Japanese movies
by himmelmez | created - 23 May 2013 | updated - 1 week ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. 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: 38,195
2. The Witch of the West Is Dead (2008)
115 min | Drama, Family
Mai, a school student, refuses to go to school. Her parents are living apart, so her mother sends her to stay with her grandmother. Her grandmother gives Mai training as a witch and also teaches Mai important values on life itself.
Director: Shunichi Nagasaki | Stars: Sachi Parker, Mayu Takahashi, Ryô, Nao Ômori
Votes: 220
3. Kisaragi (2007)
108 min | Comedy, Mystery
Five devoted fans of a late idol gather for a commemorative meeting, only to uncover surprising revelations about her untimely death, leading them to question what they thought they knew.
Director: Yûichi Satô | Stars: Shun Oguri, Yûsuke Santamaria, Keisuke Koide, Muga Tsukaji
Votes: 1,303
4. 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: 15,915
5. Like Someone in Love (2012)
Not Rated | 109 min | Drama
In Tokyo, a young sex worker develops an unexpected connection with a widower over a period of two days.
Directors: Abbas Kiarostami, Banafsheh Modaressi | Stars: Rin Takanashi, Tadashi Okuno, Ryô Kase, Denden
Votes: 13,089 | Gross: $0.22M
6. Densha otoko (2005)
101 min | Comedy, Romance
The supposedly true story of a 23-year-old otaku (Japanese geek) who intervenes when a drunk man is harassing several women on a train. The otaku ultimately begins dating one of the women, ... See full summary »
Director: Shôsuke Murakami | Stars: Takayuki Yamada, Miki Nakatani, Ryôko Kuninaka, Eita Nagayama
Votes: 2,428
7. 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: 18,627 | Gross: $0.16M
8. Madadayo (1993)
134 min | Drama
Following World War II, a retired professor approaching his autumn years finds his quality of life drastically reduced in war-torn Tokyo. Denying despair, he pursues writing and celebrates his birthday with his adoring students.
Directors: Akira Kurosawa, Ishirô Honda | Stars: Tatsuo Matsumura, Hisashi Igawa, George Tokoro, Masayuki Yui
Votes: 6,157 | Gross: $0.05M
9. Bullet Ballet (1998)
Not Rated | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A man sees his life changed forever when his fiancee shoots herself. Baffled, he wants by all means to obtain such a weapon of destruction and he finds himself caught in the middle of a ... See full summary »
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Stars: Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Kirina Mano, Tatsuya Nakamura, Takahiro Murase
Votes: 3,130
10. 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: 22,716
11. 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: 3,591 | Gross: $0.28M
12. The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (1952)
Not Rated | 116 min | Drama
A childless middle-aged couple faces a marital crisis.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Shin Saburi, Michiyo Kogure, Kôji Tsuruta, Chishû Ryû
Votes: 3,689
13. Black Rain (1989)
Not Rated | 123 min | Drama, War
The story of the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing, based on Masuji Ibuse's novel.
Director: Shôhei Imamura | Stars: Yoshiko Tanaka, Kazuo Kitamura, Etsuko Ichihara, Shôichi Ozawa
Votes: 3,967
14. Pûru (2009)
96 min | Drama
A Japanese separated mother and her daughter reunite in a small village in Thailand.
Director: Mika Ohmori | Stars: Kana, Ryô Kase, Satomi Kobayashi, Sittichai Kongpila
Votes: 129
15. A Page of Madness (1926)
Not Rated | 70 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
A man takes a job at an asylum with hopes of freeing his imprisoned wife.
Director: Teinosuke Kinugasa | Stars: Masuo Inoue, Ayako Iijima, Yoshie Nakagawa, Hiroshi Nemoto
Votes: 4,575
16. 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: 1,888
17. Hansamu sûtsu (2008)
115 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young cook is kind-hearted but chubby and ugly. One day, he get a "Handsome Suit" that make a good looking guy, and try to change his own life.
Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa | Stars: Shôsuke Tanihara, Muga Tsukaji, Keiko Kitagawa, Mayumi Sada
Votes: 564
18. 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: 53,245
19. Ace Attorney (2012)
135 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Following the murder of his mentor, rookie Defense Attorney Phoenix Wright must find the truth behind not only her death, but that of an unsolved case from 15 years prior.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Hiroki Narimiya, Takumi Saitô, Mirei Kiritani, Akiyoshi Nakao
Votes: 3,058
20. The Life of Oharu (1952)
Not Rated | 133 min | Drama
Follows a woman's fight and survival amid the vicissitudes of life and the cruelty of society.
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi | Stars: Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichirô Sugai, Toshirô Mifune
Votes: 7,647
21. 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: 18,239
22. Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)
R | 121 min | Action, Western
A nameless gunfighter arrives in a town ripped apart by rival gangs and, though courted by both to join, chooses his own path.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Hideaki Itô, Kôichi Satô, Quentin Tarantino, Yûsuke Iseya
Votes: 15,839 | Gross: $0.05M
23. 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: 54,997 | Gross: $1.50M
24. 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: 131,405
25. 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: 921
26. 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: 921
27. Kikujiro (1999)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, Comedy
A young, naive boy sets out alone on the road to find his wayward mother. Soon he finds an unlikely protector in a crotchety man and the two have a series of unexpected adventures along the way.
Director: Takeshi Kitano | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Yusuke Sekiguchi, Kayoko Kishimoto, The Great Gidayû
Votes: 22,177 | Gross: $0.20M
28. The Most Beautiful (1944)
Not Rated | 85 min | Drama
World War II film about female volunteer workers at an optics plant who do their best to meet production targets.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Takashi Shimura, Sôji Kiyokawa, Ichirô Sugai, Takako Irie
Votes: 2,408
29. 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: 366,976 | Gross: $0.27M
30. 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: 180,557 | Gross: $0.10M
31. One Wonderful Sunday (1947)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama, Romance
During a Sunday trip into war-ravaged Tokyo, despairing Yuzo and optimistic Masako look for work and lodging, as well as affordable entertainments to pass the time.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Isao Numasaki, Chieko Nakakita, Atsushi Watanabe, Zekô Nakamura
Votes: 3,680
32. 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: 87,616 | Gross: $0.06M
33. 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: 25,827 | Gross: $0.01M
34. Crying Out Love in the Center of the World (2004)
138 min | Drama, Romance
While searching for his fiancee Ritsuko, Sakutarou rediscovers through flashbacks the void deep within him caused by the events from his high school days.
Director: Isao Yukisada | Stars: Takao Osawa, Kô Shibasaki, Masami Nagasawa, Mirai Moriyama
Votes: 3,896
35. Bandeiji (2010)
119 min | Drama, Music, Romance
Four boys have their friendship and musical talents tested in the ever changing worlds of the music industry and real life in 1990s Japan.
Director: Takeshi Kobayashi | Stars: Jin Akanishi, Kie Kitano, Kengo Kôra, Ayumi Ito
Votes: 470
36. Blood-C: The Last Dark (2012)
TV-MA | 107 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Six months after the massacre at her faux hometown, Saya has set out on a mission to exact revenge on Fumito, who had since then become a powerful dictator enforcing censorship throughout Japan.
Director: Naoyoshi Shiotani | Stars: Atsushi Abe, Masumi Asano, Keiji Fujiwara, Misato Fukuen
Votes: 1,339
37. Fusé: Memoirs of a Huntress (2012)
106 min | Animation, Action, Drama
Hamaji's brother asks her to help hunt down half-human, half-dog beings that steal human souls.
Directors: Hiroshi Haraguchi, Masayuki Miyaji | Stars: Atsushi Abe, Keiji Fujiwara, Kenji Hamada, Gekidan Hitori
Votes: 456
38. The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
G | 94 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi | Stars: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Mirai Shida
Votes: 104,456 | Gross: $19.20M
39. The Man Who Left His Will on Film (1970)
94 min | Drama
A metaphysical mystery involving a university student's camera getting stolen, and the thief then committing suicide. Looking back upon the event, the situation comes to be questioned if it happened at all.
Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Kazuo Goto, Sukio Fukuoka, Kenichi Fukuda, Hiroshi Isogai
Votes: 804
40. Good Morning (1959)
Not Rated | 94 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Two boys begin a silence strike to press their parents into buying them a television set.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Keiji Sada, Yoshiko Kuga, Chishû Ryû, Kuniko Miyake
Votes: 11,055
41. Azumi (2003)
Not Rated | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Raised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart.
Director: Ryûhei Kitamura | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroki Narimiya, Takatoshi Kaneko
Votes: 15,160
42. The Twilight Samurai (2002)
129 min | Drama, Romance
As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 25,523
43. Blue Exorcist: The Movie (2012)
88 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Rin and his friends, along with the rest of True Cross Academy Town, are in the midst of preparing for a festival that is celebrated only once every 11 years. While the barriers protecting ... See full summary »
Director: Atsushi Takahashi | Stars: Nobuhiko Okamoto, Jun Fukuyama, Kana Hanazawa, Kazuya Nakai
Votes: 2,511 | Gross: $0.02M
44. After Life (1998)
Not Rated | 119 min | Drama, Fantasy
After death, people have a week to choose only one memory to keep for eternity.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Arata Iura, Erika Oda, Susumu Terajima, Takashi Naitô
Votes: 13,760 | Gross: $0.80M
45. Stray Dog (1949)
Not Rated | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
During a sweltering summer, a rookie homicide detective tries to track down his stolen Colt pistol.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Awaji, Eiko Miyoshi
Votes: 18,943
46. Porco Rosso (1992)
PG | 94 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
In 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot is cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Shûichirô Moriyama, Tokiko Katô, Bunshi Katsura VI, Tsunehiko Kamijô
Votes: 102,188
47. Tokyo Sonata (2008)
PG-13 | 120 min | Drama
An ordinary Japanese family slowly disintegrates after its patriarch loses his job at a prominent company.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyôko Koizumi, Yû Koyanagi, Kai Inowaki
Votes: 11,817 | Gross: $0.28M
48. Space Battleship Yamato (2010)
TV-14 | 138 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In 2199, the crew of the space battleship Yamato embark on a dangerous journey to the planet Iskandar to acquire a device that will rejuvenate the war-ravaged Earth.
Director: Takashi Yamazaki | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Meisa Kuroki, Toshirô Yanagiba, Naoto Ogata
Votes: 6,383
49. Thermae Romae (2012)
108 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Lucius, a Roman architect, is transported through time to modern-day Japan, where he learns about Japanese bathhouses and uses this to his gain back home.
Director: Hideki Takeuchi | Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Aya Ueto, Kazuki Kitamura, Riki Takeuchi
Votes: 2,695
50. 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: 52,627
51. Like Father, Like Son (2013)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama
Ryota is a successful workaholic businessman. When he learns that his biological son was switched with another boy after birth, he faces the difficult decision to choose his true son or the boy he and his wife have raised as their own.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yôko Maki, Lily Franky
Votes: 28,156 | Gross: $0.28M
52. Late Spring (1949)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama
Several people try to talk 27-year-old Noriko into marrying, but all she wants is to keep on caring for her widowed father.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura
Votes: 19,352
53. Psychic School Wars (2012)
TV-PG | 107 min | Animation, Romance, Sci-Fi
A mysterious new transfer student who claims to be psychic, arrives and changes the lives of a group of students.
Directors: Ryôsuke Nakamura, Lisa Ortiz | Stars: Yûtarô Honjô, Mayu Watanabe, Kana Hanazawa, Daisuke Ono
Votes: 613
54. Oppai barê (2009)
102 min | Comedy, Sport
A female teacher takes charge of a high school volleyball club and promises to show the students her breasts if they can win the next game.
