A Taxing Woman's Return

1988 2h 7m JA

😐

6.4

MID

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.4TMDB · 56★6.7IMDB · 709

ComedyMysteryThrillerDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ryōko Itakura returns as the tough-as-nails government taxing agent. This time she must figure out a way to expose a fanatical religious cult lead by a corrupt sociopath.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Rentaro Mikuni
Teppei Onisawa
Nobuko Miyamoto
Ryoko Itakura
Toru Masuoka
Mishima
Masahiko Tsugawa
Hanamura
Tetsuro Tamba
Sadohara
Yasuo Daichi
Ijuin
Kinzō Sakura
Kaneko
Yoriko Doguchi
Nana

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jūzō Itami
Writers: Jūzō Itami
Languages: 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

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "A Taxing Woman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jūzō Itami, shot by Yonezō Maeda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Akira Suzuki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Rentaro Mikuni and Nobuko Miyamoto and Toru Masuoka carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0095597 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jūzō Itami directs. Yonezō Maeda behind the camera. Toshiyuki Honda scores. Akira Suzuki cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

138 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Part of the "A Taxing Woman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Jūzō Itami, shot by Yonezō Maeda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Toshiyuki Honda. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Akira Suzuki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Rentaro Mikuni and Nobuko Miyamoto and Toru Masuoka carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0095597 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 56 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Yonezō Maeda
Original score: Toshiyuki Honda
Editing: Akira Suzuki
Runtime: 127 min · 2h 7m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: A Taxing Woman's Return (1988)
IMDB rating: 6.7/10 · 709 votes
US box office: $333,584

Awards

2 wins & 4 nominations

Part of

A Taxing Woman Collection

Nobuko Miyamoto stars as Ryoko, Japan’s relentless female tax inspector, who matches wits with Gondo, a cunning tax-evading love hotel owner, in a gripping battle of detection and deception laced with mutual attraction. The hit romantic farce evolves into a darker sequel, where Ryoko takes on a religious cult, gangsters, and a high-stakes conspiracy involving politicians and construction.