JAPANESE FILM CANON #jpnfilm
by shiina_ringo_johansson | created - 19 Oct 2013 | updated - 26 May 2022 | PublicAN JAPANESE FILMS over 500 list is films with beauty, aesthetics & amusing story of japan .. curated by shinobi yoshimi as a hobby: see also #JPNESTHETIC in need, #JPNWINSOURHEARTS in deed bit.ly/2zVjrnB __ #SPARKLEPLASTICLOVE 私は日本大好き
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1. Love Strikes! (2011)
118 min | Comedy, Romance
31 years old, broke, single and lonely Yukio encounters four beautiful women suddenly appearing in his life. Will he be able to escape his "Moteki" status?
Director: Hitoshi Ône | Stars: Mirai Moriyama, Masami Nagasawa, Kumiko Asô, Riisa Naka
Votes: 1,192
2. School Girl's Gestation (2014)
60 min | Drama
Yukie, Takako, Mako and others live in a rural fishing village. They are typically boisterous, but regular schoolgirls. Since the village is not doing well and the living conditions are ... See full summary »
Director: Atsushi Ueda | Stars: Karin Aiba, Kanji Furutachi, Asuka Hinoi, Natsumi Ishizaki
Votes: 22
3. Parks (2017)
118 min | Drama, Family
University student Jun has a lot of free time on her hands. She encounters Haru who is in high school and looks a woman she knew in her past. They meet Tokio, who is the grandson of the ... See full summary »
Director: Natsuki Seta | Stars: Ai Hashimoto, Mei Nagano, Shôta Sometani, Shizuka Ishibashi
Votes: 959
4. Boku wa Mari no naka (2017– )
Adventure, Fantasy
There is not something strange when a young man falls for a schoolgirl whom he always sees at a book store at the same time every day. He always waits for her. She brightens his day. One ... See full summary »
Stars: Elaiza Ikeda, Ryô Yoshizawa, Yurika Nakamura, Naomi Nishida
Votes: 93
5. Antiporno (2016)
Not Rated | 76 min | Drama, Horror
Japan's oldest major movie studio asks a batch of venerable filmmakers to revive its high-brow soft-core Roman Porno series.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Ami Tomite, Mariko Tsutsui, Fujiko, Sayaka Kotani
Votes: 5,015
6. The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl (2017)
PG-13 | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
In this comedy about one epic night in Kyoto, a college sophomore goes on a series of surreal encounters with the local nightlife, all the while unaware of the romantic longings of her classmate Senpai.
Director: Masaaki Yuasa | Stars: Gen Hoshino, Kana Hanazawa, Hiroshi Kamiya, Ryûji Akiyama
Votes: 6,323 | Gross: $0.41M
7. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Not Rated | 89 min | Animation, Drama, War
A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Director: Isao Takahata | Stars: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara
Votes: 310,762
8. Helter Skelter (2012)
Unrated | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Top star Lilico undergoes multiple cosmetic surgeries to her entire body. As her surgeries show side effect.
Director: Mika Ninagawa | Stars: Erika Sawajiri, Nao Ômori, Shinobu Terajima, Gô Ayano
Votes: 3,333
9. After the Storm (2016)
Not Rated | 118 min | Comedy, Drama
After the death of his father, a private detective struggles to find child support money and reconnect with his son and ex-wife.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Satomi Kobayashi, Lily Franky
Votes: 12,768 | Gross: $0.27M
10. A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (2016)
179 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
Nanami is an apathetic, part-time junior high school teacher, whose only solace comes from connecting with others on "Planet".
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Haru Kuroki, Cocco, Gô Ayano, Gô Jibiki
Votes: 2,285
11. Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda (2017)
Not Rated | 100 min | Documentary, Music
A portrait of genius music composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Director: Stephen Nomura Schible | Stars: Yellow Magic Orchestra, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Votes: 1,986 | Gross: $0.12M
12. Soranin (2010)
126 min | Drama
Meiko and Taneda are a couple graduated from university two years ago. Unhappy with their lives, Meiko quits her job and encourages Taneda to have this band become professional. They ... See full summary »
Director: Takahiro Miki | Stars: Takao Handa, Arata Iura, Kenta Kiritani, Yoichi Kondo
Votes: 922
13. Only Yesterday (1991)
PG | 119 min | Animation, Drama, Romance
A twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.
