Best Japanese Movies
This page is updated regularly. Subscribe, so you don't miss new recommendations. The list of "Best Japanese Movies" contains films with the following parameters. Style: weird, melancholic, touching, thought provoking, visually appealing and serious. Plot: storytelling, love, transformation, mentor, dialogue, friendship, loneliness, runaway, death and brutality. Genre: Drama, Animation and Romance. Country: Japan, USA and France.
Best Japanese Movies
TOP Movies: Like Father, Like Son (2013), Your Name. (2016), A Silent Voice (2016), Our Little Sister (2015), Fireworks (1997), Nobody Knows (2004), Drive My Car (2021), After the Storm (2016), Shoplifters (2018), Perfect Blue (1997), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Wolf Children (2012), Love Letter (1995), Princess Mononoke (1997), The Brave Little Toaster (1987), Spirited Away (2001), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), The Theory of Everything (2014), Shrek 2 (2004), Get Out (2017).
List of Best Movies
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. He learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth. He must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.
Style:
touching, emotional, disturbing, psychological, sincere ...
Plot:
parents and children, coming of age, architect, father son relationship, family reunited, boy, family relations, self discovery, introspection, moral dilemma, identity crisis, life turned upside down ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
Is relevant ?
278K
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must ...
Style:
anime, touching, sweet, romantic, emotional ...
Audience:
teens, date night, family outing, kids, teen drama
Plot:
time travel, body swapping, school, girl, beautiful scenery, love, friendship, destiny, schoolgirl, teenager, memory loss, boy ...
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 130 min.
Story:
Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya ...
Style:
anime, touching, sincere, romantic, sweet ...
Audience:
teens, kids
Plot:
bullying, teenager, deaf, sign language, disability, high school, friendship, japanese school, japanese schoolgirl, coming of age, suicide attempt, teenage girl ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Family
Country: Japan
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
A story that revolves around three sisters who live in their grandmother's home and the arrival of their 13-year-old half sister.
Style:
touching, sincere, realistic, captivating, art house ...
Plot:
teenage girl, sister sister relationship, teenager, orphan, japanese girl, family relations, mother daughter relationship, sisters, responsibility, friendship, nurse, death ...
Place:
japan
Is relevant ?
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31K
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 103 min.
Story:
A police officer leaves the force in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into a depression, he makes questionable decisions.
Style:
bleak, art house, bloody, lyrical, emotional ...
Plot:
gangsters, yakuza, police, dying, samurai, loss, death, loss of loved one, loss of partner, life is a bitch, love and romance, couple relations ...
Time:
20th century, 90s
Place:
japan, tokyo, india, asia, mount fuji
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
depressing, touching, serious, gloomy, atmospheric ...
Audience:
kids, teens
Plot:
childhood, poverty, dysfunctional family, innocence lost, young kid, children, child abandonment, boy, tragedy, coming of age, family relations, greed ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo, india, asia, california
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 179 min.
Story:
Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanja at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to ...
Style:
relaxing, inspirational, art house, bilingual
Plot:
japanese wife, driver, infidelity, audition, anton chekhov, car, rehearsal, relationships, writers, journey, time travel, revenge ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
japan, india, tokyo, hiroshima japan
Is relevant ?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 118 min.
Story:
Ryota is an unpopular writer although he won a literary award 15 years ago. Now, Ryota works as a private detective. He is divorced from his ex-wife Kyoko and he has an 11-year-old son Shingo. His mother Yoshiko lives alone at her apartment. One ...
Style:
thought provoking, semi serious, melancholic, touching, sincere ...
Plot:
father son relationship, divorce, lottery ticket, gambling, private detective, writers, money problems, storm, slice of life, family relations, lie, divorced parents ...
Place:
india, japan
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the ...
Style:
sexual, art house, art film, thought provoking, compassionate ...
Audience:
date night, teens
Plot:
poverty, shoplifting, poor family, father son relationship, social realism, secret, theft, child abduction, beach, husband wife relationship, shoplifter, orphan ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
tokyo, japan, india
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
A retired pop singer turned actress' sense of reality is shaken when she is stalked by an obsessed fan and seemingly a ghost of her past.
Style:
anime, surreal, atmospheric, suspenseful, scary ...
Plot:
murder, suspense, serial killer, twists and turns, stalking, obsession, mentally unstable, actor's life, performance, actress, psychopath, woman in danger ...
Time:
20th century, 90s
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: France, Japan, USA
Duration: 145 min.
Story:
A sweeping romantic epic set in Japan in the years before World War II, a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house.
Style:
emotional, stylized, captivating, romantic, dramatic ...
Audience:
girls' night, chick flick, teens
Plot:
love story, women, geisha, age difference, older man younger woman relationship, japanese culture, rivalry, brothel, slavery, destiny, love and romance, orphan ...
Time:
1920s, 1940s, 1930s, 20th century
Place:
japan, asia, tokyo, kyoto japan
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.
Style:
anime, heartbreaking, sweet, atmospheric, sentimental ...
Audience:
family outing, kids
Plot:
werewolf, childhood, parents and children, single mother, children, social relations, wolf, mother daughter relationship, school, female werewolf, breast feeding, death of father ...
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
When exchanging letters two women discover new things about a deceased man they used to know.
Style:
romantic, epic, art house, sweet, feel good ...
Audience:
date night, girls' night
Plot:
true love, time travel, strong female character, asian prostitute, loneliness, erotica, love story, friendship, high school, mountain, love letter, friends ...
Time:
90s
Place:
japan, hokkaido
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Ainu tribe, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to ...
Style:
anime, captivating, stylized, atmospheric, exciting ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, teens
Plot:
wolf, forest, mythology, human animal relationship, demon, nature, human spirit, talking animals, friendship, good versus evil, hopes, strong female character ...
Time:
15th century, 16th century, middle ages
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A group of dated appliances find themselves stranded in a summer home that their family had just sold decide to, a la The Incredible Journey, seek their young 8 year old "master". Children's film which on the surface is a frivolous ...
Style:
humorous, entertaining, talky, witty, semi serious ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, preschoolers, pre-teens
Plot:
friendship, disney, on the road, happy ending, greed, rescue, escapades, missing person, toys, radio, technology, secrets ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Is relevant ?
777K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 125 min.
Story:
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
Style:
anime, surreal, atmospheric, stylized, colourful ...
Audience:
family outing, kids, teens, pre-teens
Plot:
friendship, magic, surrealism, supernatural, dragon, witch, parallel world, ghost, human becoming an animal, fantasy world, rescue, bathhouse ...
Time:
2000s, 21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 141 min.
Story:
The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.
Style:
emotional, bleak, realistic, epic, disturbing ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
world war two, war, military, battles, survival, anti war, japanese history, japanese army, imperial japan, brutality, japanese military, violence ...
Time:
1940s, post world war two, 20th century, year 2005, year 1945
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, Japan
Duration: 123 min.
Story:
The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.
Style:
touching, uplifting, emotional, thought provoking, compassionate ...
Audience:
kids, chick flick, teens
Plot:
disability, genius, love, cambridge university, prodigy, husband wife relationship, fall in love, against the odds, physicist, supportive spouse, handicapped, scientist ...
Time:
60s, 20th century, 70s, 80s, 90s
Place:
oxford university, england, united kingdom
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
475K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Shrek, Fiona and Donkey set off to Far, Far Away to meet Fiona's mother and father. But not everyone is happy. Shrek and the King find it hard to get along, and there's tension in the marriage. The fairy godmother discovers that Shrek has ...
Style:
fairy tale, parody, sweet, feel good, entertaining ...
Audience:
family outing, preschoolers, kids, pre-teens, teens ...
Plot:
princess, cat, talking animals, kingdom, transformation, animals, creature, ogre, prince, dragon, donkey, true love ...
Time:
2000s, middle ages, 16th century
Is relevant ?
629K
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend ...
