List of Japanese language films
Encyclopedia
This is a partial list of Japanese
films:
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
films:
A
- About LoveAbout LoveAbout Love is a 2005 film.Three stories are told, respectively set in Tokyo, Taipei, and Shanghai. The first two stories are about a Japanese person and a Taiwanese person. The last one is set in Shanghai with a story about a Japanese man and a Chinese woman. Some of the characters can speak...
(2005) - Adrenaline Drive (1999)
- After Life (1998)
- AikiAiki (film)Aiki is a film about a martial artist in a wheelchair. The film is from Japan and was released in 2002. It is loosely based on the life of a Danish practitioner of the Roppokai branch of Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu, Ole Kingston Jensen, who started training in Daitō-ryū after he was handicapped in an...
(2002) - AkiraAkira (film)is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo's manga Akira....
(1988) - Alakazam the GreatAlakazam the Greatis a 1960 Japanese anime film, based on the Chinese novel Journey to the West, and was one of the earliest anime films to be released in the United States. Based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka, he was named as a director of the film by Toei Company. However, Tezuka later stated that the only time he...
(1960) - AliveAlive (2002 film)Alive is a 2002 Japanese action film and the fourth film by director Ryuhei Kitamura. It is based on the manga ALIVE by Tsutomu Takahashi and stars Hideo Sakaki as the protagonist, Tenshu. Tenshu is imprisoned and sentenced to death for murdering the men who raped his girlfriend...
(2002) - All About Lily Chou-ChouAll About Lily Chou-Chouis a 2001 Japanese film written and directed by Shunji Iwai. The film portrays the rough lives of high school children in Japan, and centres around the music of a fictional singer Lily Chou-Chou.-Plot:...
(Rirī Shushu no Subete) (2001) - All Monsters AttackAll Monsters AttackAll Monsters Attack, released in Japan as , is a 1969 tokusatsu Kaiju film, also known as Godzilla's Revenge The 10th film in Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda, who also directed the special effects, assisted by Teruyoshi Nakano. This is the second film to feature...
(Gojira, Minira, Gabara: Ōru Kaijū Daishingeki) (1969) - Another Heaven (2000)
- Angel's EggAngel's Eggis a Japanese anime feature film produced by Tokuma Shoten in 1985. A collaboration between popular artist Yoshitaka Amano and director Mamoru Oshii, it incorporates surrealistic and existentialist qualities...
(Tenshi no Tamago) (1985) - Appleseed (2004)
- Appleseed Ex MachinaAppleseed Ex MachinaAppleseed Ex Machina is a 2007 Japanese animated CG film and is the sequel to the 2004 Appleseed film, similarly directed by Shinji Aramaki, and was produced by Hong Kong director and producer John Woo. It was released on October 20, 2007 in Japan and made its American premiere at the Jules Verne...
(2007) - AragamiAragamiAragami is a 2003 Japanese action film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. It was Kitamura's contribution to the Duel Project, a challenge issued by producer Shinya Kawai to him and fellow director Yukihiko Tsutsumi to film a feature length movie with only two actors, battling in one setting, in only the...
(2003) - AtragonAtragonAtragon, released in Japan as , is a 1963 Toho tokusatsu film based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa and the illustrated story Kaitei Okoku by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys...
(1963) - AuditionAudition (film)is a 1999 Japanese horror film directed by Takashi Miike and starring Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina. It is based on a Ryu Murakami novel of the same title. Over the years, the film has developed a cult following.-Plot:...
(1999) - An Autumn AfternoonAn Autumn Afternoonis a 1962 Japanese drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. It stars Ozu regular Chishu Ryu as the patriarch of the Hirayama family who oversees the wedding of his daughter, played by Shima Iwashita. It was Ozu's last film; he died in the following year...
(Sanma no Aji) (1962) - AvalonAvalon (2001 film)is a 2001 science-fiction film by Japanese filmmaker Mamoru Oshii. The name of the film originates from the island Avalon in the legend of King Arthur.-Overview:...
(2001) - Azumi (2003)
- Azumi 2: Death or LoveAzumi 2: Death or Loveis the sequel to the Japanese film Azumi based on the manga series by Yū Koyama.- Plot :Azumi 2 continues shortly after the end of the previous film with Aya Ueto returning in the title role of a young assassin charged with keeping the nation from falling into a new civil war.Azumi and her only...
(2005)
B
- Backdancers!Backdancers!Backdancers! is a Japanese film released in Japan in September 2006.The movie stars popular J-pop singer and dancer Hiroko Shimabukuro , of the group SPEED.-Plot summary:...
(2006) - The Bad Sleep WellThe Bad Sleep Wellis a 1960 film directed by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It was the first film to be produced under Kurosawa's own independent production company. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival....
(Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru) (1960) - The Ballad of NarayamaThe Ballad of Narayamais a 1958 Japanese drama film directed by Keisuke Kinoshita. It is based on the book Men of Tohoku by Shichiro Fukuzawa. The film explores the practice of ubasute....
(Narayama bushikou) (1958) - Battle RoyaleBattle Royale (film)is a 2000 Japanese film directed by Kinji Fukasaku based on the novel of the same name. It was written by Kenta Fukasaku and stars Takeshi Kitano. The film aroused international controversy.A sequel, Battle Royale II: Requiem, followed...
(2000) - Battle Royale II: RequiemBattle Royale II: Requiem, abbreviated as BRII , is a 2003 Japanese, dystopian, action-thriller film. It is a sequel to the 2000 film, Battle Royale, which in turn was based upon a controversial 1999 novel of the same title by Koushun Takami...
(2003) - Blood and BonesBlood and BonesBlood and Bones is a Japanese film, directed by Yoichi Sai and starring Takeshi Kitano. It is based on the semi-autobiographical novel Chi to hone by Zainichi Korean author Yan Sogiru ....
(2004) - Blood: The Last VampireBlood: The Last VampireBlood: The Last Vampire is a 2000 anime film produced by Production I.G and SPE Visual Works and directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo. The film premiered in theaters in Japan on November 18, 2000...
(2000) - Big Bang Love, Juvenile ABig Bang Love, Juvenile ABig Bang Love, Juvenile A is a 2006 film directed by Takashi Miike.-Plot:An unknown future. A boy confesses to the murder of another in an all-boy juvenile detention facility. The story follows two detectives trying to uncover the case...
(2006) - Big Man JapanBig Man Japanis a 2007 Japanese film written, directed and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto. It was well-received by critics in the U.S., after many months of being shown at various festivals and film events. It has received a "Fresh" score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.-Story:...
(2007) - The Bird People in ChinaThe Bird People in ChinaThe Bird People in China is a 1998 Japanese movie directed by Takashi Miike. The film is considerably more mellow in tone than some of the director's more famous works, but is not the only such film.-Overview:...
(Chûgoku no chôjin) (1998)
- Black RainBlack Rain (Japanese film)is a 1989 Japanese film by director Shohei Imamura and based on the novel of the same name by Ibuse Masuji. The events are centered on the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.-Plot:...
(Kuroi Ame) (1989) - Blue SpringBlue Spring (film)is a Japanese film directed by Toshiyaki Toyada, released in 2001. It is based on a manga by Taiyō Matsumoto. The Japanese title can be translated as "blue spring", or as "inexperienced years", i.e., teenage.-Plot:...
(Aoi haru) (2001) - Boiling Point (3-4X jugatsu) (1990)
- Bounce ko galsBounce Ko Galsis a 1997 Japanese film directed by Masato Harada.-Awards and nominations:40th Blue Ribbon Awards* Won: Best Film* Won: Best Director - Masato Harada* Won: Best Newcomer - Hitomi Satou22nd Hochi Film Award...
(1998) - Branded to KillBranded to Killis a 1967 Japanese yakuza film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Joe Shishido, Koji Nanbara, Annu Mari and Mariko Ogawa. It was a low budget, production line number for the Nikkatsu Company, originally released in a double bill with Shōgorō Nishimura's Burning Nature. The story follows Goro...
(Koroshi no Rakuin) (1967) - Bright FutureBright Futureis a 2003 Japanese film written and directed by Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, starring Tadanobu Asano and Joe Odagiri. It was entered into the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.- Plot :...
(Akarui Mirai) (2003) - BrotherBrother (2000 film)All compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"Drifter... in LAX"#"Solitude"#"Tattoo"#"Death Spiral"#"Party "#"On the Shore"#"Blood Brother"#"Raging Men"#"Beyond the Control"#"Wipe Out"#"Liberation from the Death"#"I Love You, Aniki"#"Ballade"...
(2000) - Bubble Fiction: Boom or BustBubble Fiction: Boom or Bustis a 2007 Japanese science fiction comedy film directed by Yasuo Baba available with English sub-titles. The plot centers on traveling in time from 2007 to 1990 and in the process compares some everyday things between 1990 and 2007 is a 2007 Japanese science fiction comedy film directed by Yasuo...
(2007) - The Burmese Harp aka Harp of Burma (Biruma no tategoto) (1956/1985)
C
- CasshernCasshernis a 2004 Japanese tokusatsu film adaptation of the anime series of the same name. It was written and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya. It stars Yusuke Iseya as Tetsuya Azuma/Casshern, Kumiko Aso as Luna Kozuki, Toshiaki Karasawa as Burai, Mayumi Sada as Saguree, and Jun Kaname as Barashin.-Plot:A...
(2004) - Castle in the SkyCastle in the SkyAll compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"The Girl Who Fell from the Sky" – 2:27#"Morning in Slag Ravine" – 3:04#"A Fun Brawl " – 4:27#"Memories of Gondoa" – 2:46#"Discouraged Pazu" – 1:46#"Robot Soldier " – 2:34...
(Tenkū no Shiro Rapyuta) (1986) - The Castle of CagliostroThe Castle of Cagliostrois a 1979 Japanese animated film co-written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is one of the films featuring master thief Arsène Lupin III.The second animated Lupin III movie and arguably the best known, Castle of Cagliostro was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also co-directed the first...
(Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro) (1979) - The Cat ReturnsThe Cat Returnsis a Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiroyuki Morita, produced by Studio Ghibli and theatrically released in Japan in 2002 and in 2003 in the United States through Walt Disney Pictures....
(Neko no Ongaeshi) (2002) - Chushingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki (1962)
- CleopatraCleopatra (1970 film)is a 1970 Japanese anime film directed by Osamu Tezuka and Eiichi Yamamoto. When the film was released in the United States, American distributors changed the title to Cleopatra: Queen of Sex and released it with a self-applied X rating in an attempt to repeat the success of Fritz the Cat...
(1970) - Cruel Story of YouthCruel Story Of Youth, was the second film directed by Nagisa Oshima.Oshima, who was only 28 at the time, made extensive use of hand-held cameras and location shooting, and the results drew comparisons to the French nouvelle vague filmmakers emerging at around the same time; the film became one of the primary films in...
(Seishun Zankoku Monogatari) (1960) - CureCure (film)is a 1997 thriller film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, starring Koji Yakusho, Masato Hagiwara, Tsuyoshi Ujiki and Anna Nakagawa.- Synopsis :...
(1997) - Cutie HoneyCutie Honey (film)is a 2004 Japanese tokusatsu film adaptation, produced by Gainax, of the 1970s manga and anime series Cutie Honey.The film stars popular Japanese model Eriko Sato as the hyperactive Honey. Directed by Hideaki Anno, the film loosely retells the classic story of Cutie Honey's battle to defend...
(2004)
D
- Dark WaterDark Water (2002 film)Dark Water is a 2002 Japanese drama-horror film directed by Hideo Nakata, the director of Ring and Ring 2. Dark Water is based on Floating Water, a short story by Koji Suzuki. Its Japanese name is Honogurai mizu no soko kara , which is also the name of the horror anthology by Koji Suzuki...
(Honogurai mizu no soko kara) (2002) - Death NoteDeath Note (film)is a series of two live-action Japanese films released in 2006 and based on the Death Note manga and anime series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. The films primarily center on a university student who decides to rid the world of evil with the help of a supernatural notebook that kills anyone...
(2006) - Densha OtokoDensha Otoko (film)is a 2005 Japanese film, starring Takayuki Yamada and Miki Nakatani. It is part of the Densha Otoko franchise. The film was a big success at the box office, making the story of Densha Otoko popular. It was directed by Shosuke Murakami...
(2005) - Dersu UzalaDersu Uzala (1975 film)Dersu Uzala is a 1975 Soviet-Japanese co-production film directed by Akira Kurosawa, his first non-Japanese-language film and his first and only 70 mm film. The film won the Grand Prix at the Moscow Film Festival and the 1975 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film...
(1975) - Destroy All MonstersDestroy All MonstersDestroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
(Kaijū Sōshingeki) (1968) - DistanceDistance (film)Distance is a 2001 film by Japanese director Koreeda Hirokazu, starring Arata, Tadanobu Asano, Iseya Yusuke, Terajima Susumu, and Natsukawa Yui.-Plot:...
(2001) - DodesukadenDodesukadenis a 1970 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa based on Shūgorō Yamamoto's [pen name of Satomu Shimizu] book Kisetsu no nai machi .-Plot:...
(1970)
- Dogora (1964)
- DollsDolls (film)is a 2002 Japanese film written, edited and directed by Japanese director Takeshi Kitano. A highly stylized art film, Dolls is part of Kitano's non-crime film oeuvre, like 1991's A Scene at the Sea, and unlike most of his other films, he does not act in it...
(2002) - Doraemon films
- Double SuicideDouble Suicideis a 1969 film directed by Masahiro Shinoda. It is based on the 1721 play The Love Suicides at Amijima by Monzaemon Chikamatsu. This play is often performed in the bunraku style...
(Shinjû: Ten no amijima) (1969) - DreamsDreams (1990 film)is a 1990 magical realism film based on actual dreams of the film's director, Akira Kurosawa at different stages of his life. The film is more imagery than dialogue. The alternative titles are a translation of the opening line of Ten Nights of Dreams, by Natsume Sōseki, which begins:...
(Yume) (1990) - Drugstore GirlDrugstore girlDrugstore Girl is a 2003 comedy film directed by the Japanese filmmaker Katsuhide Motoki about a young student who works in a convenience store, and five middle-aged men who develop crushes on her....
(2003) - Drunken AngelDrunken Angelis a 1948 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa. It is notable for being the first of sixteen film collaborations between director Kurosawa and actor Toshirō Mifune.- Plot :...
(Yoidore Tenshi) (1948)
E
- Early SpringEarly Springis a 1956 film by Yasujiro Ozu about a married office worker who has a fling with a typist, a fellow commuter, and the fallout that ensues with his friends and wife...
(1956) - Early SummerEarly Summeris a 1951 film by Yasujiro Ozu. Like most of Ozu's post-war films, Early Summer deals with many issues ranging from communication problems between generations and the rising role of women in post-war Japan....
(1951) - The Eel (1991)
- Eros Plus MassacreEros Plus Massacreis a Japanese black-and-white film released in 1969. It was directed by Yoshishige Yoshida, who wrote it in cooperation with Masahiro Yamada.-Plot:The film is a biography of anarchist Sakae Ōsugi, who was assassinated by the Japanese military in 1923...
(1970) - Equinox FlowerEquinox Floweris a 1958 color Japanese film directed by Yasujiro Ozu. It is Yasujiro Ozu's first film in color while Japan's first color film, Keisuke Kinoshita's Carmen Comes Home, had been released in 1951. The film is based on a novel by Ton Satomi...
(1958) - EurekaEureka (2000 film)Eureka is a 2000 Japanese film directed and written by Shinji Aoyama. It stars Kōji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, and Masaru Miyazaki.-Synopsis:...
(2000)
F
- The Family GameThe Family Gameis a Japanese movie that was directed by Yoshimitsu Morita in 1983. The movie portrays the changing dynamics of Japanese family life around the time...
(1983) - Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and TortureFemale Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture,is a 1973 Japanese film in Toei's Pinky violent genre of Pink film. Directed by prolific genre-director, Teruo Ishii the film was a sequel to director Norifumi Suzuki's Sex & Fury made earlier the same year.-Availability:...
