Karate from Shaolin Temple

1976 1h 25m JA

DramaAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Japanese karate master Muhashi spent some time in Hong Kong studying various Shaolin martial arts styles. Soon the narcotics brigade calls in his help to combat a powerful drug and prostitution syndicate.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Ken Kazama
Musashi Yamanaka
Junko Igarashi
Reiko Shibata
Henry Yu Yang
Wu Chung-Hin
Kitty Meng Chui
Wu King-Heung [Kyoka]
Fanny Leung Man-Yee
Wu Lan-Fang
Fung Ngai
Chow Yin-Nin
Tong Tin-Hei
Devil Chen
Simon Yuen Siu-Tien
Yuen Yun

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hideo Nanbu
Writers: Kengo Inomata, Hideo Nanbu, Hiroshi Nagao
Languages: Mandarin, Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Hideo Nanbu, shot by Hiroshi Takemura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hajime Kaburagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ken Kazama and Junko Igarashi and Henry Yu Yang carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2016282 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hideo Nanbu directs. Hiroshi Takemura behind the camera. Hajime Kaburagi scores. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Mandarin, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
250 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Mandarin, Japanese.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Hideo Nanbu, shot by Hiroshi Takemura. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Hajime Kaburagi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Ken Kazama and Junko Igarashi and Henry Yu Yang carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt2016282 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.