Style:
psychological, twist ending, suspenseful, tense, surprise ending ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
racism, cult, suspense, brainwashing, hypnosis, survival, interracial romance, manipulation, kidnapping, african american, paranoia, abduction ...
Time:
future, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
new york, brooklyn new york city
Is relevant ?
726K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. ...
Style:
touching, inspirational, emotional, colourful, sad ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, teens, pre-teens, preschoolers ...
Plot:
imaginary friend, memory, creativity, disney, dream, joy, childhood, moving, parents and children, disgust, coming of age, life philosophy ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
san francisco, minnesota, california, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
The continuation of the adventures of the Minions, always in search of a tyrannical leader.
Style:
humorous, entertaining, feel good, exciting, funny ...
Audience:
kids, family outing
Plot:
kids and family, super villain, disorder, vigilante, teenager, kung fu, technology, mad scientist, torture device, ice cream, birthday party, movie theatre ...
Time:
70s, year 1976
Place:
san francisco
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 140 min.
Story:
The official website of the "Violet Evergarden" animated TV series announced an all-new animated film for the series on Monday that will have a simultaneous worldwide release in January 2020. Plot details are unknown.
Style:
anime, touching, serious, non-linear, melancholic
Plot:
girlfriend girlfriend relationship, slice of life, alternate world, tragic love, love, fictional war, letter, confronting the past, love affair, relationships, troubled past, social problems ...
Is relevant ?
Related movie lists
Genre: Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
From the mind behind Evangelion comes a hit larger than life. When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red ...
Style:
tense, serious, dark, captivating, political ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
giant monster, godzilla, kaiju, monster, destruction, suspense, giant, radioactivity, evolution, military, scientist, tunnel ...
Time:
2010s
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
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.
Style:
thought provoking, unusual plot structure, dark, disturbing, visually appealing ...
Audience:
teens, teen drama
Plot:
vengeance, revenge, teachers and students, grief, twists and turns, japanese schoolgirl, dead daughter, bullying, child murder, teenage murderer, juvenile delinquency, teacher ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 46 min.
Story:
Takao, who is training to become a shoemaker, skipped school and is sketching shoes in a Japanese-style garden. He meets a mysterious woman, Yukino, who is older than him. Then, without arranging the times, the two start to see each other again and ...
Style:
anime, touching, colourful, atmospheric, sweet ...
Audience:
teens, date night
Plot:
rain, shoemaker, unlikely couple, age difference, youth, grownups, overcoming, older woman younger man relationship, shyness, teenage life, love and romance, teen angst ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo, asia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
The second of two theatrically released follow-ups to the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. Comprising of two alternate episodes which were first intended to take the place of episodes 25 and 26, this finale answers many of the questions surrounding ...
Style:
anime, psychological, mecha, ambiguous ending, surreal ...
Audience:
teens, boys' night
Plot:
end of the world, depression, loneliness, violence, insanity, philosophy, infiltration, robot, existentialism, death, post apocalypse, angel ...
Time:
future, 2010s, 21st century
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap, and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and ...
Style:
psychological, captivating, disturbing, cult film, weird ...
Plot:
love triangle, women, lesbian, lgbt, coincidence, encounter, suspense, revenge, female protagonist, change of luck, relationship problems, destiny ...
Place:
japan, tokyo
Is relevant ?
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: He has burned through eight of his nine lives, leaving him with only one life left. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
Style:
anime, fairy tale, sad
Audience:
kids
Plot:
wolf, anthropomorphic cat, animals, travel, cat, talking dog, talking cat, bear, mexican, giant, fear of death, anthropomorphic dog ...
Is relevant ?
244K
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Family, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
Style:
feel good, humorous, sweet, absurd, light ...
Audience:
kids, family outing, preschoolers, teens, girls' night
Plot:
silly humor, mad scientist, giant, creature, escapades, super villain, minion, disorder, creativity, fantasy world, runaway, alternate timeline ...
Time:
year 1968, 60s, 20th century, prehistory, prehistoric times
Place:
london, antarctica, england, orlando florida, new york ...
Is relevant ?
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