Excellent Japanese Films
by waisehell | created - 03 May 2014 | updated - 2 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Blue Spring (2001)
83 min | Drama
A group of a run-down Tokyo high school students face the struggles of growing up, growing apart from their friends and worrying about their future, while living in a highly violent environment.
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda | Stars: Ryûhei Matsuda, Hirofumi Arai, Sôsuke Takaoka, Yûsuke Ôshiba
Votes: 4,387
2. Vital (2004)
R | 86 min | Drama, Thriller
After a tragic car accident where his girlfriend Ryôko Ooyama (Nami Tsukamoto) died, Hiroshi Takagi (Tadanobu Asano) suffers amnesia with his memories completely blanked. When he sees a ... See full summary »
Director: Shin'ya Tsukamoto | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Nami Tsukamoto, Kiki, Kazuyoshi Kushida
Votes: 3,374
3. All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)
Unrated | 146 min | Crime, Drama, Music
The problematic lives of teenager students for whom the singer Lily Chou-Chou's dreamy music is the only way to escape an alienating, violent and insensitive society.
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Hayato Ichihara, Shûgo Oshinari, Ayumi Ito, Takao Osawa
Votes: 11,196 | Gross: $0.02M
4. Kabei: Our Mother (2008)
Not Rated | 133 min | Drama
Based on childhood days of Teruyo Nogami.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Mayumi Tanaka, Chieko Baishô, Mirai Shida
Votes: 1,518 | Gross: $0.01M
5. 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: 42,084
6. Parade (2009)
118 min | Drama
Four youths share a two bedroom apartment in a corner of Tokyo. A series of assault cases occur in the same district. Eighteen year old Satoru, a male prostitute, joins them as a new house mate. Their daily life slowly starts to change.
Director: Isao Yukisada | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Karina, Shihori Kanjiya, Kento Hayashi
Votes: 673
7. When the Last Sword Is Drawn (2002)
Not Rated | 143 min | Drama, History
A samurai goes to extraordinary lengths to provide for his family.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Kiichi Nakai, Kôichi Satô, Yui Natsukawa, Takehiro Murata
Votes: 5,360
8. The Hidden Blade (2004)
R | 132 min | Drama, History, Romance
A 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yukiyoshi Ozawa
Votes: 7,204 | Gross: $0.04M
9. Viyon no tsuma (2009)
114 min | Drama
This enticing period melodrama depicts a long-suffering woman's relationship with her brilliant but self-destructive writer husband in postwar Tokyo. Based on a semi-autobiographical 1947 ... See full summary »
Director: Kichitarô Negishi | Stars: Takako Matsu, Tadanobu Asano, Shigeru Muroi, Masatô Ibu
Votes: 426
10. The World of Kanako (2014)
Not Rated | 118 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
As former detective Akikazu searches for his missing daughter, Kanako, he soon learns she has a mysterious secret life.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Nana Komatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hiroya Shimizu
Votes: 5,897 | Gross: $0.02M
11. 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: 11,819 | Gross: $0.28M
12. Love and Honor (2006)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, History, Romance
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Mitsugorô Bandô, Takashi Sasano
Votes: 4,287 | Gross: $0.02M
13. 9 Souls (2003)
120 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Nine convicts escape from prison; most are convicted murderers. They commandeer a van from a strip club.
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Ryûhei Matsuda, Michio Akiyama, Yû Fujiki
Votes: 1,913
14. Kiraware Matsuko no isshô (2006)
130 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
When Matsuko is murdered, her nephew, Sho, gets to progressively unveil the many details of her mysterious past, discovering she wasn't just a forgotten outcast and had led an intriguing yet bizarre life.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Miki Nakatani, Eita Nagayama, Yûsuke Iseya, Mikako Ichikawa
Votes: 8,746
15. Harmful Insect (2001)
92 min | Drama
Following the divorce of her parents, her mother's suicide attempt, and the rumors of an affair with her teacher, a lonely 7th grader starts skipping school in an attempt to find herself.
Director: Akihiko Shiota | Stars: Aoi Miyazaki, Seiichi Tanabe, Tetsu Sawaki, Ryô Amamiya
Votes: 951
16. Eureka (2000)
217 min | Drama
The traumatized survivors of a murderous bus hijacking come together and take a road trip to attempt to overcome their damaged selves. Meanwhile a serial killer is on the loose.
Director: Shinji Aoyama | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, Masaru Miyazaki, Yôichirô Saitô
Votes: 4,343 | Gross: $0.05M
17. Hanging Garden (2005)
114 min | Drama
A family struggling to live together even with the outrageous behaviors from each family members.
Director: Toshiaki Toyoda | Stars: Kyôko Koizumi, Anne Suzuki, Itsuji Itao, Masahiro Hirota
Votes: 944
18. Key of Life (2012)
Not Rated | 128 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A failed actor switches identities with a stranger at a bath house thinking it is his way out of his life of misery but only to find himself filling the shoes of an elite assassin.
Director: Kenji Uchida | Stars: Masato Sakai, Teruyuki Kagawa, Ryôko Hirosue, Yoshiyoshi Arakawa
Votes: 2,902
19. The Brothers Karamazov (2013)
54 min | Drama, Mystery
Set in present day Japan in a provincial town, Bunzo Kurosawa, a greedy and violent father, is murdered in his own home. Bunzo has 3 sons: oldest son Mitsuru (Takumi Saito), second son Isao... See full summary »
Stars: Tsubasa Yadome, Hayato Ichihara, Takumi Saitô, Kento Hayashi
Votes: 59
20. Liar Game (2007–2010)
36 min | Drama
Trusting, gullible Nao suddenly finds herself participating in the mysterious Liar Game, a game where the players are issued large sums of money which they then have to cheat each other out... See full summary »
Stars: Erika Toda, Shôta Matsuda, Michiko Kichise, Kazuma Suzuki
Votes: 2,353
21. Saido kâ ni inu (2007)
94 min | Drama
In this coming of age story, ten-year-old Kaoru's life undergoes big changes when her mother leaves home. Kaoru forms a surprising bond with her father's lover, Yoko, as she learns a lot about life during one unforgettable summer.
Director: Kichitarô Negishi | Stars: Yûko Takeuchi, Hana Matsumoto, Takeru Taniyama, Rie Mimura
Votes: 316
22. 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: 25,524
23. 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: 87,623 | Gross: $0.06M
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: 131,416
25. 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: 22,718
26. 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: 136,277 | Gross: $4.14M
27. 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: 68,747
28. 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: 20,003
29. 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: 29,201 | Gross: $1.96M
30. 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: 38,198
31. 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: 7,331
32. Bright Future (2002)
Not Rated | 92 min | Drama
Two young guys work in a plant that manufactures oshibori (those moist hand-towels found in some Japanese restaurants). Their weird bond is based on uncontrollable rage--something neither ... See full summary »
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Joe Odagiri, Tadanobu Asano, Tatsuya Fuji, Sayuri Oyamada
Votes: 3,005 | Gross: $0.00M
33. Blood and Bones (2004)
140 min | Drama
In 1923, the Korean teenager Kim Shun-Pei moves from Cheju Island, in South Korea, to Osaka, in Japan. Along the years, he becomes a cruel, greedy and violent man and builds a factory of ... See full summary »
Director: Yôichi Sai | Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Hirofumi Arai, Tomoko Tabata, Joe Odagiri
Votes: 2,131
34. A Gentle Breeze in the Village (2007)
121 min | Drama
When eighth grade cool guy Hiromi transfers from Tokyo to a small elementary/middle school with only six kids enrolled, wholesome and honest Soyo becomes enthralled with his sophisticated world.
Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita | Stars: Kaho, Masaki Okada, Elisa Yanagi, Shôko Fujimura
Votes: 1,507
35. Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)
148 min | Crime, Drama
The struggles of a group of immigrant outcasts living in an alternative-future, xenophobic Japanese metropolis.
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Hiroshi Mikami, Chara, Ayumi Ito, Yôsuke Eguchi
Votes: 4,423
36. 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: 31,428 | Gross: $0.68M
37. 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: 18,630 | Gross: $0.16M
38. 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: 4,088
39. 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: 366,991 | Gross: $0.27M
40. 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: 13,763 | Gross: $0.80M
41. Chûgoku no chôjin (1998)
TV-PG | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
A salaryman and yakuza are each sent by their bosses to a remote Chinese village but discover more than they expected.
