This is a list of films produced by Daiei Film. Daiei was established in 1942 under its original title of the Greater Japan Motion Picture Production Company (Dai Nihon Eiga Seisaku Kabukishikigaisha). The company's early output consisted primarily of war propaganda films. The company began submitting its films to overseas festivals in the early 1950s with titles such as Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon, Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu and Teinosuke Kinugasa's Gate of Hell, which all won awards internationally. Other productions during the 1950s and 1960s included their horror (ghost) films and the long-running Zatoichi series starring Katsu Shintaro. The company also created kaiju eiga during this period to rival the popular Toho Godzilla series with Gamera and Daimajin.
Towards the late 1960s, Daiei was suffering from severe financial difficulties and merged with Nikkatsu temporarily in June 1970 until Nikkatsu withdrew in August 1971. By 1974, Daiei was being run as a rental studio, as it was assimilated as a subsidiary of Tokuma Shoten Publishing Company. Daiei continued on with reduced production during this period. In the 1990s, few films from Daiei reached overseas markets; these included Shall We Dance? and a new Gamera trilogy. In 2002, Kadokawa Shoten acquired Daiei's back catalog and renamed the company Kadokawa-Daiei Motion Picture Company. In 2004, it dropped the name Daiei and is now simply known as Kadokawa Pictures.
This list compiles the films by their original release date, their common English titles and Japanese titles. The Japanese titles are not necessarily direct translations of their English counterparts.
| Release date | English release title | Original Japanese title | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Quiet Duel | Shizukanaru Kettō | |||
| The Invisible Man Appears | Tōmei Ningen Arawaru | [1] | ||
| Rashomon | Rashōmon | |||
| Avalanche | Nadare | |||
| Lightning | Inazuma | |||
| Girls Hand in Hand | Futari no hitomi | |||
| Tragic Ghost Story of Fukagawa | Kaidan Fukagawa jowa | |||
| Ugetsu | Ugetsu monogatari | |||
| A Geisha | Gion Bayashi | |||
| Older Brother, Younger Sister | Ani imōto | |||
| Ghost of Saga Mansion | Kaidan Saga yashiki | |||
| Gate of Hell | Jigokumon | |||
| Ghost-Cat of Arima Palace | Kaibyō Arima goten | |||
| Terrible Ghost-Cat of Okazaki | Kaibyo Okazaki sodo | |||
| Ghost-Cat of Oma-ga-tsuji | Kaibyo Oma-ga-tsuji | |||
| Sansho the Bailiff | Sanshō Dayū | [2] | ||
| The Woman in the Rumor | Uwasa no Onna | |||
| The Great White Tiger Platoon | Hana no Byakkotai | |||
| Zenigata Heiji Torimono no Hikae: Yūrei Daimyō | ||||
| The Princess Sen | Sen-hime | |||
| The Crucified Lovers | Chikamatsu Monogatari | |||
| The Young Swordsman | Shiode Kushima Binan Kenpō | |||
| The Second Son | Jinanbō Garasu | |||
| The Magistrate | Jinanbō Hangan | |||
| The Young Lord | Onikiri Wakasama | |||
| A Girl Isn't Allowed to Love | Bara ikutabika | |||
| Princess Yang Kwei Fei | Yōkihi | |||
| The Dancer and Two Warriors | Odoriko Gyōjōki | |||
| The Magical Warrior | Tsuna Watari Misemono Zamurai | |||
| Tales of the Taira Clan | Shin Heike Monogatari | |||
| The Romance of Yushima | Onna keizu: Yushima no shiraume | |||
| The Iroha Elegy | Iroha Bayashi | |||
| Thief and Magistrate | Kaitō to Hangan | |||
| Migratory Birds of the Flowers | Hana no Wataridori | |||
| Matashirō Fighting Journey | Matashirō Kenka-tabi | |||
| Warning from Space | Uchūjin Tōkyō ni arawaru | |||
| Night School | Yakan chūgaku | |||
| Sisters of the Gion | Gion no kyōdai | |||
| Fighting Birds | Kenka Oshidori | |||
| Flowery Hood | Hana Zukin | |||
| Fighting Fire Fighter | Abare Tobi | |||
| Ghost-Cat of Gojusan-Tsugi | Kaibyo Gojusan-tsugi | |||
| Zenigata Heiji Torimono no Hikae: Hitohada Gumo | ||||
| Night River | Yoru no kawa | |||
| Flowery Hood 2 | Zoku Hana Zukin | |||
| Gonpachi | Amigasa Gonpachi | |||
| An Osaka Story | Osaka Monogatari | |||
| The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly | Tōmei Ningen to Hae Otoko | |||
| A Fantastic Tale of Naruto | Naruto Hichō | |||
| The Hole | Ana | |||
| Freelance Samurai | Momotarō Zamurai | |||
| Ghost Cat of Yonaki Swamp[3] | Kaibyō Yonaki numa | [4] [5] | ||
| Return to Manhood | Nanbanji no Semushi-Otoko | |||
| The Loyal 47 Ronin | Chūshingura | |||
| The 7th Secret Courier for Edo | Nanabanme no Misshi | |||
