Akiko Wakabayashi Movies

James Bond heads East to save the world (and to learn how to serve saki properly) in this action-packed espionage adventure. When an American spacecraft disappears during a mission, it's widely believed to have been intercepted by the Soviet Union, and after a Russian space capsule similarly goes missing, most consider it to be an act of American retaliation. Soon the two nations are at the brink of war, but British intelligence discovers that some sort of UFO has crashed into the Sea of Japan. Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent in to investigate. After staging his own death to avoid being followed, Bond, disguised as a Japanese civilian, teams up with agent Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and his beautiful associate Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi). With their help, Bond learns that both the American and Russian space missions were actually scuttled by supercriminal Ernst Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) in yet another bid by his evil empire SPECTRE to take over the world. As he battles the bad guys, Bond finds time to romance both Kissy Suziki (Mie Hama) and Helga Brandt (Karin Dor). You Only Live Twice was one of Sean Connery's last outings as James Bond. The next Bond film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, would star George Lazenby as 007, and while Connery would return for Diamonds Are Forever, in 1973, Roger Moore took over the role. (Connery would play Bond one last time, in 1983's Never Say Never Again, which was produced outside the official series.) ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Woody Allen took a Japanese spy movie called Kagi No Kagi, and replaced its original dialogue with an entirely new plot. In its revised state, this film follows the adventures of agent Phil Moskowitz who is on a deadly mission to secure the recipe for the "world's greatest egg salad." However, Moskowitz, with the help of the beautiful Suki and Terri Yaki, must prevent this unique recipe from falling into the hands of the evil Shepherd Wong. The group Lovin' Spoonful recorded the majority of the songs for this film. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

A true "monster rally," this Japanese special-effects smorgasbord stars no fewer than four "A"-list movie monstrosities. Once again, the citizens of Tokyo are subjected to an ill-tempered atomic mutant. This time it's the triple-headed Ghidrah, who breathes electric volts in all directions. Coming to Tokyo's rescue is faithful old Mothra, but Ghidrah proves too much for the outsized insect, even with the ubiquitous "Peanuts" (Emi and Yumi Ito) acting as Mothra's cheerleaders. Fortunately, Godzilla and Rodan stop fighting each other to help Mothra vanquish Ghidrah. The climactic battle royal takes place high atop Mount Fuji (how do those monsters cast shadows on the sky like that?) Lots of fun, Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster surprisingly yielded no immediate sequels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this Japanese romantic comedy, a Japanese-American nuclear scientist returns to Japan to search for a wife to cater to his every need back home. He is guided by a lovely woman who secretly shares her mission with a reporter. The guide wants to help the scientist and introduces him to a modern Japanese woman. The scientist isn't impressed, but the reporter falls for her. The scientist is deeply awed by Japanese culture and ends up falling in love with the guide. In the end though, the partners change again and the scientist takes home the modern girl while the traditional guide and reporter remain in Japan. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

One of director Hiroshi Inagaki's rare films set in Japan's medieval period that does not star Toshiro Mifune as a samurai, this engaging costume drama involves a group of bandits instead. The bandits come to a small town to hole up for awhile when the local priest mistakes one of them as a descendent of the town's principle clan, much greater in the past. Taking advantage of their supposed status, the bandits free the captive local ruler from virtual imprisonment in a large castle. They do what they can to help the villagers, but in the end, a rival clan becomes wary of their rising power and decides to jump into action. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide