My absolute favorite TV series was never on American TV...

[yuiyoshida]

I absolutely adore Japanese Period pieces, however, Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi had me glued to the TV set. Watching videos and later DVDs... of these wonderful programs, that were rich in Japanese culture..
Well, here is an example, Enjoy it..

[yallerdawg]

1. My absolute favorite movie trilogy is never shown, either.

Samurai starring the great Toshiro Mifune. My Japanese mother-in-law gave me her VHS copies decades ago!

Unforgettable story and imagery. One of the all-time greatest "villains" ever!

[yuiyoshida]

2. One of my greatest thrill was to see Shintaro Katsu and Toshiro Mifune together

in a Zatoichi film!

[yallerdawg]

5. One of my present-day thrills...

is to scan through the schedule at TCM and see what great Japanese films they have lined up!

I have The Warped Ones on the DVR now!

[First Speaker]

3. My all-time greatest movie is Japanese: Kobayashi's *The Human Condition*...

...no, not Kurasawa or Ozu. No one in the US has ever heard of Kobayashi, but this film--a long trilogy--says more about the world in the 20th century than any other I know. Incredibly moving.

[yuiyoshida]

4. Awesome, I would love to watch it...

One of my favorite movies was called...Always San Chome No Yuhi

Its about a family in Japan in the 1950s with a new growing Japan...

[Zorro]

6. The Zatoichi movies and TV episodes are a real hoot

Frumpy, chivalrous blind guy with a sense of humor, who slices and dices dozens of bad guys when they cross his path.

Lots of full-length Zatoichi stuff is freely available on Youtube.

[yuiyoshida]

7. I was surprised to find so many full episodes of

Zatoichi on youtube, many with full subtitles, and its great stuff, i own many of the dvds of Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi!