Seicho Matsumoto
In 1990, Hagizaki Tatsuo, the accounting department chief of Ukishima Electric Works, was busy negotiating on getting a loan together with Sekino, the company's general manager. However, just as they were about to get the funds, Sekino was involved in a 200 million yen fraud and he later disappeared with the loan. The company decides to cover up the incident to protect its image, but Hagizaki wants to get to the bottom of the matter with the help of his newspaper reporter friend, Muraki. Hagizaki later notices that the case becomes darker and darker as he continues to investigate. He then meets a beautiful woman, Uezaki Etsuko, whom he believes hold the key to the entire incident.
A bruised and battered corpse in Shibuya, Tokyo has the attention of the local cops. A veteran detective is assigned to the case. The last utterance of the victim is one clue that detective Imanishi has to work on. Yet, the case becomes more tangled quickly. Elsewhere, a prodigy named Waga Eiryo is composing an orchestral piece.
A man and a woman committed double suicide in Kanazawa City. Immediately after the incident, Yoshiko Shiota, a woman living in Tokyo, contacts the local newspaper of Kanazawa, saying she wants to read the novel serialized in it by Ryuji Sugimoto. How did this woman know the novel is serialized in the newspaper? And why does she want to start reading it in the middle of the story? Which article was she actually interested in? Sugimoto cannot help making his own investigations about Yoshiko, but the more he searches, the more astonishing facts come to light...
After the sudden death of her adoptive father Shimada Mataemon, Nui, whose own father met an untimely death when he was about to expose the corruption of the shogunate becomes determined to expose the collusion between Kannouji, and the unforgivable relationships between the ladies in waiting of the inner palace and the monks. Nui is undertaking this undercover investigation without regard for the danger she is putting herself in, for the sake of Shinnosuke whom she secretly loves
Sachiko lost her parents at an early age and lived together with her only sister Nobuko who worked for a newspaper. Out of the blue, she is told that Nobuko is killed in an accident, but she simply cannot believe it because her sister had told her she was going to an entirely different place. She begins her investigations on her sister’s mysterious death with the help of Nobuko’s colleague and journalist Ryoichi. And when another colleague, Tomoe commits suicide, Sachiko has a gut feeling that a well-known figure is involved in the death of her sister...
Ichiro Numata (Hiroaki Murakami) is the chief editor of a publishing company. He suddenly falls unconscious and is hospitalized, but various cases takes place at the hospital. Hospital Director Kenichiro Asashima and Chief Nurse Junko Amemiya goes missing. There are rumors that they were in a close relationship. Head of Drug Management, Yasuharu Horimura is found dead. Rumors were that he stalked Junko Amemiya. The investigation into his dead is carried out as a suicide case, but Detective Eiji Kirishima (Takanori Jinnai) suspects foul play. Ichiro Numata follows with his sharp eyes what transpires at the hospital and he also holds a secret.
For the past 15 years, Fuyukawa Misaki has lived a quiet, reclusive life while keeping her secret well-hidden. With just two months left before the statute of limitations on the murder of her colleague expires, a mysterious man appears in Misaki’s life, who says, “I know your secret.” Is he a friend or foe? The nameless man who claims to know about Misaki’s past does not reveal any personal information about himself, but only says he wants to live with her in exchange for keeping her secret. Hence, a bizarre living arrangement begins. Who is this man and what is his purpose? Meanwhile, conventional detective Kiba is convinced that Misaki is the elusive criminal behind the 15-year old murder case and is determined to uncover evidence to prove his theory. As this peculiar love-suspense drama unfolds, you will need to piece together information to solve the mysterious puzzle of murder while the clock counts down to the expiration deadline.
Reporters Takehara and Tsumura Aki work for the magazine "Shukan Dodongo". Their chief editor tells them to monitor Okase Shohei who is an ex-bureaucrat and was recently released from prison. 7 years ago, Shohei was arrested for embezzling 1 billion yen. The investigation seven years ago was able to track down 700 million yen but unable to locate the remaining 300 million yen. Now, the chief editor is sure Shohei will go to wherever the remaining 300 million yen is hidden.
