Japanese Movie Listing by Director

While there are a plethora of good directors in Japan, I needed to narrow it down to a few top ones to keep an eye out for. Here are a few of my favorite directors and the movies they've made. For most directors, track down the movies by title in the above listing.

Hideo Gosha

Death Shadows (Jittemai) (1988)
Goyokin (1969) 124m.
Tenchu (Hitokiri) (1969)

Inoshiro Honda

Atragon (1963) 96m.
Battle in Outer Space (1960) 74m.
Destroy all Monsters (1968) 88m.
Ghidrah, the 3-Headed Monster (1965) 85m.
Godzilla vs. the Thing (1964) 90m.
Godzillas Revenge (1969) 69m.
The H-Man (1958) 79m.
King Kong Escapes (1968) 96m
Latitude Zero (1970) 99m
Mothra (1962) 100m
The Mysterians (1959) 85m
Varar, the Unbelieveable (Japan/US: 1964) 70m.
War of the Gargantuas (Japan/US: 1966) 93m.

Kon Ichikawa

An Actors Revenge (1960) 114m. (The Revenge of Ukino-jo)
Alone on the Pacific (1963) 104m. (My Enemy The Sea)
The Burmese Harp (1956) 116m. (Harp of Burma)
Enjo (1958) 96m.
Fires on the Plain (1959) 105m.
Half-Human (1955) 98m.
Odd Obsession (1959) 96m (originally 107m).
The Outcast (1962) 118m
Tokyo Olympiad (1966 - J).

Shohei Imamura

The Ballad of Narayama (Narayama-Bushi-Ko) (1983)
Black Rain (Kuroi Ame) (1988)
Eijanaika (1981) 151m.

Hiroshi Inagaki

Samurai I : Musashi Miyamoto (Miyamoto Musashi) (1954)
Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (Zoku Miyamoto Musashi: Ichijoji no Ketto) (1955)
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (Miyamoto Musashi Yori: Ketto Ganryujima) (1956)
Sasaki Kojiro (1967)

Shintaru Katsu

Zatoichi: The Life & Opinion of Masseur Ichi (Zatoichi Monogatari) (1962)
Zatoichi: The Return of Masseur Ichi (ZOKU ZATOICHI MONOGATARI) (1962)
Zatoichi: Masseur Ichi Enters Again (SHIN ZATOICHI MONOGATARI) (1963)
Zatoichi: Masseur Ichi, The Fugitive (Zatoichi Kyojo Tabi) (1963)
Zatoichi: Masseur Ichi on the Road(Zatoichi Kenka-Tabi) (1963)
Zatoichi: Masseur Ichi and a Chest of Gold (Zatoichi Senryo Kubi) (1964)
Zatoichi: Masseur Ichi's Flashing Sword (Zatoichi Abare Dako) (1964)
Zatoichi: Fight, Zatoichi, fight! (Zatoichi Kessho Tabi) (1964)
Zatoichi: The Adventures of a Blind Man (Zatoichi Sekisho Yaburi) (1964)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman's Revenge (Zatoichi Nidan Giri) (1965)
Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (Zatoichi Sakata Giri) (1965)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman & the Chess Expert (Zatoichi Jigoku Tabi) (1965)
Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (Zatoichi Umio Wataru) (1966)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman's Vengeance (Zatoichi No Uta Ga Kikoeru) (1966)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman's Cane (Zatoichi Tekka Tabi)
Zatoichi's Rescue (Zatoichi Ro Yaburi) (1967)
Zatoichi Challenged (Zatoichi Chikemuri Kaido) (1967)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman & the Fugitives (Zatoichi Hatashijo)
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Samaritan (Zatoichi Kenka Daiko) (1968)
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (Zatoichi To Yojinbo) (1970)
Zatoichi's Fire Festival (Zatoichi Abare Himatsuri) (1970)
Zatoichi Meets His Equal (Zatoichi Yabure! Tojin Ken) (1971)
Zatoichi at Large (Shin Zatoichi Goyo Tabi) (1972)
Zatoichi's Conspiracy (Shin Zatoichi Monogatari - Kasama No Chimatsuri) (1972)
Zatoichi in Desperation (Shin Zatoichi Monogatari - Oreta Tsue) (1973)
Zatoichi (Zatoichi) (1988)

