Koji Yakusho

With everything to lose, the desperate band together. Tatsuo, a young foot soldier in the Yakuza, seeks revenge when his prostitute girlfriend dies after a session with a high-ranking Japanese senator with a taste for torture. He’s sets out on a “kamikaze” mission to kill his bosses and the politician. Along the way, he acquires the aid of a taxi driver, Kantake, who has recently returned to Japan after living in South America for several decades. and is struggling to cope with poverty and the prejudices of native-born Japanese. The two form an unlikely and eventually take on father-son roles. Kantake proves to be an invaluable ally in Tatsuo’s quest to take out the mob, the senator and everyone else who gets in the way.Read More »

Hirayama lives a life of blissful contentment, spending his days balancing his job as a caretaker of Tokyo’s public toilets with his passion for music, literature, and photography. His structured routine is slowly interrupted by unexpected encounters that force him to reconnect with his past.Read More »

Plot / Synopsis
Seeking a noble end, poverty-stricken samurai Hanshiro requests to commit ritual suicide at the House of Ii, run by headstrong Kageyu. Trying to dismiss Hanshiro’s demand, Kageyu recounts the tragic story of a similar recent plea from young ronin Motome. Hanshiro is shocked by the horrifying details of Motome’s fate, but remains true to his decision to die with honor. At the moment of the hara-kiri, Hanshiro makes a last request to be assisted by Kageyu’s samurai, who are coincidentally absent. Suspicious and outraged, Kageyu demands an explanation. Hanshiro confesses his bond to Motome, and tells the bittersweet tale of their lives… Kageyu will soon realize that Hanshiro has set in motion a tense showdown of vengeance against his house. ~ (C) CannesRead More »