Shogo Shimada Movies

In Japanese society, geisha still have a role to play as exemplars of gracefulness and cultivation, despite the near disappearance of this livelihood and art form. One of the customs of being a geisha is that wealthy or prominent men will "buy" their contract, which means that they have a primary obligation to appear at the contract-holder's side whenever he or his guests require the special entertainment geishas provide. Though there is a sexual element to this form of livelihood, it cannot be called a form of prostitution in any way, with one exception: customarily, virgin geishas are ritually deflowered by the highest bidder. The bidding wars that precede this practice frequently result in an amount that will completely pay for the previous training of the young girl. If this were not done, the girl would have to find some other way to pay her geisha-house back for the rigorous training she has received in classical Japanese dancing and music (not to mention the cost of her ruinously expensive gowns). In this story, Nayoko (Nobuko Miyamoto) is an "a-ge-man" or "golden geisha," whose mere presence confers success on whoever holds her contract. Over the years a number of men bid for or sell her contract, until it is bought by the one man who truly loves her. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Set in 1901, this movie depicts the fate of two military training companies sent on war exercises to Mount Hakkoda in the northernmost part of the main island of Japan. They were preparing for maneuvers in the Russo-Japanese War, on the orders of Maj. General Tomoda, in terrain which they believed would be similar to those they would encounter during the war itself. They were asked to rendezvous somewhere on the mountain. The smaller group was headed by a man who scouted the local area and asked local people how best to survive the conditions they would encounter. This group also asked for local guides. They survived quite handily, but could not complete their mission because the larger group, which trusted their modern procedures and military training and spurned the locals' offers of guidance, was lost -- frozen, on the mountain. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

A young boy becomes a soldier in this Japanese WW II-set drama. The story begins as the young man enters the Etajima Naval Academy. At first, the notion of fighting disinterests him, but then some of his classmates are sent to China to fight the Sino-Japanese War. He suddenly applies himself and he graduates at the head of his class. Unfortunately, his mother died while he was in school and so after graduation he visits her grave. Later he receives pilot training and is assigned the mission of aerially escorting the most famous military figure in Japan, Admiral Yamamoto. The youth loses his life in the endeavor. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This 25-million dollar epic collaboration accurately recreates the events that led to the Japanese attack on the American naval base during World War II. With Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the wheels are set in motion by Japan to plan the attack. After internal differences in the government, the Japanese quickly mobilize plans for the assault. Key American personnel ignored warnings of the possibility of Japanese aggression. The first part of the film divides scenes from both countries. Part two contains spectacular battle scenes of the bombing that destroyed the American naval base of operations in Hawaii. Governmental errors on both sides add to the confusion, but the Japanese ultimately carry out the deadly mission. The film did well in Japan, did not do well in the he United States, and took years to make back the production costs. It remains an insightful and well crafted World War II action drama that was the result of years of negotiations between the two countries. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

In this Japanese actioner, the brave blind swordsman Zatoichi is accused of assisting in the theft of a chest of gold. The gold represented the taxes of the local farmers and it was bound for the governor's office. Now the courageous samurai and the yakuza boss, who is also accused, must unite to prove their innocence. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi