Radiance has released the classic 1976 Japanese film, The Inugami Family, on Blu-ray featuring an incredible-looking 4K transfer and hours of archival and new extras. This much-anticipated release is available to order directly from Radiance or stateside from MVD.
Released in the fifth decade of Kon Ichikawa’s prolific filmmaking career, The Inugami Family is one of the most impressive technical achievements I have discovered this year. What a perfect union of sound and vision this epic mystery is. Remarkably, this complex and rich film is one of just several Ichikawa shot in the mid-seventies. Truly impressive when one steps back and admires the scope of this production especially.
A game-changing production for Japanese cinema and a massive critical and popular hit, The Inugami Family is a 2-and-a-half-hour family drama and Agatha Christie-like mystery. Based on a book from a popular series by Seishi Yokomizo, The Inugami Family is a truly breathtaking work of cinema. Brilliantly shot, scored, edited, and performed, it is easy to see why this film cast such a huge spell upon its release in Japan. Despite its stature in Japan, the film hasn’t been seen much by English-language audiences, making this Radiance release an important one.
Centered on a large family inheritance and a series of murders, the story at the heart of The Inugami Family is the least impressive thing about it. In all honesty, I admit that I all but lost interest in the unfolding narrative about an hour in, choosing instead to enjoy the film on its impressive purely cinematic level. As far as first-time viewings go, The Inugami Family was quite an overwhelming one, as this is a film spilling over with technical riches. It is almost too much at times, and the lengthy run-time only adds to the film’s considerable weight.
Going along with its very epic feel, The Inugami Family’s cast is an especially large ensemble, highlighted by the haunting turn by future Shogun star Seishi Yokomizo. Everyone here delivers very finely nuanced performances but Yokomizo is a real revelation, completely believable and strangely poetic. Super impressive.
Featuring remarkable work by editor Chizuko Osada, cinematographer Kiyoshi Hasegawa and especially composer Yuji Ohno, The Inugami Family is a cinematic powerhouse. If the film ultimately succeeds more as a grand technical achievement rather than an overly compelling narrative, that’s okay. The Inugami Family offers a lot to love, and I loved a lot of this fine film.
Radiance has really loaded up this awesome limited release, which features a large and informative booklet, obi-strip and reversible sleeve. The extensive extras are all very valuable and are as follows:
Newly filmed interview with Aaron Gerow on the film’s impact in Japan (2026, 23 mins)
The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa’s Visual Style – an archival interview with Kon Ichikawa, recently re-edited and produced by Yuuki Mori (44 mins)
Off Shots – The Day of Filming “The Secrets of Kon Ichikawa’s Visual Style” – outtakes from Kon Ichikawa interview, produced by Yuuki Mori (8 mins)
Verification: How The Inugami Family Was Made – archival making-of documentary, featuring interviews with director Kon Ichikawa, star Koji Ishizaka and editor Chizuko Osada (30 mins)
The Birth of Kosuke Kindaichi – archival interview with star Koji Ishizaka (16 mins)
The Path of the 4K Digital Restoration – archival documentary on the 4K restoration process (12 mins)
A big recommendation for both The Inugami Family and this new limited Radiance Blu-ray edition.
-Jeremy Richey, October 2026-
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