Top Japan-related non-anime movies
by salvatorelarosa | created - 22 Apr 2019 | updated - 11 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Love Letter (1995)
PG | 117 min | Drama, Romance
When exchanging letters two women discover new things about a man they knew.
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Miho Nakayama, Etsushi Toyokawa, Bunjaku Han, Katsuyuki Shinohara
Votes: 10,988
2. Departures (2008)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama
Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo learns that his orchestra is disbanding. He moves back to his hometown with his wife, where he answers an ad for what Daigo thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Masahiro Motoki, Ryôko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Votes: 54,962 | Gross: $1.50M
3. The Ramen Girl (2008)
PG-13 | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An American woman is stranded in Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Searching for direction in life, she trains to be a râmen chef under a tyrannical Japanese master.
Director: Robert Allan Ackerman | Stars: Brittany Murphy, Toshiyuki Nishida, Tammy Blanchard, Soji Arai
Votes: 11,141
4. Brother (I) (2000)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A Japanese gangster is exiled to Los Angeles where his brother lives with a small but respectable multi-racial gang, who he inspires to expand their influence.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Claude Maki, Omar Epps, Masaya Katô
Votes: 24,382 | Gross: $0.45M
5. High and Low (1963)
Not Rated | 143 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An executive of a Yokohama shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped by mistake and held for ransom.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yutaka Sada, Tatsuya Nakadai, Kyôko Kagawa
Votes: 53,479
6. Tokyo Story (1953)
Not Rated | 136 min | Drama
An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura, Setsuko Hara
Votes: 68,548
7. Tokyo-Ga (1985)
92 min | Documentary
Moved by the work of director Yasujirô Ozu, Wim Wenders travels to Japan in search of the Tokyo seen in Ozu's films.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Werner Herzog, Yûharu Atsuta, Chris Marker
Votes: 3,303
8. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
PG | 81 min | Documentary
A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.
Director: David Gelb | Stars: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu Ono, Masuhiro Yamamoto, Daisuke Nakazama
Votes: 38,001 | Gross: $2.55M
9. Rashomon (1950)
Not Rated | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 180,344 | Gross: $0.10M
10. Ikiru (1952)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama
A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Shin'ichi Himori, Haruo Tanaka
Votes: 87,506 | Gross: $0.06M
11. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 366,674 | Gross: $0.27M
12. Throne of Blood (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 55,917
13. The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Not Rated | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Lured by gold, two greedy peasants unknowingly escort a princess and her general across enemy lines.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Misa Uehara, Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara
Votes: 42,219
14. Yojimbo (1961)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa
Votes: 132,087
15. Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior (1980)
PG | 162 min | Drama, History, War
A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ken'ichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu
Votes: 38,163
16. Ran (1985)
R | 160 min | Action, Drama, War
In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryû
Votes: 136,121 | Gross: $4.14M
17. Dreams (1990)
PG | 119 min | Drama, Fantasy
A collection of tales based upon eight of director Akira Kurosawa's recurring dreams.
Directors: Akira Kurosawa, Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baishô, Toshie Negishi, Mieko Harada
Votes: 29,336 | Gross: $1.96M
18. Pistol Opera (2001)
Not Rated | 112 min | Crime, Action, Drama
The No. 3 assassin of Japan is given the chance to usurp No. 1 and take their place.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Makiko Esumi, Sayoko Yamaguchi, Hanae Kan, Masatoshi Nagase
Votes: 1,518
19. Branded to Kill (1967)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After a botched assignment, a rice-fetishizing hitman finds himself in conflict with his organization, and one mysterious, dangerous fellow-hitman in particular.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Jô Shishido, Mariko Ogawa, Annu Mari, Kôji Nanbara
Votes: 10,208
20. Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)
Not Rated | 67 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A businessman accidentally kills The Metal Fetishist, who gets his revenge by slowly turning the man into a grotesque hybrid of flesh and rusty metal.
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Stars: Tomorô Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shin'ya Tsukamoto
Votes: 25,914
21. A Snake of June (2002)
R | 77 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A woman is being stalked by a stranger. His stalking turns to blackmail when he sends her copies of photos of her in an embarrassing position. Now he controls her and she has to do anything he says. Anything.
