Akira Emoto
Biography: Old good "Emo-chan" of modern Japanese cinema. Emo's father was a close friend of legendary episode player Taji Tonoyama in elementary school days. His mother's grandfather ran a shamisen store in Ginza, Tokyo. Both parents like movies and theaters. After graduating from Machinery Department of Tokyo Industrial High School, Emoto got a job at a trading company. However, he became an actor and became a student of the acting classes of the theater company "Marui", which is headed by Nobuo Kaneko, and met Yusaku Matsuda who was in the same class. In 1999, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Dr. Akagi. He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award for Dotonbori River and Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san.
Place of Birth: Not available
Birthday: November 03, 1948
Deathday: N/A
Popularity:
Known For
Zatoichi
2003-09-06
Zatoichi
Overview: Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
Genres: Adventure Drama Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-09-06
Popularity:
Umami
2023-02-09
Umami
Overview: Following a near-death experience France's leading chef throws himself into a quest seeking the flavor that has confounded his life since he was defeated by a Japanese chef's bowl of noodles as a young man.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-02-09
Popularity:
Hard Days
2023-05-19
Hard Days
Overview: After going to extremes to cover up an accident, a corrupt cop's life spirals out of control when he starts receiving threats from a mysterious witness.
Genres: Thriller Crime Action Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-05-19
Popularity:
The Great Department Store Robbery
1987-12-26
The Great Department Store Robbery
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1987-12-26
Popularity:
The Eel
1997-05-12
The Eel
Overview: A businessman kills his adulterous wife and is sent to prison. After his release, he opens a barbershop and meets new people, talking to almost no one except for an eel he befriended while in prison.
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1997-05-12
Popularity:
A Crowd of Three
2010-06-12
A Crowd of Three
Overview: A Crowd of Three tells the story of two men, Kenta & Jun, who grew up as almost brothers at a children's facility. Kenta & Jun now works as part of a demolition crew but become fed up with their jobs. The friends then decide to take a road trip up north to visit Kenta's brother at the Abashiri prison.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-06-12
Popularity:
Noise
2022-01-27
Noise
Overview: Shishikari is a remote island, which is behind the times. The island suffers from a decreasing population and declining industries. Keita Izumi (Tatsuya Fujiwara) begins to produce black fig on Shishikari Island. Because of his well received product, the island is close to receiving a 5 billion yen grant from the government, which is part of the goverment's policy to reinvigorate rural economy. The residents of the island are excited, but their peaceful days changes by the appearance of Mutsuo Komisaka. Keita Izumi and his friends Jun Tanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) and Rookie Police Officer Shinichiro Moriya are suspicious about him. One night, Keita Izumi's daughter goes missing. Due to that, Keita Izumi, Jun Tanabe and Shinichiro Moriya happen to kill Mutsuo Komisaka. They decide to hide Mutsuo Komisaka’s murder to protect the future of the island and their families. It turns out Mutsuo Komisaka was a psycho killer. Police officers come to Shishikari Island to catch Mutsuo Komisaka.
Genres: Drama Thriller Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-01-27
Popularity:
The Life of Budori Gusuko
2012-07-07
The Life of Budori Gusuko
Overview: The fairy tale follows a young man named Gusukō in the Tōhoku forests of northeastern Japan in the 1920s. After an onslaught of droughts and natural disasters, Gusukō is forced to leave his home and search for a better life elsewhere. Gusukō joins a group of scientists at the Ihatov Volcano Department, which deals with the same natural disasters that drove Gusukō from his home.
Genres: Drama Animation Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2012-07-07
Popularity:
Turn
2001-10-13
Turn
Overview: Maki is a talented copper plate artist, however, just before her first gallery show, she gets struck by a truck. When she comes to she is at home. When she ventures outside, the city is deserted and she knows something is deeply wrong. Each day repeats; she wakes up at 2:15 in the afternoon. Gradually things start change, the phone rings, and she finds that she is not alone...
Genres: Drama Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2001-10-13
Popularity:
The Great Yokai War
2005-08-06
The Great Yokai War
Overview: A young boy with a troubled home life becomes "chosen," and he stumbles into the middle of a great war of yōkai (a class of mythological creatures), where he meets a group of friendly yōkai who become his companions through his journey. Now he must fight to protect his friends and free the world of the yōkai from oppression. The yōkai originate in Japanese folklore and range from the cute and silly to the disturbing.
Genres: Comedy Fantasy Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-08-06
Popularity:
Living Rights
2015-03-07
Living Rights
Overview: The fifth work of the "Kita-Shirakawa school movie" in which a student of Kyoto University of Art and Design, a professional film staff, and a cast team up to make a film. With a certain big disaster, people are struggling for love while holding their own circumstances, and as a result, they ask what it is to "live correctly" even in a vague and uneasy era. Ittoku Kishibe played Yanagida, the protagonist of the protagonist who created and exhibited objects that incorporate radioactive materials to create and display indiscriminate terrorism.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-03-07
Popularity:
Banana, Gloves and Whale Shark
2013-01-01
Banana, Gloves and Whale Shark
Overview: Banana, Gloves and Whale Shark
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-01-01
Popularity:
Rain Fall
2009-04-24
Rain Fall
Overview: A hit man looks to protect the daughter of one of his victims against CIA assassins.
Genres: Thriller Action Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2009-04-24
Popularity:
The City of Lost Souls
2000-09-15
The City of Lost Souls
Overview: Brazilian-Japanese gangster Mario rescues his Chinese girlfriend Kei as she's about to be deported from Japan. Desperate to escape, he hides in Tokyo's booming Japanese-Portuguese community and seeks passage from the country from a Russian mobster. To meet his price, they hold up a bigtime drug deal between the Chinese Mafia and the local Yakuza.
Genres: Action Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-09-15
Popularity:
ICHI
2008-10-25
ICHI
Overview: Ichi is a blind entertainer that travels the countryside with her traditional Japanese guitar and walking stick. She’s in search for the kind man that brought her up as a child, but because of her beauty she encounters problems every step of the way. Fortunately for Ichi, she is also a gifted swordswoman and carries a lethal blade within her walking stick.
Genres: Action Adventure Drama History
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-10-25
Popularity:
Villain
2010-09-11
Villain
Overview: Shimizu Yuichi is a shy and lonely day laborer looking for love. He aimlessly spends time corresponding with girls via telephone dating services and going on random encounters with girls looking for spending cash. His world is shattered one day when he is involved in the murder of one of his former encounters, the sweet-faced Ishibashi Yoshino who, after being jilted by playboy Masuo Keijo, berates and mocks the troubled loner.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-09-11
Popularity:
Kaizokuban Bootleg Film
1999-12-01
Kaizokuban Bootleg Film
Overview: Two best friends—Tatsuo, a retiring Yakuza member, and Kiyoshi, a cop—travel to the funeral of a woman they both loved.
Genres: Drama Crime Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1999-12-01
Popularity:
Sakurada Gate Incident
2010-10-16
Sakurada Gate Incident
Overview: Mito Domain Samurai Seki Tetsunosuke must pay the consequences for his role in the assassination of Great Elder Ii Naosuke. Based on true events.
Genres: History Drama Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-10-16
Popularity:
Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai & Sailor Suit & Machine Gun
2021-11-17
Girls, Guns and Gangsters: Shinji Somai & Sailor Suit & Machine Gun
Overview: A documentary featuring actor Akira Emoto, film scholar Chika Kinoshita, Somai biographer Tatsuya Kimura and Sailor Suit assistant director Koji Enokido discussing the making of the film, its director and its legacy.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-11-17
Popularity:
The Suspect: Muroi Shinji
2005-08-27
The Suspect: Muroi Shinji
Overview: One day in February, 2005, Metropolitan Police Department Superintendent Muroi (Toshiro Yanagiba) is arrested to take responsibility for a botched murder case he headed. His faithful colleagues, including Arashiro (Toshio Kakei) and Okita (Miki Maya), only exacerbate the situation when they try to help clear his name. Is Muroi guilty as charged or merely taking the fall? What is the truth behind the murder? Two lawyers, one determined to get Muroi, the other resolved to save him, a feud between two police departments, political power plays and legal trappings, all combine to orchestrate Muroi’s downfall.