Director: Eiichirô Hasumi | Stars: Haruka Ayase, Munetaka Aoki, Tôru Nakamura, Seiji Fukushi
Votes: 724
55. Strawberry Shortcakes (2006)
127 min | Drama
Strawberry Shortcakes (2006) is a Japanese film by director Hitoshi Yazaki. The film, based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Kiriko Nananan, concerns the life of four girls, as ... See full summary »
Director: Hitoshi Yazaki | Stars: Chizuru Ikewaki, Noriko Nakagoshi, Yûko Nakamura, Kiriko Nananan
Votes: 800
56. 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: 31,426 | Gross: $0.68M
57. 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: 850,027 | Gross: $10.06M
58. Princess Mononoke (1997)
PG-13 | 134 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yûko Tanaka, Billy Crudup
Votes: 433,974 | Gross: $2.38M
59. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
PG | 119 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Chieko Baishô, Takuya Kimura, Tatsuya Gashûin, Akihiro Miwa
Votes: 449,748 | Gross: $4.71M
60. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
PG | 117 min | Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Sumi Shimamoto, Mahito Tsujimura, Hisako Kyôda, Gorô Naya
Votes: 182,627 | Gross: $0.50M
61. Ponyo (2008)
G | 101 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A five-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who longs to become a human after falling in love with him.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson, Tomoko Yamaguchi
Votes: 163,627 | Gross: $15.09M
62. Chage & Aska: On Your Mark (1995 Music Video)
7 min | Animation, Short, Music
Set in the future: Two men learn that a mysterious winged girl has been taken prisoner, and then decide that they must free her at any cost.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Votes: 4,353
63. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
G | 103 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma, Kappei Yamaguchi
Votes: 165,655
64. 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: 380,524 | Gross: $1.11M
65. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)
102 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A dashing thief, his gang of desperadoes and an intrepid cop struggle to free a princess from an evil count, and learn the secret of a treasure that she holds part of the key to.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Yasuo Yamada, Eiko Masuyama, Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Makio Inoue
Votes: 33,588
66. Drugstore Girl (2003)
105 min | Comedy
About a young student who works in a convenience store, and five middle-aged men who develop crushes on her. The film is set in a rural town and features lacrosse sport prominently.
Director: Katsuhide Motoki | Stars: Rena Tanaka, Akira Emoto, Yûji Miyake, Masatô Ibu
Votes: 169
67. The Wings of the Kirin (2011)
129 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A man is stabbed to death in Tokyo's Nihonbashi area. The victim staggers with the knife still in the wound for eight minutes before collapsing under the winged statues of two Kirin on the ... See full summary »
Director: Nobuhiro Doi | Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Yui Aragaki, Junpei Mizobata, Tôri Matsuzaka
Votes: 884
68. Blindly in Love (2013)
117 min | Drama
35-year-old Kentaro is a social misfit and has never dated a woman in his life. He lives with his parents and holds a modest job in city hall. Kentaro doesn't have any friends, nor received... See full summary »
Director: Masahide Ichii | Stars: Gen Hoshino, Kaho, Sei Hiraizumi, Ryôko Moriyama
Votes: 216
69. The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji (2013)
130 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Reiji Kikukawa, who has a strong sense of justice, graduated from the police academy with the lowest score ever. He becomes a police constable, but is suddenly fired by the Police Chief due... See full summary »
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Tôma Ikuta, Ryôhei Abe, Yoshiki Arizono, Ken'ichi Endô
Votes: 1,082
70. A Tale of Samurai Cooking: A True Love Story (2013)
122 min | Drama, History
During the Edo Period of Japan, an excellent cook marries the heir to a renowned cooking family. However, her husband is a terrible chef. With the help of her new mother-in-law, she begins to teach him the ways of the culinary arts.
Director: Yûzô Asahara | Stars: Aya Ueto, Kengo Kôra, Kimiko Yo, Riko Narumi
Votes: 573
71. When Marnie Was There (2014)
PG | 103 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Anna, a shy 12-year-old girl, is sent to spend time with her aunt and uncle who live in the countryside, where she meets Marnie. The two become best friends. But Anna gradually discovers that Marnie is not quite who she appears to be.
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi | Stars: Sara Takatsuki, Kasumi Arimura, Nanako Matsushima, Susumu Terajima
Votes: 47,962 | Gross: $0.77M
72. 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: 380
73. Last Life in the Universe (2003)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A suicidal, obsessively compulsive Japanese librarian is forced to lie low in Thailand with a pot-smoking woman coping with the recent loss of her sister.