(1973) - Fires on the PlainFires on the Plain (film)is a 1959 Japanese war film directed by Kon Ichikawa, starring Eiji Funakoshi. The screenplay, written by, Natto Wada, is based on the novel Nobi by Shohei Ooka, translated as Fires on the Plain. It initially received mixed reviews from both Japanese and international critics concerning its...
(Nobi) (1959) - The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice (Ochazuke no aji) (1952)
- Floating WeedsFloating Weedsis a 1959 film by Yasujiro Ozu and shot in colour by Kazuo Miyagawa, one of Japan's most highly regarded cinematographers. It is a remake of Ozu's own black-and-white silent film A Story of Floating Weeds ....
(Ukikusa) (1959) - Flying Phantom ShipFlying Phantom Shipis a 1969 anime feature film directed by Hiroshi Ikeda and produced by Toei Animation. It was one of the first anime films which was shown in Soviet cinema theaters being dubbed into Russian. The animation and design work on the giant robot was done by the then-largely-unknown Hayao...
(1969) - The FuneralThe Funeral (1984 film)is a 1984 Japanese comedy film by director Itami Juzo.The film shows the preparations for a traditional Japanese funeral. It mixes grief at the loss of a husband and father with wry observations of the various characters as they interact during the three days of preparation.The Funeral was the...
(Ososhiki) (1984)
G
- G@meG@meG@me is a 2003 Japanese thriller film, based on a novel by Keigo Higashino.- Plot :Advertising executive Shunsuke Sakuma is at the top of his game. Winning numerous advertising awards, the cool Shunsuke lives a life most men only dream of. He luckily lands a new massive product campaign for Mikado...
(2003) - Gamera vs. JigerGamera vs. Jigeris a 1970 kaiju film by the Daiei Motion Picture Company. It is the sixth entry in the original Gamera series.-Plot:In Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera has his hands full right from the very beginning. Japan is preparing for the 1970 World's Fair, to be held in Osaka. Construction of the various buildings...
(1970) - Gamera vs. ZigraGamera vs. Zigrais a 1971 kaiju film starring Gamera created by Daiei Motion Picture Company. Unlike previous Gamera sequels, Gamera vs. Zigra was not released by AIP-TV. Sandy Frank released the film to television and home video in the 1980s. It is one of five Gamera films featured on Mystery Science Theater...
(1971) - Genius PartyGenius PartyGenius Party is an anthology of short animated films from Studio 4°C released on July 7, 2007. The short films are Japanese anime.A sequel called Genius Party Beyond was released on February 15, 2008, and includes most of the films which were finished but not included in the original Genius...
(2007) - Genius Party Beyond (2008)
- Getting Any?Getting Any?is a 1995 Japanese film, written, directed, edited, and starring, Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano.Yatteru is the colloquial form for yatteiru , yatteru coming from the Japanese verb yaru, which is an informal word meaning 'to do', and has become slang for sexual intercourse.Getting Any? is best...
(Minnā, yatteru ka?) (1995) - Get Up! (Geroppa!) (2003)
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, released in Japan as and originally released in the US as Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film, and is the 5th film in Toho's Godzilla series...
(1964) - Ghost in the ShellGhost in the Shell (film)"See You Everyday" is different from the rest of the soundtrack, being a pop song sung in Cantonese by Fang Ka Wing. It can be faintly heard playing in the marketplace scene, when Batou is hunting the ghost-hacked puppet....
(1995) - Glory to the Filmmaker!Glory to the Filmmaker!is a 2007 Japanese film written, directed, edited by the film's lead star Takeshi Kitano. It is the second film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, following Takeshis, and concluding with Achilles and the Tortoise.-Movie Style:...
(2007) - Gigantis, the Fire MonsterGodzilla Raids Again, also known in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is a 1955 Japanese black-and-white kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, written by Shigeru Koyama, Shigeaki Hidaka and Takeo Murata, and produced by Toho....
(1955) - GoGo (2001 film)Go is a 2001 Japanese movie by Isao Yukisada, based on the novel of the same title by Kazuki Kaneshiro. The film stars Kubozuka Yōsuke and Kou Shibasaki . It tells the story of a Korean boy born and raised in Japan and his love story with a Japanese girl...
(2001) - Go, Go Second Time VirginGo, Go Second Time Virginis a 1969 Japanese film by Kōji Wakamatsu. Acclaimed filmmaker Takeshi Kitano made his film debut as an extra.-Plot:Poppo, a teenage girl, is raped by four boys on the roof of a seven-story apartment building. She asks them to kill her, but they mock her and leave. Tsukio, a teenage boy, has been...
(1969) - GodzillaGodzilla (1954 film)is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
(1954) - Godzilla vs. BiollanteGodzilla vs. Biollanteis a 1989 science fiction kaiju film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori. It was the seventeenth film to be released in the Godzilla franchise and the second in terms of the franchise's Heisei period...
(1989) - Godzilla vs. DestoroyahGodzilla vs. Destoroyah, alternatively titled Godzilla vs. Destroyer, is a 1995 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Kazuki Omori. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series...
(1995)
- Godzilla vs. GiganGodzilla vs. GiganGodzilla vs. Gigan, released in Japan as and also known as Godzilla on Monster Island when first released to U.S. theaters, is a 1972 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The 12th of Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It is the fourth film...
(1972) - Godzilla vs. HedorahGodzilla vs. Hedorah, also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, is a 1971 science fiction kaiju film. The eleventh film in Toho Co. Ltd.'s Godzilla series , it was directed by Yoshimitsu Banno with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the first film to feature Hedorah. The score was composed by Riichiro Manabe...
(1971) - Godzilla vs. King GhidorahGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah, alternatively spelled Godzilla vs. King Ghidora, is the 18th installment in the Godzilla series of films. This is the fifth film to feature King Ghidorah and the first film to feature Mecha-King Ghidorah, . The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 14, 1991...
(1991) - Godzilla vs. MechagodzillaGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, originally known in the United States as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction kaiju film. This was the 14th of the Toho studio's Godzilla series , it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and the...
(1974) - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla IIGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla IIGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, released in Japan as , is a 1993 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Wataru Mimura. It was the twentieth film in Toho's Godzilla series and the first to feature BabyGodzilla. It is also the fifth film to feature Rodan and the third film...
(1993) - Godzilla vs. MegalonGodzilla vs. Megalonis a 1973 Japanese science fiction kaiju film directed and co-written by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the thirteenth film in the Godzilla franchise...
(1973) - Godzilla vs. MothraGodzilla vs. Mothra, translated in English as Godzilla vs. Mothra, is the 19th installment in the Godzilla series of films. It is the sixth film to feature Mothra and the only film to feature Battra. The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 12, 1992...
(1992) - Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzillaGodzilla vs. SpaceGodzillais a 1994 science fiction kaiju film directed by Kensho Yamashita and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara. It was the twenty-first film released in the Godzilla series and sixth in the Heisei series of films. It is the second film to feature the Moguera and Little Godzilla and also the seventh film to...
(1994) - Godzilla vs. the Sea MonsterGodzilla vs. the Sea MonsterGodzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
(aka Ebirah, Horror of the Deep) (1966) - Godzilla: Final WarsGodzilla: Final Warsis a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
(2004) - Gojoe: Spirit War Chronicle (2000)
- Good MorningGood Morning (film)is a 1959 comedy film by Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu. It is a loose remake of his own 1932 silent film I Was Born, But..., and one of only six films that Ozu made in color.-Plot:...
(Ohayō) (1959) - Gonin (1995)
- GorathGorathGorath, released in Japan as , is a Japanese science fiction tokusatsu film produced by Toho in 1962. The story for Gorath was by Jojiro Okami.-Synopsis:...
(1962) - GozuGozuis a Japanese cult film directed by Takashi Miike.-Plot:Structurally, Gozu is a succession of bizarre scenes sandwiched between a storyline involving Minami’s search for his Yakuza brother Ozaki in a small town, that is reminiscent of the episodic quests in Greek Mythology.-Cast:*Hideki Sone as...