Genres: Comedy Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-08-27
Popularity:
Worst by Chance
2003-09-13
Worst by Chance
Overview: Hidenori is a Japanese-Korean man with no sense of belonging, destination or education. He drifts around and meanders through life until a death reminds him of his heritage and so begins a journey to South Korea.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-09-13
Popularity:
Betrayal tomorrow
1990-09-14
Betrayal tomorrow
Overview: A violent detective who can handle assault and blackmail in a straight forward manner.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1990-09-14
Popularity:
One Day in January
2012-11-17
One Day in January
Overview: Every year on the fourth of January, Shobei's soba restaurant serves "Sanada Soba"; soba noodles topped with grated spicy daikon radish. Even regulars refrain from coming to the restaurant because of the extra spicy soba. But on year, a stranger comes in and finishes the bowl, announcing that it tastes familiar. The man begins to visit every year on the 4th of January to eat Sanada Soba. Shobei develops a warm feeling towards the peculiar customer he interacts with once a year.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2012-11-17
Popularity:
Golden Slumber
2010-01-30
Golden Slumber
Overview: When easy-going Aoyagi meets an old friend for a fishing trip, he ends up drugged, framed for the Prime Minister's assassination, and on the run from corrupt cops. It's only the beginning of what quickly becomes the worst, weirdest day of his life. But he'll get by with a little help from his friends, who include a famous pop diva, a rockabilly deliveryman, a crippled old gangster, and the world's most cheerful serial killer.
Genres: Action Comedy Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-01-30
Popularity:
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
1994-12-10
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Overview: A mysterious extraterrestrial being resembling Godzilla rapidly approaches Earth. The monster, dubbed SpaceGodzilla, lands to challenge the King of the Monsters.
Genres: Action Adventure Science Fiction
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1994-12-10
Popularity:
Dr. Akagi
1998-05-17
Dr. Akagi
Overview: At the end of WWII, Japanese doctor Akagi searches for the cure for hepatitis in the prisoner-of-war camp.
Genres: Comedy Drama History
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1998-05-17
Popularity:
Maborosi
1995-10-01
Maborosi
Overview: A tragedy strikes a young woman's life without warning or reason. She continues living while searching for meaning in a lonely world.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1995-10-01
Popularity:
The Chasing World
2008-02-22
The Chasing World
Overview: A teenager is transported to a parallel world where everyone who shares his family name is being hunted down by the dictatorial government.
Genres: Horror Mystery Science Fiction
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-02-22
Popularity:
Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit
2008-09-26
Ikigami: The Ultimate Limit
Overview: In an attempt to spur citizens into taking more productive roles in society, the Japanese government issues death messages, or "ikigami", informing them that they have only 24 hours left to live. The film follows a young man tasked with delivering these messages, as well as the victims.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-09-26
Popularity:
Sumo Do, Sumo Don't
1992-01-15
Sumo Do, Sumo Don't
Overview: A college senior, Shuhei, is blackmailed by a professor into joining the school's sumo team. He is aided by a group of misfits who must team together to defeat their rivals or face disgrace and the disbandment of the sumo club.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1992-01-15
Popularity:
The Silk Road
1988-06-25
The Silk Road
Overview: In 1026, students in western China are shanghaied into the forces of crown prince Li Yuanhao of Xi Xia, who wants to control the length of the Silk Road. One student is Zhao Xingde, who becomes the favorite of his commander, Zhu Wangli. While sacking a fortress, Xingde discovers Tsurpia, princess of the Uighur. He hides her; they fall in love. When he's sent away to study Xixian, he leaves Tsurpia in Zhu's care, but returns to find her engaged to Li. Tragedy follows, and he and Zhu enter a pact to take revenge when Li arrives at Dun-Huang, the region's seat of learning and culture. Against overwhelming odds, they find a surprising way to leave a monument to their life and love.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1988-06-25
Popularity:
I Want To Live Once More: Shinjuku Bus Fire Incident
1985-03-02
I Want To Live Once More: Shinjuku Bus Fire Incident
Overview: On the night of August 19, 1980, a bus was set on fire by the vagrant Hirofumi Maruyama at the Shinjuku West Exit Bus Terminal. In the burning flames, Mitsuko, who was exhausted by her affair, suddenly thought of suicide. As a result, she escaped too late from the bus and suffered a serious injury. From there, she was hospitalized for a long time. As she gradually recovered, the wife of her affair partner, Soroku Sugihara, died of cancer. Soroku proposed to Mitsuko again, and they lived together. Due to Soroku's mounting debt, they decided to flee to Tojinbo. With the desperate persuasion of her acquaintances, Mitsuko regained her desire to "live again."
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1985-03-02
Popularity:
Starfish Hotel
2007-02-03
Starfish Hotel
Overview: Office drone Arisu finds his own life imitating the mystery novels of his favourite writer when his wife disappears and he finds he is being pursued by a sinister figure in a rabbit suit.
Genres: Horror Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-02-03
Popularity:
In His Chart
2011-08-27
In His Chart
Overview: There is a degree of realism when a professional in the field writes about his vocation and such is the case here. Adopted from a novel written by a doctor and set in Nagano, doctor Kuriharai is overwhelmed by the number and variety of patients he has to see due to a shortage of physicians where he practices. He aspires to work somewhere more convenient, specialize and see more of his wife, but faces a dilemma many other doctors experience.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-08-27
Popularity:
Manhattan Kiss
1992-06-13
Manhattan Kiss
Overview: An adult love story written and directed by Yasushi Akimoto of "Goodbye Mama" and shot on location in New York. Haruko and Natsuko are sisters who get along like friends. One day, her younger sister Natsuko visited her older sister Haruko in New York. However, the real purpose of Natsuko's trip to the United States was to meet her affair partner Mami Okawa, who left her without saying anything and was transferred to New York. Natsuko immediately visits Okawa and introduces her to her older sister .
Genres: Comedy Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1992-06-13
Popularity:
April Bride
2009-05-09
April Bride
Overview: On April 5, 2007, a couple married in a church. At first glance, it was a typical wedding. The bride, however, was suffering from late-stage breast cancer and had been given only a month to live. A young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer but keeps the information from her boyfriend. When he finds out, he decides to plan a wedding even though she only has one month to live. Based on the true story of Chie Nagashima, a women afflicted with breast cancer and her husband Taro Akasu.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2009-05-09
Popularity:
Ace Attorney
2012-02-11
Ace Attorney
Overview: Based primarily on the first game in the series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the film focuses on rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright, as he strives to protect his clients in various murder trials, including the death of his mentor, Mia Fey, and the accusation of rival prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth. Phoenix's greatest ally is Mia's younger sister Maya, a spirit medium whose body is possessed by Mia to communicate with him.
Genres: Crime Mystery Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2012-02-11
Popularity:
Karate-Robo Zaborgar
2011-10-15
Karate-Robo Zaborgar
Overview: An evil criminal organisation called Sigma kidnap prominment business leaders to harvest their DNA and only Karate-Robo Zaborgar can save them.
Genres: Action Science Fiction
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-10-15
Popularity:
Goal of the Sky
2023-07-15
Goal of the Sky
Overview: A single mother who returned to her hometown at the lowest point of her life, and a doctor who is energetically working in remote areas. While helping the local elderly, they begin to move forward to overcome the wounds they carry in each other’s hearts. Life, death, and hope intersect.
Genres: Romance Drama TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-07-15
Popularity:
Haru's Journey
2010-05-22
Haru's Journey
Overview: Stuck in a fishing village in Hokkaido, Tadao's grand-daughter Haru is desperate to visit Tokyo, a trip Tadao is reluctant to make.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-05-22
Popularity:
For the coming day
2005-05-06
For the coming day
Overview: Miyo Hanayama works as a home care nurse, supporting the home care of patients who are close to death. Shigeaki Noguchi complains that his wife has stopped talking to him since he collapsed once. Noriko Imaizumi refuses to undergo surgery because her business has taken off and continues to recuperate at home. And 18-year-old Emi Akizuki insists on visiting the town where she used to live. Everyone is trying their best to live their lives while keeping an eye on their imminent death, which may come at any moment. Meanwhile, Yuki, a nurse like Miyo, discovers she is pregnant.
Genres: TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-05-06
Popularity:
Unforgiven
2013-09-13
Unforgiven
Overview: An old swordsman, his former comrade and a young braggart are hired by prostitutes to track down bandits who mutilated one of the women.
Genres: Action Crime Drama Western
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-09-13
Popularity:
The Setting Sun
2022-11-04
The Setting Sun
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-11-04
Popularity:
The Motive
2004-12-18
The Motive
Overview: Four people are discovered brutally murdered in an up-scale high-rise apartment. All the victims appear to be family, but as the investigation deepens it is discovered that one of the victims isn't related to the family.
