Drama about the lives of the five daughters and daughter-in-law of a store owner.

The story of the film is simple: A young girl in the countryside raises a young horse and develops a deep relationship to the animal. But the war is becoming part of life, so in the end she has to sacrifice her horse and sell it to the military. The idea of propaganda film has been discussed by various scholars. Donald Keene mentioned that it only takes the ending of a film like uma to turn an overall innocent story into propaganda. The film was in 1941 officially supported and praised by the Japanese government. An official government statement commented: “Feel Gratitude in your hear and lend yourself to support the war effort” and Army Minister Tojo Hideki commented: “Only by means of the heartfelt affection of the breeders can fine horses – a mobile weapon that will become increasingly necessary in the future – be raised.” A film about a teenager fond of horses, that turns into a propaganda film – so why should you be interested? Uma directed by Kajiro Yamamoto is often regarded as being the first film with a major involvement of Akira Kurosawa – who apart from his job as assistant director was said to have a love affair with the film’s teen aged star Takamine Hideko. Takamine herself was already one of the greatest stars of Japanese cinema, affectionately referred to as “Deko-chan” by her fans. After the war she would appear in many famous movies, most prominently in the works of Kinoshita and Naruse.

In a time of continuous civil wars ravaging the fields of feudal Japan, the eldest son of a very poor peasant family, living alongside the bridge over the Fuefuki river, decides to serve a warlord to escape his miserable condition, being soon followed by his younger brothers. Although not all the men of the family take this tragic path of death, women of the family will be doomed to endure the pain of loss during the next five generations.

1951 film

A woman marries, gives birth to a stillborn child, and divorces, falls in love with a hotel-keeper, only to find herself subordinated to his drive for success, takes up with a tailor who cannot console himself with her strong personality.

Two detectives begin a stakeout based on the slim chance of catching a murderer whom they suspect will try to reunite with an old flame.

After the Japanese defeat to the Russians, Kaji leads the last remaining men through Manchuria. Intent on returning to his dear wife and his old life, Kaji faces great odds in a variety of different harrowing circumstances as he and his fellow men sneak behind enemy lines.

1954 film by Keisuke Kinoshita

A woman remembers her own marriage when dealing with the love life of her son.

A young woman tries to raise money to open her own coffee shop. She arranges a loan when her rigid family won't help and then her husband becomes jealous of the loan officer.

During the Depression, a young man struggles to provide for his family after he is sacked for defending an older colleague.

The story of Kiyoko, a young woman who has successfully managed to make a break with her dysfunctional family who have been trying to arrange a marriage for her with a disagreeable man whom she has rejected.

1962 film by Mikio Naruse

Sanae is left a widow after her prestigious husband dies, but holds the proceeds of a million yen insurance policy. Being childless, her former in-laws have no objection to her return to her own family.

Setsuko is in an unhappy marriage to Mimura, an unemployed, alcoholic engineer. She had always been in love with Hiroshi but both failed to propose when Hiroshi left for France a few years ago. But now he's back and Mariko tries to reunite them, although she too is secretly in love with Hiroshi.

A poor rickshaw driver finds himself helping a young woman and her son after the woman's husband dies suddenly.

Otsuta is running the geisha house Tsuta in Tokyo. Her business is heavily in debt. Her daughter Katsuyo doesn't see any future in her mother's trade in the late days of Geisha. But Otsuta will not give up. This film portraits the day time life of geisha when not entertaining customers.

1964 film by Mikio Naruse

Keiko, whom everyone calls Mama, narrates her story: she's a hostess on the Ginza, 30, a widow. She describes life's vicious cycle: acting cheerful around drunks, dressing and living well to convey confidence, needing money for these expenses and for her demanding mother and brother, and knowing she's growing older.