Director: Pen-Ek Ratanaruang | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Sinitta Boonyasak, Takashi Miike, Laila Boonyasak
Votes: 11,560 | Gross: $0.03M
74. The Sword of Doom (1966)
Not Rated | 120 min | Action, Drama
Through his unconscionable actions against others, a sociopath samurai builds a trail of vendettas that follow him closely.
Director: Kihachi Okamoto | Stars: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Yûzô Kayama, Yôko Naitô
Votes: 12,078
75. Confessions (2010)
Not Rated | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
A psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Takako Matsu, Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Okada, Yukito Nishii
Votes: 42,082
76. Instant Swamp (2009)
120 min | Comedy
A quirky young woman who loves antiques embarks on risky adventures and business endeavors with her eccentric friends, trying to score a unique item that will finally be worth a huge profit... See full summary »
Director: Satoshi Miki | Stars: Kumiko Asô, Morio Kazama, Ryô Kase, Keiko Matsuzaka
Votes: 712
77. Library War: Wings of Revolution (2012)
105 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
Kasahara Iku and Dojo Atsushi receive an emergency recall in the middle of their date as Japan is rocked by a terror attack. Their new duty is a protection detail assigned to Touma Kurato, ... See full summary »
Director: Takayuki Hamana | Stars: Megumi Han, Marina Inoue, Akira Ishida, Yûsuke Koide
Votes: 118
78. Sex & Fury (1973)
R | 88 min | Action, Crime, Drama
During the Meiji era, a gambler called Ocho takes revenge on three gangsters who killed her father, shelters a wanted anarchist and confronts a British spy.
Director: Norifumi Suzuki | Stars: Reiko Ike, Akemi Negishi, Ryôko Ema, Yôko Hori
Votes: 3,437
79. Lightning (1952)
87 min | Drama
Poor, pathetic mother Ose has four children, three daughters and a son, by four different men.
Director: Mikio Naruse | Stars: Hideko Takamine, Mitsuko Miura, Kyôko Kagawa, Chieko Murata
Votes: 817
80. My Rainy Days (2009)
119 min | Drama, Romance
Seventeen year old high school student Rio Ozawa is always the center of attention due to her beauty. Yet Rio has never cared about anyone but herself due to her traumatic past. Her friends... See full summary »
Director: Yuri Kanchiku | Stars: Nozomi Sasaki, Shôsuke Tanihara, Hikaru Yamamoto, Mitsuki Ôishi
Votes: 2,387
81. 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: 98,858 | Gross: $5.21M
82. Sway (2006)
120 min | Crime, Drama
On the anniversary of the death of the mother of a hip and happening Tokyo-based photographer, the son returns to his hometown for the funeral. What follows is a return to the past that is ... See full summary »
Director: Miwa Nishikawa | Stars: Joe Odagiri, Teruyuki Kagawa, Masatô Ibu, Hirofumi Arai
Votes: 1,208
83. 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: 16,906 | Gross: $0.46M
84. 5 Centimeters per Second (2007)
TV-PG | 63 min | Animation, Drama, Family
Told in three interconnected segments, Takaki tells the story of his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love.
Director: Makoto Shinkai | Stars: Kenji Mizuhashi, Yoshimi Kondou, Satomi Hanamura, Ayaka Onoue
Votes: 63,803
85. 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: 70,892
86. The Place Promised in Our Early Days (2004)
TV-PG | 90 min | Animation, Drama, Romance
In an alternate postwar timeline, Japan is divided into the Union-controlled North and the US-controlled South.
Directors: Makoto Shinkai, Yoshio Suzuki | Stars: Hidetaka Yoshioka, Masato Hagiwara, Yuka Nanri, Unshô Ishizuka
Votes: 15,144
87. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (2011)
TV-14 | 116 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A coming of age story involving young love and a mysterious music, coming from a crystal radio left as a memento by an absent father, that leads a young heroine deep into a hidden world.