Director: Isao Takahata | Stars: Miki Imai, Toshirô Yanagiba, Yoko Honna, Mayumi Izuka
Votes: 37,279 | Gross: $0.45M
14. In This Corner (and Other Corners) of the World (2016)
PG-13 | 129 min | Animation, Drama, Family
A spirited 18-year-old woman is married off to a man she barely knows as she combats the daily struggles of living in Hiroshima during World War II.
Director: Sunao Katabuchi | Stars: Non, Ava Pickard, Kenna Pickard, Karen Strassman
Votes: 12,460 | Gross: $0.17M
15. Heroic Purgatory (1970)
Not Rated | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy
An engineer's wife returns home with a lost teenager. A man posing as her dad tries to get her back, causing the engineer to recall his youth as a revolutionary, obscured by dreamlike disruptions of time and space, fantasy and reality.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Mariko Okada, Kaizo Kamoda, Kazumi Tsutsui, Naho Kimura
Votes: 836
16. Night's Tightrope (2016)
120 min | Mystery
Based on the novel Shojo by Kanae Minato, watch for the story of high school student Yuki who plans to see a dead body. She is more than just a little jealous of another student who has ... See full summary »
Director: Yukiko Mishima | Stars: Tsubasa Honda, Gorô Inagaki, Shizuka Ishibashi, Mackenyu
Votes: 277
17. The Long Excuse (2016)
124 min | Drama
A recently widowed writer whose wife died in a bus crash comes to terms with his grief, or lack of it, in caring for the children of a working man who also lost his wife in the same accident.
Director: Miwa Nishikawa | Stars: Masahiro Motoki, Pistol Takehara, Eri Fukatsu, Kenshin Fujita
Votes: 1,318
18. A Geisha (1953)
Not Rated | 85 min | Drama
A seasoned geisha and her apprentice maiko are forced to give in to their clients' sexual advances to survive.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Michiyo Kogure, Ayako Wakao, Seizaburô Kawazu, Eitarô Shindô
Votes: 2,369
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: 10,214
20. Love Exposure (2008)
Unrated | 237 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
A bizarre love triangle forms between a young Catholic upskirt photographer, a misandric girl and a manipulative cultist.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Takahiro Nishijima, Hikari Mitsushima, Sakura Andô, Yutaka Shimizu
Votes: 15,921
21. Blind Woman's Curse (1970)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Crime, Horror
The head of a yakuza gang is being trailed by a mysterious, vengeful blind woman.
Director: Teruo Ishii | Stars: Meiko Kaji, Hoki Tokuda, Makoto Satô, Hideo Sunazuka
Votes: 1,636
22. 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: 16,318
23. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
TV-MA | 87 min | Animation, Action, Drama
Concurrent theatrical ending of the TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995).
