Today we’re going to take you for a culture trip through some of our favorite Japanese movies.
Aside from foods, movies are often one of the best gateways to have a closer look at one culture. If you are familiar with foreign films, you would probably agree that Japanese cinema is one of its kind.
From food-theme movies, to classic movies to cult-following anime, each genre is an art form itself. They are compelling, daring, imaginative and distinctive in style.
Today at JOC, we’re excited to share a selection of our favorite Japanese movies that will take you a deeper look into the country’s history, culture and values. It’s popcorn time; make some Homemade Popcorn with Truffle Salt!
Let us know if you have watched any of these movies on the list. And if you have any recommendations, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
Food-Theme Japanese Movies
1. Sweet Bean あん – 2015
This drama film Sweet Bean received a Critic’s Pick by the New York Times, and it is said that “The movie, beautifully shot and acted, earns its ultimate sense of hope by confronting real heartbreak head-on, and with compassion”. The story centers around Sentaro, a middle-aged man who runs a tiny shop selling Dorayaki (Japanese sweet bean pancake). He finds himself confronted by Tokue, a woman in her mid-seventies with some deformities applying for the position when he puts up Help Wanted sign in his window. Reluctant at first, Sentaro changed his mind after tasting her homemade bean paste. This starts a relationship and life lessons that is much more than just food.
2. Tampopo タンポポ – 1985
Tampopo is a comedic tale of truck drivers Goro and Gun in search of some good eats and run into a widow who runs a small ramen shop. As she is facing some life troubles, they decide to help her on her quest for the perfect ramen recipe and make it the best noodle soup in town. The most recognizable character in the movie is Ken Watanabe. The movie is hilarious with its unique qualities. It comes with evocative accounts that weaves in social aspects of food, sex, cultural hang-ups etc. You may want to watch this while slurping some hot bowl of ramen!
3. Jiro Dreams of Sushi 二郎は鮨の夢を見る – 2011
Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a documentary of 85 year-old legendary sushi master Jiro Ono. He is the proprietor of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant located in a Tokyo subway station. Jiro clearly loves his job. As the title suggests, he even dreams about sushi in his sleep. His life-long devotion to the Japanese craft also brings about a complex relationship between him and his two sons.
4. Little Forest: Summer & Autumn リトルフォレスト夏/秋 – 2014
Little Forest: Summer & Autumn is set in a rustic rural mountainside. The story follows a young woman named Ichiko returns to her hometown of Komori (which means ‘Little Forest)’ after being unable to find her place in the big city. Upon her return, she comes to enjoy the simple life as she discovers her new-found connection with food and the surrounding nature and its people. As Ichiko continues to find her own self through the changing seasons, she is also facing her conflicted feelings about her return to Komori. If you don’t mind its slow pace rhythm, this simple movie may make you want to take refuge in the kitchen and start making your own bread & jam from scratch. What’s fascinating is the film has captured the desires of many stress-out city folks for a simple organic lifestyle. The bigger question: is the return to the hometown simply an escape, or the right decision?
5. Kamome Shokudo (Kamome Diner) かもめ食堂 – 2006
Kamome Diner is about a young woman who opens a Japanese diner in Helsinki, Finland. The specialty of her menu is onigiri (Japanese rice balls). As the story develops, the diner appears to attract customers with personal problems. Her delicious food and personable nature seems to help lessen their misery. Relatively slow-pace, this independent film focuses on its visual aesthetic and character development. At the heart of Kamome Diner, food has a powerful way to bring people together and of self-discovery.
Japanese Anime
6. Spirited Away 千と千尋の神隠し – 2001
Dubbed as the Japanese Alice in the Wonderland, this international acclaim anime film is about Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by spirits, witches and gods, and where humans are changed into beasts. Spirited Away is bound to ignite your imagination.
7. Grave of the Fireflies 火垂るの墓 – 1988
Grave of the Fireflies is a story of a young boy and his little sister’s struggle for survival in Japan in the aftermath of the World War II. Get your kleenex ready!
8. The Wind Rises 風立ちぬ – 2013
The Wind Rises is loosely based on the real life story of Jiro Horikoshi, the chief engineer of Japanese fighter planes during Word War 2. Despite the many controversies that surfaced during its release, the film is a remarkable work of Hayao Miyazaki, as it entwines imaginations with reality, ambitions with failures and love with war.
9. My Neighbour Totoro となりのトトロ – 1988
For a more family oriented anime, My Neighbour Totoro is definitely our pick for children and adults alike. The fantasy film takes you to the adventures of two little girls who befriend with the forest spirits when they move into a house to be closer to their ailing mother. One of the magical creatures they meet is Totoro, a huge friendly bear. Together, they set out on several magical adventures. Visually enchanting, the film taps into the wonder and innocence of being a child.
Japanese Classic Movies
10. Seven Samurai – 1954
Set during the civil unrest of 16th-century Japan, the story follows a village of farmers that hire masterless samurai to protect them against the bandit attacks every harvest season. An unforgettable masterpiece of director Akira Kurosawa, Seven Samurai is an all-time legendary picture you must watch.
11. Rashomon – 1950
Considered one of the most daring films of its era, Rashomon is another acclaimed work of Kurosawa that served an introduction of Japanese film for international audience. The plot recounts how a crime was recalled from different perspectives of a bandit, a samurai, the samurai’s wife, and a woodcutter, before ending on a climax that questions the nature of humanity. You may heard of the term ‘Rashomon Effect’? It gets the name from the movie, which refers to contradictory narratives of the same event given by different people.
Japanese Drama
12. Like Father, Like Son そして父になる – 2013
Nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Like Father, Like Son follows a story of a successful businessman whose world is turned outside down when he finds out his biological son was switched with another child at birth that he has been raising. When he faces the reality, he must make the decision to choose between his true son or the boy he raised as his own. You can expect powerful performance in this touching family drama.
More Japanese Movies?
Enjoy Japanese Movies!
We hope you enjoy this movie list we put together. You can watch some of the trailers on Youtube or find them on Amazon or your local library. Don’t want to miss a recipe?
I used to go with my mother and father to see Japanese movies when I was really young. The first movie I saw was Part 1: Miyamoto Musashi. I think there were 3 parts. I have never seen this again. I did not know what the actors were saying, but the movie was unforgettable for a young child.
Hi Florence! I just googled, and it’s Samurai I and II. I’ve never seen it before. Child memory is so vivid. It’s wonderful that you still remember the Japanese film you saw for the first time. I don’t remember what American movie I saw for the first time… Thank you for sharing your lovely story!
I really loved ‘The Departure’ as well. It’s very moving, beautifully shot, and has great background music
Hi Catherine! I agree, that movie was very moving!
Have you ever seen the movie “Departures”? It’s a touching film about a man who becomes
Hi KM! YES! My favorite Mokkun is in there so that was a must watch for me. He he he.
“The Magnificent Seven,” a western, starring Yul Brynner, Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, etc. is a 1960 remake of “The Seven Samurai.” You should watch it, if you have never done so.
Where can I get DVDs of these Japanese movies?
Can’t wait for more episodes of the “Midnight Diner!”
Hi Barabara! No, I haven’t tried watching The Magnificent Seven. Thank you for your suggestion! Hmm… DVD (English translation) can be hard… possibly streaming some of them. 🙂 Me too, I’m waiting for Season 2!
Dear Nami,
Seems like you have similar taste in movies as me! I hope they are available on my local iTunes! One minor observation when I watch popular Japanese movies (well known to outside foreigners) is that you will always find an actor or actress you are familiar with. I lost count of how many times I have seen Kirin Kiki as a grandmother (lol).
Some of my favorite Japanese dramas (although I don’t think they are as kid-friendly as the above):
-DEPARTURES
-STILL WALKING (Same director as Like Father, Like Son)
-AKUNIN 悪人
-HANABI & Kids Return (I’m a fan of Beat Takeshi)
Thanks again for the recommendations!
Oh No! I forgot “TOKYO SONATA”.
Hi Carrie! Thank you for sharing your list with me! Kiki Kirin’s movies are always good one, so kind of makes sense that the movie gets translated. She’s an amazing actor. You like Beat Takeshi! 🙂
It is nice list.
I didn’t listen early about “Kamome Shokudo”, now I am going to search this movie.