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Stars: Asuka Kurosawa, Yûji Kôtari, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Yukino Asai
Votes: 5,277
22. Tokyo Decadence (1992)
NC-17 | 112 min | Drama
A submissive hooker goes about her trade, suffering abuse at the hands of Japanese salarymen and Yakuza types. She's unhappy about her work, and is apparently trying to find some sort of ... See full summary »
Director: Ryû Murakami | Stars: Miho Nikaido, Yayoi Kusama, Sayoko Amano, Tenmei Kano
Votes: 3,586 | Gross: $0.28M
23. Killing (2018)
Not Rated | 80 min | Action, Drama
Set during the tumultuous mid-19th century Edo period of Japan, Killing is the story of a masterless samurai or ronin named Ikematsu Sosuke. As the prevalent peace and tranquility are sure ... See full summary »
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Stars: Sôsuke Ikematsu, Yû Aoi, Ryûsei Maeda, Shûji Ôtsuki
Votes: 1,306
24. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Romance
A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas, Pierre Barbaud
Votes: 35,877 | Gross: $0.09M
25. Lost in Translation (2003)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama
A faded movie star and a neglected young woman form an unlikely bond after crossing paths in Tokyo.
Director: Sofia Coppola | Stars: Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris
Votes: 488,636 | Gross: $44.59M
26. Tokyo Trial (2016)
200 min | Drama, History
A historical drama that focuses on a decade-long investigation into events in the Pacific during and after WWII.
Stars: Tim Ahern, Paul Freeman, Serge Hazanavicius, Marcel Hensema
Votes: 1,974
27. Tokyo! (2008)
Unrated | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A triptych examines the nature of one unforgettable city as it's shaped by the disparate people who live, work (and even run amok) inside one enormous, constantly evolving, densely populated megalopolis, the ravishing and inimitable Tokyo.
Directors: Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, Bong Joon Ho | Stars: Ayako Fujitani, Ryô Kase, Ayumi Ito, Nao Ômori
Votes: 11,866 | Gross: $0.35M
28. Johnny Mnemonic (1995)
R | 96 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A data courier, literally carrying a data package inside his head, must deliver it before he dies from the burden or is killed by the Yakuza.
Director: Robert Longo | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Dolph Lundgren, Dina Meyer, Ice-T
Votes: 76,156 | Gross: $19.08M
29. Fireworks (1997)
103 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Nishi leaves the police in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into depression, he makes questionable decisions.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Ôsugi, Susumu Terajima
Votes: 33,158 | Gross: $0.23M
30. Taboo (1999)
Unrated | 100 min | Drama, History, Thriller
The new member of a samurai militia unit causes disruption as several of his colleagues fall in love with him, threatening to disturb the rigid code of their squad.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Ryûhei Matsuda, Shinji Takeda, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 8,071 | Gross: $0.05M
31. Battle Royale (2000)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama
Votes: 194,378
32. The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi (2003)
R | 116 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Yui Natsukawa, Michiyo Yasuda
Votes: 51,819 | Gross: $0.85M
33. Outrage (2010)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Kippei Shîna, Ryô Kase, Fumiyo Kohinata
Votes: 14,658
34. Ghost in the Shell (2017)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In the near future, Major Mira Killian is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous criminals.
Director: Rupert Sanders | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbæk, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche
Votes: 229,175 | Gross: $40.56M
35. Beyond Outrage (2012)
R | 110 min | Action, Crime, Drama
As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Toshiyuki Nishida, Tomokazu Miura, Takeshi Kitano, Ryô Kase
Votes: 7,314
36. Dolls (2002)
114 min | Drama, Romance
Three stories of never-ending love.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Miho Kanno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Tatsuya Mihashi, Kyôko Fukada
Votes: 17,358 | Gross: $0.00M
37. Ichi the Killer (2001)
R | 129 min | Action, Crime, Drama
As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômori, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun
Votes: 60,031 | Gross: $0.02M
38. Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (2002)
96 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When his beloved boss is killed, a dangerous young gangster cuts a path of vengeance through the Japanese mafia.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Riki Takeuchi, Ryôsuke Miki, Ken'ichi Endô, Mika Katsumura
Votes: 1,711
39. Sonatine (1993)
R | 94 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war then escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura
Votes: 23,276
40. Last Letter (2018)
114 min | Drama, Romance
Attending the reunion in lieu of her late elder sister, Zhihua accidentally runs into Yin Chuan, on whom she had a crush in her youth. As old memories are evoked Zhihua slowly uncovers the intricate story of the trio.