Genres: Crime Drama Mystery TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-12-18
Popularity:
The Friends
1994-04-09
The Friends
Overview: A delightful and moving coming-of-age story. One summer, three young boys take an increasing interest in an eccentric old man who lives alone in a house surrounded by an overgrown garden. The boys form a bond with the recluse and set about weeding and replanting the garden.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1994-04-09
Popularity:
September 1923
2023-09-01
September 1923
Overview: Based on the murder of nine street peddlers in the aftermath of the Great Kanto earthquake.
Genres: History Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-09-01
Popularity:
Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet
2011-12-23
Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet
Overview: Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943) was the Japanese Naval commander who was given the order to attack Pearl Harbour, an order he was duty bound to obey which went against his own personal beliefs. While this infamous attack is a low point in Japanese and US history it wouldn’t have happened if the Japanese government had listened to Yamamoto in 1939 and searched for a more peaceful way to end their war campaign, proving his many ominous presages of the outcomes of the attack to come true.
Genres: History War
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-12-23
Popularity:
Lovers Lost
1982-06-12
Lovers Lost
Overview: A poignant love story between a 29-year-old woman, who has once been a prostitute but is now the mistress of a wealthy jewelry merchant, and a 19-year-old college student.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1982-06-12
Popularity:
Wandering
2022-05-13
Wandering
Overview: In a park on a rainy evening, a 19-year-old university student, Fumi, offers an umbrella to a soaking wet 10-year-old girl, Sarasa. Realizing her reluctance to go home, Fumi lets her stay in his place, where she spends the next two months in peace.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-05-13
Popularity:
Cast Me If You Can
2010-10-23
Cast Me If You Can
Overview: An actor, who always plays supporting roles and lives in the shadow of his famous playwright father, falls in love with an energetic aspiring actress and rediscovers himself.
Genres: Romance Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-10-23
Popularity:
BON-UTA, A Song from Home
2019-02-15
BON-UTA, A Song from Home
Overview: Taiko drummer, Hisakatsu Yokoyama, and fellow evacuees of Futaba, Fukushima fight to keep their beloved “Futaba Bon-Uta” alive after their hometown, is wiped out by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit the Töhoku region in Japan.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-02-15
Popularity:
The Lightning Tree
2010-10-22
The Lightning Tree
Overview: Set during the Edo Period, a young man from a noble family meets a young woman under a special tree called "Raiou" (the tree was struck by lightning at one time with the broken part eventually sprouting out cherry blossoms). The young woman lived freely in the mountains after she was abducted as a young child. The couple soon fall in love under the Raiou tree, but become acutely aware of their different social positions & the ramifications it has on their relationship.
Genres: History Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-10-22
Popularity:
A Woman from Ashio
2014-01-18
A Woman from Ashio
Overview: A story about a woman from Yanaka Village, Tochigi Prefecture, which was abolished by the government due to the Ashio Copper Mine pollution incident in the late Meiji Period. The drama depicts the struggle of the woman who gradually matures as a person through her encounters with versatile figures, including socialists and writers, after moving to Tokyo.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-01-18
Popularity:
Yellow Elephant
2013-02-02
Yellow Elephant
Overview: Married couple Aiko Tsumari and Ayumu Muko live a happy and peaceful life. Aiko is bit naive, while Ayumu works as a not so popular novelist. One day, a letter arrives for Ayumu. Because of this letter, the couple become estranged...
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-02-02
Popularity:
祈り ―幻に長崎を想う刻―
2021-08-20
祈り ―幻に長崎を想う刻―
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-08-20
Popularity:
Touken Ranbu 2
2023-03-31
Touken Ranbu 2
Overview: In the year 995, due to a secret talk between Michinaga Fujiwara (Akira Emoto) and Seimei Abe (Terunosuke Takezai), Yorimitsu Minamoto (Kanji Tsuda) is ordered to subjugate ghost Shutendoji, who lives in Oe Mountain. Yorimitsu Minamoto and his men soon encounter difficulties in carrying out their mission due to the appearance of strangers. These strangers are handsome warriors Munechika Mikazuki (Hiroki Suzuki), Kunihiro Yamanbagiri (Yoshihiko Aramaki), Hasebe Heshikiri (Masanari Wada), and Toushirou Honebami (Fuma Sadamoto) and they are trying to protect history.
Genres: Action Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-03-31
Popularity:
海の見える理髪店
2022-05-09
海の見える理髪店
Overview:
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-05-09
Popularity:
The War and a Woman
2013-04-27
The War and a Woman
Overview: Set towards the end of World War II, Nomura (Masatoshi Nagase) is a writer who is in despair. A woman works in bar and is a former prostitute. Many years ago, her father sold her to a brothel due to the family's severe financial hardships. The writer and the woman then agree to live as husband and wife until the war ends. The woman doesn't feel sexual pleasures due to her past, while the man lusts for the woman's body. Meanwhile, Ohira (Jun Murakami) fought for Japan in China. He participated in unconscionable acts against civilians in the name of war. He returns to Japan with only one arm. Ohira then begins to prey on innocent women.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-04-27
Popularity:
The Innocent Game
2023-11-10
The Innocent Game
Overview: Kiyoyoshi Kuga attends law school, aiming to work in the legal field as a lawyer. His childhood friend Mirei Orimoto also attends the same law school. One day, a leaflet is distributed by an anonymous person at their law school. The leaflet makes accusations about the past of Kiyoyoshi Kuga and Mirei Orimoto. Soon, unpleasant cases takes place around them. Kiyoyoshi Kuga talks to Kaoru Yuki, who is an extremely smart classmate and in charge of the mock trials. These three people chase after the truth, but they face an unexpected situation.
Genres: Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-11-10
Popularity:
Private Lessons II
1993-03-06
Private Lessons II
Overview: Ken, an insecure young man from Japan, meets Sophie, an interesting and sensual woman who teaches him the secrets of love and life.
Genres: Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1993-03-06
Popularity:
The Taste of Fish
2008-06-07
The Taste of Fish
Overview: It may sound cliché, but Japanese people really do love their fish. If Japan has the best and freshest fish in the world, then Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market is where you're most likely to find them. It's the home of Japan's biggest daily fish auction, and it's a place of fierce competition between fish merchants that have been in the business for generations. Based on a comic series, The Taste of Fish follows businessman Shuntaro, who has a successful career in a trading company and is in a steady relationship with girlfriend Asuka. One day, Shuntaro has to help out at the fish wholesaler store run by Asuka's father, and he immediately falls in love with the world of Tsukiji Fish Market. Soon, Shuntaro quits his job and devotes all of his time to running the business while learning about the market's fascinating set of long-standing traditions. However, he must first also learn to distinguish the tastes of different fishes before he can survive in the competitive world of Tsukiji.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-06-07
Popularity:
The Shadow Spirit
2007-12-21
The Shadow Spirit
Overview: A series of murders of beautiful girls occur in Tokyo not long after the end of the war. Also the daughter of a retired actress, Yuzuki Yoko, has gone missing. In the meantime, a religious cult that claims to shut away misfortunes in a box has been gaining popularity, displaying an eerie aspect. Yoko's daughter is alleged to have been run over by a train, and taken into a research institute situated in a gigantic box-shaped building. A private detective Enokizu (Abe Hiroshi), a writer Sekiguchi (Shiina Kippei), a journalist Atsuko and a police detective Kiba each pursues their own case, and Chuzenji (Tsutsumi Shinichi), an owner of a secondhand bookshop, "Kyogoku Do" suspects that all cases are linked to the box-shaped research institute.
Genres: Thriller Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-12-21
Popularity:
Owl
2003-02-07
Owl
Overview: A mother and daughter are stranded in small, isolated cabin, and are starving to death. In order to survive, they plan to entice men that happen to stray to their cabin with sex, and kill them. All goes well until a local cop shows up and, then, an old relation.
Genres: Comedy Drama Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-02-07
Popularity:
KT
2002-05-03
KT
Overview: This movie is a political/espionage thriller, based on a real kidnapping incident of Korean politician, Kim Dae-Jung.
