Tokyo Drifter

1966 1h 23m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

🔥

93%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★7.1TMDB · 219🍅93%Rotten Tomatoes★7.1IMDB · 10,723

ThrillerCrimeAction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Tetsuya Watari
Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo
Chieko Matsubara
Chiharu
Hideaki Nitani
Kenji Aizawa
Tamio Kawachi
Tatsuzo the Viper
Eiji Gō
Tanaka
Tomoko Hamakawa
Mutsuko
Takeshi Yoshida
Keiichi
Isao Tamagawa
Umetani

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Seijun Suzuki
Writers: Kōhan Kawauchi
Languages: English, 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

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

60 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Tokyo Drifter Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Seijun Suzuki, shot by Shigeyoshi Mine. 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

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tetsuya Watari and Chieko Matsubara and Hideaki Nitani carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Seijun Suzuki directs. Shigeyoshi Mine behind the camera. Hajime Kaburagi scores. Shinya Inoue cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in English, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

183 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
260 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Japanese.
4Part of the "Tokyo Drifter Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Seijun Suzuki, shot by Shigeyoshi Mine. 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.
7Editor Shinya Inoue shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Tetsuya Watari and Chieko Matsubara and Hideaki Nitani carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0061101 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Shigeyoshi Mine
Original score: Hajime Kaburagi
Editing: Shinya Inoue
Production design: Takeo Kimura
Runtime: 83 min · 1h 23m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
Certification (US): 12
IMDB: Tokyo Drifter (1966)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 7.1/10 · 10,723 votes
MPAA: Not Rated

Part of

Tokyo Drifter Collection

The Tokyo Drifter duology, starring Tetsuya Watari.

Also by

Seijun Suzuki

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Production companies

Who made it

Nikkatsu Corporation
JP

Key crew

ProducerTetsuro Nakagawa
EditorShinya Inoue
Production DesignTakeo Kimura
AuthorKōhan Kawauchi
Production ManagerYasufusa Okada
Assistant DirectorMasami Kuzū
SoundYoshinobu Akino
ColoristMasaru Mori
GafferHideo Kumagai
Fight ChoreographerMasatoshi Kawase

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

hitman
yakuza
tokyo, japan
japanese noir
1960s
japanese new wave

Release history · US

When it landed

Theatrical (limited)2006-01-28· Rapid Eye Movies (32. Internationales Filmwochenende Würzburg)
Theatrical2024-09-26· Re-release
Theatrical1990-10-11· Kinowelt
Physical2006-04-2112· DVD (Rapid Eye Movies)
TV1995-10-07· ZDF