Also nice film “Devoted Cookbook”
Hi Maxim! Hope you enjoy Kamome Diner – it’s a bit slow, but good food scenes. 🙂 Hmm… I can’t find “Devoted Cookbook”. 🙁
Hi Nami,
Thanks for sharing this list! I have all of the Studio Ghibli movies I can get my hands on, so many of your choices are very familiar in our house 🙂 We even visited the Studio Ghibli museum when we were in Tokyo a few years ago, much to the delight of the entire family! I’ve seen some of your other picks too, but a few (Like Father, LIke Son, Kamome Diner) are new to me so I will have to seek them out…
Thank you for the Saturday morning inspiration!
Hi Kate! We’ve been postponing to visit Studio Ghibli Museum as it’s a bit too far (and make an appt). Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Maybe one day… Hope you enjoy the new movie choices!
Hey Nami,
I just watched Little Forest because of your recommendation and I love it! Thank you for sharing these movies! I would love it if you did more posts on Japanese culture
Hi Celine! I’ll do my best to include more culture posts. 🙂
I love most films Studio Ghibli makes and I am looking forward to Mary and the Witch’s Flower. Howl’s Moving Castle happens to be one of my favorites and I thoroughly enjoyed Jiro and Sweet Bean. I haven’t seen Little Forest, Kamome Diner, or Rashomon so I will have to check those out. Madhouse and Madman have some good films like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, The Boy and the Beast, and now I am just getting carried away….
Mary and the Witch’s Flower: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4vF4LDRrpo
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWnTeKEsDlU
Summer Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjLE8BmWfKA
The Boy and the Beast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uifJLWoWv8c
Hi Jennifer! Thank you so much for your favorite movie list! I have to check these out!
Thanks for sharing this list! I’ve seen most of them and can’t say which is my most favorite. Have a great weekend!
Thank you for reading my post, Jen!
Wow, thank you so much for this. I’ve seen with My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away and they were both good movies. Another good movie I loved as a kid was Kiki’s Delivery Service, also by Miyazaki. I watched that so many times, my parents bought the DVD.
Hi Erin! Yeah Kiki is a cute movie too! My recent favorite is The Secret World of Arrietty. It’s a cute movie too!
I would definitely add to the list of classic movies Tokyo Monogatari (Tokyo Story) directed by Ozu. It’s an amazingly beautiful film with a touching story, beautifully photographed (of course, it’s Ozu) and acted. The plot is small, and progresses at a relaxed pace, just like most of everyday life, but it is so rewarding. Some have called it one of the best films every made, I don’t disagree.
Hi Mark! I have never watched this movie and thank you for your suggestion! A must see!
Hi Namiko-san, I appreciated this movie list very much. I really want to see “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”. When I was on tour in Japan in 2014, a member of our tour had tried to get into Jiro’s restaurant and was unsuccessfully almost 6 months before the tour. Also have you ever seen the “Shall We Dance?” “Shall We Dansu?”There has been an American version of the movie made, but the original Japanese Version debuted in 1996. It is very good.
Hi Randy-san! Yeah the restaurant is very popular among the foreigners (especially so after the documentary). Yes, I saw both versions of Shall We Dance! Good movie choice!
While I am a great fan of the anime movies, and have seen and enjoyed Tanpopo, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, as a couple others listed, some of the films that really stuck with me were Memories of Matsuko (Kiraware Matsuko no Isshō), Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams, and Kwaidan. If I included anime, Akira is a the pinnacle of animation for its time, and still holds its own very well, Paprika and Tekkonkinkreet are amazing musical and visual stories, and Ghost in the Shell: Innocence is one of the best stories of metaphysical reflection set in cyberpunk world, and also has incredible music. But Studio Ghibli is the master of children’s movies, and I have really enjoyed their charm, even the touching love and sorrow of Grave of the Fireflies.
Hi Kathryn! I’m not too familiar with anime, besdies Ghibli, so thanks so much for sharing the knowledge with us! I have to check out your list!
I’ve watched Seven Samurai and most of Kurosawa’s movies. I very much liked “The Birth of Sake” also.
Hi Vel! Mr. JOC told me that story telling for that movie was amazing. Thank you for sharing! I didn’t watch it yet, I really should!