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Xun Zhou, Hao Qin, Jiang Du, Zifeng Zhang
Votes: 775 | Gross: $0.18M
41. April Story (1998)
67 min | Drama, Romance
In spring, a young girl leaves the island of Hokkaido to attend university in Tokyo.
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Takako Matsu, Seiichi Tanabe, Kazuhiko Kato, Kaori Fujii
Votes: 4,079
42. Lady Snowblood (1973)
Not Rated | 97 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.
Director: Toshiya Fujita | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Toshio Kurosawa, Masaaki Daimon, Miyoko Akaza
Votes: 16,290
43. Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972)
Not Rated | 84 min | Action, Adventure
The story of a Ronin (i.e. a masterless samurai) who wanders the countryside of Japan with his small child, having various adventures.
Director: Kenji Misumi | Stars: Tomisaburô Wakayama, Fumio Watanabe, Gô Katô, Tomoko Mayama
Votes: 8,867
44. Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama, Thriller
To avoid a death sentence for her prior acts of bloodshed, the vengeful swordswoman Lady Snowblood is conscripted by the Japanese Secret Police to assassinate political dissidents.
Director: Toshiya Fujita | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Jûzô Itami, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Yoshio Harada
Votes: 4,211
45. Harakiri (1962)
Not Rated | 133 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
When a ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Ishihama, Shima Iwashita, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 68,590
46. Tampopo (1985)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy
A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.
Director: Jûzô Itami | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Koji Yakusho
Votes: 22,540 | Gross: $0.22M
47. Godzilla (2014)
PG-13 | 123 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
The world is beset by the appearance of monstrous creatures, but one of them may be the only one who can save humanity.
Director: Gareth Edwards | Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 443,016 | Gross: $200.68M
48. Her Love Boils Bathwater (2016)
125 min | Drama
A strict, but caring mother has an awakening when she is told she has cancer and it is terminal. She has a few months. She needs to complete her tasks in that short time frame.
Director: Ryôta Nakano | Stars: Rie Miyazawa, Hana Sugisaki, Aoi Itô, Yukiko Shinohara
Votes: 2,469
49. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
PG-13 | 132 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The crypto-zoological agency Monarch faces off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah.
Director: Michael Dougherty | Stars: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 206,793 | Gross: $110.50M
50. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
R | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Kazunari Ninomiya, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Ryô Kase
Votes: 170,948 | Gross: $13.76M
51. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
G | 144 min | Action, Drama, History
The story of the 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, and the series of preceding American blunders that aggravated its effectiveness.
Directors: Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku, Toshio Masuda, Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Martin Balsam, Sô Yamamura, Jason Robards, Joseph Cotten
Votes: 37,200 | Gross: $29.55M
52. Memories of Tomorrow (2006)
122 min | Drama
A successful businessman's family life is shattered by an early onset of Alzheimer's.
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Kanako Higuchi, Kenji Sakaguchi, Kazue Fukiishi
Votes: 921 | Gross: $0.14M
53. Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
PG-13 | 145 min | Drama, Romance
The heartwarming tale of Nitta Sayuri, a young Japanese woman who transcended from her fishing-village roots and became one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.
Director: Rob Marshall | Stars: Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Suzuka Ohgo
Votes: 160,698 | Gross: $57.49M
54. The Last Samurai (2003)
R | 154 min | Action, Drama
Nathan Algren, a US army veteran, is hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in the modern warfare techniques. Nathan finds himself trapped in a struggle between two eras and two worlds.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Tom Cruise, Ken Watanabe, Billy Connolly, William Atherton
Votes: 470,864 | Gross: $111.11M
55. Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
A Japanese-American fisherman is accused of killing his neighbor at sea. In the 1950s, race figures into the trial. So does reporter Ishmael.
Director: Scott Hicks | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Max von Sydow, Yûki Kudô, Reeve Carney
Votes: 14,631 | Gross: $14.38M
56. Death of a Tea Master (1989)
107 min | Biography, Drama, History
Years after the death of legendary tea master Rikyu, his disciple Honkakubo attempts to resolve the mystery of the master's death.
Director: Kei Kumai | Stars: Eiji Okuda, Toshirô Mifune, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Gô Katô
Votes: 379
57. Battle of the Japan Sea (1969)
G | 128 min | Drama, History, War
Japan and Russia clash in what comes to be known as the Russo-Japanese War. An attempt by the Japanese fleet and army to take Port Arthur fails, and a Russian fleet bears down on the Sea of Japan.