Directors: Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki | Stars: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Yûko Miyamura, Kotono Mitsuishi
Votes: 64,360
24. Bitter Honey (2016)
105 min | Drama, Fantasy, History
Based on novelist Muro Saisei's 1959 book, Bitter Honey narrates the story of a poet who informed by his physician of his impending death finds renewed flights of fantasy. He is visited by ... See full summary »
Director: Gakuryû Ishii | Stars: Fumi Nikaidô, Ren Ôsugi, Seiko Iwaidô, Hanae Kan
Votes: 198
25. The Affair (1967)
97 min | Drama, Romance
A woman, unhappily married to a cheating executive, starts meeting her dead mother's lover and gets thrown into a romantic dilemma after succumbing to a rough laborer.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Mariko Okada, Yoshie Minami, Tadahiko Sugano, Shigako Shimegi
Votes: 439
26. Floating Weeds (1959)
Not Rated | 119 min | Drama
The head of a Japanese theatre troupe returns to a small coastal town where he left a son who thinks he is his uncle, and tries to make up for the lost time, but his current mistress grows jealous.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Ganjirô Nakamura, Machiko Kyô, Haruko Sugimura, Ayako Wakao
Votes: 8,982
27. Woman of the Lake (1966)
102 min | Drama
A married woman lets her lover take naked pictures of her. The photos end up in possession of a man who starts blackmailing the couple.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Mariko Okada, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, Tamotsu Hayakawa, Keiko Natsu
Votes: 727
28. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
TV-MA | 83 min | Animation, Action, Crime
A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
Directors: Mizuho Nishikubo, Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Ôtsuka, Kôichi Yamadera
Votes: 157,023 | Gross: $0.52M
29. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
TV-PG | 98 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda | Stars: Riisa Naka, Takuya Ishida, Mitsutaka Itakura, Ayami Kakiuchi
Votes: 70,909
30. Maborosi (1995)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A young woman's husband apparently commits suicide without warning or reason, leaving behind his wife and infant.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Makiko Esumi, Takashi Naitô, Tadanobu Asano, Gohki Kashiyama
Votes: 7,332
31. Our Little Sister (2015)
PG | 127 min | Drama, Family
Three sisters who live in their grandmother's home invite their thirteen-year-old half sister, whom they have just met, to join them.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Kaho, Suzu Hirose
Votes: 16,909 | Gross: $0.46M
32. Rent-a-Cat (2012)
110 min | Comedy, Drama
A single woman runs a rent-a-cat service to provide companions for lonely people.
Director: Naoko Ogigami | Stars: Mikako Ichikawa, Reiko Kusamura, Ken Mitsuishi, Maho Yamada
Votes: 2,191
33. Bakuman (2015)
119 min | Comedy
Moritaka Mashiro, a junior high student, forgets his notebook in class. His classmate Akito Takagi, notes Mashiro's drawings in it and asks him to become a manga artist to his stories. ... See full summary »
Director: Hitoshi Ône | Stars: Takeru Satoh, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Nana Komatsu, Hirofumi Arai
Votes: 1,822
34. Eros + Massacre (1969)
Not Rated | 216 min | Biography, Drama
Two interwoven stories. The first is a biography of anarchist Sakae Osugi which follows his relationship with three women in the 1920s. The second centers around two 1960s students researching Osugi's theories.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Mariko Okada, Toshiyuki Hosokawa, Yûko Kusunoki, Kazuko Inano
Votes: 2,322
35. Street of Shame (1956)
Not Rated | 86 min | Drama
The personal tales of various prostitutes who occupy a brothel.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Machiko Kyô, Aiko Mimasu, Ayako Wakao, Michiyo Kogure
Votes: 4,871
36. Fashion Story: Model (2012)
Drama
Depicts the romances and personal frustrations of women who work as fashion models. Hinako thinks deeply about her future, while the film also follows number one model, Miho.
Director: Sayaka Nakamura | Stars: Tsubasa Honda, Seira Kagami, Mayuko Kawakita, Nanami Abe
Votes: 14
37. Your Name. (2016)
PG | 106 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
Two teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.
Director: Makoto Shinkai | Stars: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryo Narita, Aoi Yûki
Votes: 320,844 | Gross: $5.02M
38. Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
TV-14 | 115 min | Animation, Action, Crime
A terrorist explosion releases a deadly virus on the masses, and it's up to the bounty-hunting Bebop crew to catch the cold-blooded culprit.
Directors: Shin'ichirô Watanabe, Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Tensai Okamura, Hiroyuki Okiura, Yoshiyuki Takei | Stars: Beau Billingslea, Melissa Fahn, Nicholas Guest, Kôichi Yamadera
Votes: 53,189 | Gross: $1.00M
39. Akira (1988)
R | 124 min | Animation, Action, Drama
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 205,427 | Gross: $0.55M
40. Akira (1988)
R | 124 min | Animation, Action, Drama
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 205,427 | Gross: $0.55M
41. I Am a Hero (2015)
TV-MA | 126 min | Action, Comedy, Horror
A manga artist assistant is surprised by a zombie apocalypse.