Director: Takashi Miike | Stars: Masahiro Motoki, Renji Ishibashi, Mako, Michiko Kichise
Votes: 4,922
42. 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: 68,634 | Gross: $0.80M
43. 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: 33,199 | Gross: $0.23M
44. The Taste of Tea (2004)
143 min | Comedy, Fantasy
A spell of time of a rural family's slightly surreal life.
Director: Katsuhito Ishii | Stars: Maya Banno, Takahiro Satô, Tadanobu Asano, Satomi Tezuka
Votes: 7,198
45. Picnic (1996)
68 min | Drama, Fantasy
Believing that the world will end that very day, three mental patients Coco, Tsumuji, and Satoru set out upon a journey. Walking upon the tops of the walls of the city, they seek to find a ... See full summary »
Director: Shunji Iwai | Stars: Chara, Tadanobu Asano, Koichi Hashizume, Naomasa Musaka
Votes: 2,275
46. Doing Time (2002)
93 min | Comedy, Drama
A man serving a sentence in a minimum-security prison. Life in the jail is rigid and organized, eventually leading all of the cell-mates to abandon their individuality.
Director: Yôichi Sai | Stars: Tsutomu Yamazaki, Teruyuki Kagawa, Tomorô Taguchi, Yutaka Matsushige
Votes: 331
47. Dear Doctor (2009)
127 min | Drama
A young medical intern student is dismayed when he is assigned to work in a remote countryside village.
Director: Miwa Nishikawa | Stars: Tsurube Shôfukutei, Eita Nagayama, Teruyuki Kagawa, Haruka Igawa
Votes: 746
48. Distance (2001)
Unrated | 132 min | Drama
Members of a cult, modeled on Aum Shinrikyo, sabotage a city's water supply, then commit mass suicide near the shores of a lake. Family members of those affected by it meet at the lake to observe the anniversary of their loved ones' deaths.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Arata Iura, Yûsuke Iseya, Susumu Terajima, Yui Natsukawa
Votes: 1,806
49. Cold Fever (1995)
Unrated | 83 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
A Japanese businessman travels to Iceland and has a series of misadventures while venturing to a remote area to perform a traditional burial ritual where his parents died several years back.
Director: Friðrik Þór Friðriksson | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Lili Taylor, Fisher Stevens, Gísli Halldórsson
Votes: 1,895 | Gross: $0.34M
50. 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: 4,492
51. 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
52. Unforgiven (2013)
R | 135 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Japanese-Korean filmmaker Sang-il Lee (Villain) has decided to reinterpret Eastwood's Oscar®-winning Unforgiven as a Japanese period film.
Director: Sang-il Lee | Stars: Shioli Kutsuna, Ken Watanabe, Jun Kunimura, Yûya Yagira
Votes: 2,794
53. 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: 4,911
54. Go (2001)
122 min | Drama, Romance
Sugihara, born in Japan but with North Korean parents, falls in love with a Japanese girl after changing from a North Korean school to a Japanese school. His boxer dad teaches him boxing - skills used a lot.
Director: Isao Yukisada | Stars: Yôsuke Kubozuka, Kô Shibasaki, Tarô Yamamoto, Hirofumi Arai
Votes: 3,017
55. Zigeunerweisen (1980)
Not Rated | 144 min | Horror, Mystery
A surreal period film following an university professor and his eerie nomad friend as they go through loose romantic triangles and face death in peculiar ways.
Director: Seijun Suzuki | Stars: Yoshio Harada, Naoko Ôtani, Kisako Makishi, Akaji Maro
Votes: 1,500
56. Tsuya no yoru (2013)
138 min | Drama
Matsuoi (Hiroshi Abe) and his wife Tsuya moved to Oshima City because of her unpredictable character. Even though Tsuya continues to have affairs, Matsuoi loves her and is a devoted husband. Tsuya is then diagnosed with a cancer and later.
Director: Isao Yukisada | Stars: Hiroshi Abe, Jun Fubuki, Yuichi Haba, Risa Kameda
Votes: 91
57. Café Lumière (2003)
108 min | Drama
The story revolves around Yoko Inoue, a pregnant woman in search of a cafe that was frequented by a Taiwanese composer whose life she is researching.
