Top 50 Best Yakuza Movies
by transitasis | created - 16 Nov 2013 | updated - 12 Jun 2016 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Branded to Kill (1967)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After a botched assignment, a rice-fetishizing hitman finds himself in conflict with his organization, and one mysterious, dangerous fellow-hitman in particular.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Jô Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari, Kôji Nanbara
Votes: 10,214
2. Pale Flower (1964)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Crime
A gangster gets released from prison and has to cope with the recent shifts of power between the gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki, Naoki Sugiura
Votes: 4,395
3. Fireworks (1997)
103 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Nishi leaves the police in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into depression, he makes questionable decisions.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Ôsugi, Susumu Terajima
Votes: 33,212 | Gross: $0.23M
4. Youth of the Beast (1963)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Crime, Mystery
A violent thug plays opposing yakuza bosses against each other.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Jô Shishido, Misako Watanabe, Tamio Kawaji, Minako Katsuki
Votes: 3,919
5. Tokyo Drifter (1966)
Not Rated | 82 min | Action, Crime
After his gang disbands, a yakuza enforcer looks forward to life outside of organized crime but soon must become a drifter after his old rivals attempt to assassinate him.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawaji
Votes: 9,716
6. Outrage (2010)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Kippei Shîna, Ryô Kase, Fumiyo Kohinata
Votes: 14,667
7. Rainy Dog (1997)
Not Rated | 95 min | Crime, Drama
A Japanese assassin stranded in Taiwan must take work from a local crime boss to make ends meet when suddenly a woman from his past delivers a son to him.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Shô Aikawa, Li-Wei Chang, Shih Chang, Xianmei Chen
Votes: 2,881
8. Sonatine (1993)
R | 94 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war then escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura
Votes: 23,299
9. Drunken Angel (1948)
Not Rated | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A drunken doctor with a hot temper and a violence-prone gangster with tuberculosis form a quicksilver bond.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune, Reizaburô Yamamoto, Michiyo Kogure
Votes: 13,368
10. Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013)
Not Rated | 129 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A renegade film crew becomes embroiled with a yakuza clan feud.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Jun Kunimura, Fumi Nikaidô, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Hiroki Hasegawa
Votes: 8,993 | Gross: $0.03M
11. The Yakuza (1974)
R | 112 min | Action, Crime, Drama
American private-eye Harry Kilmer returns to Japan to rescue a friend's kidnapped daughter from the clutches of the Yakuza.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Robert Mitchum, Ken Takakura, Eiji Okada, Herb Edelman
Votes: 10,458
12. Sympathy for the Underdog (1971)
93 min | Crime, Drama
A yakuza gang gets driven out of Yokohama by a big gang from Tokyo. They relocate to Okinawa to violently start over.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Tsunehiko Watase, Akiko Kudô
Votes: 1,044
13. Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973)
Not Rated | 99 min | Crime, Drama
During the violent chaos of post-War Japanese black market, a young gangster called Shozo Hirono has to keep up with the rapid shifts of power between unscrupulous bosses.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Hiroki Matsukata, Kunie Tanaka, Eiko Nakamura
Votes: 4,308
14. Gendai yakuza: Hito-kiri yota (1972)
Not Rated | 88 min | Action, Crime
A yakuza, who has an untamed rage and lack of respect for authority, finds himself leading the remnants of the gang he once belonged to in order to secure an area of their own.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Noboru Andô, Mayumi Nagisa, Asao Koike
Votes: 1,240
15. Beyond Outrage (2012)
R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Toshiyuki Nishida, Tomokazu Miura, Takeshi Kitano, Ryô Kase
Votes: 7,267
16. Graveyard of Honor (1975)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Crime
A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the Japanese mafia but quickly loses his self control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Tetsuya Watari, Tatsuo Umemiya, Yumi Takigawa, Eiji Gô
Votes: 1,960
17. A Colt Is My Passport (1967)
84 min | Action, Crime
A hit man is hired to kill a mob boss. After the deed is done, he and his driver are wanted dead by rival gangs who joined forces.
Director: Takashi Nomura | Stars: Jô Shishido, Jerry Fujio, Chitose Kobayashi, Ryôtarô Sugi
Votes: 2,314
18. Graveyard of Honor (2002)
Not Rated | 131 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A barkeeper saves a Yakuza boss' life and thus makes his way up in the organization. However his fear of nothing soon causes problems.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Gorô Kishitani, Ryôsuke Miki, Narimi Arimori, Mikio Ôsawa
Votes: 2,349
19. Boiling Point (1990)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Two disquieted junior baseball players seek revenge on the local yakuza for attacking their coach.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Yûrei Yanagi, Yuriko Ishida, Taka Guadalcanal
Votes: 7,503 | Gross: $0.00M
20. Koi gokudo (1997)
110 min | Crime, Drama
Based on the novel Ukonshi Kujira by author Yamanouchi Yukio, Mochizuki Rokuro's third in his yakuza trilogy depicts a country girl falling in love with a street-level down and dirty thug ... See full summary »
Director: Rokuro Mochizuki | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Shohei Hino, All Kyojin, Shunsuke Matsuoka
Votes: 122
21. Onibi (1997)
101 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A yakuza hitman gets out of jail and decides to start a new life, but soon his old life catches up with him.
