BLACK HOOD, THE
Kaiketsu Kurozukin - 1981 - Color - Fullscreen - Extras
During the 1860's Japan was in a state of turmoil as various factions sought to overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate. Along came a masked champion for justice; an extraordinary swordsman called "Kurozukin" (Black Hood) who vowed to support the Shogun against all enemies. Starring the great Wakayama Tomisaburo this action packed made for television movie is superb. On his favorite horse "Hakuhatsu" (White Hair), our dashing hero contends with upheavals during the final days of the Tokugawa Shogunate. "Black Hood" uses his tremendous sword skills to defeat the the Choshu and Satsuma clans as they attempt to steal a map of Edo Castle in order to attack the castle. Wakayama Tomisaburo plays 3 separate roles to hide his secret identity as he cuts down brutal enemies, one after another!
Directed by: OTA Akikazu
Cast: WAKAYAMA Tomisaburo, NINOMIYA Sayoko, ISHIBASHI Renji, NISHIMURA Ko
PURPLE HOOD: SECRET OF THE GOLD, THE
Murasaki Zukin: Ogon no Himitsu - 1982 - Color - Fullscreen - DVD Extras
Wearing a mask to hide his identity, a deadly swordsman challenges a tyrant from the Ruling Council of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Both TANUMA Okitsugu of the 'Roju' (Ruling Council) and his son Okitomo, the Magistrate in charge of the gold mint, have been abusing their political power to steal gold by casting coins with only half the amount of precious metal and keeping the rest for themselves. TAKAHASHI Hideki stars as a popular Ukiyoe artist, KANO Hidemaro, who dons a purple hood to hide his real identity, has learned of their plot and fights to stop them. The Purple Hooded Avenger is a well-known and popular series in Japan, and he stands up against injustice from the powerful 'Elder' TANUMA of the 'Roju'.The story told here occurred during the 'Tenmei' Era (1781-1789). An extraordinary movie, a must see! With removable English Subtitles + DVD Extras!
Directed by: Kosaku Yamashita
Cast: Hideki Takahashi, Shino Ikenami, Naomi Hase
Mito Komon: Suke-san Kaku-san O-Abare - 1962 - Color - Widescreen
The story of two young men whose ambition is to become the personal bodyguards to the Shogun's uncle, Lord Mito Komon. Portrayed by a pair of up and coming stars, Sasaki Suke-saburo (Matsukata), the son of a widower and Atsumi Kakunoshin (Kitaoji), whose mother is a widow find themselves constantly in trouble and are forced to become two of the most powerful fighters in all Japan. The stories about Mito Komon and his travels througout Japan are many, but this is one that had yet to be told. The struggles of Suke-san and Kaku-san faced in order to join the Elder in his quest to fight against injustice and corruption during the samurai era. (TV Broadcast quality)
Directed by: SAWASHIMA Tadashi
Cast: TSUKIGATA Ryunosuke, MATSUKATA Hiroki, KITAOJI Kinya
CASES OF HANSHICHI
Hanshichi Torimono-cho Mittsu no Nazo - 1960 - Color - Widescreen
Detective Hanshichi (Kataoka Chiezo) solves 3 mysterious murder cases. Great story and an impressive all-star cast, a must see! (TV Broadcast quality)
Directed by: SASAKI Yasushi
Cast: KATAOKA Chiezo, AZUMA Chiyonosuke, TSURUTA Koji, CHIHARA Shinobu
And to go
along with the last movie in the list, I found this book on Amazon....
The Curious Casebook of Inspector Hanshichi: Detective Stories of Old Edo
by Okamoto Kido
- Paperback: 376 pages
- Publisher: University of Hawaii Press (January 2007)
- Language: English
Product Description
"That year, quite a shocking incident occurred..." So reminisces old Hanshichi in a story from one of Japan's most beloved works of
popular literature, Hanshichi torimonocho. Told through the eyes of a street-smart detective, Okamoto Kido's best-known work inaugurated the historical
detective genre in Japan, spawning stage, radio, movie, and television adaptations as well as countless imitations. This selection of fourteen stories,
translated into English for the first time, provides a fascinating glimpse of life in feudal Edo (later Tokyo) and rare insight into the development of the
fledgling Japanese crime novel. Once viewed as an exclusively modern genre derivative of Western fiction, crime fiction and its place in the Japanese popular
imagination were forever changed by Kido's "unsung Sherlock Holmes." These stories - still widely read today - are crucial to our understanding
of modern Japan and its aspirations toward a literature that steps outside the shadow of the West to stand on its own.