(2003) - Grave of the FirefliesGrave of the Firefliesis a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film written and directed by Isao Takahata. This is the first film produced by Shinchosha, who hired Studio Ghibli to do the animation production work...
(Hotaru no Haka) (1988)
H
- Hana-biHana-bi, released in the US as "Fireworks", is a 1997 Japanese film written, directed and edited by, and starring Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano. The film's score was composed by renowned Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi. This was their fourth collaboration...
(1997) - The Happiness of the KatakurisThe Happiness of the Katakurisis a 2001 film directed by Takashi Miike, with screenplay by Kikumi Yamagishi. It is loosely based on the South Korean film The Quiet Family. The film is a surreal horror-comedy in the farce tradition, which includes claymation sequences, musical and dance numbers, a karaoke-style sing-along...
(Katakuri-ke no kōfuku) (2001) - Harakiri (1962)
- Helen the Baby FoxHelen the Baby Foxis a 2006 Japanese film. It was directed by director Keita Kono, and stars actors Takao Osawa, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Arashi Fukasawa and Ryoko Kobayashi in lead roles. It was released in Japanese cinemas on 18 March 2006....
(Kogitsune Helen) (2006) - The Hidden FortressThe Hidden Fortressis a 1958 jidai-geki film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune as General and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki. A literal translation of the Japanese title is The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress.-Plot:...
(Kakushi toride no san akunin) (1958) - High and Low (Tengoku to jigoku) (1963)
- HimitsuHimitsu, , is a novel by Keigo Higashino, published in English as Naoko by Vertical. The story centers on a man whose wife and daughter are in a terrible accident; the wife dies, but when the daughter wakes up, he discovers his wife's mind inside....
(1999) - Hols: Prince of the SunHols: Prince of the Sun, also known as The Little Norse Prince or Little Norse Prince Valiant, is an anime film released in 1968. It was director Isao Takahata's feature film début. Hayao Miyazaki, Yasuo Ōtsuka, Yoichi Kotabe, and Yasuji Mori, among others, worked as animators in this movie, providing many designs, story...
(Taiyō no Ōji: Horusu no Daibōken) (1968) - House of HimikoHouse of Himiko, sometimes known in French as La Maison de Himiko , is a Japanese film made in 2005....
(Mezon do Himiko, La Maison de Himiko) (2005) - Howl's Moving CastleHowl's Moving Castle (film)is a 2004 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli and based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones...
(Hauru no ugoku shiro) (2004) - The Human ConditionThe Human Condition (film trilogy)is a Japanese epic film trilogy made between 1959 and 1961. It is based on a novel by Gomikawa Junpei 五味川純平 .-Background:It was directed by Masaki Kobayashi and stars Tatsuya Nakadai. The trilogy follows the life of Kaji, a Japanese pacifist and socialist, as he tries to survive in the fascist...
trilogy (1959-61) - Humanity and Paper BalloonsHumanity and Paper Balloonsis 1937 black-and-white film directed by Sadao Yamanaka. It is his last film. Largely unknown outside of Japan until recent years, the film has been hailed by critics , and a number of other Japanese filmmakers as one of the most influential examples of jidaigeki, or Japanese period films...
(Ninjo Kami Fusen) (1937)
I
- I.K.U.I.K.U.I.K.U. is a 2001 independent film directed by Taiwanese-American experimental filmmaker Shu Lea Cheang. It was marketed as "a Japanese Sci-Fi Porn Feature". The film was partially inspired by Blade Runner . I.K.U.s premise involves a futuristic corporation sending shapeshifting cyborgs out into New...
(2001) - I Can Hear the Sea (Umi ga Kikoeru) (1993)
- I Like You, I Like You Very MuchI Like You, I Like You Very Muchis a 1994 Japanese pink drama written and directed by Hiroyuki Oki. It is a depiction of gay life in Japan. It won the Silver Prize at the 1994 Pink Grand Prix ceremony...
(Anata-ga suki desu, dai suki desu) (1994) - Ichi the KillerIchi the Killeris a 2001 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike, based on Hideo Yamamoto's manga series of the same name.- Plot : While alone with a prostitute, crime lord Anjo is brutally murdered...
(Koroshiya Ichi) (2001) - The Idiot (Hakuchi) (1951)
- IkiruIkiruis a 1952 Japanese film co-written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film examines the struggles of a minor Tokyo bureaucrat and his final quest for meaning. The film stars Takashi Shimura as Kanji Watanabe.-Plot:...
(1952) - In the Realm of the SensesIn the Realm of the Sensesis a 1976 Franco-Japanese romantic drama film directed by Nagisa Oshima. It is a fictionalised and sexually explicit treatment of an incident from 1930s Japan, that of Sada Abe...
(Ai no Corrida) (1976)
- Innocence: Ghost in the ShellGhost in the Shell 2: InnocenceGhost in the Shell 2: Innocence, known simply as in japan, is a 2004 science fiction film and sequel to the anime film, Ghost in the Shell. Released in Japan on March 6, 2004, with an U.S. release on September 17, 2004, Innocence had a production budget of approximately $20 million...
(2004) - InochiInochiis a 2002 Japanese movie directed by Shinohara Tetsuo starring Esumi Makiko and Etsushi Toyokawa. It is based on a memoir of the same title by the Korean-Japanese author Yu Miri.-Plot summary:...
(2002 ) - It's Only TalkIt's Only TalkIt's Only Talk is a Japanese film, released in 2005 and is based on the prize winning novel of the same title written by Akiko Itoyama and directed by Ryuichi Hiroki.-Plot summary:...
(2005) - The Insect WomanThe Insect Womanis a 1963 film directed by Japanese director Shōhei Imamura. It was entered into the 14th Berlin International Film Festival where Sachiko Hidari won the Silver Bear for Best Actress award.-Plot:...
(1963) - Invasion of Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-Monster is a Science Fiction kaiju film released in 1965 as a direct sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster...
(1965) - IzoIzoIZO is a 2004 Japanese film, directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada , the historical samurai and assassin in 19th century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheading in Tosa....
(2004)
J
- Jam FilmsJam FilmsJam Films and its sequels are collections of short films, each by a different Japanese director.-Jam Films:Jam Films is a 2002 suite of 7 shorts produced by Sega/Amuse Jam Films and its sequels are collections of short films, each by a different Japanese director.-Jam Films:Jam Films is a 2002...
(2002) - Jam Films 2 (2003)
- Jam Films S (2005)
- Jin-RohJin-Rohis a 1999 Japanese animated feature film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura. The film is the third adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos saga manga, Ken-Roh Densetsu, after The Red Spectacles released in 1987 and StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops released in 1991 in Japanese theaters.The film takes place in...
(1999) - Ju-onJu-onis the title of a series of horror films by Japanese director Takashi Shimizu. Shimizu attended the Film School of Tokyo, where he studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Kurosawa helped Shimizu shepherd the Ju-on projects to fruition.-History:...
- Justice (2002)
K
- KagemushaKagemushais a 1980 film by Akira Kurosawa. The title is a term used for an impersonator. It is set in the Warring States era of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class criminal who is taught to impersonate a dying warlord in order to dissuade opposing lords from attacking the newly vulnerable...
(1980) - KairoKairo (film)is a 2001 Japanese horror film directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The film was based on his novel of the same name, and was released in the United States in 2005 as Pulse. The film was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival...
(2001) - Kamen Rider: The First (2005)
- Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed LoveKamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Loveis the theatrical film adaptation of the Kamen Rider Kabuto TV series directed by Hidenori Ishida and written by Shōji Yonemura. Unlike many others Kamen Rider movies, it does not follow the TV series's storyline. Instead, it is more like a prologue...
(2006) - Kanto WandererKanto Wandereris a 1963 Japanese yakuza film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Akira Kobayashi, Chieko Matsubara, Daizaburo Hirata and Hiroko Itō. It was a programme picture produced by the Nikkatsu Company to fill out the second half of a double bill with Shohei Imamura's The Insect Woman...
(1963) - Kids ReturnKids ReturnAll compositions by Joe Hisaishi.#"Meet Again" 5:02#"Graduation" 1:07#"Angel Doll" 2:21#"Alone" 1:15#"As a Rival" 1:29#"Promise... for Us" 5:08#"Next Round" 1:28#"Destiny" 3:31#"I Don't Care" 2:18#"High Spirits" 2:03#"Defeat" 2:29#"Break Down" 3:46...
(1996)
- Kiki's Delivery ServiceKiki's Delivery Serviceis a 1989 Japanese animated fantasy film produced, written, and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was the fourth theatrically released Studio Ghibli film.The film won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1989...
(Majo no Takkyūbin) (1989) - KikujiroKikujiroThe album includes "Summer", one of the most famous compositions by Hisaishi; it was also re-arranged and used for Toyota Corolla commercials, for instance...
(1999) - King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzillais a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
(1962) - KwaidanKwaidan (film)is a 1964 Japanese portmanteau film directed by Masaki Kobayashi; the title means 'ghost story'. It is based on stories from Lafcadio Hearn's collections of Japanese folk tales. The film consists of four separate and unrelated stories. Kwaidan is the archaic transliteration of Kaidan, meaning...
(1964) - Kagen no TsukiKagen no Tsukiis a three-volume shōjo manga series by Ai Yazawa. It was first published in Ribon, a manga magazine primarily read by teenaged girls.In 2004 it was adapted into a live-action movie...
(2004)
L
- Lady JokerLady JokerLady Joker is a 2004 film by Japanese director Hideyuki Hirayama, starring Tetsuya Watari, Satoshi Tokushige, Kouji Sakkawa, Jun Kunimura, Ren Osugi, Mitsuru Fukoshi, Haruhiko Kato, Miho Kanno, Ittoku Kishibe, and Kyozo Nagatsuka....
(2004) - The Last DanceDaibyoninDaibyonin is a 1993 film directed by the Japanese filmmaker Juzo Itami, about the final year of a successful film director suffering from cancer....
(Daibyonin) (1993) - Late AutumnLate Autumnis a 1960 drama film directed by Yasujiro Ozu. It stars many of his favourite actors including Setsuko Hara and Chishu Ryu. It is based on a story by Ton Satomi....
(Akibiyori) (1960) - Late ChrysanthemumsLate Chrysanthemumsis a 1954 film directed by Mikio Naruse. It follows four retired geisha and their struggles to make ends meet in post World War II Japan. The film is based on three short stories by female author Fumiko Hayashi, published in 1948...
- Late SpringLate Springis a critically acclaimed black-and-white Japanese film drama, directed by Yasujirō Ozu , first released in Japan in September 1949. Based on the novel Father and Daughter by Kazuo Hirotsu, the story concerns a young woman who lives happily in Kamakura with her kindly professor father, a widower...
(Banshun) (1949) - La Maison de HimikoHouse of Himiko, sometimes known in French as La Maison de Himiko , is a Japanese film made in 2005....
aka Mezon do Himiko, House of Himiko (2005) - Legendary Crocodile, Jake and His Friends
- The Life of OharuThe Life of Oharuis a 1952 historical fiction black-and-white film by director Kenji Mizoguchi starring Kinuyo Tanaka as Oharu, a one-time concubine of a daimyō who struggles to escape the stigma of having been sold into prostitution by her father...
(1952) - LonginusLonginus (film)-Synopsis:A war rages on, its end unknown, covering the world in despair. At a military field hospital, a group of soldiers bring in one of their own, wounded by a large, vicious, bite-like wound, along with a large box. The soldiers are visibly shaken. Suddenly, an enigmatic man appears...
(2004) - Love & PopLove & Pop' is director Hideaki Anno's first live action film, an adaptation of Ryū Murakami's novel, Topaz II. Released in 1998, it somewhat follows the film Tokyo Decadence, an adaptation of Topaz I filmed by Murakami himself...
(1998) - Love Is StrengthLove Is Strengthis a 1930 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse and written by Takao Yanai.-Cast:*Hiroko Kawasaki as Teruko*Teruo Mori as Shinichiro Izawa*Haruo Takeda*Shizue Tatsuta as Chiyoko*Ichirō Yuki as Toshio-External links:...
(1930) - Love Letter (1995)
- The Lower DepthsThe Lower Depths (1957 film)is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa, based on the play The Lower Depths by Maxim Gorky. The film's setting was changed to Edo-period Japan.-Cast:*Sutekichi -- Toshirō Mifune*Osugi -- Isuzu Yamada*Kahei -- Bokuzen Hidari*Okayo -- Kyôko Kagawa...
(1957) - Lupin III: The Mystery of MamoMystery of MamoThe Secret of Mamo, or The Mystery of Mamo, is the most common English name for the 1978 first animated feature film based on the Lupin III character created by Monkey Punch, originally released in Japan as simply and now known there as in order to differentiate it from the four others that...
(1978)
M
- MaborosiMaborosiMaborosi, known in Japan as Maboroshi no Hikari is a 1995 Japanese film by director Hirokazu Koreeda starring Makiko Esumi, Tadanobu Asano and Takashi Naitō...
(1995) - Maiko Haaaan!!!Maiko Haaaan!!!-Plot:Kimihiko Onizuka is a salaryman infatuated with maiko and whose greatest goal in life is to play a party game called "yakyuken" with one. Upon being transferred to his company's Kyoto branch, he dumps his coworker girlfriend Fujiko and makes his first ever visit to a geisha house...
(2007) - The Makioka SistersThe Makioka Sisters (film)is the name of three films based on the serial novel of the same name by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. The third of these films, released in 1983, is the most famous. It was directed by Kon Ichikawa.-The Sisters:...
(1983) - MatangoMatango, also known as Matango, Fungus of Terror and Attack of the Mushroom People, is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu movie. It was directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Takeshi Kimura based on the story "The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson , and had special...
(1963) - MemoriesMemories (film)Memories is an anime produced in 1995 by artist/director Katsuhiro Otomo which were based on three of his manga short stories. The film is composed of three episodes: , and...
(1995) - Merry Christmas, Mr. LawrenceMerry Christmas, Mr. LawrenceMerry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence is a 1983 film directed by Nagisa Oshima, produced by Jeremy Thomas and starring Jack Thompson, David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Yuya Uchida, and Takeshi Kitano.It was written by Oshima and Paul Mayersberg and based on Laurens van der Post's experiences...
(1983) - MetropolisMetropolis (anime)Metropolis is a 2001 [anime] film and loosely based on the 1949 Metropolis manga created by the late Osamu Tezuka, itself inspired by the 1927 German silent film of the same name, though the two do not share plot elements. The anime, however, does draw aspects of its storyline directly from the...
(2001) - Mezon do HimikoHouse of Himiko, sometimes known in French as La Maison de Himiko , is a Japanese film made in 2005....
aka House of Himiko, La Maison de Himiko (2005)
- Millennium ActressMillennium Actressis a 2001 Japanese anime by director Satoshi Kon and animated by the Studio Madhouse. It tells the story of a documentary filmmaker investigating the life of an elderly actress in which reality and cinema become blurred.-Plot:...
(2001) - MinboMinbois a 1992 Japanese film by filmmaker Juzo Itami. It is also known by the titles Minbo: the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion, The Gangster's Moll and The Anti-Extortion Woman. The film was widely popular in Japan and a critical success internationally...
(1992) - Momotaro's Divine Sea WarriorsMomotaro's Divine Sea Warriorsis the first Japanese feature-length animated film. It was directed by Mitsuyo Seo, who was ordered to make a propaganda film for the war by the Japanese Naval Ministry. Shochiku Moving Picture Laboratory shot the 74-minute film in 1944 and screened it on April 12, 1945. It is a sequel to Momotarō...
(1945) - Moon Child (2003)
- Mothra vs. GodzillaMothra vs. Godzillais a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
(1964) - Mura no Shashinshuu
- My Neighbor TotoroMy Neighbor Totoro, is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film follows the two young daughters of a professor and their interactions with friendly wood spirits in postwar rural Japan...
