Shotaro Ikenami

Writer

January 25, 1923 (67 years)

† May 3, 1990

Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan

Biography

No biography available.

Filmography

8.0

Professional Killers

A shikakenin was an under-the-cover trade that undertook killing in Edo. Hanemon of Otowa, an agency that introduced laborers and maids, was also one of these. Katsugoro Iseya was a timber dealer who had come in as a client. His target was the constructions magistrate Hanno, and the Tatsumiya who sipped on the benefits. Hanemon who had a stong code towards killing, where he would only kill those who do no good to be in the world, accepts this request. Baian Fujieda, a needle doctor would carry out the killing. However, the professional killer Baian fails to bring down Tatsumiya. Hanemon then looks to another shikakenin, the ronin Sanai Nishimura for the role. Although Sanai's ability with the sword is good, he lives poorly in a tenement, and accepts this commission on the condition that it is kept a secret from his wife and child. Here, they close in on Hanno and Tatsumiya again...

9.0

Kumokiri Nizaemon

During the Kyoho period in the reign of Tokugawa Yoshimune, there is a gang of thieves active not just in Edo but also the Tokaido and the Nakasendo, and all across the Kansai region, stealing large sums of money with skillful techniques. They only target the very wealthy and never kill or injure people. They appear with the clouds and disappear like the mist. On the night that the beautiful Ochiyo is to become the bride of a dry goods dealer, a large amount of money hidden inside the shop is stolen. The gang disappears without injuring anyone. It was a two-year plan to marry Ochiyo off so that she could bring them in. The leader of this gang is Kumokiri Nizaemon, the greatest bandit of all time. He keeps a rein on his highly-skilled and notorious followers Nanabake no Ochiyo, Kinezumi no Kichigoro, Subashiri no Kumagoro, Ingakozo Rokunosuke and others.

7.8

Onihei Hankachō

Hasegawa is a chief police of big heart who leads a band of samurai police and cultivates reformed criminals as informants to solve difficult crimes.

7.8

Onihei

The historical novel series depicts Heizou Hasegawa, who metes justice on wrongdoers and supervises the crackdown on arsonists and robbers in Japan's Edo period (1603-1868).

10.0

Kenkaku Shōbai

Kohei Akiyama, a popular master swordsman, and his son Daijiro live in the town of Edo in good faith. While running a dojo, Daijiro and his father find themselves wrapped up in a series of events with the town's people.

N/A

Kumokiri Nizaemon

A Japanese television jidaigeki that was broadcast in prime-time in 1995 on Fuji TV. It is based on Shōtarō Ikenami's novel of the same title and stars Tsutomu Yamazaki. In the Kyōhō period, there was a group of bandits called Kumokiri from the people of Edo. Tokugawa shogunate appoints Abe Shikibu a head post of the Hitsuke Tōzoku Aratamegata to arrest Kumokiri clan.

10.0

Kenkaku Shōbai

6.1

Bandits vs. Samurai Squadron

Kumokiri Nizaemon, a former samurai warrior, has abandoned his class to become the leader of a gang of thieves. He leads his outlaws in an attempt to rob the castle of his former clan.

7.7

The Last Samurai

The film follows the story of Sugi Toranosuke, a ronin, who returns to his home town of Edo many years after his attempted suicide as a sickly child. Rescued and adopted by a master swordsman, he has grown into a master swordsman and a very kind gentleman. The time is around 1868 the year that the nails were finally put into the coffin containing the feudal system that nurtured and sustained the samurai. Sugi is confused and unsure about what is happening but his teacher wants him out of the chaos of the multiple power struggles between the various clans.

6.3

Hunter in the Dark

Yataro Tanigawa, a one-eyed hired assassin, impresses yakuza boss Gomyo Kiyoemon with his skill. Gomyo hires Tanigawa as his bodyguard, or yojimbo, to protect him during an inter-clan conflict. Tanigawa quickly rises in stature in the clan, but finds his boss's enemies almost overwhelming.

7.0

Restoration Fire

Megastar Kataoka Chiezo is Vice-commander Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi in this realistic tale of Japan’s inner battles that led to the downfall of the Tokugawa shogunate. Excellent performances and extremely good swordplay highlight this glimpse into the heart and soul of Japanese history. Although known as “Razor Blade” Hijikata, the vice-commander is a man of deep conviction with a little-known sense of humanity. Starting after the famed Ikedaya Incident, in which they saved Kyoto from Choshu’s plot to burn the city to ashes, they work hard to change the public’s view of them as merciless killers to their true mission of protecting the shogun. This is an extraordinary tale of blood and guts! From the pen of award winning author Shotaro Ikenami (Bandit Vs. Samurai, Hunter in the Dark, Misumi's The Last Samurai)

8.3

Onihei Crime Files: The Final Kohen - Unryu Ken

No description available

8.0

Baian the Assassin

This is an ensemble period drama adapted from Shotaro Ikenami's popular novel, featuring the famous Kabuki actor brothers Kinnosuke Manya and Katsuo Nakamura, who made the transition from the Kabuki world to the film industry, and a cast of gorgeous and diverse faces. The Edo period. Nagato Abe, a Hatamoto (a feudal lord), is annoyed by his son's bad behavior, and when it becomes a hindrance to his own career, he asks Otowaya Hanemon, a black marketeer, to assassinate his son. The target is then taken care of by the assassin, Umeyasu. In order to keep his mouth shut, Nagatomon no Mamoru also attempts to take Otowaya's life. Nagato's brother-in-law, Omiya Sahei, a corrupt merchant from the Kamigata region, also plans to replace Otowaya as the head of Edo's black market business, so Umebayashi and his fellow trapper Hikojiro set out to eliminate them.

6.0

Baian Fujieda the Assassin

An adaptation of the Shotaro Ikenami novels, set in the historical Edo period, and centered on Fujieda Bayan, a medicine man and doctor by day, but ruthless killer for hire by night. His tools of the trade are the same in either job: acupuncture needles that leave no trace.

N/A

Baian the Assassin: Showdown

Fujieda Baian is admired during the day as a skilled acupuncturist. However, at night, he is a highly skilled assassin, taking on contracts to quietly eliminate those whose existence is deemed toxic to society. Baian's latest target, assigned by his boss Otowa, is Shirakoya Kikuemon, the head of a powerful organization in Osaka. In the past, Baian had been indebted to Shirakoya, but due to a conflict involving the swordsman Kosugi Jūgorō, their relationship has turned adversarial. After his lover is abducted, Shirakoya storms into Edo. With his life now targeted, Baian resolves to confront Shirakoya in a desperate final showdown.

9.3

Samurai Detective Onihei: Dangerous Mercy

Juzo Ono, a subordinate of Matsumoto Heizo. (yakunin government official) Ono Juzo finds himself torn between 'emotion' and 'duty' after encountering a certain woman. While Heizo worries about Juzo, he also delves into the heart of the matter. What choices will Juzo make, and what feelings will Heizo harbor for his future? Taking on the role of Juzo Ono, who holds the key to the story, is Tokio Emoto, following his performances in 'Lawless Love' and 'Blood for Blood.' This portrayal adds another layer to the character previously played by Tokio Emoto's father, Akira.

7.8

Baian the Assassin, M.D.: Part 2

The main character, Baian Fujieda, is a dark hero who has two faces: one as a skilled acupuncturist who saves lives, and the other as a criminal who buries evil that cannot be kept alive for the sake of others. Popular writer Shotaro Ikenami's historical novel series of the same title, on which the film "BAIAN The Assassin, M.D." is based, is a blockbuster bestseller with a total of over 6 million copies in print and has been made into a timeless entertainment film many times in Japan. Many famous actors have played the role of Baian, including Ken Watanabe. The year 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of Shotaro Ikenami's birth. In the anniversary year of 2023, a new "BAIAN The Assassin, M.D." is born.

9.0

Onihei's Detective Records

A criminal syndicate wants detective Onihei dead, but the resolute hero proves to be hard to kill.

N/A

Onihei side story: The Final Chapter - The Fourth Wife

Inomatsu, a carpenter with a reputation as a skilled craftsman, has a wife named Oritsu. Oritsu is deeply in love with Inomatsu and believes that the purpose of her life is to devote herself to her husband day and night. However, Oritsu is Inomatsu's fourth wife. In fact, he is a robber and thief. As a carpenter, Inomatsu usually sneaked into merchants' houses and carried out robberies. For him, wives are just a tool to deceive the public...

5.5

Onihei: That Man, Hasegawa Heizou

Edo period, Heizo Hasegawa was feared by thieves and villains as "Heizo the Oni". A young man inspects Heizo's surroundings to find out more about him, visiting Kumehachi, Hikoju, and Omasa. Heizo's true colors as a person start to become apparent.