Akira Kurosawa

The Bad Sleep Well (1960) 135m.
Dersu Uzala (1975, Japan-Russia) 140m.
Dodes Ka-den (1970) 140m.
Dreams (1990)
The Hidden Fortress (Kakuchi Toride no San-Akunin)(1958) 139m.
High and Low (Tengoku To Jigoku) (1962) 142m.
The Idiot (Hakuchi) (1951)
Ikiru (1952) 140m.
I Live In Fear (Ikimono No Kiroku) (1955)
Kagemusha (1980) 159m. (The Shadow Warrior)
The Lower Depths (1957) (Donzoko)
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (Tora No O or Fumu Otokotachi) (1945)
The Most Beautiful (Ichiban Utsukushiku)(1944)
No, Not Yet (Maada Dayo) (1993)
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946) (Wa ga Seishun ni Kui Nashi)
One Wonderful Sunday (Subarashiki Nichiyobi) (1947)
The Quiet Duel (Shizukanaru Ketto) (1949)
Ran (1985) 160m.
Rashamon (1951) 88m
Red Beard (1965) 185m.
Rhapsody In August (Hachigatsu No Rhapsody) (1991)
Sanjuro (Tsubaki Sanjuro) (1962) 96m (1962)
Sanshiro Sugata (1943) (Sugata Sanshiro)
Sanshiro Sugata Pt.2 (Zoku Sugata Sanshiro) (1945)
Scandal (Shubun) (1950)
Seven Samurai (1954) 200m
Stray Dog (1949) (Nora Inu)
Throne of Blood (Kumonosu-Jo) (1957)
Yojimbo (Yojinbo) (1961) 110m.

Kobayashi Masaki

Harakiri (Seppuku) (1962) 135m.
The Human Condition, Part 1: No Greater Love (1959) (Ningen no Joken I-II)
The Human Condition, Part 2: Road to Eternity (1959) (Ningen no Joken III-IV)
The Human Condition, Part 3 (1961) (Ningen no Joken V-VI)
Rebellion (Joiuchi) (1967) 120m.

Kenzi Mizoguchi

The Crucified Lovers (1954) 100m.
Cascading White Threads (1933) 110m. (Taki no Shiraito)
The Downfall of Osen (1934) 78m.
The Famous Sword (1945) 66m. (Meito Bijomaru)
The 47 Ronin (Genroku Chushingura) Part I & Part II
A Geisha (1953) 100m. (Gion bayashi)
Hometown (1930) (Furusato)
The Life of Oharu (1952) (Saikaku Ichidai Onna)
The Love of Sumako the Actress (1947) 95m. (Joyu Sumako no koi)
Miss Oyu (1951) 96m. (Oyu-sama)
Musashi Miyamoto (Miyamoto Musashi) (1944) 53m.
My Love Has Been Burning (1949) 84m. (Waga koi wa moenu)
New Tales of the Taira Clan (1955) 108m. (Shin Heike monogatari)
Osaka Elegy (1936) (Naniwa hika / Naniwa ereji)
Poppy (1935) 72m. (Gubijinso)
Princess Yang Kweifei (1955) 91m. (Yokihi)
Sansho the Baliff (1954) 125m (orig 130m) (Sansho dayu)
Sisters of the Gion (1936) (Gion no Shimai)
Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) 142m.
Street of Shame (1956) 88m. (Akasen chitai)
Ugetsu Monogatari (1953)
Utamaro and his Five Women (1946) 94m.
Victory of Women (1946) 80m. (Josei no shori)
Women of the Night (1948) (Yoru no onnatachi)
A Woman of Rumour (1954) 84m. (Uwasa no onna)

Kihasji Okamoto

Kill (Kiru) (1968) 115m.
Red Lion (Akage) (1969)
Samurai Assassin (Samurai) (1965) 124m.
Sword of Doom(Daibosatsu Toge) (1966) 122m.

Nagisa Oshima

Diary of a Shinjuku Thief (1969) 96m.
Empire of Passion (1978) 100m.
In the Realm of the Senses (1976-Japan/France) 105m.

Ozu Yasujiro

An Autumn Afternoon (1962) 112m
Early Spring (1956) (Soshun)
Early Summer (1951) (Bakushu)
Floating Weeds (1959) 119m. (Drifting Weeds)
Late Autumn (1960) 127m
Late Spring (1949) (Banshun)
Tokyo Story (1953) 139m. Japanese Movies by Title
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Japanese Movie Listing Main Page | Lisa's Favorite Japanese Movies | Japanese Movies By Director

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!

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