Genres: Drama Action Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2002-05-03
Popularity:
The Most Beautiful Night In The World
2008-05-24
The Most Beautiful Night In The World
Overview: Betrayed and disgraced, big-city reporter Kazuya Mizuno is banished to a desk at Kaname's boring little town newspaper. But Kaname isn't as boring as it seems on the surface. Not with characters around like Shimeko, a girl genius with a childlike lack of propriety, and her ace fisherman/folk-singer dad. Or the overbearing and unpleasant local Shinto priest, a former Christian cultist. Or Endo, Kazuya's new colleague, a bitter drunk after his son's suicide. Or Kin, a former terrorist, now a hermit on his boat engaging in secret "research." Or perhaps most importantly Teruko, the hypnotically beautiful bar owner, the focus of all manner of innuendo and intrigue. Something mysterious, even mystical, is going on Kaname, and hapless Kazuya is about to be thrown into the middle of it.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-05-24
Popularity:
Will to Live
1999-01-15
Will to Live
Overview: It is based on the story of The Ballad of Narayama updated to the present day, with the substitution of putting a parent into an old people's home for the abandonment of the original. The film won the Golden St. George and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1999-01-15
Popularity:
Wood Job!
2014-05-10
Wood Job!
Overview: After failing his university entrance exam, Yuki Hirano sets his eyes on the role of a forestry trainee. Setting off for training he doubts his decision many times, but eventually after passing the training course, he is sent to Kamusari Village for a year of work experience - where he becomes assimilated with the beauty of nature and the warm-hearted people of the village.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-05-10
Popularity:
0.5 mm
2014-11-08
0.5 mm
Overview: Sawa, a home helper for a middle class family with an elderly infirm grandfather, is forced to stretch her morals to keep her job. As a result, she finds herself broke and out on the street. She survives her first night by striking up an ambiguous friendship with a kindly old man, gaining access to a portion of the immense wealth held by Japan's aging population. She continues with similar encounters, and while these begin as scams or revenge on rampant sexism, they ultimately become vulnerable intergenerational exchanges.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-11-08
Popularity:
John Rabe
2009-04-02
John Rabe
Overview: A true-story account of a German businessman who saved more than 200,000 Chinese during the Nanjing massacre in 1937-38.
Genres: Drama History War
Original Language: de
Release Date: 2009-04-02
Popularity:
Fujio Akatsuka's Gag Porno: In the Mood Once Again
1979-03-31
Fujio Akatsuka's Gag Porno: In the Mood Once Again
Overview: Softcore porn collaboration between Nikkatsu director Shinya Yamamoto and gag manga artist Fujio Akatsuka, utilizing both creators' comedy techniques in an erotic setting.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1979-03-31
Popularity:
Life Back Then
2011-11-19
Life Back Then
Overview: Kyohei Nagashima (Masaki Okada) has shut away the world. During his high school days he was the target of bullying and experienced horrifying moments. Now as a young adult Kyohei takes a new job. He works for a company that specializes in cleaning out the homes of recently deceased individuals. With his new job Kyohei meets co-worker Yuki (Nana Eikura). Yuki has also experienced a traumatizing event as a teen and has also shut herself away from the world. These two young people form a bond as they go through the homes of the recently departed people. They gradually open up to each other and in the process to the world. Yet, their fragile psyches may or may not be ready for such changes ...
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-11-19
Popularity:
Oh! Father
2014-05-24
Oh! Father
Overview: Yukio is a typical high school student in every way except that he's an only child in a family of five. This is because he has four fathers, each with their own unique personalities and interests. The only thing they share in common is their love of their son. When Yukio witnesses a robbery, he becomes involved in a bizarre string of incidents involving his fathers.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-05-24
Popularity:
Postcard
2010-10-27
Postcard
Overview: Toward the end of World War II, middle-aged soldier Keita is entrusted with a postcard from a comrade who is sure he will die in battle. After the war ends, Keita visits his comrade's wife Yuko and bears witness to the tragic life she has led.
Genres: War Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-10-27
Popularity:
The Lakeside Murder Case
2004-01-22
The Lakeside Murder Case
Overview: Three couples are staying at a lakeside cottage with their children. They want them to prepare intensely for a prestigious high school's entrance exam with the help of a private tutor. One night, one of the wives confesses to her husband that she has killed his mistress.
Genres: Mystery Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-01-22
Popularity:
Farewell, Kuro
2003-07-01
Farewell, Kuro
Overview: Based on a true story set in Matsumoto city, Nagano, during 1960s. A stray dog wanders into a high school's grounds. The dog, named Kuro, stays at the school and becomes a special friend to everyone.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-07-01
Popularity:
Barber's Sorrow
2002-11-09
Barber's Sorrow
Overview: A S&M comedy about a masochist barber.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2002-11-09
Popularity:
Shylock's Children
2023-02-17
Shylock's Children
Overview:
Genres: Drama Mystery Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-02-17
Popularity:
The Last Frankenstein
1991-04-20
The Last Frankenstein
Overview: Professor Sarusawa and his psychic daughter Mai live together after the suicide of the Professor's wife years earlier - which was caused by a suicide plague running rampant throughout the city. Dr. Aryo lives in a nearby castle with his wife, whom Dr. Aryo created, and a hunchbacked assistant. Dr. Aryo once worked at the same university with Professor Sarusawa but was fired for his morbid experiments. Now, Dr. Aryo may hold the key to unlocking the origins & cure for the suicide virus which Professor Sarusawa may now have. Meanwhile Professor Sarusawa's daughter Mai can be bring to life Dr. Aryo's stitched up cadavers which Dr. Aryo hopes to create a new race with.
Genres: Drama Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1991-04-20
Popularity:
The Whispered City
2000-07-07
The Whispered City
Overview: Director Jun Ichikawa spins this affectionate portrait of the people who populate Shimokitazawa, a bohemian corner of Tokyo filled with small theater companies and smoky coffeehouses.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-07-07
Popularity:
The Happiness
2006-11-23
The Happiness
Overview: the story of a vagrant (Ishibashi) who arrives in a town in Hokkaido. With only a threadbare suit, an old pair of sneakers and a bag containing all his worldly possessions the proprietors of a local convenince store (played by Jun Murakami and Akemi Sakurai) taske pity on the man and bring him in.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-11-23
Popularity:
All Around Us
2008-06-07
All Around Us
Overview: Kanao, a courtroom portrait artist, observes crimes, scandals and the decline of Japanese values without passing judgement. As he and his wife endure the tragedy of their first child’s death, hope slowly unfolds and their love story flickers to life once again.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-06-07
Popularity:
Ninja Kids!!!
2011-07-23
Ninja Kids!!!
Overview: The film stars Seishiro Kato as Rantaro who is sent to a ninja training school by his parents. During the summer, their teacher is invaded by a group of rival ninjas culminating in a race to ring a bell on top of a mountain.
Genres: Action Drama Family
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-07-23
Popularity:
Present for You
2013-10-04
Present for You
Overview: Shigeru Kajiwara (Joe Odagiri) works part-time at a company that sells mysterious health food. One day, the other employees run off with the company's money.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-10-04
Popularity:
Memories of Matsuko
2006-05-27
Memories of Matsuko
Overview: While combing through the belongings of his recently deceased aunt, Matsuko, nephew Sho pieces together the crucial events that sank Matsuko's life into a despairing tragedy.
Genres: Comedy Drama Music
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-05-27
Popularity:
Yudo: The Way of the Bath
2023-02-23
Yudo: The Way of the Bath
Overview: Two estranged brothers inherit Marukin Hot Springs, a small-town bathhouse. One sees it as an homage to their late father; the other—a struggling architect—as lucrative real estate for condos. Their eclectic collection of townsfolk customers show them the value of the bath goes way beyond a scrub and soak.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-02-23
Popularity:
River of First Love
2004-11-13
River of First Love
Overview: 8-year old boy, Shimpei, who loves fishing and painting, lives with his beautiful mother, surrounded by nature. His mother, Satsuki, has a weak constitution and lost her husband years ago. She takes care of her son lovingly but sometimes strictly, on her own. Shimpei's childhood sweetheart, Sayuri, is deaf, but somehow they can understand each other and they always spend time together.
Genres: Family Romance Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-11-13
Popularity:
The Go Master
2007-05-24
The Go Master
Overview: The life of Go master Wu Qingyuan from his meteoric rise as a child prodigy to fame and fortune as a revolutionary strategic thinker, as well as the tumultuous conflicts between his homeland of China and his adopted nation of Japan.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2007-05-24
Popularity:
Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad
2007-04-14
Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad
Overview: Adapted from the bestselling Japanese autobiography of the same title, this gentle coming-of-age drama concerns an adolescent boy, Boku - Masaya, torn between the inherited recklessness of his father Oton and the inherited responsibility, wisdom and emotional strength of his mother Okan. Following a period of intensely rebellious behavior, Boku learns that his mom has contracted cancer; suddenly, his mother comes to live with him in Tokyo the entire emotional landscape of his life is altered.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-04-14
Popularity:
After the Flowers
2010-03-13
After the Flowers
Overview: Ito, daughter of a clan official, encounters Magoshiro Eguchi. Magoshiro is a low ranking samurai sparks an attraction with Ito. Ito challenges Magoshiro to a sword match using bamboo sticks. Mahoshiro accepts. The pair's duel causes sparks to fly an attraction from both sides. Meanwhile, Ito faces an arranged marriage with Saisuke Katagiri and Magoshiro is with Kayo...
