Japanese culture is very diverse and fascinating. It is not surprising that many would like to visit this country and plunge into the scattering of ancient traditions of the local people. You don't have to buy a ticket to Tokyo to experience the Asian spirit. It is enough to include one of the 20 best Japanese films that are worth watching for all fans of East Asian flavor!
To Be With You (2004)
The plot centers on a family experiencing the loss of their beloved wife and mother. The husband blames himself for his wife's death, believing that she left too early because of his bad character. And the little son shifts all responsibility onto himself. One day, while walking, they find a girl with amnesia, who is exactly like their beloved woman.
15Rashomon (1950)
This crime drama is shot in black and white and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The leading roles were played by the legends of Japanese cinema - Machiko Kyo, Toshiro Minufe, Takishi Shimura. It was this film that brought Japan to the world stage and earned many awards.
The plot of the film unfolds in XI around the story of the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife. The story tells of four different versions of what happened - all participants in the crime give completely different testimony.
Inflatable Doll (2009)
Nozomi (Bae Doo Na) is a sex toy that comes to life and explores the world around her. However, her owner does not know that she is not just a doll. Soon the girl falls in love with another man and faces a difficult choice.
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13The Story of Hachiko / Hachikô monogatari (1987)
The touching story directed by Seijiro Koyama is based on the biographical story of the dog Hachiko. The remake of this film starring Richard Gere became very popular all over the world.
The faithful dog Hachiko spent his entire life seeing off and meeting his owner at the station. But one day, Professor Hidesaburo Ueno died right at his workplace from a heart attack. But the dog could not explain that the owner would not come again, and for 9 years he came to the station and waited for his owner until his death.
Shoplifters (2018)
This is a drama about the life of a Japanese family, which clearly cannot boast of wealth. The main characters' only legal income is their elderly grandmother's pension, and to earn food, relatives periodically commit small shoplifting. One day, a father picks up a little girl on the street, but from that moment on, the family’s usual life begins to change.
1Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
And undoubtedly, this film deserves to be on this list, at least as a bonus, despite its American production. It is based on the bestselling book by Arthur Golden, which tells the story of the geisha Sayuri.
A young girl with gray eyes finds herself in a place where geishas are raised. There she is forced to go through many trials, unrequited love, war and become one of the most famous geisha. Despite negative reviews from Japan and China, the film won numerous awards.
Masterpieces of Japanese cinema cannot be missed, because they are distinguished by their unusual charm and are created for true aesthetes.
Twilight Samurai (2002)
Seibei (Hiroyuki Sanada) is a very poor family man living with two daughters and an elderly mother. But after meeting his ex-girlfriend, his life begins to change little by little.
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In 2010, the premiere screening of one of the best films of Japanese cinema, “13 Assassins,” took place. The modern film is a new version of the film filmed in 1963 by director E. Kudo.
Japan is ruled by determined and formidable military leaders. The struggle between clans does not stop. The desire for power and might provokes open confrontation and bloody clashes. The common people are tired of the incessant hostility, but do not have the power to influence the opinions of privileged citizens. A squad of 13 professional assassins sets out to overthrow a powerful usurper. They are driven by the desire for revenge, the need to follow duty and the obligation to restore justice. The intention to get closer to the goal is almost impossible: a small team is opposed by a myriad of bodyguards of the untouchable leader Akashi.
Umimachi's Diary (2015)
Three girls come to the funeral of their father, who abandoned them as children for another family. Here they meet Shuju (Syuju Hirose), their half-sister. To find out more about their father and find a way to reconcile with their mother, the girls invite their new relative to go with them to their hometown.
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10Battle Royale (2000)
This dystopia is a Japanese Hunger Games. The film was directed by Kinji Fukasaku and was included in the ranking of the 20 best films according to Quentin Tarantino.
As a result of mass boycotts, Japanese authorities are introducing a new educational project for students - Battle Royale. Teenagers are brought to a school building on a desert island and are subjected to a deadly massacre.
Third Murder (2017)
Mikumi (Koji Yakusho) confesses to a serious crime for which he faces the death penalty. His lawyer Shigemori (Masaharu Fukuyama) at first does not understand why he should take on this case. However, after studying the facts, the confessions of the defendant and everyone involved in the case, the human rights activist comes to the conclusion that Mikumi is innocent.
10. Call
Our rating opens with the best Japanese horror film – “The Ring”. The premiere took place on January 31, 1998. The film, which has become a benchmark in its genre, is capable of scaring and making even those who are skeptical and ready to watch horror films as banal entertainment feel uncomfortable. A special “trick” is several secret techniques in camera work that give what is happening on the screen a truly creepy, demonic atmosphere. The storyline is based on a literary work of the same name, authored by Koji Suzuki.
A journalist, whose close relative recently died for unknown reasons, begins an investigation into the mysterious incidents. They are associated with watching a videotape. Everyone who watches the footage of this film hears a bell, and then soon dies under mysterious circumstances. In an effort to establish the truth and tell the world about it, the woman decides to also watch the video and... plunges into the dark world of crazy curses that will inevitably overtake their victim.