In 1959, a body of a flight attendant of an international airline is found, strangled. Detective Rokuro Fujisawa takes charge of the investigation with a young detective Ichimura and his investigations lead him to Father Tolbeck as a suspect. But the police are forced to move very discreetly as the time was right after the Second World War, when a sensitive situation that involves Western people and religion is likely to become an international issue. The investigation leads to an unexpected discloser of a shadowy business behind the church that reflects the uncertainty of the time.
A young, mentally retarded boy is wrongfully accused of murder, but his family lacks the means to hire an attorney to defend him. The boy’s sister, Kiriko, pleads with an accomplished attorney named Otsuka to defend her brother pro bono. But because of Otsuka’s busy schedule and other priorities, he refuses to take the case. Lacking a proper defense, Kiriko’s brother is eventually convicted of murder, and dies in prison. From that point on, Kiriko is determined to take revenge against Otuska.
Based on the novel "Tsuyoki Ari" by Seicho Matsumoto In her past, Isako Sawada ran a restaurant. She then met Nobuhiro who is 31 years older than her and an executive of a corporation. They eventually married. Nobuhiro owns a large mansion and his money is managed by housekeeper Saki Tsubaki. Isako Sawada doesn't like that arrangement, but she hides her contempt because she has a plan. Her plan is to become a widow in 3 years and inherit one billion yen from her husband. Isako Sawada schemes to have Nobuhiro die in an apparent natural manner and she is having a relationship with another man.
At a companywide meeting, Bunsaku Akiba sees Toshie, an old girlfriend who is now the secretary and lover of Nishijima, the chairman who has control over the entire group. Although Akiba is married, the love affair between him and Toshie flares up again. Akiba uses Toshie to approach the chairman, but as Toshie gets more possessive of him, Akiba starts to have murderous thoughts.
Nobuko is a plain, unattractive woman with disheveled hair, and is hired as a housekeeper in the Inamura residence in Tokyo. The Inamuras are a family of six. The father, Tatsuya, is the head of a university hospital's department of internal medicine. He lives with his wife Haruko, their three sons, and Tatsuya's mother, Shigeko. Although the Inamuras appear to be a happy family, Nobuko soon uncovers the truth.
The mayor is found dead in the river in a small town known for its hot springs. It's assumed that he fell to his death, but his nephew just cannot understand why his uncle would have gone there by himself to begin with. When he cleans up his house, he finds his uncle's diary and tries to find out what exactly happened.
Kamikawa Katsuji, a bank employee, is married to Yasuko, the daughter of a rich family and lives an ordinary married life. But he keeps a lover, Kamiya Ayako, a nightclub hostess, behind his wife’s back and is mired in a web of lust. His life takes mysterious turns after becoming Katsumura Hisako’s disciple. The beautiful and elegant Hisako, a calligraphy instructor, possesses the special ability to tell the fortune of people by looking at their calligraphic styles.
The prominent lawyer Kinya Ohtsuka looks over the case of the falsely indicted man who was sentenced to life imprisonment and then committed suicide while incarcerated. One year ago, the prominent lawyer rebuffed the efforts of Kiriko Yanagida to represent her brother. Kiriko Yanagida now works as a hostess in Tokyo while planning revenge on those responsible for her brother's imprisonment.
Based on a short story by Seichi Matsumoto from 1956 and remake from the 1957 movie of the same name, the story is about an actor who has the opportunity to become a success but 9 years earlier, he had killed a woman with whom he was involved and there was an eyewitness to the murder.
An employee of a bank goes missing following his retirement from the bank. Veteran detective Yobuno (Koji Yakusho), who is set to retire himself, is charged with the investigating the missing person case. Det. Yobuno quickly finds more mysterious as he delves into the case, but a woman named Keiko Fukumura (Eri Fukatsu) surfaces who may hold the key to case.
One week after their marriage, Kenichi Ubara (Hidetoshi Nishijima) bids farewell to his wife Sadako Ubara (Ryoko Hirosue) prior to departing for Kanazawa on a business trip. The couple met on a blind date through a matchmaker before marrying. Kenichi promises to return to shortly, but never returns. Sadako then travels to Kanazawa to uncover his whereabouts. There she meets two women. Sachiko Murota (Miki Nakatani), whose husband owns Murotanae Yeolgiwa Company. The Murotanae Company once contracted Kenichi for work. Sachiko is currently working on helping a woman become the first female mayor. Sadako also meets Hisako Tanuma (Tae Kimura), a woman who works as a receptionist for the Murotanae Company. Hisako comes from a poor background and lacks education. Yet, she got the job through the owner of the company.
