The Japanese Godfather Trilogy: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1977 (The Japanese Godfather), Japan, 1978 (The Japanese Godfather: Ambition, The Japanese Godfather: Conclusion)
Director: Sadao Nakajima (All Films)
Cast: Shin Saburi, Kôji Tsuruta, Hiroki Matsukata, Kô Nishimura, Etsushi Takahashi, Bunta Sugawara, Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Asao Koike, Mikio Narita, Toshirô Mifune, 

Release Date: February 23rd, 2026 (UK), February 24th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 132 Minutes 11 Seconds (The Japanese Godfather), 140 Minutes 42 Seconds (The Japanese Godfather: Ambition), 129 Minutes 16 Seconds (The Japanese Godfather: Conclusion)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £39.99 (UK), $99.95 (USA)

"At the dawn of the 1970s, Japan is becoming an economic superpower and the Nakajima crime syndicate extends its grasp across the nation. Politicians and corporations seek the gang’s favor to form strategic and highly prosperous partnerships, but its leaders disagree about whether to leave the old ways behind for the sake of money and respectability." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (All Films)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The Japanese Godfather Trilogy was transferred in high definition by Toei Company, Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as high-definition digital files."

The Japanese Godfather comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 35.4 GB

The Japanese Godfather: Ambition comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.4 GB

Feature: 37.7 GB

The Japanese Godfather: Conclusion comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.7 GB

Feature: 35 GB

All of the sources are free of any debris or source imperfections. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity is strong, compression is solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. That said, while back levels generally look strong, there are moments where they are not as convincing.

Audio: 4/5 (All Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable subtitles. All tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras are spread over three discs. Extras include two theatrical trailers for The Japanese Godfather (5 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), three theatrical trailers for The Japanese Godfather: Ambition (6 minutes 30 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), two theatrical trailers for The Japanese Godfather: Conclusion (6 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Sadao Nakajima (33 minutes 12 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (16 minutes 9 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), and an interview with scriptwriter Koji Takada (28 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 40-page booklet (limited to 2000 copies) with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled The Toei Studio and the Yamaguchi-Gumi written by Akihiko Ito, an essay titled Familiar Faces written by Tom Mes, archival writing by cinematographer Toshio Masuda titled Notes on Filming Japanese Godfather, and information about the transfers.

Summary:

Sadao Nakajima directed The Japanese Godfather Trilogy. He’s known for Memoir of Japanese Assassinations, Hot Springs Konjac Geisha, The Kyoto Connection, Tokyo-Seoul-Bangkok, Jeans Blues: No Future, The Rapacious Jailbreaker, and The Great Okinawa Yakuza War.

Toei led the yakuza film industry in the 1970s, and although the Japanese Godfather trilogy shares many similarities with their other yakuza films, it distinguishes itself from its contemporaries. The most notable difference between the Japanese Godfather trilogy and other Toei yakuza films comes down to tone. Where Toei’s yakuza films, especially those by Kinji Fukasaku, are characterized by a kinetic energy, the Japanese Godfather trilogy adopts a more restrained tone that aligns more closely with Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather films.

Each Japanese Godfather film has a sprawling narrative that’s filled with numerous characters whose stories receive significant screen time. While some of the most memorable characters are secondary, like Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba’s Sakoda (he’s only in the first film), it is ultimately Sakura and Oishi whose stories drive the narratives. Both of these characters are vying to become the next Don, and what ensues is a power struggle where each of these men's underlings makes moves to better position their boss.

While this trilogy features violent outbursts, the first film stands out as the most violent of them all. The second film has the least amount of violence, while the third film’s final act dives into the violent side of these characters. All of these films are heavily reliant on dialogue, and there is considerable posturing throughout. Despite their lack of kinetic energy and minimal use of violence, these films remain consistently enthralling. Ultimately, the Japanese Godfather trilogy consists of three well-crafted yakuza films that represent a high point in Toei’s 1970s Yakuza cinema.

The Japanese Godfather Trilogy gets a first-rate release from Radiance Films that gives each film a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer