Pray for Death 1985

In Yokohama, Akira Saito, a devoted Yokohama salaryman, supports his American-born wife Aiko Saito and their two sons, Takeshi and Tomoya, and decides to immigrate to the United States to give them a chance at a safer, brighter future. Unknown to them, Akira is a master ninja who has guarded temple secrets for years under his adoptive father and sensei, Koga. In the past, Akira’s brother Shoji—also trained by Koga—sought to steal from the temple, disguising himself to do so, and Akira killed him in combat. That act haunts him, and a visit from Koga urges him to purge the guilt before it destroys him. Koga insists Akira never reveal the temple’s secrets and returns a ninja helmet as a gift, a reminder that the shadows can’t be easily left behind.

In Houston, the Saito family meets Sam Green, the widowed owner of a closed restaurant and apartment they plan to reopen as a family business, “Aiko’s Japanese Restaurant.” After the sale, trouble arrives when corrupt cop Sgt. Trumble and his partner Sgt. Joe Daley raid the cigar store area and discover a stash under floorboards—a large white box supposedly containing the Van Adda necklace. Daley burgles the box and runs off with the necklace, and the next day Newman’s hired enforcer, Limehouse Willie, finds the necklace missing and assumes Sam Green has fled with the jewels. He brutalizes Green, even without finding the necklace, and the Saito family becomes the prime suspect.

Back at home, the Saitos try to settle into their new venture. Tomoya, a karate-adept boy with a red belt, defends his younger brother Takeshi when local bullies threaten him over a bicycle. In the chaos, Willie abducts Tomoya, leaving Takeshi with a broken nose. Willie calls Akira and demands the necklace be brought to Pier 25 in exchange for Tomoya’s life. With no necklace to deliver, Akira investigates and discovers a left-handed man in a grey suit who might be the thief. He confronts Willie and is beaten, but escapes with Tomoya. He then takes the matter to Lt. Anderson and vows to cooperate to bring down the mob. Anderson, informed by Daly that the necklace remains elusive, agrees to help but warns that evidence is needed to shield the Saito family from further harm.

The violence escalates when Newman’s men strike the Saito apartment, chasing Tomoya and Takeshi through the city streets; Akira arrives just in time to fight them off, but both he and Aiko are wounded, and Tomoya slips into a life-supporting hospital bed. With police protection arranged, Akira vows to protect his family and begins to piece together a plan to corner Willie and the mob—but first, Daly and Trumble are killed by Willie as they meet at a restaurant, ensuring the danger is real and immediate.

Seeking vengeance and closure, Akira retreats with his sons to a warehouse, where he performs rituals and forges a new ninja-to blade. In full ninja attire, he prays to Aiko’s spirit before donning the helmet that his father gave him. He launches a night raid on Newman’s mansion, wiping out Newman’s guards and killing Newman himself in a brutal assault. Willie escapes, but the two finally face off in a climactic duel in the warehouse. Akira gains the upper hand and uses a long buzzsaw platform to pin Willie, revealing his identity to him as the fight ceases. As the blade starts to turn, Willie pleads for death, crying out the line, > will pray for death.

In the aftermath, Akira and his sons visit Aiko’s grave. Detective Anderson updates them on the massacre, noting rumors that a ninja carried out the action. Akira denies it, while Takeshi’s quick reply—“the detective has watched too many ninja movies”—takes the moment with a grounded calm. Anderson leaves a final token, a shuriken found at the scene, hinting that the ninja may still be out there, and then the family bows to one another before the credits roll, underscoring a cautious hope that they can reclaim their lives after the storm.