Director: Hsiao-Hsien Hou | Stars: Yo Hitoto, Tadanobu Asano, Masato Hagiwara, Kimiko Yo
Votes: 3,331
58. The Great Passage (2013)
134 min | Drama
Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, 'The Great Passage.' In the eclectic team, he becomes ... See full summary »
Director: Yûya Ishii | Stars: Ryûhei Matsuda, Aoi Miyazaki, Joe Odagiri, Kaoru Kobayashi
Votes: 2,871
59. Sad Vacation (2007)
136 min | Drama
Kenji, abandoned by his mother, scrapes out a meager existence doing odd jobs including driving bar hostesses and their customers home. Besides this he takes care of the sister of an old ... See full summary »
Director: Shinji Aoyama | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Kaori Fujimitsu, Eri Ishida, Yuka Itaya
Votes: 484
60. Himizu (2011)
129 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
After two teenagers from abusive households befriend each other, their lives take a dark adventure into existentialism, despair, and human frailty.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Shôta Sometani, Fumi Nikaidô, Tetsu Watanabe, Mitsuru Fukikoshi
Votes: 4,711
61. Journey to the Shore (2015)
Not Rated | 127 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Mizuki's husband Yusuke drowned at sea three years ago. When he suddenly comes back home, she is not that surprised. Instead, Mizuki is wondering what took him so long. She agrees to let Yusuke take her on a journey.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Eri Fukatsu, Tadanobu Asano, Masao Komatsu, Mika Muraoka
Votes: 1,954
62. Villain (2010)
139 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A young woman's murder provokes reflection on the ugliness and villainy of modern society.
Director: Sang-il Lee | Stars: Eri Fukatsu, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Denden, Akira Emoto
Votes: 2,000
63. Pale Moon (2014)
126 min | Drama
A mellow drama following the moral decline of a housewife turned bank employee who embezzles a fortune from her customers and indulges in an affair with a younger man. Set in 1994, shortly after the burst of Japan's economic bubble.
Director: Daihachi Yoshida | Stars: Rie Miyazawa, Sôsuke Ikematsu, Yûko Ôshima, Seiichi Tanabe
Votes: 949
64. The Brain Man (2013)
123 min | Crime, Mystery
A not-too-bright cop searches for a serial bomber.
Director: Tomoyuki Takimoto | Stars: Fumi Nikaidô, Shôta Sometani, Yôsuke Eguchi, Renji Ishibashi
Votes: 1,127
65. Ikigami (2008)
133 min | Drama
Ikigami takes place in a dystopian society where the government has implemented the "Prosperity Law". This law dictates 1 in 1000 random citizens ages 18~24 will die for the state in a ... See full summary »
Director: Tomoyuki Takimoto | Stars: Shôta Matsuda, Takashi Tsukamoto, Riko Narumi, Takayuki Yamada
Votes: 1,113
66. Charisma (1999)
104 min | Drama, Mystery
A seasoned detective is called in to rescue a politician held hostage by a lunatic. In a brief moment of uncertainty, he misses the chance for action. Leaving his job and family without ... See full summary »
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Ren Ôsugi, Yoriko Dôguchi
Votes: 2,053
67. 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: 2,284
68. Real (2013)
127 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
A man decides to use a new technology to go inside the mind of his comatose lover.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Takeru Satoh, Haruka Ayase, Joe Odagiri, Shôta Sometani
Votes: 1,120
69. Helpless (1996)
80 min | Crime
Yasuo is a gangster just released from jail. Believing his boss double-crossed him, enraged Yasuo is on his way to find the boss. But before setting out for the dangerous trip, Yasuo asks ... See full summary »
Director: Shinji Aoyama | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Ken Mitsuishi, Yôichirô Saitô, Hiroko Isayama
Votes: 283
70. Permanent Nobara (2010)
100 min | Comedy, Romance
Nobara is a recently divorced single mother approaching thirty who moves back to her hometown with her daughter in tow. She begins reintegrating, revisiting old hang-outs and meeting with ... See full summary »
Director: Daihachi Yoshida | Stars: Yôsuke Eguchi, Chizuru Ikewaki, Miho Kanno, Eiko Koike
Votes: 208
71. 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: 12,764 | Gross: $0.27M
72. The Face of Jizo (2004)
99 min | Drama
Based on a play by Hisashi Inoue, it focuses on the sufferings of the survivors of Hiroshima. The film takes place during 4 days in the summer of 1948, as the ghost of her father visits ... See full summary »
Director: Kazuo Kuroki | Stars: Rie Miyazawa, Yoshio Harada, Tadanobu Asano
Votes: 251
73. My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? (2005)
107 min | Drama, Music, Sci-Fi
A.D. 2015: A virus has been spreading in many cities worldwide. It is a suicidal disease and the virus is infected by pictures. People, once infected, come down with the disease, which ... See full summary »
Director: Shinji Aoyama | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Aoi Miyazaki, Mariko Okada, Masaya Nakahara
Votes: 627
74. Hana (2006)
127 min | Comedy, Drama
A troubled young samurai seeks revenge for the death of his father.
