Tai Katō
1916 - 1985
日本侠花伝
Tai Katô
Hiroko Maki, Tetsuya Watari
Tai Kato’s early 20th century set yakuza epic about an ordinary merchant girl (Hiroko Maki) who crosses paths with an assassin (Tetsuya Watari). The encounter sends her to jail as a suspected accomplice. Years later she marries a yakuza boss, whose gang is affiliated with working class people.
The Blossom and the Sword
丹下左膳 乾雲坤龍の巻
Tai Katô
Ryutaro Otomo, Chiyonosuke Azuma
This movie depicts a familiar samurai Tange Sazen story realistically. A Tange loses one of his eyes and arms in an attempt to recover a masterpiece sword for his lord. However, his efforts are not appreciated and he becomes a man of hatred.
Sazen Tange: Heavenly Clouds, Earthly Dragon
Kаze to onna to tabigarasu
Tai Katô
Kinnosuke Nakamura, Rentaro Mikuni
A chance meeting between two traveling gamblers leads to a case of mistaken identity when the farmers transporting gold to the governor think they are about to be robbed as the two gamblers face off against each other swords in hand.
Wind, Woman and Road
ざ・鬼太鼓座
Tai Katô
Eitetsu Hayashi, Toshio Kawauchi
A documentary profiling a Japanese taiko drumming group based in the remote Sado Island, Japan. The film blurs the line between real-life documentary footage of the troupe's training and practice regimes, and staged performances of their varied musical acts, with sets designed by artist Tadanori Yokoo and an additional experimental electronic music score by Toshi Ichiyanagi.
The Ondekoza
Cruel Story of the Shogunate's Downfall
Tai Katô
Hashizo Okawa, Chōichirō Kawarasaki
A headstrong young man seeks to join the Shinsengumi, but while his determination impresses his superiors, questions begin to arise as to his true identity and intentions.
Cruel Story of the Shogunate's Downfall
Miyamoto Musashi
Tai Katô
Hideki Takahashi, Jirō Tamiya
In Part I we see the young would-be swordsman setting out to achieve greatness in war, achieving nothing because fighting on the losing side, & then beginning his long period of wandering & training, with the goal always in mind of his duel with Kojiro. Part II builds toward that great duel on Ganryu Island, with considerable focus on Musashi's planning & forethought as to how to gain an advantage.
Miyamoto Musashi
車夫遊侠伝 喧嘩辰
Tai Katô
Sumiko Fuji, Chōichirō Kawarasaki
Richshaw man Tatsu has wandered to Osaka from Tokyo. He has quarrels with Kimiyakko, a geisha, and throws her into the river. But later, he falls in love with her. Yasaburo, the oyabun of the Nishikawa Gang, loves her very much too. However, as he likes Tatsu's dynamic personality, he volunteers to become a go-between for their marriage. Yasaburo gets tipped off by Yajima who wants to take over the territory of the Nishikawa Gang, and is arrested and imprisoned. After his release, Yajima tries to kill him. Ginjiro, a lover of Tamaryu respects Kimiyakko as an older sister and a follower of Tatsu, is murdered. After the third marriage ceremony just between Tatsu and Kimiyakko, Tatsu goes off to the place of fighting.
Fighting Tatsu, the Rickshaw Man
沓掛時次郎 遊侠一匹
Tai Katô
Kinnosuke Nakamura, Junko Ikeuchi
Tokijiro has the unfortunate duty according to the code of the gamblers to join in the fighting when afforded a night’s stay and meals at the home of a town boss. Though he dislikes killing, the strength of his swordsmanship will be tested time and time again in the bloody tale.
Kutsukake Tokijiro: The Lonely Yakuza
瞼の母
Tai Katô
Kinnosuke Nakamura, Hiroki Matsukata
Period piece about a young man who, because of his hard life alone in the world, has become a yakuza. When he hears that his mother may be living in Edo (Tokyo), he travels there, intent on finding her and leaving the swordsman's life behind. But a team of rival gangsters is hot on his heels.
In Search of Mother
Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Match
Tai Katô
Sumiko Fuji, Ken Takakura
The third chapter of the ‘Red Peony Gambler’ saga depicts the happiness and sadness of Red Peony Oryu’s life as she seals her femininity with a red peony tattoo and lives in world of chivalry and honor of the yakuza. This story takes place in the middle of the Meiji era in Nagoya. Oryu is wandering the country, training herself to reinstate her family name. With a written recommendation from Kumatora, she appears at the door of the Nishinomaru family. At the same time, the family is preparing for the gambling competition at the Netsuda Shrine Festival, which they have been hosting for generations. Meanwhile, the crooked Kinbara family is plotting to take over the competition. And now Oryu is forced to get involved in the struggle…
Red Peony Gambler: Flower Cards Game
By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him
Tai Katô
Noboru Andô, Ichirô Nakatani
Also known as "History of a Man’s Face" and "By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him" . Immigrant gangs terrorize a Japanese town with their threats, loud jazz, and tasteless fashion sense, and only the tough but suave Dr. Amamiya (Ando) can stop them, as long as he gets rid of his silly peace-loving ideals.
By a Man's Face Shall You Know Him