Genres: History Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-03-13
Popularity:
Abduction
1997-06-07
Abduction
Overview: The film opens with kidnappers of a corporate executive making an unusual ransom demand: that a wizened executive from another company haul large bags of money through downtown Tokyo as the media documents his every move. When the first old man almost dies from exhaustion, a second, and eventually a third elderly corporate fat cat is ordered to do the same. The police detective assigned to the case (Tetsuya Watari) and his younger partner (Masatoshi Nagase) are livid with indignation at this sorry spectacle. They learn that these four men were involved in a massive industrial spill that poisoned an entire rural hamlet 20 years previous. Suddenly, the detective -- who studied in the States and apparently absorbed some John Wayne-like mannerisms in the process -- isn't sure who are the victims and who are the villains.
Genres: Action Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1997-06-07
Popularity:
Beijing Watermelon
1989-11-18
Beijing Watermelon
Overview: Shunzo is a popular greengrocer in a town near Tokyo. His life, and the lives of his wife Michi, and their two children, undergoes a dramatic change when he encounters Li, a poor college student from China.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1989-11-18
Popularity:
It's Only Talk
2006-06-10
It's Only Talk
Overview: Based on an award winning novel, It's Only Talk is about the life of Yuko, a 35-year old woman. She is single and unemployed, and suffers from manic depression. The movie begins with Yuko moving to Kamata Town.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-06-10
Popularity:
Life Can Be So Wonderful
2007-09-15
Life Can Be So Wonderful
Overview: Five short stories of life's joys and sorrows are brought together in this omnibus drama from Japan.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-09-15
Popularity:
Cold
2014-09-27
Cold
Overview: Genius scientist Kikuo Himura (Yosuke Kubozuka) succeeds in developing a miracle cure for the cold virus. There are now people who are after Kikuo Himura's cold vaccine. Doctor Ichinose (Akira Emoto) is jealous of Kikuo Himura and tries to get the formula which is only in Kikuo Himura's head. Dougen (Chris Peppler) is a high-ranking member of a secret organization. Him and his subordinate try to get the vaccine source by any means necessary. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman, Sakurako (Manami Konishi) approaches Kikuo Himura.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-09-27
Popularity:
The Rainbow Seeker
1996-12-28
The Rainbow Seeker
Overview: A young man fails his company entrance exams and leaves home to work at a run-down cinema in Tokushima, whose owner lives to bring entertaining films to the residents of his small town.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1996-12-28
Popularity:
Moon and Cherry
2004-12-25
Moon and Cherry
Overview: When an alluring young woman joins an erotic writing class, she begins a game of sexual cat and mouse with a naïve college student. As they venture into more and more unpredictable territory in the bedroom, he begins to think she might be using him as a test subject for her fiction more than anything else.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-12-25
Popularity:
Japan Sinks
2006-07-15
Japan Sinks
Overview: In the aftermath of a major earthquake, scientists predict that Japan will sink into the sea. As further disasters follow, politicians plead with other countries to take refugees, while scientists struggle to save Japan itself.
Genres: Drama Thriller Adventure Science Fiction
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-07-15
Popularity:
The Cycling Genius Is Coming!
2008-09-06
The Cycling Genius Is Coming!
Overview: Teru (Yuya Endo) has been brought up in a hill town and spent his childhood conquering the slopes on his bicycle. Being a cycling fanatic, who resents defeat, he joins Kamegaoka High School, which used to boast a powerful cycling club. There he meets Hatomura (Yuichi Nakamura), an ace of the club who wants to turn around the club which has deteriorated to the point of dissolution, and Yuta (Hiroki Suzuki), an aloof cycling genius with unshaken confidence in his speed who does not allow others to follow him. Meeting a rival that is faster than him for the first time, Teru joins the club in order to challenge them. His only interest, however, is his own cycling speed. Joining the club teaches Teru the importance of teamwork to support the lead cyclist and to place priority on the victory of the team. --AsianWiki
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-09-06
Popularity:
Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2
1992-12-19
Yamai wa kikara: Byôin e ikô 2
Overview: A comedy about a young woman who has terminal cancer.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1992-12-19
Popularity:
Time Trip App
2014-07-26
Time Trip App
Overview: In 1868, a battle between new government forces and shogunate forces are about to take place in Edo. Katsu Kaishu wants to avoid useless bloodshed and sends a peace envoy to Takamori Saigō, but Katsu Kaishu is unable to get a response from Takamori Saigō. One day, Katsu Kaishu meets high school teacher Mikako and her student Masaya who is captivated by the shogunate. Mikako and her student Masaya tells Katsu Kaishu that they are from the future. Katsu Kaishu takes care of Mikako and her student Masaya, while Mikako hopes to go back to the future where she came from.
Genres: Science Fiction Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-07-26
Popularity:
Humanoid Monster, Bem
2012-12-15
Humanoid Monster, Bem
Overview: Bem, Bela and Belo arrive at a new town plagued by a series of mysterious, unsolved cases which, as they discover, are caused by another youkai, one more powerful than they have ever encountered. The story will also focus on Belo's first love, and his increasing desire to become human. In the meantime, Bem and Bela have found a way to become human, but are conflicted about whether to let just Belo turn human, or along with Belo, become humans themselves.
Genres: Mystery Drama Family
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2012-12-15
Popularity:
Asahiyama Zoo Story: Penguins in the Sky
2009-02-07
Asahiyama Zoo Story: Penguins in the Sky
Overview: Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido, is the northernmost zoo in Japan. The unpopular zoo welcomes a new zoo keeper, young Yoshida (Yasuhi Nakamura), who has more affection for insects than people after years of being bullied at school when he was young. Yoshida soon realizes that Asahiyama Zoo is facing a financial crisis and the zoo director Takizawa (Toshiyuki Nishida) has been doing everything in his power to save the zoo from closing down. Moved by Takizawa's passion, Yoshida and other zoo keepers came to share the zoo director's belief that one's dreams can come true, and together they tackle this seemingly impossible task of revitalizing Asahiyama. A breakthrough arrives in the form of “Behavioral Exhibition,†a method that is pioneered by Ashiyama's zoo keepers and which eventually makes the zoo renowned throughout the world.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2009-02-07
Popularity:
I Can Hear the Duck Singing
1993-09-11
I Can Hear the Duck Singing
Overview: A man fed up with city life moves to a village in the mountains
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1993-09-11
Popularity:
A Lone Scalpel
2010-06-05
A Lone Scalpel
Overview: Dr Toma, a skilled surgeon, starts work at a regional hospital in Japan. After performing an operation to remove a patient’s liver cancer, something that normally would not be done at this hospital, he quickly gains a very good reputation amongst the town’s people. Some of his colleagues become so jealous they are resentful and waiting patiently for the perfect opportunity to crucify him. Soon they get their chance as Dr Toma considers performing a controversial operation…
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-06-05
Popularity:
Roar of the Crowd
1990-06-09
Roar of the Crowd
Overview: Based on the non-fiction books by Takushi Ono (the NHK announcer, not the gymnast) and Yoshinari Tobe.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1990-06-09
Popularity:
Scrap Heaven
2005-10-08
Scrap Heaven
Overview: The lives of a young cop, a sanitation worker and a brooding pharmacist violently intersect on a bus that's hijacked by a suicidal political flunky, then cross paths again months later.
Genres: Drama Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-10-08
Popularity:
Heaven's Story
2010-10-02
Heaven's Story
Overview: A young girl named Sato watches on television as a man named Tomoki states brazenly at a press conference that he hopes convicted murderer Mitsuo is eventually placed back into society so that he can kill him with his bare hands.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-10-02
Popularity:
Fancy Dance
1989-12-23
Fancy Dance
Overview: Yohei, a punk rocker, becomes a Buddhist monk in order to inherit a mountain temple. Though initially rebelling against the tough monastic discipline, he learns to adjust. Then his girlfriend shows up, enticing him to return to his rock 'n' roll roots.
