I’ve heard that Japanese filmmakers created some westerns in the past [i’m not counting Sukiyaki Western Django since it’s a rather untypical one from what i heard]. It sounds fascinating. Anybody seen any of them? How are they? Where they can be obtained?
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Ok, so now I’m replying to my own post, but I just wanted to share some information I gathered and maybe ask for some feedback.
For what is worth these are the Japanese Westerns I know about:
Daisogen no wataridori (1960)
East Meets West (1995)
Guitar o motta wataridori (1959)
Koya no toseinin (1968)
Mekishiko mushuku (1962)
Nosappu no jô (1961)
Sandanju no otoko (1961)
Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)
The “wataridori” movies are more like combination of western and yakuza movies, but let’s not be too strict with this, Sukiyaki Western Django was far from traditional western as well. There are more movies in this series, but I don’t know if they contain western elements or not.
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Interesting, I’ve never heard about any of these (aside from the Django one)
I once saw Koya no toseinin, but without subtitles, so I didn’t get too much of it. Looked like a cross between western and samurai.
There isn’t much of samurai influences, only that the hero has a samurai sword but he doesn’t use it until the last confrontation. Its a “real western” meaning it’s set in the West and all the actors are caucasian except for the japanese lead and not something like Sukiyaki Western Django where film is set in 19 th century Japan but men are wearing cowboy hats.
Plot starts in the Death Rides a Horse formula, man witnesses the murder of his family, he meets the older mentor and kills the murderers one by one but in the second half it starts to have Shane influences.
I watched version that was in italian but subtitled in english and japanese. unfortunately it was cropped from sides so much that I couldn’t even always read the subs.
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I’m not familiar with Japanese Westerns, but here’s some Chinese movies that have a strong Western influence-
Return of the Chinese Boxer- really fun movie. The guy in my avatar has a special surprise. I don’t want to give it away ;D
Peace Hotel- not one of Chow Yun Fat’s best movies, but it’s decent.
Dragon Blood- this one is pretty bad. The bad guys can’t seem to pull their guns out before getting kicked by the hero.
Trinity Goes East- I’ve never seen any of the Trinity movies but Videoasia says that this is “the last and best incarnation of the Trinity franchise”. Somehow I doubt that. It’s a really stupid movie, but it’s fun if you are a fan of both SW and kung fu.
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This is what I could find over the years. I think there is probably a lot more.
I have not mentioned any samurai material that features occasional Western garb and gunslingers because there is too much out there. The best examples are:
Bounty Hunter films / TV series**
Ronin in Lawless Town TV series**
Yojimbo in the Wilderness TV series**
All these above series feature gunslingers who use said weapon exclusively.
Period Japanese Westerns
Nosappu no jô ノサップの銃 1961
- Roughly translated as Nosap’s Gun
- Working title roughly translates to Seven Challengers
Crimson Plains 赤い荒野 ( Akai Koya ) 1961 or ’62 depending on source
Man in the Great Plains 早射ち無頼 大平原の男 1961
Mekishiko mushuku メキシコ無宿 1962
– roughly translated as No Hotel in Mexico
Drifting Avenger 荒野の渡世人 ( Koya no toseinin )1968 – available subbed
East Meets West 1995 – available subbed
Modern Japanese “Westerns”
Wataridori “Rambler” series ( 9 films from 1959 – 1962 ) - a few available subbed
-First film is ギターを持った渡り鳥
Ryuji the Gun Slinger 拳銃無頼帖 抜き射ちの竜 1960
Gun Like Lightning 拳銃無頼帖 電光石火の男 1960
Man with a Shotgun ( Sandanju no otoko) 散弾銃(ショットガン)の男 1961
*Alternate translation is Man with Hollow Tip Bullets
Target Men ターゲットメン (1971 – 1972) TV episodes written by Tamura Eimi
- The 4th episode features Western garbed killers in an abandoned Western set town with planes flying overhead
*Another episode (Battle on the Plains) features a pistol duel on horseback and a later quickdraw duel ending in the hero dropping down to fire between the legs of a passing horse
Yakuza Wolf 狼やくざ 殺しは俺がやる 1972 – strong Spaghetti elements in this one – available subbed
Unknown title from 1974 – this VHS release has a Bond like hero facing down a sniper who prefers full Western garb and honor dueling
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I could not edit the above post so I am replying below with an updated list:
I have not mentioned any samurai material that features occasional Western garb and gunslingers because there is too much out there. The best examples are:
Bounty Hunter films / TV series
Ronin in Lawless Town TV series
Yojimbo in the Wilderness TV series
All these series feature gunslingers who use said weapon exclusively.
Some notable films are Law in Ghost Island, Swordsman in Golden Valley, Duel at Fort Ezo and Yagyu Chronicles 3: Valley of Outlaws.
Period Japanese Westerns
My Hometown is Western 俺の故郷は大西部（ウエスタン）1960
The Covered Wagon Goes 幌馬車は行く（1960年） - set in unknown period
Nosappu no jô ノサップの銃 1961
Roughly translated as Nosap’s Gun
Working title roughly translates to Seven Challengers
Early Shooter 早射ち野郎 1961
Crimson Plains 赤い荒野 ( Akai Koya ) 1961 or ’62 depending on source – villain is claimed by Japanese blogger to clearly be Robert Vaughn in Magnificent Seven although he is a more generic trope than that
Man in the Great Plains 早射ち無頼 大平原の男 1961
Highland Child 高原児 １９６１ - plot revolves around gun similar to Rifleman prop
Mekishiko mushuku メキシコ無宿 1962
– roughly translated as No Hotel in Mexico
Duel in the Red Valley 赤い谷間の決闘 １９６５ – set in Hokkaido with Western style plot
Drifting Avenger 荒野の渡世人 ( Koya no toseinin )1968 – available subbed
Brave Red Flower of the North 日本女侠伝 真赤な度胸花 1970
East Meets West 1995 – available subbed
Modern Japanese “Westerns”
I Go to Hell 俺は地獄へ行く 1961
Wandering さすらい 1962
Wataridori “Rambler” series ( 9 films from 1959 – 1962 ) - a few available subbed
-First film is ギターを持った渡り鳥
Ryuji the Gun Slinger 拳銃無頼帖 抜き射ちの竜 1960
Gun Like Lightning 拳銃無頼帖 電光石火の男 1960
Revolver Flock 拳銃無頼帖 流れ者の群れ 1965
Man with a Shotgun ( Sandanju no otoko) 散弾銃(ショットガン)の男 1961
Alternate translation is Man with Hollow Tip Bullets
Set in unknown period in Shinano Province with Western style plot
Target Men ターゲットメン (1971 – 1972) TV episodes written by Tamura Eimi
The 4th episode features Western garbed killers in an abandoned Western set town with planes flying overhead
Another episode (Battle on the Plains) features a pistol duel on horseback and a later quickdraw duel ending in the hero dropping down to fire between the legs of a passing horse
Key Hunter Episode 234
Saru no Gundan / Time of the Apes – episode 12
Yakuza Wolf 狼やくざ 殺しは俺がやる 1972 – strong Spaghetti elements in this one – available subbed
Unknown title from 1974 – this VHS release has a Bond like hero facing down a sniper who prefers full Western garb and honor dueling
Abashiri Prison series 5 and 7 have strong Western themes
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If anyone was thinking about grabbing Radiance’s Bounty Hunter trilogy set, the second film titled The Fort of Death is very spaghetti like!
It involves a bounty hunter being hired to defend a village, lots of the actions is done with revolvers and the main character has a gatling gun! It even had a very Spaghetti-inspired Italian poster which is also included as a lobby card.
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And, it’s a pretty damn good movie as well!
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While I didn’t think the Bounty Hunter films are on par with the Zatoichi movies, of the three I also enjoyed The Fort of Death the most.
Yojimbo.
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Actually, most of Kurosawa’s Samurai films are Westerns in some way.