Director: Shinsuke Sato | Stars: Yô Ôizumi, Kasumi Arimura, Masami Nagasawa, Hisashi Yoshizawa
Votes: 7,789
42. Sailor Suit and Machine Gun (1981)
131 min | Action, Romance
A teenage delinquent schoolgirl named Izumi Hoshi inherits her father's Yakuza clan.
Director: Shinji Sômai | Stars: Hiroko Yakushimaru, Tsunehiko Watase, Rentarô Mikuni, Yuki Kazamatsuri
Votes: 904
43. Nodame Cantabile: The Movie II (2010)
123 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Nodame (Juri Ueno) is still pining for the affections of Chiaki (Hiroshi Tamaki), but Chiaki wants them to concentrate on their musical careers and moves out. Chiaki then gets the ... See full synopsis »
Directors: Yasuhiro Kawamura, Hideki Takeuchi | Stars: Juri Ueno, Hiroshi Tamaki, Eita Nagayama, Asami Mizukawa
Votes: 983
44. 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: 745
45. Little Forest: Summer/Autumn (2014)
111 min | Drama
Ichiko lived in a big city, but goes back to her small hometown Komori, located on a mountain in the Tohoku region. She is self-sufficient. Ichiko gains energy living among nature and eating foods she makes from seasonal ingredients.
Director: Jun'ichi Mori | Stars: Ai Hashimoto, Mayu Matsuoka, Yôichi Nukumizu, Karen Kirishima
Votes: 3,475
46. Tag (2015)
85 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A girl's life cascades into chaos as everyone around her suffers a gruesome fate while she becomes less certain of who she is and her once-once normal.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Reina Triendl, Mariko Shinoda, Erina Mano, Yuki Sakurai
Votes: 8,104
47. Casshern (2004)
Not Rated | 142 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name (Shinzo Ningen Casshân). Theme song by Utada Hikaru.
Director: Kazuaki Kiriya | Stars: Yûsuke Iseya, Kumiko Asô, Akira Terao, Kanako Higuchi
Votes: 13,792
48. Sakuran (2006)
111 min | Drama, History
A young girl is sold into a red-light district brothel and tries to adapt to life as an oiran (courtesan).
Director: Mika Ninagawa | Stars: Anna Tsuchiya, Kippei Shîna, Yoshino Kimura, Hiroki Narimiya
Votes: 2,145
49. Tony Takitani (2004)
75 min | Drama
When technical illustrator Tony Takitani asks his wife to resist her all-consuming obsession for designer clothes, the consequences are tragic.
Director: Jun Ichikawa | Stars: Issei Ogata, Rie Miyazawa, Shinohara Takahumi, Hidetoshi Nishijima
Votes: 4,943
50. Ocean Waves (1993 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 76 min | Animation, Drama, Romance
As a young man returns home after his first year away at college he recalls his senior year of high school and the iron-willed, big city girl that turned his world upside down.
Director: Tomomi Mochizuki | Stars: Nobuo Tobita, Toshihiko Seki, Yoko Sakamoto, Yuri Amano
Votes: 20,436
51. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
PG | 137 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Kaguya is a beautiful young woman coveted by five nobles. To try to avoid marrying a stranger she doesn't love, she sends her suitors on seemingly impossible tasks. But she will have to face her fate and punishment for her choices.
Director: Isao Takahata | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, James Marsden
Votes: 54,065 | Gross: $1.51M
52. Farewell to the Summer Light (1968)
96 min | Drama, Romance
A spontaneous romance blooms between Kawamura, a professor touring Europe, and Naoko, a married woman living in Paris, scarred by the Nagasaki atomic bombings. The two protagonists travel around Europe trying to find themselves.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Mariko Okada, Tadashi Yokouchi, Paul Beauvais, Hélène Soubielle
Votes: 263
53. Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Not Rated | 147 min | Drama, Thriller
An entomologist on vacation is trapped by local villagers into living with a woman whose life task is shoveling sand for them.
Director: Hiroshi Teshigahara | Stars: Eiji Okada, Kyôko Kishida, Kôji Mitsui, Hiroko Itô
Votes: 22,722
54. Schoolgirl Complex (2013)
96 min | Drama
At an all female high school, a senior of the radio club becomes fascinated with the club's newest member. As graduation nears and the summer heat rises, so does the sexual tension between the girls. (Japanese with English subtitles).