A ryokan maid is on trial for pushing a familiar guest off a cliff to his death. An eager attorney offers to take the case to gain notoriety.
The sudden death of a journalist stirs up young editor Noriko's curiosity. While investigating the case, Noriko uncovers the dark secrets hidden behind the journalist's death and its relationship to a popular female novelist.
Animal Trail, a natural path made by traffic of wild animals, can sometimes be helpful for people who are totally lost in the wilderness. One day, a woman who is exhausted with her hopeless life unexpectedly meets a gentleman by chance. Out of genuine hope to escape from her misery, she allows her destiny to blindly follow the mysterious instruction given by this stranger. Would this "Animal Trail" ultimately lead her to happiness, or would it lead her to disaster? The life of Tamiko (Yonekura) was miserable, as she had to give up her dream to become a jewelry designer and work for a Japanese style hotel "Hosenkaku" simply to support her physically handicapped husband. One day, Tamiko was approached by a mysterious gentleman Kotaki (Sato) who offers her a unique proposal, "would you be interested in riding a vehicle without a destination?" His words shook Tamiko's desperate soul wanting for a drastic change in her life. In order to free herself from the depressing reality, she cleverly kills her husband by setting her house on fire. Then, through Kotaki's introduction, she becomes acquainted with Kito, a political fixer, and decides to become Kito's mistress. Although she notices that her decision may not be right, she decides to follow her instincts and go for the "animal trail"….
Fukue Yumiko is a struggling actress who isn't afraid to lie, cheat, or exploit her own sexuality if it means her own success. But as she becomes a big star, one TV reporter decides that it's time someone uncovered her dark past and reveal just how far she was prepared to go for her own fame.
Ginza is a night town filled with ambition and burning desire… How does a plain bank clerk embezzle an enormous amount of money and jump into the underground world? What is her ultimate goal? Her greatest weapon is a black leather-bound notebook.
A fifteen year old boy travels through the Amagi Pass, he encounters some strange people, one of them is the geisha Ozuka Hana. After a murder takes place, the police searchs for the culprit.
A tremor struck the Information Industry Bureau of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The prosecution arrested a local contractor on suspicion of bribery, and then the brunt was directed to the Information Industry Bureau. The interviewee was Akihiko Kurahashi (Shinobu Tsuruta), the leader of the non-carrier group. Previously, Kiichiro Yamada (Ken Ogata), a clerk who lived next door in the government building, couldn't help but sympathize with Kurahashi, who had succeeded in his career.
A valet at a fancy nightclub hatches a plot to punish those responsible for his father's death.
Japan in the 1940s. A high school boy went into a magic encounter with Ozuka Hana, a geisha (pub-girl) when he traveled through Amagi Pass. A mysterious murder took place afterwards, an Ozuka was held responsible. 40 years later, the boy, who became a printing shop owner, was visited by a retired policeman who came from Amagi Pass. The truth then started to reveal itself.
Set in the Kyushu area of the Edo period. This is a large-length bizarre story that incorporates elements such as mysteries and adventures surrounding hidden gold mines.
A car going at 25 mph plunges into the sea at Shinko Harbour, Toyama prefecture. Inside is the local business magnate Fukutaro Shirakawa, who perishes. Riding alongside him and surviving unhurt is his second wife, Kumako. It soon comes to light that Kumako’s husband was insured for 300 million yen and she is arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband for the insurance money. The newspapers denounce her as an evil woman, while the public is in no doubt about Kumako’s crime. Ritsuko Sahara is chosen as her defence attorney but the pair clash over almost everything...
Based on novel 1962 "Kyukei no Koya" by Seicho Matsumoto. A serial murder occurs around the heroine Kumiko because she finds evidence that her father, who should have died, was "alive." Set in 1945, near the end of WW II, Kenichiro Nogami is reported to have died in a Swiss hospital. In fact, he is working behind the scenes to save Japan from destruction. For this cause, Kenichiro Nogami has left behind his wife and nation to work in hiding.