Genres: Comedy Drama Music
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1989-12-23
Popularity:
Journey to the Shore
2015-09-30
Journey to the Shore
Overview: Mizuki’s husband Yusuke has been missing for three years. He suddenly comes back home as a ghost and asks Mizuki to go on a trip with him. Their trip consists of visiting the people that helped Yusuke on his previous travel.
Genres: Drama Fantasy Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-09-30
Popularity:
Vampire in Love
2015-04-17
Vampire in Love
Overview: Kiira seems like an ordinary young girl, who likes to talk with her friends and to dress up. Her ultimate goal is to become the world's best baker, but what differentiates her from others is that she is a vampire. She has never told anyone her secret, including her childhood friend Tetsu, whom she played with everyday and liked as a child. After her parents died when Kiira was only 12-years-old, she had to go live with her relatives and lost contact with Tetsu. Now, 8 years later, Tetsu appears at the bakery where Kiira is working part-time. Kiira is ecstatic to see her first love again. Soon, they are dating and Kiira dreams of having a family with Tetsu. Kiira also becomes filled with worries because she is vampire.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-04-17
Popularity:
Egoist
2023-02-10
Egoist
Overview: After losing his mother at the age of 14, Kōsuke spent his depressed adolescence hiding his gay identity in a rural town. Now working as a fashion magazine editor, he spends his free time with his close friends. One day, he meets Ryūta, a personal trainer who works in part to support his aging mother.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-02-10
Popularity:
Rental Family
Rental Family
Overview: A down-and-out actor living in Tokyo is hired as a token American guy for a Japanese rental-family company, leading him on an unexpected journey of self-discovery through the roles he plays in other people’s lives.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date:
Popularity:
Ripples
2023-05-26
Ripples
Overview: Yoriko Sudo believes in a new religious group Midoriinochikai, that worships water. She lives peacefully, devoting herself to the group daily.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-05-26
Popularity:
A House on a Hill
2014-12-06
A House on a Hill
Overview: Rieko Sugita, a young and beautiful hairdresser who happens to visit a bedding shop owned by Yoshitaro (Emoto) and the latter becomes so besotted with her that they begin an affair without his wife's knowledge. On the other hand, Rieko hates her late mother (Fueki Yuko) for sleeping around with other men but is actually following in her footsteps by sleeping with men for money. One day, she reunites with her first love Naoki (Ozawa) who has become an assistant professor and shares a dark secret with her. Soon, the romance between them is rekindled. However, Yoshitaro who has lost his fortune and is about to lose Rieko, becomes consumed by jealousy which brings Rieko, Naoki and him to the point of no return. -- Dorama World
Genres: Mystery Drama TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-12-06
Popularity:
Sleeping Forest
2014-01-02
Sleeping Forest
Overview: A man is found dead in a office of Takayanagi Ballet Company. The suspect is a female dancer at the ballet company. The Takayanagi Ballet Company insists that the incident is a self defense case, but after an investigation there's doubts in that claim. Then, the director of the Takayanagi Ballet Company is poisoned to death. Are the cases related?
Genres: TV Movie Mystery Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2014-01-02
Popularity:
The Man from Shimizu
1982-12-28
The Man from Shimizu
Overview: On the day his mother dies, young gambler Jirocho swears in front of her grave that he'll never gamble again. But, that night, Jirocho heads to a gambling den, where he bets the condolence money for his mother's funeral. No surprise to learn he loses the lot. Not the hard-boiled yakuza story it seems, this is a comedy featuring many new artists who were making a name for themselves at the time.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1982-12-28
Popularity:
Round About Midnight
1999-11-06
Round About Midnight
Overview: While on a cigarette break in between sets, Koji, a jazz musician, witnesses a murder and runs into a girl, Linda, who is being pursued by the killers. Mistakenly identified as prime suspects, they have to solve the crime but time is running out: Koji has to be back to perform in his club by midnight, as a very special guest will be attending.
Genres: Crime Thriller Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1999-11-06
Popularity:
Love Letter
1998-05-23
Love Letter
Overview: A romantic film about the spiritual exchange between a gangster and a Chinese woman who got married to him under false pretenses.
Genres: Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1998-05-23
Popularity:
Do Unto Others
2023-03-24
Do Unto Others
Overview: A community is shocked when the bodies of an elderly man and the manager of a home-visit nursing centre are found. The passing of 42 elderly patients is connected to Shiba, a caretaker recognised for his affection and dedication.
Genres: Mystery Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-03-24
Popularity:
GARO -Gold Storm- Sho
2015-03-28
GARO -Gold Storm- Sho
Overview: Ryuga and Makai Priest Rian attempt to cleanse the Golden Armor when they are confronted by living weapons- the Madou– who have another way to free the world from Horrors. In the process, Ryuga will unlock a new stage of power referred to as Garo Sho.
Genres: Drama Action Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-03-28
Popularity:
Angel Guts: Red Vertigo
1988-05-07
Angel Guts: Red Vertigo
Overview: Nami is a nurse and the unwilling object of her patients' lust. When she is hit by a car whilst fleeing from the home of her unfaithful boyfriend, the driver of the car takes her as a sexual prisoner.
Genres: Drama Horror Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1988-05-07
Popularity:
Capone Cries a Lot
1985-02-16
Capone Cries a Lot
Overview: Umiemon is a naniwa-bushi singer who travels with his wife to the United States in hopes of achieving fame and fortune.
Genres: Drama Action Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1985-02-16
Popularity:
No Place to Go
2022-10-08
No Place to Go
Overview: Michiko used to work as a live-in part-timer at an izakaya, but suddenly lost her job and her house at the same time due to COVID-19 pandemic. There are no new jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and diners and internet cafes are closed. Michiko is at her wits' end, but there in front of her is a bus stop that stands slightly brightly in the darkness, illuminated only by the streetlights.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-10-08
Popularity:
Nagisa
2000-06-10
Nagisa
Overview: Set in the late 60s in a small seaside town, this coming of age drama centres on a young girl named Nagisa. She spends her summer holidays working in a local seaside bar, searching for her lost cat, dancing to rock’n’roll and discovering first love.
Genres: Romance Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-06-10
Popularity:
Muromachi Burai
2025-01-17
Muromachi Burai
Overview: Set in war-torn 15th century Kyoto, on the eve of the Onin War, the movie centers on a band of outlaws led by Hyoe (Oizumi) a scoundrel whose lethal sword skills place him at the tip of the spear in a deadly uprising against the corrupt Shogunate and its army, led by former friend-turned-archrival, Doken (Tsutsumi).
Genres: Action Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2025-01-17
Popularity:
Drugstore Girl
2004-02-07
Drugstore Girl
Overview: Pharmaceutical student, Keiko witnesses her boyfriend having an affair. Shocked and disappointed, she jumps on a train ("destination anywhere, east or west, she don't care") and ends up in a town named Masao in Tokyo's remote suburbs. There, she gets a part-time job at a newly opened drugstore. What do ya know.. The local shopping district's middle-aged men all fall for the young girl's charms, and they start practicing lacrosse once they have found out that that's her favourite sport.
Genres: Romance Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-02-07
Popularity:
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun
1981-12-19
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun
Overview: A high-school girl inherits a declining yakuza organization, which seeks to repair its fortunes under her leadership.
Genres: Action Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1981-12-19
Popularity:
The Mohican Comes Home
2016-04-09
The Mohican Comes Home
Overview: Eikichi left his hometown in Hiroshima for Tokyo. He tried to find success with his music band, but failed. Several years later, Eikichi goes home to tell his father, Osamu, that his girlfriend is pregnant. His father curses him out, but he is also excited to have a grandchild. Osamu has a party to celebrate the news, but, at the party, he collapses and goes to the hospital. Eikichi struggles to make his father happy.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-04-09
Popularity:
The Big Bee
2015-09-12
The Big Bee
Overview: Set in 1995. A helicopter, operated remotely, is hovering in the sky over a nuclear power plant. The power company, prefectural government and media all receive a fax. The fax contains a threat that if the nuclear power plant is not taken offline the helicopter will be dropped. 8 hours is given as the deadline. Making the situation even more dire, a young child is in the helicopter.
Genres: Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-09-12
Popularity:
The Summer of Stickleback
2006-10-14
The Summer of Stickleback
Overview: Set in Kyoto, 1990. Mizuho Oshima is a high school girl who hates her alcoholic mom, adores her father, and has a crush on school swim team member Sho Sugimoto. Her father lives with another women, but Mizuho hopes to reunite her family. Her mother then takes up with an Amerian soldier named Charlie and they become an item. This crushes Mizuho's hopes of reuniting her family. Mizuho then seduces her mother's lover ...