Director: Yûichi Onuma | Stars: Aoi Morikawa, Mugi Kadowaki, Maaya Kondô, Aoi Yoshikura
Votes: 282
55. Kasutamu-meido 10.30 (2005)
120 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
On Oct. 30, 2004, acclaimed Japanese musician Okuda Tamio held a one-day-only concert at Hiroshima Stadium. The project that started as the documentary of the concert soon evolved into a ... See full summary »
Director: Hajime Ishimine | Stars: Kaela Kimura, Erika Nishikado, Ayaka Maeda, Ryôko Matsui
Votes: 20
56. 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: 136,301 | Gross: $4.14M
57. Tekkonkinkreet (2006)
R | 111 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Two boys defend Treasure Town and Yakuza try to take over and clear it for new development.
Directors: Michael Arias, Hiroaki Andô | Stars: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yû Aoi, Yûsuke Iseya, Kankurô Kudô
Votes: 14,565
58. Wolf Children (2012)
PG | 117 min | Animation, Drama, Family
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident while hunting for food for their children, a young woman must find ways to raise the werewolf son and daughter that she had with him while keeping their trait hidden from society.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda | Stars: Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa, Haru Kuroki, Yukito Nishii
Votes: 49,530
59. Megane (2007)
106 min | Comedy, Drama
Taeko is a stressed career woman who leaves her life in the city for an island vacation. The vacation does not become what she expected as everyone on the island is strange.
Director: Naoko Ogigami | Stars: Satomi Kobayashi, Mikako Ichikawa, Ryô Kase, Ken Mitsuishi
Votes: 1,890
60. Still Walking (2008)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama
A family gathers together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Yui Natsukawa, You, Kazuya Takahashi
Votes: 18,637 | Gross: $0.16M
61. 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: 4,914
62. Kamome shokudô (2006)
102 min | Comedy, Drama
Where are we welcome? On a quiet street in Helsinki, Sachie has opened a diner featuring rice balls. For a month she has no customers. Then, in short order, she has her first customer, ... See full summary »
Director: Naoko Ogigami | Stars: Satomi Kobayashi, Hairi Katagiri, Masako Motai, Jarkko Niemi
Votes: 2,724
63. Rurouni Kenshin: The Movie (1997)
90 min | Animation, Action, Drama
The war against the Tokugawa Shogunate ended years ago. But there are some who are not happy with the outcome. Takimi Shigure watched his friends and family get cut down in the name of ... See full summary »
Director: Tsuji Hajiki | Stars: Mayo Suzukaze, Shanon Weaver, Miki Fujitani, Judson Jones
Votes: 2,899
64. Amachan (2013)
15 min | Short, Comedy, Drama
A young girl from Tokyo moves to the Tohoku region to become a female diver. A so-called 'Ama' diver.
Stars: Non, Kyôko Koizumi, Tetta Sugimoto, Ai Hashimoto
Votes: 583
65. Time Traveller (2010)
Not Rated | 122 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
A high-school girl acquires the ability to time travel.
Director: Masaaki Taniguchi | Stars: Riisa Naka, Akiyoshi Nakao, Munetaka Aoki, Anna Ishibashi
Votes: 1,721
66. Swastika (1964)
91 min | Drama, Romance
A childless housewife falls in love with a beautiful model.
Director: Yasuzô Masumura | Stars: Ayako Wakao, Kyôko Kishida, Eiji Funakoshi, Yûsuke Kawazu
Votes: 1,123
67. The Wind Rises (2013)
PG-13 | 126 min | Animation, Biography, Drama
Jiro Horikoshi studies assiduously to fulfill his aim of becoming an aeronautical engineer. As WWII begins, fighter aircraft designed by him end up getting used by the Japanese Empire against its foes.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hideaki Anno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miori Takimoto, Masahiko Nishimura
Votes: 98,899 | Gross: $5.21M
68. 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: 55,007 | Gross: $1.50M
69. Ninja Scroll (1993)
Not Rated | 94 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A vagabond swordsman is aided by a kunoichi and a spy in battling a demonic clan of killers - led by a ghost from his past - who are bent on overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Director: Yoshiaki Kawajiri | Stars: Kôichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Osamu Saka
Votes: 40,750
70. Norwegian Wood (2010)
Not Rated | 133 min | Drama, Romance
Toru recalls his life in the 1960s, when his friend Kizuki killed himself and he grew close to Naoko, Kizuki's girlfriend, and another woman, the outgoing, lively Midori.
Director: Anh Hung Tran | Stars: Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Rinko Kikuchi, Kiko Mizuhara, Kengo Kôra
Votes: 12,466 | Gross: $0.01M
71. Sakura no sono (2008)
102 min | Drama
In this remake, in the setting of a private girls' school the drama club is putting on the play The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov. With drama on-stage, there is drama off-stage with ... See full summary »
Director: Shun Nakahara | Stars: Saki Fukuda, Saki Terashima, Anne Watanabe, Yûko Ôshima
Votes: 93
72. Mobile Fighter G Gundam (1994–1995)
TV-PG | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
It is the year Future Century 60 and most of humanity has migrated to orbiting space colonies, leaving behind the polluted Earth. To prevent war, the colonies came up with the tournament ... See full summary »
Stars: Mark Gatha, Tomokazu Seki, Matt Embry, Jonathan Love
Votes: 1,138
73. City Hunter (1987–1991)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
The adventures of Ryo Saeba, a gun-for-hire living in the Tokyo metropolis, who will take on any dangerous job as long as it involves beautiful women.
Stars: Akira Kamiya, Kazue Ikura, Yôko Asagami, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 1,618
74. Godzilla (1954)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable dinosaur-like beast.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kôchi
Votes: 39,758 | Gross: $2.42M
75. Dragon Ball (1995–2003)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.
Stars: Brice Armstrong, Steve Olson, Stephanie Nadolny, Zoe Slusar
Votes: 65,217
76. Takeshi's Castle (2002–2004)
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Comic highlights from a physical Japanese game-show Takeshi's Castle (1986) with English commentary.
Stars: Ronald van Dam, Ruben van der Meer, Takeshi Kitano, Craig Charles
Votes: 2,029
77. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G | 86 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi
Votes: 380,653 | Gross: $1.11M
78. Spirited Away (2001)
PG | 125 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Miyu Irino, Rumi Hiiragi
Votes: 850,255 | Gross: $10.06M
79. Doraemon (1979–2005)
TV-PG | 25 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Doraemon is a robotic cat that comes from the 22nd century. He comes to 20th century and stays with Nobi Family. The Nobis love Doraemon very much. So Doraemon always help the Nobis with the devices from 22nd century.
Stars: Nobuyo Ôyama, Noriko Ohara, Kazuya Tatekabe, Kaneta Kimotsuki
Votes: 5,129
80. Rurouni Kenshin (1996–1998)
TV-14 | 24 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The adventures of a young wandering swordsman who stumbles upon a struggling martial arts school in Meiji era Japan.
Stars: Mayo Suzukaze, Dorothy Elias-Fahn, Richard Cansino, Rebecca Forstadt
Votes: 20,564
81. Shall We Dance? (1996)
PG | 136 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons.
Director: Masayuki Suô | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka, Eri Watanabe
Votes: 11,741 | Gross: $9.68M
82. Swing Girls (2004)
105 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A tale of delinquent and lazy school girls. In their efforts to cut remedial summer math class, they end up vitiating and replacing the schools brass band.
Director: Shinobu Yaguchi | Stars: Juri Ueno, Yûta Hiraoka, Shihori Kanjiya, Yuika Motokariya
Votes: 4,684
83. The Garden of Words (2013)
TV-14 | 46 min | Animation, Drama, Romance
On a rainy morning in Tokyo, 15-year-old Takao, an aspiring shoemaker, decides to skip class to sketch designs in a beautiful garden. This is where he meets Yukari, a beautiful yet mysterious woman. They strike an unlikely friendship.