Director: Makoto Shinkai | Stars: Hisako Kanemoto, Miyu Irino, Kazuhiko Inoue, Junko Takeuchi
Votes: 17,020
88. Millennium Actress (2001)
PG | 87 min | Animation, Drama, Fantasy
A TV interviewer and his cameraman meet a former actress and travel through her memories and career.
Directors: Satoshi Kon, Kô Matsuo | Stars: Miyoko Shôji, Shôzô Îzuka, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa
Votes: 32,088 | Gross: $0.19M
89. 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: 156,979 | Gross: $0.52M
90. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)
PG-13 | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
On Christmas Eve, three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo discover a newborn baby among the trash and set out to find its parents.
Directors: Shôgo Furuya, Satoshi Kon | Stars: Tôru Emori, Yoshiaki Umegaki, Aya Okamoto, Shôzô Îzuka
Votes: 46,781 | Gross: $0.13M
91. The Sky Crawlers (2008)
PG-13 | 122 min | Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi
The Kildren, a group of eternally young fighter pilots, experience the sudden loss of innocence as they battle the enemy in astonishing dogfights above the clouds.
Director: Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Rinko Kikuchi, Ryô Kase, Shôsuke Tanihara, Megumi Yamaguchi
Votes: 5,909
92. Summer Wars (2009)
PG | 114 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A student tries to fix a problem he accidentally caused in OZ, a digital world, while pretending to be the fiancé of his friend at her grandmother's 90th birthday.
Director: Mamoru Hosoda | Stars: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Nanami Sakuraba, Mitsuki Tanimura, Takahiro Yokokawa
Votes: 31,791 | Gross: $0.08M
93. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (I) (2004)
PG-13 | 100 min | Animation, Drama, Mystery
In the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot--one created solely for sexual pleasure--who slaughtered her owner.
Directors: Naoko Kusumi, Mizuho Nishikubo, Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Akio Ôtsuka, Atsuko Tanaka, Tamio Ôki, Kôichi Yamadera
Votes: 40,323 | Gross: $1.04M
94. 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: 205,350 | Gross: $0.55M
95. Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007)
PG-13 | 98 min | Animation, Action, Drama
The fate of the world is threatened by seemingly monstrous entities known as Angels. NERV is an organization set up to counter this threat and it is up to young pilots to protect Earth but exactly what are the real motives behind NERV?
Directors: Hiroshi Haraguchi, Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki, Hideaki Anno, Kôbun Shizuno | Stars: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi, Yuriko Yamaguchi
Votes: 27,663 | Gross: $0.11M
96. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009)
TV-14 | 112 min | Animation, Action, Drama
In the face of increasingly bizarre and powerful Angel attacks, Shinji Ikari and his partner Rei Ayanami are assisted by two new pilots: the fiery Asuka Langley Shikinami and the mysterious Mari Illustrious Makinami.
Directors: Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki, Hideaki Anno, Joe Fria | Stars: Kotono Mitsuishi, Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Yûko Miyamura
Votes: 24,903 | Gross: $0.13M
97. Fires on the Plain (1959)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama, War
In the closing days of WWII, remnants of the Japanese army in Leyte are abandoned by their command and face certain death by starvation.
Director: Kon Ichikawa | Stars: Eiji Funakoshi, Mantarô Ushio, Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, Osamu Takizawa
Votes: 5,322
98. Akumu Chan the Movie (2014)
Mystery
Picking up from where the TV series left off, when a new student joins the class at the school a schoolgirl notices how the boy resembles a prince who was in her dream. The boy soon became popular in class.
Director: Noriyoshi Sakuma | Stars: Keiko Kitagawa, Manatsu Kimura, Kenji Anan, Shiho Fujimura
Votes: 89
99. GARAKOWA - Restore the World (2015)
TV-PG | 67 min | Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi
One day, Dual and Dorothy discover a new virus attacking a girl. They save the girl and wait for her to awaken, and when she does, she calls herself "Remo" and has only one thing to say: "I have to return to the flower garden..."
Director: Masashi Ishihama | Stars: Yumiri Hanamori, Risa Taneda, Ayane Sakura, Ai Kayano
Votes: 142
100. 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: 49,517
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