The Racketeer Ishimatsu

1976 1h 31m JA

🤯

9.0

MASTERPIECE

★9.0TMDB · 1

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Action-comedy film featuring the adventures of an itinerant merchant (Hiroki Matsukata) that becomes an unlikely hero.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Hiroki Matsukata
Ishimatsu
Bunjaku Han
Hanako Koizumi
Linda Yamamoto
Asao Koike
Hiroshi Nawa
Shinichi Hoshino
Jo Shiraishi
Goro Kinoshita
Kenji Imai
Shingo Yamashiro

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shigehiro Ozawa
Writers: Akira Murao, Shigehiro Ozawa, Isao Matsumoto
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

50 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa, shot by Toshio Masuda. 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 Hachiro Aoyama. 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 Kozo Horiike 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

Hiroki Matsukata and Bunjaku Han and Linda Yamamoto carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0376241 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shigehiro Ozawa directs. Toshio Masuda behind the camera. Hachiro Aoyama scores. Kozo Horiike cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

150 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa, shot by Toshio Masuda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Hachiro Aoyama. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Kozo Horiike shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Hiroki Matsukata and Bunjaku Han and Linda Yamamoto carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0376241 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.