Gone (2008)
Having lost his main job, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) returns to his homeland with his wife. Here he finds a vacancy in a travel agency and decides to try to get a job at the company. The man is immediately hired, promising him big money. However, it soon turns out that there was a typo in the job advertisement, and the man will have to work in a ritual service that is shameful for the Japanese.
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9Avalon (2000)
This fantasy film was created by director Mamoru Oshii in 2000, and was presented in Russia in 2002. The plot of the film tells about the near future - a dull, depressive time, where people mostly play computer games.
The Avalon girl is one of the most popular in the gaming arena. She has gathered an army of fans and intends to find her boyfriend in the virtual universe, who disappeared after the last tour.
Heaven and Hell (Tengoku to jigoku), 1963
A dramatic film by Akira Kurosawa, even more emotional, complex and ambiguous. The story is about a rich industrialist, a good and insightful person, who is faced with a dilemma: to save someone else’s boy, who was kidnapped instead of his son by mistake, or to give up on everything and not spend money on the ransom, because otherwise he will remain bankrupt? This question will become the main idea of the film: human life or money.
The first part of the film requires patience as it shows complex thinking and negotiations, a lot of phone calls and investigations. In the second part the action is more dynamic.
12Ghost in the Shell (1995)
A real breakthrough in the field of graphic images was the animated film Ghost in the Shell, released in 1995. This anime is recognized as one of the most popular on the world market.
The plot of the cartoon in the science fiction genre unfolded in 2029. A certain Puppeteer used technology to hack the human brain and create puppets. A world where the boundaries of reality and fiction have blurred became the basis for the film of the same name with Scarlett Johansson.
Chicken in the Wind (1948)
“Chicken in the Wind” is a drama based on a heart-warming yet cruel story. No one will remain indifferent to the fate of the heroes: Tokiko is an attractive woman raising her son alone while her husband is in captivity. The woman is forced to take the most extreme measures to cope with her son's illness. She spends one night in a brothel to pay off her hospital bills. When her husband, Amamiya, returns home, Tokiko tells everything. What this led to and how the heroes coped with this difficult situation is what the film tells. Will love win?
Bodyguard (Yôjinbô), 1961
Bodyguard is also a film by Akira Kurosawa. It quite easily and naturally tells about a small episode from the life of the town shortly before the Meiji Revolution (19th century). A poor samurai decides to help the residents of a city that is being terrorized by local bandits. And they just fight and play dice all day long and hate each other. And what’s most unpleasant: young people tend to become bandits because they want an easy, beautiful life.
This film differs from similar ones in that the samurai assistant does not throw himself at the embrasure, but uses cunning to pit the “Fugitive Criminals” and “Players” gangs against each other in order to then finish off the rest. To do this, he is hired as a bodyguard by one of the gangs, having previously carried out a demonstrative massacre of members of the second gang. And then he starts a game “on two fronts.”
Some may argue that the film is not good enough to be in the TOP 10, but it has such a high rating for a reason: the film is distinguished by the fact that it uses special camera work and acting, and the film itself is about playing on human vices and desires . In general, it turned out to be unobtrusive and interesting, there is even something to laugh at - there are many humorous characters.
8Spirited Away (2001)
This cartoon became a real bomb in the history of Japanese cinema. It has received numerous awards and is ranked #1 on IMDb's list of the best animated films.
The girl Chihiro and her parents move to a new house, but along the way they find themselves in a strange place. There, the girl's mom and dad turn into pigs, and Chihiro tries to do everything possible to save them.
Features of Japanese cinema
Being traditional and original, Japanese cinema is influenced by Western films and trends. We learned about the existence of this movie not too long ago; many people remember it primarily for horror films. I think many people have watched the movie “The Ring.” Creepy...
To be honest, most Japanese paintings will not be understandable to a European. Perhaps we are not impressed by many Japanese films due to the lack of dynamics, sharply changing plots, emotional swings and exciting, familiar intrigues. Japanese cinema is rather contemplative and has a psychological or philosophical character. It’s not uncommon that, after finishing a film, you continue to remember certain plots and events for a long time; many Japanese films push you to think. And not only films, but also animation, remember the fascinating, colorful cartoons of the wonderful Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, where the plot has a deep philosophical thread.
Vagabond Kenshin (2012)
The popular Japanese film is based on the first part of the legendary manga about the killer Kenshin, who became a samurai vagabond and protector of people in atonement for past sins. In Tokyo, his path crosses with the beautiful Kaoru, an instructor at a kendo school. However, the relationship is hampered by the intervention of an opium dealer, whose gang needed Kaoru's dojo. The time has come again for Kenshin to destroy his enemies. The advantage of the film adaptation of the manga was the costumes and scenery of 19th century Japan, as well as a minimum of computer graphics in the battle scenes.
Trailer
Original title : Ruroni Kenshin: Meiji kenkaku roman tan Genre : Action, drama, melodrama Actors : Takeru Sato, Yu Aoi, Emi Takei, Go Ayano... Country : Japan Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.5, IMDb – 7.5