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu | Stars: Jun'ichi Okada, Rie Miyazawa, Arata Furuta, Jun Kunimura
Votes: 1,901
75. The Tale of Iya (2013)
169 min | Drama
As a tunnel construction project threatens the natural order of one of Japan's last untouched regions, an old man and his granddaughter Haruna's humble lifestyle begins to influence the outlook of a man from Tokyo.
Director: Tetsuichirô Tsuta | Stars: Rina Takeda, Shima Ônishi, Min Tanaka, Hitoshi Murakami
Votes: 373
76. 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
77. This World of Ours (2007)
92 min | Drama
Ryo is a boy broken on an emotional level, doesn't go to school anymore and locks himself inside at home. Hiroki is a student constantly talking about changing the world, but struggles to ... See full summary »
Director: Ryô Nakajima | Stars: Shinmon Akaho, Arisa Hata, Natsu Kasyu, Ren Murakami
Votes: 77
78. 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
79. Rage (2016)
142 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A grisly unsolved murder links three seemingly unrelated stories in three different Japanese cities.
Director: Sang-il Lee | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Mirai Moriyama, Aoi Miyazaki, Satoshi Tsumabuki
Votes: 3,409
80. The Whispering Star (2015)
100 min | Sci-Fi
A feminine android delivers packages to the scattered humans in the galaxy. With years to spare the android and us have time to contemplate what it is to be human.
Director: Sion Sono | Stars: Kenji Endo, Yûto Ikeda, Megumi Kagurazaka, Kôko Mori
Votes: 1,286
81. Haruko Azumi Is Missing (2016)
101 min | Comedy, Drama
Graffiti featuring Haruko Azumi in spray-painted "Missing Girl" posters appear on walls in town. At the same time, the rise of a gang of vicious high school girls with random attacks on men. Are they connected? The story goes viral.
Director: Daigo Matsui | Stars: Yû Aoi, Mitsuki Takahata, Shôno Hayama, Taiga Nakano
Votes: 334
82. Harmonium (2016)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama
Toshio hires Yasaka in his workshop. This old acquaintance, who has just been released from prison, begins to meddle in Toshio's family life.
Director: Kôji Fukada | Stars: Tadanobu Asano, Mariko Tsutsui, Taiga Nakano, Momone Shinokawa
Votes: 2,905 | Gross: $0.02M
83. 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: 2,393
84. 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
85. Destruction Babies (2016)
108 min | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
At some point beating and ravaging others becomes a routine pastime when two kids go on a rampage. Taira picks his target of men and goes for broke, while Kitahara puts down his camera long... See full summary »
Director: Tetsuya Mariko | Stars: Yûya Yagira, Masaki Suda, Nana Komatsu, Nijirô Murakami
Votes: 965
86. Canary (2004)
132 min | Drama
Based on the true events of the deadly gas attacks perpetrated by members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult on the Tokyo subway system, CANARY tells the moving story of two children, each abandoned... See full synopsis »
Director: Akihiko Shiota | Stars: Hôshi Ishida, Mitsuki Tanimura, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Miyako Koda
Votes: 368
87. Orion-za kara no shôtaijô (2007)
116 min | Drama
"The Invitation from Cinema Orion" tells the story of a couple's undying love for the cinema and each other.