| Ghost-Cat Wall of Hatred | Kaibyo noroi no kabe | |||
| Giants and Toys | Kyojin to gangu | |||
| Conflagration | Enjō | |||
| Ambush at Iga Pass | Iga no suigetsu | |||
| Odd Obsession | Kagi | |||
| Fires on the Plain | Nobi | |||
| Floating Weeds | Ukigusa | |||
| Enchanted Princess | Hatsuharu tanuki goten | |||
| A Woman's Testament | Jokyō | |||
| Afraid to Die | Karakkaze Yarō | |||
| The Demon of Mount Oe | Ōeyama Shuten Dōji | |||
| Ghost Story: Depth of Kasane | Kaidan Kasanegafuchi | |||
| Satan's Sword | Daibosatsu Tōge | |||
| Her Brother | Otōto | |||
| Ghost Story of Kakui Street | Kaidan Kakuidori | [6] | ||
| The Tale of Zatoichi | Zatōichi Monogatari | |||
| Ghost Story: Crying in the Night Lantern | Kaidan yonaki-doro | |||
| Black Test Car | Kuro no shisō-sha | |||
| Kujira-gami | ||||
| The Tale of Zatoichi Continues | Zoku Zatōichi Monogatari | |||
| Shin no shikotei | [7] | |||
| Being Two Isn't Easy | Watashi wa nisai | |||
| Yukinojo henge | ||||
| The New Tale of Zatoichi | Shin Zatoichi monogatari | |||
| Ghost Story of Devil's Fire Swamp | Kaidan onibi no numa | |||
| Zatoichi the Fugitive | Zatoichi kyojotabi | |||
| Enter Kyōshirō Nemuri the Swordman | Nemuri Kyōshirō Sappōchō | |||
| Zatoichi on the Road | Zatoichi kenkatabi | |||
| Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold | Zatoichi senryokubi | |||
| The Frolic of the Beasts | Kemono no Tawamure | |||
| Zatoichi's Flashing Sword | Zatoichi abaredako | |||
| Adventures of Zatoichi | Zatōichi sekisho-yaburi | |||
| The Sword | Ken | |||
| Zatoichi's Revenge | Zatoichi no uta ga kikoeru | |||
| Zatoichi and the Doomed Man | Zatoichi sakata giri | |||
| Gamera, the Giant Monster | Daikaiju Gamera | |||
| Zatoichi and the Chess Expert | Zatoichi jigokutabi | |||
| Gamera vs. Barugon | Daikaijū kettō: Gamera tai Barugon | |||
| Daimajin | Daimajin | |||
| Zatoichi's Vengeance | Zatoichi nidan giri | |||
| Zatoichi's Pilgrimage | Zatoichi umi o wataru | |||
| Return of Daimajin | Daimajin ikaru | |||
| Daimajin Strikes Again | Daimajin gyakushu | |||
| Zatoichi's Cane Sword | Zatoichi tekkatabi | |||
| Gamera vs. Gyaos | Daikaiju kuchesen - Gamera tai Gyaosu | |||
| A Certain Killer | Aru Koroshiya | |||
| Zatoichi the Outlaw | Zatoichi royaburi | |||
| Zatoichi Challenged | Zatoichi chikemuri kaido | |||
| Gamera vs. Viras | Gamera tai uchu kaiju Bairasu | |||
| Yokai kyaku monogatari | ||||
| The Snow Woman | Kaidan Yukijorō | |||
| Kaidan botandoro | ||||
| The Ghostly Trap | Kaidan otoshiana | |||
| The Yoshiwara Story | Hiroku Onnagura | |||
| Zatoichi and the Fugitives | Zatoichi hatashijo | |||
| The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch | Hebimusume to hakuhatsuki | |||
| Yokai daisenso | ||||
| Samaritan Zatoichi | Zatoichi kenka daiko | |||
| Blind Beast | Mōjū | |||
| Tōkaidō Obake Dōchū | [8] | |||
| Hiroku kaibyoden | ||||
| Oiwa no borei | ||||
| Gamera vs. Guiron | Gamera tai daiakuju Giron | |||
| Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo | Zatoichi to Yojimbo | |||
| Gamera vs. Jiger | Gamera tai daimaju Jaiga | |||
| Tomei Kenshi | ||||
| Kaidan kasane ga fuchi | ||||
| Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival | Zatoichi abare himatsuri | |||
| Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman | Zatoichi "Yabure! Tojin-ken" | |||
| Gamera vs. Zigra | Gamera tai shinkai kaiju Jigura | |||
| Uchu kaiju Gamera | ||||
| Mikan no Taikyoku | ||||
| Tonko | ||||
| Roar of the Crowd | Haruka naru Koshien | |||
| Sumo Do, Sumo Don't | Shiko funjatta | |||
| Dreams of Russia | O-Roshiya-koku suimu-dan | |||
| Madadayo | Madadayo | |||
| Gamera - Daikaiju kuchu kessen | ||||
| Shinjuku Triad Society | Shinjuku kuroshakai - China Mafia Senso | |||
| See You at the Campground | Kyanpu de aimasho | |||
| Shall We Dance? | Shall We dansu? | |||
| Gamera Tsu - Region shurai | ||||
| Rainy Dog | Gokudo Kuroshaki - Rainy Dog | |||
| Cure | Kyua | |||
| Gamera Suri - Jyashin Irisu kakuseii | ||||
| Ley Lines | Nihon Kuroshakai | |||
| Dead or Alive | Dead or Alive - Hanzaisha | |||
| Hyoryugai | ||||
| Dead or Alive 2 | Dead or Alive 2 -Tobosha | |||
| Pulse | Kairo | |||
| Graveyard of Honor | Shin Jingi no Hakaba | |||
| Shangri-La | Togenkyo no Hitobito - Kinyu Hametsu Nippon | |||
. Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films . McFarland . 1994 . 0-89950-853-7 . Stuart Galbraith IV.