Director: Seiji Maruyama | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yûzô Kayama, Chishû Ryû
Votes: 277
58. 13 Assassins (2010)
R | 141 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A group of assassins come together for a suicide mission to kill an evil lord.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya, Ikki Sawamura
Votes: 68,583 | Gross: $0.80M
59. Assassination (2015)
Not Rated | 140 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
While Korea is occupied by the Japanese Army in 1933, the resistance plans to kill the Japanese Commander. But their plan is threatened by a traitor within their group and also the enemies' forces are hunting them down.
Director: Dong-hoon Choi | Stars: Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Jung-jae, Ha Jung-woo, Oh Dal-su
Votes: 7,932 | Gross: $1.90M
60. Black Rain (1989)
R | 125 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Two NYC cops arrest a Yakuza member and must escort him when he's extradited to Japan.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Michael Douglas, Andy Garcia, Ken Takakura, Kate Capshaw
Votes: 59,676 | Gross: $46.21M
61. Begging for Love (1998)
135 min | Drama
A woman with an abusive childhood travels back to taiwan from japan with her daughter in order to find her father's missing ashes, confronting her past along the way, discovering many secrets that were hidden from her throughout her life.
Director: Hideyuki Hirayama | Stars: Mieko Harada, Maho Nonami, Fumiyo Kohinata, Mami Kumagai
Votes: 157
62. Red Beard (1965)
Not Rated | 185 min | Drama
In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yûzô Kayama, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Reiko Dan
Votes: 21,089
63. Bijitâ Q (2001)
R | 84 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
A troubled and perverted family find their lives intruded by a mysterious stranger who seems to help find a balance in their disturbing natures.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Ken'ichi Endô, Shungiku Uchida, Kazushi Watanabe, Jun Mutô
Votes: 17,050
64. Suicide Club (2001)
R | 99 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A detective is trying to find the cause of a string of suicides.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Mai Hosho, Tamao Satô
Votes: 22,208
65. Guilty of Romance (2011)
144 min | Drama, Horror, Romance
A grisly murder occurs in Maruyama-cho, Shibuya, Tokyo - a love hotel district - a woman was found dead in a derelict apartment. Kazuko (Miki Mizuno) is a police officer called to ... See full summary »
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Miki Mizuno, Makoto Togashi, Megumi Kagurazaka, Kazuya Kojima
Votes: 5,835
66. Cold Fish (2010)
Not Rated | 146 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
The lives of a bored suburban couple are changed forever when a seemingly nice old man gives their daughter a job at his fish store, and soon his gruesome hobbies are brought to light.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Denden, Asuka Kurosawa, Megumi Kagurazaka
Votes: 14,513
67. The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)
R | 113 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A family moves to the country to run a rustic mountain inn when, to their horror, the customers begin befalling sudden and unlikely fates.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Shinji Takeda, Naomi Nishida
Votes: 10,089
68. Gozu (2003)
R | 129 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A yakuza enforcer is ordered to secretly drive his beloved colleague to be assassinated. But when the colleague unceremoniously disappears en route, the trip that follows is a twisted, surreal and horrifying experience.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Yûta Sone, Kimika Yoshino, Shohei Hino, Keiko Tomita
Votes: 12,730 | Gross: $0.05M
69. Nobody Knows (2004)
PG-13 | 141 min | Drama
In a small Tokyo apartment, twelve-year-old Akira must care for his younger siblings after their mother leaves them and shows no sign of returning.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Yûya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu
Votes: 31,587 | Gross: $0.68M
70. The Stranger Within a Woman (1966)
102 min | Crime, Drama
Two friends meet in a bar. Later that night, one friend's flirtatious wife is reportedly in an accident. The other friend doesn't feel well. What's come over him?
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Keiju Kobayashi, Michiyo Aratama, Mitsuko Kusabue, Tatsuya Mihashi
Votes: 457
71. Three Outlaw Samurai (1964)
Not Rated | 94 min | Action, Drama
When poor peasants kidnap a magistrate's daughter to coerce him into reducing their unfair taxes, a wandering ronin decides to give them some help.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Isamu Nagato, Mikijirô Hira, Miyuki Kuwano
Votes: 3,991
72. Rising Sun (1993)
R | 129 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When an escort girl is found dead in the offices of a Japanese company in Los Angeles, detectives Web Smith and John Connor act as liaison between the company's executives and the investigating cop Tom Graham.
