7.3/10
6,377
42 user 69 critic

Tokyo Drifter (1966)

Tôkyô nagaremono (original title)
Not Rated | | Action, Crime | 10 April 1966 (Japan)
Tokyo Drifter Poster
After his gang disbands, a yakuza enforcer looks forward to life outside of organized crime but soon must become a drifter after his old rivals attempt to assassinate him.

Director:

Seijun Suzuki

Writers:

Yasunori Kawauchi (author), Yasunori Kawauchi (screenplay)

Stars:

Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

Watch Now

From $3.99 (SD) on Prime Video

ON DISC

Photos

See all 76 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Branded to Kill (1967)
Action | Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

After a badly done assignment, a hitman finds himself in conflict with his organisation, and one mysterious and dangerous fellow-hitman in particular.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Jô Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari
Next »
Youth of the Beast (1963)
Action | Crime | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

A violent thug plays opposing yakuza bosses against each other.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Jô Shishido, Misako Watanabe, Tamio Kawaji
Next »
Fighting Elegy (1966)
Action | Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

During the 1930s, a teenager yearns for a Catholic girl, whose only desire is to reform his sinful tendencies. Hormones raging, the young man channels his unsatisfied lust into the only outlet available: savage, crazed violence.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Junko Asano, Yûsuke Kawazu
Next »
Gate of Flesh (1964)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

An injured thief on the run finds sanctuary within a brothel of united, ruthless women.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Jô Shishido, Kôji Wada, Yumiko Nogawa
Next »
Detective Bureau 2-3: Go to Hell Bastards! (1963)
Action | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

Police detective Tajima, tasked with tracking down stolen firearms, turns an underworld grudge into a blood-bath. Suzuki transforms a colorful pot-boiler into an on-target send-up of cultural colonialism and post-war greed.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Jô Shishido, Tamio Kawaji, Reiko Sassamori
Next »
Zigeunerweisen (1980)
Horror | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

A surreal period film following an university professor and his eerie nomad friend as they go through loose romantic triangles and face death in peculiar ways.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Yoshio Harada, Naoko Ôtani, Kisako Makishi
Next »
Tattooed Life (1965)
Action | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

After his own gang sets him up to kill a rival mobster, a hit man is forced to flee with his younger brother.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi, Hiroko Itô
Next »
Take Aim at the Police Van (1960)
Action | Crime | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

A prison truck is assaulted and the two convicts inside are murdered. The prison guard on duty gets suspended for negligence and takes it upon himself to track down the killers.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Michitarô Mizushima, Misako Watanabe, Shôichi Ozawa
Next »
Story of a Prostitute (1965)
Drama | Romance | War
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

In WW2 Manchuria, a prostitute grows to resent an abusive adjutant and falls in love with his aide.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Tamio Kawaji, Yumiko Nogawa, Isao Tamagawa
Next »
A Colt Is My Passport (1967)
Action | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

A hit man is hired to kill a mob boss. After the deed is done, he and his driver are wanted dead by rival gangs who joined forces.

Director: Takashi Nomura
Stars: Jô Shishido, Jerry Fujio, Chitose Kobayashi
Next »
Age of Nudity (1959)
Action | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

The story deals with a juvenile delinquent gang surviving through petty thievery. However, everything gets screwed up when they accidentally steal big bucks from the Yakuza.

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Stars: Keiichirô Akagi, Kyôko Hori, Bokuzen Hidari
Next »
Kawaita hana (1964)
Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

A gangster gets released from prison and has to cope with the recent shifts of power between the gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling.

Director: Masahiro Shinoda
Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tetsuya Watari ... Tetsuya 'Phoenix Tetsu' Hondo
Chieko Matsubara Chieko Matsubara ... Chiharu
Hideaki Nitani Hideaki Nitani ... Kenji Aizawa
Tamio Kawaji Tamio Kawaji ... Tatsuzo, The Viper (as Tamio Kawachi)
Ryûji Kita Ryûji Kita ... Kurata
Eiji Gô Eiji Gô ... Tanaka
Isao Tamagawa Isao Tamagawa ... Umetani
Eimei Esumi Eimei Esumi ... Otsuka
Tomoko Hamakawa Tomoko Hamakawa ... Mutsuko
Tsuyoshi Yoshida Tsuyoshi Yoshida ... Keiichi
Michio Hino Michio Hino ... Yoshii
Shuntarô Tamamura Shuntarô Tamamura ... Koyanagi
Hiroshi Midorikawa Hiroshi Midorikawa
Hiroshi Chô Hiroshi Chô ... Kumamoto
Akira Hisamatsu Akira Hisamatsu ... (as Kosuke Hisamatsu)
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Tetsu has joined his yakuza boss in going straight, but when a rival gang threatens to bring them back into the gang wars, Tetsu must become a drifter to keep the pressure off his old boss. Written by Erik Gregersen <erik@astro.as.utexas.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

yakuza | principled man | debt | loan | property | See All (25) »

Genres:

Action | Crime

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese | English

Release Date:

10 April 1966 (Japan) See more »

Also Known As:

Tokyo Drifter See more »

Filming Locations:

Akasaka, Minato, Japan See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nikkatsu See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

TOKYO NAGAREMONO series. #1 of 2 films. See more »

Quotes

Tetsuya 'Phoenix Tetsu' Hondo: A drifter needs no woman.
See more »

Connections

Followed by Zoku Tokyo nagaremono - Umi wa makka na koi no iro (1966) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Absolutely perfect!
22 May 2002 | by aengus72 – See all my reviews

How do you take an average Yakuza script in a conservative studio wholly interested in profit and turn it into the perfect movie? You give it to Seijun Suzuki, that's how. Suzuki masterfully molds the tale into a deep and powerful look at Tetsu's struggles. While the imagery, camera angles and color effects are brilliant, they never overpower the core of the movie. And to top it all off, Tokyo Drifter exudes 'cool'. Tetsu, the primary character, is perhaps the baddest man in all of Japanese film, the Asian Shaft, if you will. Be forewarned, this film is not for everyone. It is bold and cunning in almost every way, and it's often jumbled presentation requires concentration and/or multiple viewings. Life changing for me, anyone should give it a look.
15 of 22 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 42 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

IMDb Freedive: Watch Movies and TV Series for Free

Watch Hollywood hits and TV favorites for free with IMDb Freedive. Start streaming on IMDb and Fire TV devices today!

Start watching

Stream Trending TV Series With Prime Video

Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed