Kihachi Okamoto (岡本 喜八 Okamoto Kihachi) was a Japanese film director who worked in several different genres, most memorably in action genres such as jidaigeki and war films.
Biography from TMDB.
- February 17, 1924
- February 19, 2005 (aged 81)
- Yonago, Tottori, Japan
- Director and writer
- 12 on MovieCove · 60 credits in all
What are Kihachi Okamoto's films like?
Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 0 · Earnest 7
Light 1 · Serious 3 · Dark 4
Grounded 2 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3
Gentle 0 · Charged 3 · Intense 5
Steady 4 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1
Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1
Casual 0 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3
Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy1
- Bittersweet3
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Kihachi Okamoto's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 6 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (4).
Subscription and free streaming for Kihachi Okamoto's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
60 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.
Shin Godzilla(2016)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Vengeance for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Boy's Choir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Black Jack: The Movie(1996)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
East Meets West(1995)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Coo of the Far Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Rainbow Kids (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)
Taikoki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Jazz Daimyo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)
Kidnapping Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
At This Late Date, the Charleston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Kinagashi Bugyō (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Magistrate of the Floating World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
The Last Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)
Blood Type: Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Dynamite Don-Don (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Ghost Train (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
Sugata Sanshiro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
The Love and Adventures of Kuroki Taro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
I'm No Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
Battle Cry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Aoba shigereru (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)
The Three Musketeers of Japan: The Tale of Hakata Obi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)
The Three Musketeers of Japan: Adieu, Tokyo! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Battle of Okinawa(1971)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo(1970)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Red Lion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Human Bullet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
Kill!(1968)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Japan's Longest Day(1967)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Age of Assassins (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
The Sword of Doom(1966)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Ironfinger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Fort Graveyard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Samurai Assassin(1965)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Oh, Bomb! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
The Elegant Life of Mr. Everyman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Warring Clans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Anything For Success (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Operation Sewer Rats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)
Procurer of Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Big Shots Die at Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Blueprint of Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Westward Desperado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
University Bandits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
The Last Gunfight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Desperado Outpost (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Someday I'll Know (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
The Big Boss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Bright Young Maidens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
All About Marriage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Assistant President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Faraway Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Downtown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Half Human(1958)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
The Maiden Courtesan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Beast Man Snow Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Mother and Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
Floating Clouds(1955)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Blue Pearl(1951)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Career shape
A full career of 59 titles from 1951 to 2016.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Kihachi Okamoto's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 81st percentile, the median of all 12; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 84th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up8
- 50th to 74th2
- 25th to 49th1
- Below 25th1
Shape of the crowd
6 of their 12 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Universally Panned1
- Crowd Pleaser6
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 46/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Kihachi Okamoto work with?
People who share at least 2 of Kihachi Okamoto's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Masaru Satō shares the most, 6.
Writers
- Shinobu HashimotoShared titles: Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 3 shared titles with Shinobu Hashimoto
Actors
- Tatsuya NakadaiShared titles: East Meets West (1995), Battle of Okinawa (1971), Kill! (1968), The Sword of Doom (1966)See all 4 shared titles with Tatsuya Nakadai
- Toshirō MifuneShared titles: Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (1970), Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 4 shared titles with Toshirō Mifune
- Tadao NakamaruShared titles: Kill! (1968), Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 4 shared titles with Tadao Nakamaru
- Etsushi TakahashiShared titles: East Meets West (1995), Kill! (1968), Japan's Longest Day (1967)See all 3 shared titles with Etsushi Takahashi
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Masaru SatōShared titles: East Meets West (1995), Battle of Okinawa (1971), Kill! (1968), Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 6 shared titles with Masaru Satō
- Yoshitami KuroiwaShared titles: Battle of Okinawa (1971), Kill! (1968), Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 5 shared titles with Yoshitami Kuroiwa
- Hiroshi MuraiShared titles: Battle of Okinawa (1971), Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 4 shared titles with Hiroshi Murai
Producers
- Sanezumi FujimotoShared titles: Battle of Okinawa (1971), Japan's Longest Day (1967), The Sword of Doom (1966)See all 3 shared titles with Sanezumi Fujimoto
- Tomoyuki TanakaShared titles: Kill! (1968), Japan's Longest Day (1967), Samurai Assassin (1965)See all 3 shared titles with Tomoyuki Tanaka
- Kazuyoshi OkuyamaShared titles: Black Jack: The Movie (1996), East Meets West (1995)See all 2 shared titles with Kazuyoshi Okuyama