Director: Rokuro Mochizuki | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Reiko Kataoka, Shô Aikawa, Kazuki Kitamura
Votes: 253
22. Yakuza Graveyard (1976)
Not Rated | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When a cop is transferred to a new precinct it is obvious that the area's yakuza mob are not dealing with just another policeman. The cop is bent on results and is not immune to becoming ... See full summary »
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Tetsuya Watari, Meiko Kaji, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hideo Murota
Votes: 938
23. Brother (I) (2000)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A Japanese gangster is exiled to Los Angeles where his brother lives with a small but respectable multi-racial gang, who he inspires to expand their influence.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Claude Maki, Omar Epps, Masaya Katô
Votes: 24,549 | Gross: $0.45M
24. Ryûji (1983)
92 min | Drama
Ryuji tries to quit yakuza and spend a decent life with his wife Mariko and daughter Aya, but as he's used to getting easy money, it'd become hard for him to work hard and get little. Eventually he's back to where he belongs.
Director: Tôru Kawashima | Stars: Shôji Kaneko, Eiko Nagashima, Kôji Kita, Kinzô Sakura
Votes: 152
25. Cops vs. Thugs (1975)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Crime
Acting boss Hirotani of the Ohara gang uses his friendship with corrupt cop Kuno to usurp a staged land deal that rival yakuza gang Kawade had arranged through local politicians. Open warfare erupts between the two gangs.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Tatsuo Umemiya, Hiroki Matsukata, Mikio Narita
Votes: 946
26. Ley Lines (1999)
Not Rated | 105 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A group of Chinese youths living in Japan struggle to make their way in life and eventually find trouble with the local crime syndicate.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Kazuki Kitamura, Tomorô Taguchi, Dan Li, Naoto Takenaka
Votes: 1,787
27. Kanto Wanderer (1963)
92 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Three schoolgirls are infatuated with a yakuza, Katsuta, of the Izu Clan. They meet another yakuza, `Diamond` Fuyu, of the rival Yoshida clan. As he gets a tattoo, two of the girls become ... See full summary »
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Akira Kobayashi, Chieko Matsubara, Daisaburô Hirata, Hiroko Itô
Votes: 436
28. Afraid to Die (1960)
Not Rated | 96 min | Action, Crime
Takeo is a young yakuza who renounces his former criminal activities after being released from prison. But sometimes escaping the past is not so easy.
Director: Yasuzô Masumura | Stars: Yukio Mishima, Ayako Wakao, Eiji Funakoshi, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 628
29. Tattooed Life (1965)
87 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After his own gang sets him up to kill a rival mobster, a hit man is forced to flee with his younger brother.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Hideki Takahashi, Masako Izumi, Hiroko Itô, Kayo Matsuo
Votes: 1,044
30. Violent Streets (1974)
96 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A retired yakuza is caught in the middle of a growing conflict between two rival clans.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Noboru Andô, Akira Kobayashi, Isao Natsuyagi, Bunta Sugawara
Votes: 470
31. Agitator (2001)
150 min | Crime, Drama
A fearless Yakuza captain's loyalty is tested as two ambitious underbosses attempt a takeover of both his clan and a rival Yakuza gang.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Taisaku Akino, Mickey Curtis, Yoshiyuki Daichi, Ken'ichi Endô
Votes: 1,171
32. Kurenai no nagareboshi (1967)
97 min | Action, Crime
A young yakuza hitman named Goro does a job and needs to hideout away from Tokyo for a while. He hangs out with loose women and hard men and always manages to stay one step ahead of the law... See full summary »
Director: Toshio Masuda | Stars: Tetsuya Watari, Ruriko Asaoka, Jô Shishido, Kayo Matsuo
Votes: 199
33. Kamikaze Taxi (1995)
169 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A revenge-seeking man and his foolish friends plan to rob a yakuza gang.
Director: Masato Harada | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Kazuya Takahashi, Mickey Curtis, Reiko Kataoka
Votes: 723
34. Ôkami to buta to ningen (1964)
95 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A lonely gangster tries recruiting men to plunder a respected and powerful gang.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Ken Takakura, Rentarô Mikuni, Kin'ya Kitaôji, Shinjirô Ebara
Votes: 170
35. Blues Harp (1998)
107 min | Crime, Drama, Music
Ambitious yakuza Kenji befriends harmonica-playing bartender Chuji, who moonlights as a part-time drug-dealer for the opposing gang. Their friendship is threatened by Kenji's plans for ... See full summary »
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Seiichi Tanabe, Saori Sekino, Mickey Curtis
Votes: 1,183
36. Nûdo no yoru (1993)
Not Rated | 110 min | Crime, Thriller
A private investigator takes on an odd job to retrieve a lost Rolex, only to find himself lured into a case filled with violence and sex by his mysterious employer.
Director: Takashi Ishii | Stars: Naoto Takenaka, Kimiko Yo, Jinpachi Nezu, Kippei Shîna
Votes: 359
37. Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (2002)
96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When his beloved boss is killed, a dangerous young gangster cuts a path of vengeance through the Japanese mafia.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Riki Takeuchi, Ryôsuke Miki, Ken'ichi Endô, Mika Katsumura
Votes: 1,704
38. Shinjuku Incident (2009)
R | 119 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A simple Chinese immigrant wages a perilous war against one of the most powerful criminal organizations on the planet.
Director: Tung-Shing Yee | Stars: Jackie Chan, Naoto Takenaka, Daniel Wu, Jinglei Xu
Votes: 13,581
39. Revenge Flame of Hayabusa (2012)
10 min | Short, Action, Thriller
A Yakuza wants to take revenge,his boss and his crew got killed by their enemy gang, so he made his mission as to do whatever he can do to take down the peoples who did it.
Director: Petong Sakulchai | Stars: Tatsu Sugihira, Eiji Inoue, Megumi Kabe, Hidetoshi Imura
Votes: 90
40. Outlaw Killers: Three Mad Dog Brothers (1972)
86 min | Action, Crime
The great Bunta stars as a gangster who is sent to jail for the sake of his gang, but when he's released he finds everything completely changed and his gang has swept him aside for being too violent.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Kunie Tanaka, Mayumi Nagisa, Yôko Mihara
Votes: 184
41. Hiroshima Death Match (1973)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A young criminal joins a yakuza family to kill the gangsters who beat him up, but falls in love with his boss' widow's niece, piling up enemies and corpses along his wayward way.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Shin'ichi Chiba, Meiko Kaji, Shingo Yamashiro
Votes: 1,909
42. Tattoo (1982)
107 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
An ardent culture-vulture youth, previously charged for the murder of a woman when he was young, plans to hold hostage a local bank.
Director: Banmei Takahashi | Stars: Ryûdô Uzaki, Keiko Takahashi, Misako Watanabe, Kazuko Aoki
Votes: 82
43. Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (1970)
Not Rated | 85 min | Crime, Thriller
A street girl gang clashes with racist local gangsters after one of the girls starts dating an Afro-Japanese man.
Director: Yasuharu Hasebe | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Rikiya Yasuoka, Tatsuya Fuji, Jirô Okazaki
Votes: 886
44. Police Tactics (1974)
Not Rated | 101 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Conflicts between Hirono's family and Yamamori's family (and their allies) are made more tense by the ambitious underlings and the police's efforts to impose a crackdown on the gangs.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Bunta Sugawara, Akira Kobayashi, Tatsuo Umemiya, Toshio Kurosawa
Votes: 1,294
45. Shinjuku Triad Society (1995)
Not Rated | 100 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Amidst a Chinese and Japanese mafia war, a lawyer for the Chinese mob finds a rift forming between him and his corrupt police office brother.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Kippei Shîna, Tomorô Taguchi, Takeshi Caesar, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 2,463
46. Big Time Gambling Boss (1968)
95 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Tokyo, 1934. The boss of the clan that controls gambling agonizes and some of his followers propose to Nakai to take his place, but he refuses the offer and suggests they choose Matsuda, who is in prison.
Director: Kôsaku Yamashita | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Tomisaburô Wakayama, Hiroshi Nawa, Nobuo Kaneko
Votes: 363
47. Gozu (2003)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A yakuza enforcer is ordered to secretly drive his beloved colleague to be assassinated. But when the colleague unceremoniously disappears en route, the trip that follows is a twisted, surreal and horrifying experience.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Yûta Sone, Kimika Yoshino, Shohei Hino, Keiko Tomita
Votes: 12,740 | Gross: $0.05M
48. Meiji kyokyakuden - sandaime shumei (1965)
90 min | Action, Crime
A tale set in the late Meiji era - circa 1880s-1890 as opposed to the early Meiji which began in the 1860s.
Director: Tai Katô | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Sumiko Fuji, Tetsurô Tanba, Tôru Abe
Votes: 104
49. Nippon no akuryo (1970)
90 min | Crime, Drama
Murase is a bodyguard in a yakuza group. Ochiai is a police officer who once was a student activist. When they meet, they are surprised how identical they look. They decide to trade places with each other.
Director: Kazuo Kuroki | Stars: Yôsuke Enomoto, Tatsumi Hijikata, Eiko Horii, Hideo Kanze
Votes: 113
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