Director: Philip Kaufman | Stars: Sean Connery, Wesley Snipes, Harvey Keitel, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa
Votes: 48,256 | Gross: $63.10M
73. Tsugaru jongarabushi (1973)
103 min | Drama
The newcomers to a fishing village are a man who is escaping the gangsters after him and his girlfriend who is returning to her hometown. This may be as safe a place as any to lie low. ... See full summary »
Director: Kôichi Saitô | Stars: Kyôko Enami, Akira Oda, Mihoko Nakagawa, Kô Nishimura
Votes: 116
74. Scattered Clouds (1967)
108 min | Drama, Romance
A man falls in love with the widow of a man he killed in a car accident. Eventually she falls in love with him in return.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Yûzô Kayama, Yôko Tsukasa, Mitsuko Kusabue, Mitsuko Mori
Votes: 1,339
75. Mandei (2000)
100 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A simple funeral turns a man's world topsy turvy.
Director: Sabu | Stars: Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Ren Ôsugi, Masanobu Andô
Votes: 2,411
76. Mr. Long (2017)
129 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Professional hitman Long takes on an assignment in Japan. When things go awry, he has to flee. Badly injured, he takes refuge in a deserted part of a small town.
Director: Sabu | Stars: Chang Chen, Shô Aoyagi, Yi Ti Yao, Run-yin Bai
Votes: 1,706
77. Posutoman burûsu (1997)
110 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A postman is mistaken for a dangerous criminal by the police.
Director: Sabu | Stars: Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Keisuke Horibe, Ren Ôsugi, Kyôko Tôyama
Votes: 1,889
78. Yumeji (1991)
Not Rated | 128 min | Drama
Painter and poet Yumeji Takehisa (1884-1934) gets involved with a beautiful widow, becoming a rival of her dead husband's ghost and the jealous lover who murdered him.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Kenji Sawada, Tomoko Mariya, Masumi Miyazaki, Tamasaburô Bandô
Votes: 742
79. A Distant Cry from Spring (1980)
95 min | Drama
A mysterious stranger appears at door of a farmhouse on a stormy night and asks for shelter.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Ken Takakura, Chieko Baishô, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Tetsuya Takeda
Votes: 681
80. Hana and Alice (2004)
135 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When two best friends develop a crush on the same boy, they develop a plan to trick him into dating them.
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Anne Suzuki, Yû Aoi, Tomohiro Kaku, Sei Hiraizumi
Votes: 4,909
81. Double Suicide (1969)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama
A doomed love between a paper merchant and a courtesan.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Kichiemon Nakamura, Shima Iwashita, Shizue Kawarazaki, Tokie Hidari
Votes: 2,602
82. Shen nu (1934)
TV-PG | 85 min | Drama
Street walker by night, devoted mother by day, a woman fights to get her young son an education amid criminal and social injustice in China.
Director: Yonggang Wu | Stars: Lingyu Ruan, Tian Jian, Zhizhi Zhang, Keng Li
Votes: 2,471
83. Tokyo Twilight (1957)
Not Rated | 140 min | Drama
Two sisters find out the existence of their long-lost mother, but the younger cannot take the truth of being abandoned as a child.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Setsuko Hara, Ineko Arima, Chishû Ryû, Isuzu Yamada
Votes: 4,927
84. Ugetsu (1953)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Fantasy, War
A tale of ambition, family, love, and war set in the midst of the Japanese Civil Wars of the sixteenth century.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Masayuki Mori, Machiko Kyô, Kinuyo Tanaka, Mitsuko Mito
Votes: 25,804 | Gross: $0.01M
85. I Like (2005)
104 min | Drama, Romance
A high school student named Yu has a crush on one of her classmates, Yosuke. The boy spends most of his time sitting outside and playing his guitar, and Yu sits nearby and listens. One day,... See full summary »
Director: Hiroshi Ishikawa | Stars: Aoi Miyazaki, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Hiromi Nagasaku, Eita Nagayama
Votes: 1,207
86. The Woman of Rumour (1954)
83 min | Drama, Romance
Hatsuko Umabuchi is a widow who runs a prosperous geisha house in present-day Kyoto. Her daughter Yukiko returns from Tokyo following a failed suicide attempt, after her lover found out ... See full summary »
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Tomoemon Otani, Yoshiko Kuga, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 1,405
87. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama
In medieval Japan, a compassionate governor is sent into exile. His wife and children try to join him, but are separated, and the children grow up amid suffering and oppression.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Hanayagi, Kyôko Kagawa, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 18,223
88. Brutal Tales of Chivalry (1965)
96 min | Action, Crime
After World War II, their town was a pile of rubble. Gennosuke, the second generation boss of the Kamizu Group was upholding yakuza chivalry by keeping black-market and illegal items out of... See full summary »
Director: Kiyoshi Saeki | Stars: Ken Takakura, Ryô Ikebe, Yoshiko Mita, Shinjirô Ebara
Votes: 231
89. Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003)
82 min | Drama, Comedy
On a dark, wet night a historic and regal Chinese cinema sees its final film. Together with a small handful of souls they bid "Goodbye, Dragon Inn".