Masao is falsely accused and jailed for the murder of a loanshark to whom he owed a lot of money. His sister Kiriko makes the long trip to Tokyo, specifically to accost Otsuka, Japan's top criminal defence lawyer, and plead with him to take her brother's case. They live in Kitakyushu which, though a city, she contends that the local lawyers are not up to the job. Otsuka contemptuously brushes her off. A year passes. Masao has suicided in jail, his appeal having failed due to the lack of interest and competence of the local defence lawyer. Kiriko returns to Tokyo, planning revenge on Otsuka for refusing the case and causing her brother's death.
Two detectives are tasked to investigate the murderer of an old man, found bludgeoned to death in a rail yard.
A ryokan maid is on trial for pushing a familiar guest off a cliff to his death. An eager attorney offers to take the case to gain notoriety.
It was five years ago when Minako spent a night with Sozo, younger brother of her ex-husband. She now lives in a local town with a rich old man who owns a dry goods store. Minako travels to Tokyo on business every three months, during which time she continues to meet Sozo, who has married the daughter of his respected teacher.
When a married man begins an affair with a woman from his past, he comes to suspect her young son intends to murder him.
Adapted from the Seicho Matsumoto story "Tazutazushi". Ryohei Suzuki, a manager at a travel company, is married to his superior's daughter, but tires of their authority over his life. A chance encounter with Yukiko Hirai one rainy night brings a new romance into Ryohei's life, and he and Yukiko fall deeply in love. Yukiko, however, reveals that she has a violent husband in prison - with only a week left until his release. Ryohei, desperate to maintain his social standing, brings Yukiko to the mountains in Nagano and sets in motion an unthinkable, tragic chain of events.
When her only relative, her elder brother is accused of robbing and murdering an old woman loan-shark, pretty, young Kiriko travels from her home in Kyushu to Tokyo to get Japan's top lawyer to defend her brother. Unfortunately her naive idealism is shattered when the lawyer refuses to take the case based on her insufficient funds. What follows is a long determined revenge plot that sees the heroine become a Tokyo bar hostess and worse to punish the lawyer. The plot thickens with another murder mystery and a sleuthing reporter.
This suspense drama set in the mid 1700's depicts the plan of the Tokugawa rulers to send a number of homeless men to a remote island Sado to perform forced labor. Living conditions on the island are terrible and the men soon become rebellious. Based on a short story by Seichō Matsumoto.
Drama about two college friends, now working for the same banking firm, torn apart by jealousy over their inequitable positions and love lives.
One week into newlywed Teiko Uhara's marriage, her husband, Kenichi, leaves on a short business trip and never returns. Teiko travels across Japan to search for him, and along the way discovers some surprising facts about her husband's past. With only a pair of old photographs among his belongings to go off of, Teiko tries to figure out what has happened to him.
Three bankers, out on holiday, climb the Japanese Alps. One dies under mysterious circumstances, and later it is suggested that perhaps the man was murdered.
Suspense drama about a married salaryman (Kobayashi) whose affair with one of his co-workers (Hara) is compromised when, returning from a clandestine meeting with his lover, he runs into a neighbor who is later accused of murder. Questioned by police about the neighbor, and blackmailed by his lover's neighbor, the salaryman's lies lead him on a path to destruction.
Asako, a former telephone operator once heard the voice of a murder suspect which has continued to haunt her. Years later her husband invites his boss, Hamazaki, over for dinner and she realises his voice is suspiciously like that of the killer. Before she can investigate further, Hamazaki is found dead and her husband becomes the prime suspect…
Based on Matsumoto Seicho's classic mystery novel of the same name, the story centers around a group of detectives who are determined to find the truth behind an apparent double suicide.
When Yutaka Karahashi fails to call his wife Setsuko Kurahashi and then fails to return on schedule from a business trip, Setsuko becomes panic stricken. After several days, Setsuko learns that her husband's dead body was found in Guilin, China along with another woman. The Chinese police rule the deaths a double suicide. Setsuko certain that her husband was not having an affair asks reporter Yoshio Kawabe to investigate her husband's death.
