia. After a brief career as a low-level...

    img
  • 1989
    imgMovies

    Black Rain

    Black Rain

    7.544 1989 HD

    Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his wife and niece just after the devastating atomic...

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  • 1956
    imgMovies

    The Balloon

    The Balloon

    6.3 1956 HD

    Haruki Murakami is a successful family man and the head of a camera company. Unbeknownst to Murakami, his arrogant son oscillates between a mistress...

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  • 1956
    imgMovies

    Suzaki Paradise: Red Light District

    Suzaki Paradise: Red Light District

    7 1956 HD

    A jobless young couple, Yoshigi and Tsutue, wind up at the outskirts of the Suzaki red-light district in Tokyo. Tsutue talks her way into a job...

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  • 1953
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    Tokyo Story

    Tokyo Story

    8.182 1953 HD

    The elderly Shukishi and his wife, Tomi, take the long journey from their small seaside village to visit their adult children in Tokyo. Their elder...

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  • 1955
    imgMovies

    Till We Meet Again

    Till We Meet Again

    6.7 1955 HD

    Jiro Sone sacrifices all comfort to devote himself to research. Young housewife Yachiyo is disappointed with her husband Kappei, who is more...

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  • 1964
    imgMovies

    Intentions of Murder

    Intentions of Murder

    7.1 1964 HD

    The neglected common-law wife of a Japanese librarian is repeatedly harassed by a young man with a heart condition who seduces her with the prospect...

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  • 1962
    imgMovies

    Foundry Town

    Foundry Town

    7.6 1962 HD

    Set in Kawaguchi in the early 60s, this simple story chronicles the lives of foundry families and one girl's dreams of higher education.

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  • 1956
    imgMovies

    Hungry Soul

    Hungry Soul

    6 1956 HD

    Reiko, who tolerates abuse in her marriage to a man 23 years her senior, is friends with Mayumi, a beautiful widow. Reiko meets her husband’s...

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  • 1981
    imgMovies

    Why Not?

    Why Not?

    6.4 1981 HD

    The film depicts carnivalesque atmosphere summed up by the cry "Ei ja nai ka" ("Why not?") in Japan in 1867 and 1868 in the days leading to the Meiji...

    img
  • 2001
    imgMovies

    Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

    Warm Water Under a Red Bridge

    6.5 2001 HD

    A down-and-out businessman travels to a seaside town, where he meets a woman with unusual sexual powers.

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  • 1966
    imgMovies

    The Pornographers

    The Pornographers

    7.3 1966 HD

    Subu makes pornographic films. He sees nothing wrong with it. They are an aid to a repressed society, and he uses the money to support his landlady,...

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  • 1963
    imgMovies

    The Gambling Monk

    The Gambling Monk

    1 1963 HD

    One summer day, the chief monk of the Hojuin Temple dies. Harumichi rushes back to town hearing about his brother's death and requests for a grand...

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  • 1955
    imgMovies

    Burden of Love

    Burden of Love

    6.8 1955 HD

    The female members of the family of the Minister of Health and Welfare, who has just proposed a program of birth control, become pregnant one after...

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  • 1957
    imgMovies

    A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era

    A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era

    7.2 1957 HD

    Saheji, a man-about-town, gets stuck at a high-class brothel when he can’t pay the bill. He makes the best of his situation by performing...

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  • 1956
    imgMovies

    The Balloon

    The Balloon

    6.3 1956 HD

    Haruki Murakami is a successful family man and the head of a camera company. Unbeknownst to Murakami, his arrogant son oscillates between a mistress...

    img
  • 1959
    imgMovies

    My Second Brother

    My Second Brother

    6.4 1959 HD

    The film tells the story of four orphans living in an impoverished mining town. An adaptation of a best-selling book based on the diary of a...

    img
  • 1958
    imgMovies

    Nishi Ginza Station

    Nishi Ginza Station

    5.6 1958 HD

    This short comedy concerns the extramarital affair of a drugstore owner. It is based on a popular song by the star of the film, Frank Nagai.

    img
  • 1955
    imgMovies

    Tales of Ginza

    Tales of Ginza

    6.8 1955 HD

    In the thriving Tokyo neighborhood of Ginza, a woman in the process of selling her estranged husband’s art collection attempts to identify the...

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  • 1956
    imgMovies

    Our Town

    Our Town

    6.8 1956 HD

    In 1906, after finishing a tough migrant job in the Philippines, Takichi has returned to Japan. He starts to work as a rickshaw driver, but his lover...

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  • 1957
    imgMovies

    A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era

    A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era

    7.2 1957 HD

    Saheji, a man-about-town, gets stuck at a high-class brothel when he can’t pay the bill. He makes the best of his situation by performing...

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  • 1972
    imgMovies

    The Pirates of Buban

    The Pirates of Buban

    6.5 1972 HD

    By going to the Philippines, Imamura comes to meet people living in an extreme poverty. He discovers very quickly that some communities are under the...

    img