(Tonari no Totoro) (1988)
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- Naked BloodNaked Bloodis a 1996 Japanese horror film directed by Hisayasu Satō. It is a remake of Satō's 1987 film, , and, according to Allmovie, "contains one of the most appalling scenes in Japanese horror." The film is not pornographic and contains only a mild sex scene near the end of the film.- Plot :A scientist...
(1996) - The Naked IslandThe Naked IslandThe Naked Island is a 1960 art film directed by Kaneto Shindō. The film was made in black and white, and is notable for having no spoken dialogue.-Plot synopsis:...
(1960) - Nana (2005)
- Nana 2NANA 2Nana 2 is the sequel to the Japanese movie Nana, an adaptation of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarô Ôtani. Production for the movie began in mid-September and only one and a half month shootings finished the movie in time for the December 9, 2006 release.-Synopsis:Taking place shortly...
(2006)
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika) (1984)
- Night and Fog in JapanNight and Fog in Japanis a 1960 film from Japanese director Nagisa Oshima. It is an intensely political film- both in subject matter and in thematic concerns such as political memory and the interpersonal dynamics of social movements.- Plot :In 1960, uninvited guests interrupt the wedding ceremony between Nozawa, a...
(Nihon no yoru to kiri) (1960) - Nobody Knows (Dare mo shiranai) (2004)
- Norwegian WoodNorwegian Wood (film)is a Japanese drama film directed by Tran Anh Hung, based on Haruki Murakami's novel of the same name. The film was released in Japan on 11 December 2010.- Plot :...
(Noruwei no mori) (2010)
O
- One Missed Call (Chakushin Ari) (2003)
- One Missed Call 2 (Chakushin Ari 2) (2005)
- One Missed Call: FinalOne Missed Call: FinalOne Missed Call: Final is the 3rd film of the One Missed Call franchise, released in 2006.-Plot:Emiri, a timid high school girl, is bullied mercilessly by her classmates, but when her friend, Asuka, stands up for her, Asuka becomes the target of the bullying instead. Emiri, not wanting to be...
(Chakushin Ari Final) (2006) - OnibabaOnibabais a Japanese horror film based on a Buddhist parable. Directed by Kaneto Shindō, the film is set in rural Japan in the fourteenth century and features Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura as a woman and her daughter-in-law who attack and kill passing samurai, strip them of their valuable armor and...
(1964) - Only Yesterday (Omohide poro poro) (1991)
- OnmyojiOnmyoji (film)is a Japanese movie that was released in 2001 and sent to the US in 2004. Directed by Yōjirō Takita, it tells of the exploits of Abe no Seimei, the Onmyoji from the court of the Emperor. He befriended bungling court noble, Minamoto no Hiromasa, who enlists his aid to defend the Heian emperor...
(2001) - Onmyoji II (2003)
- Otoko wa Tsurai yoOtoko wa Tsurai yoOtoko wa tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as "Tora-san" , a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "Tora-san" by its fans...
(1969-95) - Otoko-tachi no Yamato (2005)
P
- Paprika (2006)
- Perfect BluePerfect Blueis a 1997 Japanese animated psychological thriller film directed by Satoshi Kon and written by Kon and Sadayuki Murai based on the novel of the same name by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. Junko Iwao plays Mima Kirigoe, a member of a Japanese pop-idol group called "CHAM!", who decides to pursue her career as...
(1997) - Pistol OperaPistol Operais a 2001 Japanese film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Makiko Esumi. As one of Seijun's last fims, it is related to Suzuki's 1967 Branded to Kill, either as a remake or sequel...
(2001) - Pom PokoPom Pokois a 1994 Japanese animated film, the eighth written and directed by Isao Takahata and animated by Studio Ghibli.Consistent with Japanese folklore, the tanuki are portrayed as a highly sociable, mischievous species, able to use "illusion science" to transform into almost anything, but too...
(Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko) (1994)
- Ponyo (Gake no Ue no Ponyo) (2008)
- Porco RossoPorco RossoPorco Rosso, known in Japan as is the sixth anime film directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Studio Ghibli and released in 1992, of an Italian World War I fighter ace, now living as a freelance bounty hunter chasing "air pirates" in the Adriatic Sea. The man has been cursed and transformed into...
(Kurenai no Buta) (1992) - Princess MononokePrincess Mononokeis a 1997 epic Japanese animated historical fantasy feature film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. is not a name, but a general term in the Japanese language for a spirit or monster...
(Mononoke Hime) (1997) - Princess RaccoonPrincess Raccoonis a 2005 Japanese film directed by Seijun Suzuki. The "raccoon" of the English title is actually a translation for the tanuki. It is a love story set in the musical genre and stars Zhang Ziyi as a tanuki princess and Joe Odagiri as the banished prince she falls in love with...
(Operetta Tanuki Goten) (2005)
R
- RanRan (film)is a 1985 Japanese-French jidaigeki film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film starred Tatsuya Nakadai as Hidetora Ichimonji, an aging Sengoku-era warlord who decides to abdicate as ruler in favor of his three sons. It also stars Mieko Harada as the wife of Ichimonji's eldest son...
(1985) - RasenRasenRasen is a sequel to the movie Ring. It is directed by Jōji Iida, and, as with the first movie, is based on the novel Spiral by Kōji Suzuki....
(1998) - RashomonRashomon (film)The bandit's storyTajōmaru, a notorious brigand , claims that he tricked the samurai to step off the mountain trail with him and look at a cache of ancient swords he discovered. In the grove he tied the samurai to a tree, then brought the woman there. She initially tried to defend herself with a...
(1950) - Red BeardRed Beardis a 1965 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa about the relationship between a town doctor and his new trainee. The film was based on Shūgorō Yamamoto's short story collection, Akahige shinryotan . Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Insulted and the Injured provided the source for a subplot about a...
(Akahige) (1965) - Repast (1951)
- The Return of GodzillaThe Return of GodzillaThe Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla The Return of Godzilla (released as in Japan and as Godzilla 1985 in North America, is a 1984 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The sixteenth film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka and directed by Koji Hashimoto with special...
(1984)
- ReturnerReturneris a 2002 Japanese science fiction film, directed by Takashi Yamazaki and starring Anne Suzuki and Takeshi Kaneshiro.-Plot:Milly is a soldier from 2084, where humanity is on the verge of extinction because of the "Daggra", an alien race. In mankind's final stronghold in Tibet Milly leaps into a...
(2002) - RingRing (film)is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
(1998) - Ring 0: BirthdayRing 0: BirthdayRing 0: Birthday is a 2000 Japanese film. It's the prequel to the film Ring. It was directed by Norio Tsuruta, based on a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi. The film's screenplay is based on the short story Lemonheart from the Birthday anthology by Koji Suzuki. There is also a manga adaptation...
(2000) - Ring 2Ring 2, directed by Hideo Nakata, is the sequel to the Japanese horror film, Ring.Ring was originally a novel written by Koji Suzuki; its sequel, Rasen , was also adapted into a movie as the Ring movie's sequel...
(1999) - Royal Space Force: The Wings of HonneamiseRoyal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamiseis a 1987 Japanese animated science fiction film and the first film produced by Gainax and Bandai Visual. It was directed and written by Hiroyuki Yamaga with assistant director Takami Akai. The film would eventually be a critically acclaimed Gainax classic, but it was poorly received and sold only...
(1987) - Ryu ga Gotoku (2007)
S
- Salaryman Kintarō (1999)
- Samurai ISamurai TrilogyThe Samurai Trilogy is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshirō Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto and Koji Tsuruta as Kojirō Sasaki...
(1954) - Samurai IISamurai TrilogyThe Samurai Trilogy is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshirō Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto and Koji Tsuruta as Kojirō Sasaki...
(1955) - Samurai IIISamurai TrilogyThe Samurai Trilogy is a film trilogy directed by Hiroshi Inagaki and starring Toshirō Mifune as Musashi Miyamoto and Koji Tsuruta as Kojirō Sasaki...
(1956) - SanjuroSanjurois a 1962 black-and-white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's previous film Yojimbo, with Mifune reprising his role as a wandering ronin...