Director: Tsai Ming-liang | Stars: Kang-sheng Lee, Shiang-chyi Chen, Kiyonobu Mitamura, Chun Shih
Votes: 6,167 | Gross: $0.03M
90. An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
Not Rated | 113 min | Drama
An aging widower arranges a marriage for his only daughter.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada
Votes: 10,680
91. Himiko (1974)
100 min | Drama, Fantasy, History
A freestyle, imagined telling of the life of shaman queen Himiko, who falls in love with her half-brother, making her powers weaken thus putting her position to risk.
Director: Masahiro Shinoda | Stars: Shima Iwashita, Masao Kusakari, Rie Yokoyama, Chôichirô Kawarasaki
Votes: 733
92. Air Doll (2009)
Unrated | 125 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
A life-size blow-up doll develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Bae Doona, Arata Iura, Itsuji Itao, Joe Odagiri
Votes: 8,129
93. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
NC-17 | 109 min | Drama, Romance
A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to an obsessive and ultimately destructive sexual relationship.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Tatsuya Fuji, Eiko Matsuda, Aoi Nakajima, Yasuko Matsui
Votes: 22,793
94. Dragon Inn (1992)
88 min | Action, Thriller
During the Ming Dynasty, Tsao Siu-yan, a power-crazed eunuch who rules his desert region of China as if he were the Emperor, ruthlessly thwarts plots against him and sets a trap for one of this enemies at the Dragon Gate Inn.
Directors: Raymond Lee, Siu-Tung Ching, Hark Tsui | Stars: Tony Ka Fai Leung, Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen
Votes: 4,833
95. Kwaidan (1964)
Not Rated | 183 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A collection of four Japanese folk tales with supernatural themes.
Director: Masaki Kobayashi | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Michiyo Aratama, Misako Watanabe, Kenjirô Ishiyama
Votes: 19,976
96. Strange Circus (2005)
Unrated | 108 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
The erotic novelist Taeko is writing a morbid story of a family destroyed by incest, murder and abuse. Her assistant, Yuji, sets on a mission to uncover the reality of this story, but the reality might be too much to bear.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Masumi Miyazaki, Issei Ishida, Rie Kuwana, Seiko Iwaidô
Votes: 6,253
97. Children of Hiroshima (1952)
Not Rated | 97 min | Drama, War
Post war Hiroshima: It's been four years since the last time she visited her hometown. Takako faces the after effects of the A-bomb when she travels around the city to call on old friends.
Director: Kaneto Shindô | Stars: Nobuko Otowa, Osamu Takizawa, Masao Shimizu, Jûkichi Uno
Votes: 1,370
98. Pitfall (1962)
Not Rated | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
A man wanders into a seemingly deserted town with his young son in search of work. But after a bit of bad luck, he joins the town's population of lost souls.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Hisashi Igawa, Sumie Sasaki, Sen Yano, Hideo Kanze
Votes: 4,329
99. Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001)
119 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A down-and-out businessman travels to a seaside town, where he meets a woman with unusual sexual powers.
Director: Shôhei Imamura | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baishô, Mansaku Fuwa
Votes: 2,842 | Gross: $0.06M
100. Profound Desires of the Gods (1968)
Not Rated | 173 min | Drama
An engineer from Tokyo arrives on a drought-ridden tropical island to drill a well to power a nearby sugar mill. He meets the inbred Futori family, hated by the locals for breaking religious customs.
Director: Shôhei Imamura | Stars: Rentarô Mikuni, Chôichirô Kawarasaki, Hideko Okiyama, Kanjûrô Arashi
Votes: 1,946
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