Director: Makoto Shinkai | Stars: Miyu Irino, Kana Hanazawa, Fumi Hirano, Gou Maeda
Votes: 52,648
84. The Makioka Sisters (1983)
Not Rated | 140 min | Drama, Romance
The orphaned Makioka sisters look for a husband for their third sister, Yukiko, as the rebellious youngest sister, Taeko, is kept waiting her turn.
Director: Kon Ichikawa | Stars: Yoshiko Sakuma, Sayuri Yoshinaga, Yûko Kotegawa, Jûzô Itami
Votes: 1,717
85. 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: 8,139
86. Star Watching Dog (2011)
128 min | Drama
A middle-aged divorcee (Toshiyuki Nishida) embarks on a journey across Japan with his dog Happy. Along the way, they have to overcome health issues and financial difficulties.
Director: Tomoyuki Takimoto | Stars: Toshiyuki Nishida, Tetsuji Tamayama, Umika Kawashima, Kimiko Yo
Votes: 253
87. Bayside Shakedown (1998)
119 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Aoshima, a police detective working in the Bayside Precinct, is continually frustrated by the hierarchy and red tape that plague the system. His friend Muroi is climbing the ladder of the ... See full summary »
Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro | Stars: Yûji Oda, Toshirô Yanagiba, Eri Fukatsu, Miki Mizuno
Votes: 950
88. 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: 11,873 | Gross: $0.35M
89. 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: 68,676
90. 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: 367,035 | Gross: $0.27M
91. Linda Linda Linda (2005)
TV-PG | 114 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A music group of girls need to learn to play a song before the school festival.
Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita | Stars: Bae Doona, Aki Maeda, Yû Kashii, Shiori Sekine
Votes: 4,493
92. Blue (II) (2002)
116 min | Drama, Romance
An introverted schoolgirl falls in love and starts a relationship with one of her classmates. Set in a small seaside town in Japan, the love of her life eventually leaves her for her boyfriend in Tokyo.
Director: Hiroshi Ando | Stars: Mikako Ichikawa, Manami Konishi, Asami Imajuku, Jun Murakami
Votes: 696
93. About the Pink Sky (2011)
PG-13 | 113 min | Drama
Izumi finds a wallet full of money and loans the cash to an older fishing buddy.
Director: Keiichi Kobayashi | Stars: Ai Ikeda, Ena Koshino, Reiko Fujiwara, Tsubasa Takayama
Votes: 200
94. Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad (2004–2005)
TV-MA | 25 min | Animation, Drama, Music
Koyuki Tanaka's boring life is changed after meeting Ryusuke Minami, a local musician with a bad attitude, who introduces him to foreign music.
Stars: Taliesin Jaffe, Eric Vale, Greg Ayres, Tomohisa Asô
Votes: 2,678
95. 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: 38,034 | Gross: $2.55M
96. Shimokita Glory Days (2006– )
30 min | Comedy, Drama
A guy moves in with 5 nubile women, paying rent by doing their housework.
Stars: Ichitaro, Saki Seto, Manami Hashimoto, Rie Mashiko
Votes: 175
97. My Pretend Girlfriend (2014)
Drama, Romance
Miyazaki asks Noboru and Momose to pretend they are dating to stop bad rumor about him. Both begin to act like a couple in front of others and soon he begins to develop feelings for Momose, who is still in love with Miyazaki.
Director: Saiji Yakumo | Stars: Akari Hayami, Anna Ishibashi, Asuka Kudô, Osamu Mukai
Votes: 380
98. Tokyo Bordello (1987)
133 min | Drama
A young woman is sold into the famous red light district brothel in Yoshiwara by her bankrupt father.
Director: Hideo Gosha | Stars: Yûko Natori, Rino Katase, Jinpachi Nezu, Sayoko Ninomiya
Votes: 235
99. Affair in the Snow (1968)
97 min | Drama, Romance
In an isolated mountain resort, a woman gets involved in a love triangle between herself, her volatile lover, and her ex-boyfriend, who she had platonic feelings for.
Director: Yoshishige Yoshida | Stars: Mariko Okada, Isao Kimura, Yukio Ninagawa, Miyoko Akaza
Votes: 322
100. 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: 10,716
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