Director: Kenki Saegusa | Stars: Rie Miyazawa, Ryô Kase, Ryûdô Uzaki, Tomorô Taguchi
Votes: 73
88. The Clone Returns Home (2008)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
The Clone Returns Home is a compelling meditation on the paradox of life and death, and the meaning of love and family. Set in an imaginary - yet utterly imaginable - future, this quietly ... See full summary »
Director: Kanji Nakajima | Stars: Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Eri Ishida, Hiromi Nagasaku, Kyûsaku Shimada
Votes: 667
89. Umbrella Flower (2000)
116 min | Drama
A government employee meets a hostess of a "pink club," and together they set out on a journey.
Director: Shinji Sômai | Stars: Kyôko Koizumi, Tadanobu Asano, Kumiko Asô, Akira Emoto
Votes: 343
90. The Foreign Duck, the Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker (2007)
110 min | Drama
A university student finds himself wrapped up in the bizarre world of his next door neighbor, learning about his history and relationship with a girl who changed his life.
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura | Stars: Gaku Hamada, Eita Nagayama, Megumi Seki, Kei Tamura
Votes: 1,029
91. Beautiful Sunday (1998)
93 min | Comedy
A droll and formalistic comic drama about the various relationships among, and odd obsessions of, the residents of a Tokyo apartment block.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Momoko Bitô, Teruyuki Kagawa, Ittoku Kishibe, Bannai Matsuo
Votes: 169
92. 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: 2,471
93. March Comes in Like a Lion (1991)
118 min | Drama
Set in Tokyo, Ice brings her amnesiac older brother Haruo home from the hospital to care for him. He is reluctant to go, until Ice tells him that she is his lover. Since he has no memory of... See full summary »
Director: Hitoshi Yazaki | Stars: Bang-ho Cho, Yoshiko Yura, Kôen Okumura, Kiyomi Itô
Votes: 355
94. Gukoroku - Traces of Sin (2016)
120 min | Drama, Mystery
An investigations on murder didn't reach to any results, until a journalist discover new information that get on the trail of the criminal.
Director: Kei Ishikawa | Stars: Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hikari Mitsushima, Keisuke Koide, Asami Usuda
Votes: 1,172
95. Before We Vanish (2017)
R | 129 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Three aliens travel to Earth in preparation for a mass invasion, taking possession of human bodies.
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Stars: Masami Nagasawa, Ryûhei Matsuda, Hiroki Hasegawa, Masahiro Higashide
Votes: 2,822 | Gross: $0.05M
96. Over the Fence (2016)
112 min | Adventure, Drama
A recently divorced and traumatized man moves to Hakodate, Hokkaido and attends a vocational college to learn carpentry along with several other students who are in the same boat as he. ... See full summary »
Director: Nobuhiro Yamashita | Stars: Joe Odagiri, Yû Aoi, Shôta Matsuda, Yukiya Kitamura
Votes: 494
97. Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue (2017)
108 min | Drama
Newcomer Shizuka Ishibashi throws herself into the role of Mika, a nurse by day, a 'girlie bar' hostess by night, subject to feelings of anxiety and isolation, and unable to reach through a... See full summary »
Director: Yûya Ishii | Stars: Shizuka Ishibashi, Sôsuke Ikematsu, Ryûhei Matsuda, Paul Magsign
Votes: 816
98. 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: 1,689
99. Hanagatami (2017)
169 min | Drama, War
Fulfilling his filmmaking dream of 40 years, Nobuhiko Obayashi's luminous new feature "Hanagatami" delivers a timeless story of the pureness of youth beset by the chaos of war.
Director: Nobuhiko Ôbayashi | Stars: Shunsuke Kubozuka, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Keishi Nagatsuka, Tokio Emoto
Votes: 774
100. 0.5 mm (2014)
198 min | Drama
Sawa Yamagishi worked as a nursing-care helper. The family of an old man asked Sawa to sleep with him.
Director: Momoko Andô | Stars: Sakura Andô, Miyoko Asada, Bengal, Akira Emoto
Votes: 915
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