Movies by Mikijiro Hira

The Bored Samurai
Saotome Mondonosuke is Hatamoto (a high-class warrior who is allowed to see the Shogun in person) who has a crescent-moon-shaped scar on his forehead with flashy clothes and a handsome face, and is proficient in all the military arts and called Bored Hatamoto. Mikijiro Hira acts as such a hero in history. Mondonosuke is secretly ordered to look into the suspicious movement in Nagoya castle by the Ometsuke, and he found out about the misconduct and sole it. This is a period movie about the hero!

The Mystery of Rampo
Edogawa Rampo is a writer whose latest work is censored by the government, deemed too disturbing and injurious to the public to be allowed to be published. However, after burning his drafts, his publisher shows him a newspaper with an account of events just like his forbidden story. As the film progresses, fantasy and reality intermingle in a tale that draws heavily on influences from Poe and Stoker's Dracula. The film's strongly Expressionistic direction skillfully combines a variety of media (animation, computer-generated imagery, grainy b...

Legacy of Soma: Ao no Ran
Soma, an immigrant from a defeated country, lives as a fortuneteller in Japan. She is saved from corrupt court officials by Kojiro Masakado, a warrior from Bando. They get swept up in a conflict between Bando and the imperial forces.

Jirocho’s Days of Youth: Boss of the Tokai Region
His skill and courage were the best in Japan! The life story of Jirocho, a man who protected people on the Tokaido Road. The fearless Kinnosuke Nakamura enthusiastically plays the young Jirocho from Shimizu in this chivalrous story.

Skull Coins
The mysterious story behind the Skull Coins, which are said to reveal the location of treasure, and the battle for them will make your heart beat faster.

Miyamoto Musashi: The Duel at Ichijo Temple
In the fourth installment, Musashi's potentially greatest opponent Kojiro jumps in and out of the story at the oddest and most coincidental moments. As his great love Otsu has succumbed to madness. Musashi then sets off to beat the functionaries of a treacherous clan in an arranged duel. 73 against one. Boastful Kojiro watches, secure in the knowledge that only he is a worthy opponent.

Samurai Justice: The Female Bodyguard
A chance encounter on the road leads to the unusual need for a female bodyguard to protect the granddaughter of an old friend of Akiyama Kohei, a wealthy merchant who plans to bypass his son-in-law as head of the company. When Daijiro’s wife Mifuyu takes on the job strange things start to happen, including the brutal slaughter of company employees. With the backing of Lord Tanuma, a chief elder on the ruling council, Kohei, Daijiro, and Mifuyu form a plan to foil the kidnappers plot and save the girl from certain death.

Samurai Justice: A Duel at Takadanobara
Edo is rocked by the news that a duel to the death is to be held at Takadanobaba, the famed site of a bloody revenge fought by Nakayama Yasubei, who late married into the Ako clan where he was one of the 47 ronin who took vengeance against the vile Lord Kira. This hallowed spot is to host a match between two of the finest swordsmen in Edo. Each is backed by a high ranking direct vassal of the shogun, who had bet their family heirlooms on the outcome. The loser was to commit seppuku and have his clan disbanded. Meanwhile a band of brigands ar...
Kumokiri Nizaemon: The Great Bandit
When Nizaemon Kumogiri, a major thief quits his job as a thief, he has two more big jobs planned in order to obtain a huge sum of money to enable his many subordinates scattered all over the country to live out the rest of their lives. First, he targets Matsuya, a medicine wholesaler in Nagoya and seduces the master of the shop by using his female subordinate, Nanakake. He then calls upon Sanji, a skilled locksmith to Nagoya, but the bandit Yagura no Fukuemon who is plotting to intercept the thief plots to extract Sanji for a large sum of mo...

Genkuro Yoshitsune
An exciting historical drama that dynamically depicts the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune from the period of his stay on Mount Kurama to his reconciliation with his brother Yoritomo.

A Young Warrior on Mount Fuji
The epic battles between the Heike and Genji (Taira and Minamoto clans) take centerstage as the defeated leader of the Genji, Minamoto Yoritomo resolves to end his clan's exile and avenge the brutal loss in December, 1159 as they had fought under the white banner of the Emperor, while the Taira fought under their red flags in a battle to the death. The fight only took one day, with the Genji suffering utter defeat which led to their exile. His father, Yoshitomo, took responsibility for the loss and rather than live in humiliation, he decides...

Private Detective DOBU 4: The Mysterious Kite Murders Case
In Edo's autumn, a wave of murders hits, targeting those linked to an old case. A young man, Utaro, takes charge, but Dobu's love interest is involved.

Private Detective DOBU 3: The Exile Island Murder Case
After six exiles return to Edo, four are mysteriously killed. Two survivors, Kosuke and Kingo, lead a search to uncover a hidden motive behind the murders.

Private Detective DOBU 2: The Kyoto Murder Case
Dobu, an Edo samurai, is tasked with investigating a string of noble murders in Kyoto, disrupting his routine in Shimotani.

Mask of the Moon
Young swordsman, Tsukigata Hanpeita, longs for the day when rival clans cease their struggles for power and put an end to meaningless feudal wars. When he is appointed to oversee the Choshu Clan, he takes it upon himself to work towards the peace that he has dreamed about. With his affectionate personality and compassion for life, Hanpeita’s popularity grows among the people, making him a threat to those thirsty for conflict and power. A betrayal by those closest to him leaves Hanpeita caught in a trap that could ultimately cost him his life.

Thousand Cranes
The entangled relations between the son of a seductive tea-ceremony teacher and the women in his father's life. Based on the novel by Kawabata Yasunari.

The Shape of Night
Yoshie Nogami, a factory worker by day, works as a bar hostess at night. She begins a passionate affair with one of her regulars, but his changing demeanor and constant demands for money lead Yoshie down a dark path.

20 Duels of Young Shingo - Part 1
With plenty of action, and a strong story about the growth and development of an expert swordsman, who just happens to be from an extremely privileged background.

River of Forever
Pure love story

Private Detective DOBU 6: The Origami Murder Case
A spree of murders in the city targets peddlers and komuso monks, all killed in the same method. Dobu investigates after a ronin's death with a unique clue.