(Tsubaki Sanjūrō) (1962) - Sanshiro SugataSanshiro Sugatawas the directorial debut of the Academy Award-winning Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa. First released in Japan on 25 March 1943 by Toho film studios, the film was eventually released in the United States on 28 April 1974. The film is based on the novel of the same name written by Tsuneo...
(1943) - Sansho the BailiffSansho the Bailiff-External links:* at the Japanese Movie Database* * and QuickTime trailer* essay by Mark Le Fanu...
(1954) - A Scene at the SeaA Scene at the Seais a 1991 Japanese film written and directed by Takeshi Kitano.This movie was a break from previous Kitano fare in that it features no gangsters or police...
(1991) - The Sea Is Watching (2002)
- Seven Samurai (1954)
- Shall We Dance? (1996)
- Shiki-JitsuShiki-Jitsuis a live-action film directed by Hideaki Anno.The screenplay is an adaption by Hideaki Anno and Ayako Fujitani of Fujitani's novella Touhimu, which was inspired by an emotionally difficult time spent in Los Angeles during her work in her father's 1998 film, The Patriot.The film tells the story of...
(2000) - Shimotsuma MonogatariKamikaze Girlsis a 2002 light novel written by Novala Takemoto that has been adapted into a manga and film.Kamikaze Girls centers around two students, Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri , who are from completely different backgrounds: one is a Lolita girl, the other, her gyaru antithesis, a Yankī...
(aka Kamikaze Girls) (2004) - Sky HighSky High (2003 film)Sky High is a supernatural action film from director Ryuhei Kitamura. It is based on the manga of the same title by Tsutomu Takahashi and serves as a prequel to a Japanese television drama of the same name, and starring the same actress, Yumiko Shaku...
(2003) - Son of GodzillaSon of GodzillaSon of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
(1967)
- SonatineSonatineis a 1993 Japanese film by Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano. It won numerous awards and became one of Kitano's most successful and praised films, garnering him a sizable international fan base.-Plot:Kitano plays Murakawa, a Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life...
(1993) - Spirited AwaySpirited Awayis a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy-adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The film tells the story of Chihiro Ogino, a sullen ten-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood and after her parents are transformed into pigs by the witch Yubaba,...
(Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) (2001) - Spring SnowSpring Snow (2005 film)Spring Snow is a film adaptation of Yukio Mishima's novel Spring Snow, directed by Isao Yukisada.The cast includes Satoshi Tsumabuki as Kiyoaki Matsugae, Yūko Takeuchi as Satoko Ayakura, and Sosuke Takaoka as Shigekuni Honda.The film was nominated for nine Japanese Academy Awards...
(2005) - SteamboySteamboyis a 2004 Japanese animated steampunk film, produced by Sunrise, and directed and co-written by Katsuhiro Otomo, his second major anime release, following Akira. The film was released in Japan on July 17, 2004. Steamboy is the most expensive full length Japanese animated movie made to date...
(2004) - Stray DogStray Dog (film)is a 1949 film noir police procedural directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring frequent collaborators Toshirō Mifune and Takashi Shimura.-Plot:Action takes place during a heatwave in a bombed-out, post-war Tokyo...
(Nora-inu) (1949) - Suicide ClubSuicide Club (film)Suicide Club, known in Japan as is a 2002 Japanese independent horror film that gained a considerable amount of notoriety in film festivals around the world for its controversial subject matter and gory presentation, and has since developed a significant cult following. It won the Jury Prize for...
(Jisatsu Sākuru) (2000) - Suicide ManualSuicide Manualis a 2003 film directed by Fukutani Osamu. The movie follows Yū , a cameraman who works for a small TV station. He and his assistant Rie are sent by their superior, Keita , to investigate a case of group suicide in which four people poisoned themselves with carbon monoxide...
(2003) - Sukiyaki Western: DjangoSukiyaki Western: Djangois a 2007 Japanese film by Takashi Miike. The title of this English language western refers to the Japanese dish, sukiyaki, as well as Sergio Corbucci's spaghetti western film, Django...
(2007) - Sun ScarredSun Scarred-Plot:Katayama is on the way home to his wife and little daughter when he stumbles on a gang of punks beating up an innocent man. Katamaya decides to help the stranger and surprisingly wins the fight. This turns out to be a bad decision as his daughter is kidnapped and murdered by the leader of...
(2006) - Supermarket WomanSupermarket Womanis a 1996 Japanese comedy romance film written and directed by Juzo Itami.The film stars Juzo's wife and regular leading-lady Nobuko Miyamoto as a woman who is hired by a failing supermarket to help it compete against an aggressive local rival...
(1996) - Survive Style 5+Survive Style 5+Survive Style 5+ is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Gen Sekiguchi. It stars Tadanobu Asano, Kyōko Koizumi, Reika Hashimoto, Jai West, Sonny Chiba and Vinnie Jones.-Synopsis:...
(2004) - Swallowtail ButterflySwallowtail Butterfly (film)Swallowtail , also known as Swallowtail Butterfly or Yentown, is a 1996 movie by Japanese film director Shunji Iwai, starring Hiroshi Mikami, pop-singer Chara, and Ayumi Ito....
(1996) - Swing GirlsSwing Girlsis a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by the Japanese filmmaker Shinobu Yaguchi about the efforts of a group of high school girls to form a jazz band....
(2004) - Sword of Alexander (2007)
- The Sword of DoomThe Sword of Doom, is a jidaigeki movie released in 1966. It was directed by Kihachi Okamoto and stars Tatsuya Nakadai.-Story:The story follows the life of Ryunosuke Tsukue , an amoral samurai and a master swordsman with an unorthodox style. Ryunosuke is first seen when he kills an elderly Buddhist pilgrim who he...
(1966)
T
- TabooTaboo (1999 film)is a 1999 Japanese film directed by Nagisa Ōshima. It shows life in a samurai training school during the bakumatsu period, the end of the samurai era in the mid-19th century, specifically concentrating on the issue of homosexuality in the shudō tradition in the partially-closed environment.-Plot...
(Gohatto) (1999) - Takeshis'Takeshis'Takeshis' is a 2005 Japanese film directed, written, edited by, and starring Takeshi Kitano. It is the first film in Kitano's surrealist autobiographical trilogy, being followed by Glory to the Filmmaker!, and Achilles and the Tortoise....
(2005) - The Tale of the White SerpentThe Tale of the White Serpentis the first color anime feature film, released in 1958. It was also the first to be released in America, under the title Panda and the Magic Serpent, preceding Magic Boy by three months...
(1958) - Tales from EarthseaTales from Earthsea (film)is a 2006 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Gorō Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli.The film is based on a combination of plots and characters from the first four books of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu. The...
(2006) - Tales of a Golden Geisha (1990)
- TampopoTampopois a 1985 Japanese comedy film by director Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first ramen western, a play on the term Spaghetti Western .-Plot summary:Tampopo begins when a pair of truck drivers, an experienced one named...
(1985) - The Taste of TeaThe Taste of Teais the third film by Japanese writer and director Katsuhito Ishii. The film has been referred to as a "surreal" version of Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander. It was a selection of the Cannes Film Festival.-Synopsis:...
(2004) - Tattooed LifeTattooed Lifeis a 1965 yakuza action movie directed by Seijun Suzuki. The film stars Hideki Takahashi as "Silver Fox" Tetsu. The story follows the flight of yakuza hitman Tetsu and his younger, artistic brother Kenji after the latter kills a yakuza boss in a double cross. The pair is pursued by the yakuza and...
(Irezumi ichidai) (1965) - A Taxing WomanA Taxing Womanis a 1987 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It won numerous awards, including six major Japanese Academy awards.The title character of the film, played by Nobuko Miyamoto, is a government tax investigator who employs various techniques to catch tax evaders.The director...
(Marusa no onna) (1987) - A Taxing Woman 2A Taxing Woman 2A Taxing Woman's Return, also titled A Taxing Woman 2 is a 1988 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Juzo Itami. It is the sequel to Itami's 1987 comedy A Taxing Woman....
