Matsuda Film Productions
This company preserves and restores Japan’s silent film heritage. The
Japanese way of showing a silent film is with a benshi, or narrator.
Akira Kurasawa
Database
Comprehensive filmography and other information.
Juzo Itami: Biography
Articles on my other favorite Japanese director.
Swarming Ants and Elusive
Villains
Early cinema posed problems for the guardians of public morals.
The Illuminated Lantern
Web magazine on Asian cinema, specializing in “cult films.”
iFilm Connections: Asia & Pacific
Subscribers can stream films.
Kinema Club
Collection of film criticism; searchable database of books and articles on Japanese
media. Includes a section of film reviews from the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Chambara.com
The guilty pleasures of samurai movies. Includes a fairly complete film list.
Toho Kingdom
Comprehensive fan site for Japan’s best known film studio, from Godzilla to
classics like Seven Samurai and everything in between.
Japanese Porn:
Notes on the History of Pornography
Brief article on those other Japanese films – the often disturbing world
of “pink cinema.”
Books on Japanese Cinema:
Richie, Donald. The Films of Akira Kurosawa. 3rd Ed. University of California Press, 1996. ISBN 0-520-20026-8
Weisser, Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser. Japanese Cinema Essential Handbook. 4th Ed. Vital Books, Inc., 1998. ISBN 1-889288-50-0
Weisser, Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser. Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: Horror, Fantasy, Science Fiction. 2nd Ed. Vital Books, Inc., 1998. ISBN 1-889288-51-9
Weisser, Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser. Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films. Vital Books, Inc., 1998. ISBN 1-889288-52-7