Asao Kumada

The Shatterer

Following the opening of a Japanese auto factory in Sicily, the head of the company is kidnapped by Sicilian mobsters. This was a co-production between Italy and Japan's Toho Studios.

The Garden of Eden

A young pick-pocket meets a sheltered teenage girl at an art museum while trying to lift her wallet. He falls in love with her and lures her to deserted strip of beach where he pretends his stolen motorbike has broken down and they are stranded. An unlikely romance follows.

Dedicated to the Aegean Sea

Dedicato al mare Egeo is a forgotten and bizarre co-production produced between Italy and Japan from 1979, starring the famous Italian porn star Illona Staller (Cicciolina) and directed by the famous Japanese pinter, printmaker and novelist Masuo Ikeda (1934–1997) from his own script based on his novel “Ege-kai ni sasagu”, for which he won the Akutagawa Prize, the most prestigious literary award in Japan. Ikeda’s vigorous artistic activity even included screenplay writing and film directing. With this movie, Masuo Ikeda has undoubtedly left his mark on the ’70s Italian skin cinema.

Tokyo Olympiad

This impressionistic portrait of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics pays as much attention to the crowds and workers as it does to the actual competitive events. Highlights include an epic pole-vaulting match between West Germany and America, and the final marathon race through Tokyo's streets. Two athletes are highlighted: Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who receives his second gold medal, and runner Ahamed Isa from Chad, representing a country younger than he is.

Fires on the Plain

In the closing days of WWII, a Japanese soldier afflicted with tuberculosis is abandoned by his company and left to wander the Philippine island of Leyte.

Giants and Toys

Nishi is an advertising executive for a caramel company that is planning to launch a new product, in fierce competition with two other companies.