(1988)
- Tenshi (2005)
- Terror of MechagodzillaTerror of MechagodzillaTerror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
(1975) - Tetsuo: The Iron ManTetsuo: The Iron ManTetsuo: The Iron Man is a 1989 Japanese cyberpunk film by cult-film director Shinya Tsukamoto produced by Japan Home Video. This, his third film, is an extremely graphic but also strikingly-filmed fantasy shot in the same low-budget, underground-production style as his first two films...
(1989) - Tetsuo II: Body HammerTetsuo II: Body HammerTetsuo II: Body Hammer is a 1992 Japanese science fiction/horror film directed byShinya Tsukamoto. It is a bigger-budget reworking of the same director's 1989 movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man, utilizing similar themes and ideas to the earlier film Tetsuo II: Body Hammer is a 1992 Japanese science...
(1992) - Throne of BloodThrone of BloodThrone of Blood is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Its original Japanese title is Kumonosu-jō , which means "Spider Web Castle". The film transposes the plot of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth to feudal Japan.-Plot:...
(Kumonosu-jō ) (1957) - Tokyo DecadenceTokyo Decadenceis a 1992 Japanese film. The film was directed by Ryu Murakami with music by Ryuichi Sakamoto. The film stars Miho Nikaido and is known by two other titles, Topaz, Sex Dreams of Topaz. It has been banned in Australia and South Korea...
aka Topaz (Topāzu) (1992) - Tokyo EyesTokyo EyesTokyo Eyes is a 1998 French-Japanese thriller-romance film, starring Shinji Takeda and Hinano Yoshikawa, directed by French film/documentary maker Jean-Pierre Limosin...
(1998) - Tokyo GodfathersTokyo Godfathersis a 2003 anime film by the late Japanese director Satoshi Kon.Tokyo Godfathers was Kon's third animated movie, which he wrote and directed. Keiko Nobumoto, noted for being the creator of the Wolf's Rain series and a head scriptwriter for Cowboy Bebop, co-wrote the script with Kon.Tokyo Godfathers...
(2003) - Tokyo StoryTokyo Storyis a 1953 Japanese film directed by Yasujirō Ozu. It tells the story of an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their grown children. The film contrasts the behavior of their biological children, who are too busy to pay them much attention, and their daughter-in-law, who treats them with...
(Tokyo Monogatari) (1953) - Tony TakitaniTony TakitaniTony Takitani is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Jun Ichikawa, based on the short story by Haruki Murakami.-Inspiration:Haruki Murakami was intrigued by the name Tony Takitani when, at a garage sale on Maui, he found a yellow T-shirt that said, "Tony Takitani, House ."At the time, Takitani was...
(2004) - The Twilight SamuraiThe Twilight SamuraiThe Twilight Samurai or is a 2002 Japanese film directed by Yoji Yamada. Set in mid-19th century Japan, a few years before the Meiji Restoration, it follows the life of Seibei Iguchi, a low-ranking samurai employed as a bureaucrat. Poor, but not destitute, he still manages to lead a content and...
(2002)
U
- UgetsuUgetsuUgetsu is a 1953 Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi. Set in 16th century Japan, it stars Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō, and is inspired by short stories by Ueda Akinari and Guy de Maupassant...
(1953) - Under the Flag of the Rising SunUnder the Flag of the Rising Sunis a 1972 film directed by Kinji Fukasaku.-Cast:...
(1972) - Umizaru (2004)
- UzumakiUzumaki (film)is a Japanese horror film directed by Higuchinsky. Uzumaki, released in 2000, is based on Junji Ito's episodic manga of the same name.The plot concerns a town infected with malevolent spirals...
(2000)
V
- Vampire Hunter DVampire Hunter D (1985 film)Vampire Hunter D - one of the first anime films released outside of Japan, remains a cult classic in the English-speaking world...
(1985) - Vampire Hunter D: BloodlustVampire Hunter D: Bloodlustis a 2000 anime film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. The film is based on Hideyuki Kikuchi's Vampire Hunter D novels, D - Demon Deathchase.The film began production in 1997 and was completed with the intention of being shown in American theaters...
(2000) - VersusVersus (film)is a 2000 Japanese action/horror film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura.-Synopsis:After escaping from police custody, Prisoner KSC2-303 and a fellow escapee join with a group of mobsters in a forest that is one of the 666 portals that act as a connection between this world and the next, called "The...
(2000) - VexilleVexilleis a 2007 Japanese CGI anime film, written, directed, and edited by famed Ping Pong director Fumihiko Sori, and features the voices of Meisa Kuroki, Yasuko Matsuyuki, and Shosuke Tanihara....
(2007)
- Violent CopViolent Copis a 1989 Japanese film directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano. It was Kitano's directorial debut, and marked the beginning of his career as a filmmaker.-Synopsis:...
(Sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki) (1989) - Virus (1980)
- VitalVital (film)Vital is a Japanese film made in 2004. It was directed by Shinya Tsukamoto and stars Tadanobu Asano as Hiroshi Takagi, a man whose girlfriend dies and who loses his memory in a car accident....
(2004)
W
- WaruWaru (2006 film)Waru is a 2006 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The sequel, Waru: kanketsu-hen, followed later in the year.-Cast:*Show Aikawa*Nagare Hagiwara*Yoshihiko Hakamada*Ryo Ishibashi*Hisao Maki*Keiko Matsuzaka*Johnny Okura*Hitoshi Ozawa...
(2006) - Waru: kanketsu-henWaru: kanketsu-henWaru: kanketsu-hen is a 2006 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The film is a follow-up to Waru.-Cast:*Show Aikawa as Youji Himuro*Yoshihiko Hakamada*Ryo Ishibashi*Tamio Kawaji*Hikaru Kawamura*Saki Kurihara*Shion Machida*Hisao Maki...
(2006) - WaterboysWaterboys (film)is a 2001 comedy film written and directed by the Japanese film director Shinobu Yaguchi, about five boys who start a synchronized swimming team at their high school...
(2001) - Welcome Back, Mr. McDonaldWelcome Back, Mr. McDonaldis a 1997 Japanese film directed by Koki Mitani. It was popular in Japan upon its release and won 3 Japanese Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Supporting Actor...
(1997) - When a Woman Ascends the StairsWhen a Woman Ascends the Stairsis a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Mikio Naruse.Keiko, a young widow, becomes a bar hostess in Ginza to make ends meet. The story recounts the struggles to maintain her independence in a male-dominated society...
(1930)
- When the Last Sword Is DrawnWhen the Last Sword Is Drawnis a 2003 Japanese movie directed by Yōjirō Takita loosely based on real historical events. When the Last Sword Is Drawn won the Best Film award at the 2004 Japanese Academy Awards, as well as the prizes for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor . It received a further eight...
(Mibu gishi den) (2003) - Whisper of the HeartWhisper of the Heart (film)is a 1995 Japanese animated drama film based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. It was directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki. It was the first theatrical Studio Ghibli feature to be directed by someone other than Miyazaki or Takahata, and the only film to be directed...
(Mimi wo Sumaseba) (1995) - wkw/tk/1996@7'55"hk.net (1996)
- Woman in the DunesWoman in the Dunesis a film directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara and based on the novel of the same name by Kōbō Abe. The novel was published in 1962, and the film was released in 1964. Kōbō Abe also wrote the screenplay for the film version....
(Suna no Onna) (1964)
Z
- Zatōichi series (1962–89)
- ZatōichiZatoichi (2003 film)is a 2003 Japanese samurai drama and action film, directed, written, co-edited, and starring Takeshi Kitano as his eleventh film. Kitano plays the role of the blind swordsman....
(2003) - ZebramanZebramanis a 2004 film directed by Takashi Miike. The film's name references the main character, a superhero named "Zebraman". A sequel, Zebraman 2: Attack on Zebra City, was released in 2010 featuring the addition of Masahiro Inoue of Kamen Rider Decade to the cast.-Plot:It is 2010...
(2004) - ZigeunerweisenZigeunerweisen (film)is a 1980 independent Japanese film directed by Seijun Suzuki and based on Hyakken Uchida's novel, Disk of Sarasate. It takes its title from a gramophone recording of Pablo de Sarasate's violin composition, Zigeunerweisen, which features prominently in the story...
(Tsigoineruwaizen) (1980)