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-10-14
Popularity:
Shin Godzilla
2016-07-29
Shin Godzilla
Overview: 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 tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side - the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.
Genres: Action Science Fiction Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-07-29
Popularity:
Maria's Stomach
1990-07-21
Maria's Stomach
Overview: A carnivorous monster lives on the island of Sipang. A group of office ladies band together to fight it.
Genres: Horror Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1990-07-21
Popularity:
The Second Is a Christian
1985-09-14
The Second Is a Christian
Overview: The story of beautiful Christian nun, Kyoko who is the object of affection for two very different men - one the happy-go-lucky yakuza gangster, Haruhiko who is the next-in-line to takeover the ragtag "Tenryu Gumi" gang and the other bumbling police detective Kumashiro. The Tenryu Gumi is a collection of misfits and other troublemakers but are relatively peaceful due to their Christian beliefs. Their bitter rivals are the more traditional "Kuroiwa Gumi", a much more sadistic and violent group led by godfather Kuroiwa.
Genres: Comedy Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1985-09-14
Popularity:
When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang
1993-09-01
When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang
Overview: From the 1980s to the 1990s, New Taiwanese Cinema gained international attention for adopting a completely different approach to that of the commercial films which had preceded it. This piece contrasts Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang, two rivals who were the driving force behind New Taiwanese Cinema. The closing of a cinema invites us to reflect on society and the passage of history.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1993-09-01
Popularity:
Migawari Mission
2024-02-09
Migawari Mission
Overview: Kozukenosuke Kira is slashed with a sword by Ako Daimyo, who holds deep contempt towards Kozukenosuke Kira. Ako Daimyo then kills himself. Both of their families now fall into a big crisis. At this time, a vassal for the Kira family comes up with an extraordinary solution. The plan calls for Takaaki Kira, who is the younger brother of Kozukenosuke Kira, to pretend he is his older brother and deceive the shogunate. Takaaki Kira looks virtually identical to his older brother.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2024-02-09
Popularity:
Doppelganger
2003-09-27
Doppelganger
Overview: Shortly after hearing from a colleague about a woman whose brother committed suicide after seeing his doppelgänger, a Japanese engineer on the verge of a breakthrough in medical technology is confronted by his own.
Genres: Comedy Science Fiction Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-09-27
Popularity:
Black Widow Business
2016-08-27
Black Widow Business
Overview: Kozo Nakase attends meetings for single widowers looking to remarry. He meets Sayoko Takeuchi and eventually marries her. Not longer after their marriage, Kozo Nakase suddenly collapses and dies. Kozo Nakase leaves everything to Sayako. The rest of his family are left out of his will including his daughter Tomomi. Tomomi hires a private investigator, Honda, to find out more about Sayoko.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-08-27
Popularity:
Battle Heater
1989-11-03
Battle Heater
Overview: Furuchi and Hama are two unsuccessful repair agents and electronic engineers. One day Furichi finds a so-called Kotatsu heater. Soon after this Furichi dies in a traffic accident. But with the help of a stun gun succeed Hama Furichi bring back to life, but also Kotatsu heater comes alive then.
Genres: Comedy Horror Science Fiction
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1989-11-03
Popularity:
Tora-san Goes to Vienna
1989-08-05
Tora-san Goes to Vienna
Overview: During his wandering throughout Japan, Tora-san meets a suicidal man. He travels with the man to Vienna, but winds up homesick for Japan.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1989-08-05
Popularity:
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
1982-08-07
Hearts and Flowers for Tora-san
Overview: During his travels, Tora-san gets drunk with an old man in Kyoto. Though Tora-san never fully comprehends his importance, the old man is a Living National Treasure ceramist. At his home, Tora-san makes a good impression on the old man's maid, who apparently falls in love with Tora-san.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1982-08-07
Popularity:
Hana
2003-11-01
Hana
Overview: Yoichiro Nozaki, a high-achieving office worker, collapses from an aneurysm. The doctor advises immediate surgery, but the outcome is uncertain. Even if successful, he might lose all his memories. Resigning from his job and leaving the surgery consent form blank, Nozaki falls into a deep depression. Seeking a change, Nozaki decides to go on a trip. On the morning of his departure, he meets Torigoe at their designated meeting spot. Torigoe suggests avoiding the expressway and instead taking National Routes to Kagoshima. And so, the journey of two men, both grappling with a sense of loss, begins.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-11-01
Popularity:
The Yen Family
1988-05-14
The Yen Family
Overview: Set in Japan during the bubble era, this unique home comedy cheerfully and humorously depicts the daily life of a strange family that works together to accumulate a small amount of money, while mixing irony and satire.
Genres: Comedy Drama Family
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1988-05-14
Popularity:
The Pearls of the Stone Man
2015-06-20
The Pearls of the Stone Man
Overview: Atsushi and Ryoko are a married coupled. They decide they want to live around nature and move to Biei in Hokkaido, Japan. Atsushi isn't sure what to do with his free time, so Ryoko asks him build a stone wall around their house. Atsushi experiences tragedy, but later gets closer to his estranged daughter, Satoko. Atsushi continues building the stone wall.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-06-20
Popularity:
Elevator to the Gallows
2010-10-09
Elevator to the Gallows
Overview: A phone conversation occurs between a man and a woman. They both state their love for each other and that they will do this so they can be together. The woman is in a hotel room with a view of the port. The man is inside of a parked car with a view of the ocean. A man named Colonel appears and hands the man a box with a loaded gun inside. The Colonel states "its a present from the witch". The woman's name is Meiko (Michiko Kichise) and she is the young wife of Takamitsu Temiyako (Takamitsu Temiyako) - president of a large medical corporation. The man in the parked car is Dr. Tokito Takahiko (Hiroshi Abe) an employee of the large medical corporation. This evening, Meiko and Tokito will implement their plan to murder Meiko's husband and frame his death as a suicide.
Genres: Thriller Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-10-09
Popularity:
Shippu Rondo
2016-11-26
Shippu Rondo
Overview: An illegal biological weapon K-55 is stolen from a university lab. The university lab can't even call the police because the secret nature of the weapon. The school lab then receives a message stating that the entire country is now being held hostage and they must pay a ransom of 300 million yen.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-11-26
Popularity:
A Honeymoon in Hell: Mr. & Mrs. Oki's Fabulous Trip
2011-05-14
A Honeymoon in Hell: Mr. & Mrs. Oki's Fabulous Trip
Overview: Although Nobuyoshi and Saki just got married and moved into a new apartment, their relationship still lacks spark. Things start to change as they meet a weird fortune-teller who also happens to operate tours to hell. Without further ado the young couple books a honeymoon trip which takes them to the most bizarre, colorful and fun vision of hell you could ever dream of.
Genres: Comedy Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-05-14
Popularity:
Harimao
1989-06-03
Harimao
Overview: A movie about Yutaka Tani, also known as " Malay Tiger Harimao, " who was active on the Malay Peninsula during the Pacific War
Genres: War Adventure History Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1989-06-03
Popularity:
Dance till Tomorrow
1991-06-22
Dance till Tomorrow
Overview: Live action adaption of Naoki Yamamoto's romantic comedy manga series.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1991-06-22
Popularity:
Maru
2024-10-18
Maru
Overview: Sawada graduated from an art university but cannot rely on it to make a living and is working as an assistant to a famous contemporary artist. He lost his independent will and became accustomed to simply doing what he was told. One day, Sawada had an accident on the way to work and lost his job because of an arm injury. When he returned to the room, there was an ant on the floor. After drawing a circle as if guided by an ant, Sawada's daily life begins to be eroded by the circle.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2024-10-18
Popularity:
Kaza-hana
2001-01-27
Kaza-hana
Overview: A government employee meets a hostess of a "pink club," and together they set out on a journey.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2001-01-27
Popularity:
Fly, Dakota, Fly!
2013-10-05
Fly, Dakota, Fly!
Overview: In January 1946 a British military transport plane departs from Shanghai on its to Tokyo, Japan. During the flight the airplane makes an emergency landing on Sado Island. The residents on the island have heard stereotypes of the British soldiers and have mixed feelings about the their new "guest." Nevertheless, for the next 40 days the islanders take care of the crew members until the plane can take off once again. This includes Chiyoko Morimoto who is the daughter of the inn owner where some of the British crew members stay.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-10-05
Popularity:
Lu Over the Wall
2017-05-19
Lu Over the Wall
Overview: In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.
Genres: Animation Family Fantasy Adventure Comedy Music
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-05-19
Popularity:
Location
1984-09-22
Location
Overview: The melodramatic story of a pink crew’s tragi-comedic adventures on location. A fictionalized adaptation of set photographer Ichiro Tsuda's 1980 book The Location (Za Rokēshon), an illustrated 229-page document about the cameraman’s experiences with pink cast and crew on the sets of several films produced in the late 1970's.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1984-09-22
Popularity:
Waterboys
2001-09-15
Waterboys
Overview: In a Japanese school, 5 adolescent geeks join the new sport teacher and take up the challenge to take part in the synchronised swimming competition, in-spite of the mockeries of the real sportsmen.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2001-09-15
Popularity:
Mukoku
2017-06-03
Mukoku
Overview: Kengo was gifted in Kendo (Japanese martial art) but he quits after a tragic incident. He works as a security guard and spends his days drinking. One day, he encounters a high school student Toru, who has a natural ability in Kendo. Toru revives the spirit of the sport in Kengo and he resumes practice again.
Genres: Action Drama Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-06-03
Popularity:
A Living Promise
2016-01-09
A Living Promise
Overview: Yuma Nakahara is the CEO of an IT company and he is a workaholic. He is focused only on expanding his company. He receives a phone call from his former co-worker and friend Kouhei, but Kouhei doesn't say anything. Yuma gets the sense that something is wrong and heads to Kouhei's hometown of Shinminato, Toyama Prefecture, Japan. In Shinminato, Yuma meets other people and becomes involved in the Shinminato Hikiyama Festival. His outlook on life begins to change.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-01-09
Popularity:
Revolver
1988-10-22
Revolver
Overview: When a gun belonging to a police officer is stolen, it ends up in the hands of a student, who decides to use it on a yakuza who beat him recently. Now the police officer is hot on the student’s trail, and he’s determined to prevent the gun from going off.
Genres: Action Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1988-10-22
Popularity:
Random Lives
2017-01-28
Random Lives
Overview: Questioning the meaning of people's lives, the multiple stories include the work of a manga artist, old men get involved in a fight and a murder, a bus incident which affects those who survive it, fishing, cherry-blossom viewing and more
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-01-28
Popularity:
Suspicion
1982-09-11
Suspicion
Overview: A car going at 25 mph plunges into the sea at Shinko Harbour, Toyama prefecture. Inside is the local business magnate Fukutaro Shirakawa, who perishes. Riding alongside him and surviving unhurt is his second wife, Kumako. It soon comes to light that Kumako’s husband was insured for 300 million yen and she is arrested on suspicion of murdering her husband for the insurance money. The newspapers denounce her as an evil woman, while the public is in no doubt about Kumako’s crime. Ritsuko Sahara is chosen as her defence attorney but the pair clash over almost everything...
Genres: Crime Drama Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1982-09-11
Popularity:
Double Bed
1983-08-05
Double Bed
Overview: Kato is a small time TV producer. He has a wife Masako, and a young son Taro. Kato also has a friend Yamazaki who he knew since college. Yamazaki has a girl friend Riko who lives with her younger sister Yuko who's an actress. Yamazaki is a lyric writer/womanizer and he starts to have an affair with Masako, but he's still going out with Riko.
Genres: Romance Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1983-08-05
Popularity:
Color Me True
2018-02-10
Color Me True
Overview: Kenji is a young aspiring movie director. He falls in love with Princess Miyuki, who came from a black‐and‐white movie.
Genres: Drama Romance Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-02-10
Popularity:
Teacher and Three Children
2008-09-27
Teacher and Three Children
Overview: The 95-year-old director shot the film in his hometown of Ishiuchi, Hiroshima. The story is based on a teacher he had when he was a child.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-09-27
Popularity:
The Hunter and the Hunted
2004-01-17
The Hunter and the Hunted
Overview: Jin (Yakusho), a young, widowed police detective who is thinking of leaving the force to better take care of his 8 year old daughter Misaki (Kanno), by chance arrests Neko (Emoto), an accomplished middle aged burglar who has just fixed Misaki's bicycle. After Neko has several weeks to see Jin in the interrogation room, he decides to confess to Jin and teach him how to become a capable detective and worthy adversary. By the time Neko serves his 10 year sentence, Jin is a highly regarded detective and they can they start their contest in earnest.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-01-17
Popularity:
A Grain of Wheat
2016-08-26
A Grain of Wheat
Overview: “A Grain of Wheat” is a story of two bakeries in Yokohama. A French baker, Eriko, makes a sudden visit to Honda who is the owner of a historical bakery in Yokohama. They have different attitudes towards the craft of bread making but they start to feel mutual respect as they make bread together.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-08-26
Popularity:
Mottomo Abunai Deka
1989-04-22
Mottomo Abunai Deka
Overview: Taka and Yuji find evidence in a 15-year-old case, but the statute of limitations expires in four days and they're hunting illicit gun manufacturers.
Genres: Action Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1989-04-22
Popularity:
Free and Easy 8
1996-08-10
Free and Easy 8
Overview: When Su-san invites his late friend's daughter to come along on a fishing trip, she falls in love with Hama-chan's fishing protégé.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1996-08-10
Popularity:
Another Heaven
2000-04-29
Another Heaven
Overview: A pair of hard-boiled Tokyo cops are investigating a gruesome murder: after killing the victim, the murderer cut his skull open and cooked his brain in a stew. As they try to track down the killer, they discover that, quite literally, everybody is a suspect. Will they bring the terror to an end, or will they become part of it themselves?
Genres: Crime Horror Science Fiction
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-04-29
Popularity:
Evil and The Mask
2018-01-13
Evil and The Mask
Overview: Kuki Fumihiro is a son from a wealthy zaibatsu (conglomerate) family. His father raises him to become pure evil. Kuki kills his father to protect his adopted sister Kaori. Afterward, Kuki disappears. He undergoes plastic surgery and takes the identity of Koichi Shintani. He watches Kaori and faces the great evil that exists within the Kuki family.
Genres: Mystery Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-01-13
Popularity:
Shikei Kijun
2011-09-25
Shikei Kijun
Overview: Do criteria exist for the death penalty? Yusuke Mito, a law faculty lecturer who did not become a lawyer even though he passed the bar exam, the famous lawyer Kojiro Otomo who advocates the abolition of the death penalty, and the public prosecutor Mariko Nagase studied law together. Each have their own thoughts about the death penalty. One day, Otomo’s wife is murdered by someone. Shinzo Sabae who is resentful of a lawsuit that Otomo had been in charge of, is arrested as a suspect. Otomo reverses the stance he had had until now and seeks the death penalty against Sabae. This prompts Mito to make the decision to become a lawyer and stand in the court. However, the first case Mito takes charge of is the defence of Sabae, who murdered the wife of his good friend, Otomo…
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-09-25
Popularity:
Shoplifters
2018-06-02
Shoplifters
Overview: 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 family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.
Genres: Drama Crime Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-06-02
Popularity:
Neko Ninja
2017-05-20
Neko Ninja
Overview: Kagerota is a young ninja who embarks on his first mission: stealing the goldfish from a wealthy samurai. He succeeds, but then a mysterious fat cat starts following him. His distinctive red nose leads Kagerota to believe that the feline stalker is actually the reincarnation of his long last father, a legendary ninja who left him when he was ten years old.
Genres: Comedy Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-05-20
Popularity:
The Heartbreak Yakuza
1987-09-12
The Heartbreak Yakuza
Overview: A hardened gangster encounters by chance a woman he hasn't seen since childhood. They are both engulfed in the underground world of intergang warfare.
Genres: Crime Romance Drama Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1987-09-12
Popularity:
Hutch the Honeybee
2010-07-28
Hutch the Honeybee
Overview: Hutch the Honey Bee and friends set on an adventure to find Hutch's missing Queen Bee Mother, whom he lost during a surprise attack by a group of Hornets. In the process Hutch makes friends with various other animals. At a town called Sepiatown he even befriends Amy, a kindhearted human girl who can talk with insects ...
Genres: Family Adventure Animation
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2010-07-28
Popularity:
Recall
2018-06-15
Recall
Overview: A woman was killed by a truck wheel, which flew off while the vehicle was in motion. As the freight company which owns the truck becomes the target of the public and the media’s wrath, Tokuro Akamatsu, the president of the freight company, realizes that a structural defect within the truck itself may have been to blame. A conspiracy of the wheel manufacturer's attempts to cover up a defective product is uncovered.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-06-15
Popularity:
Love Is Five Seven Five
2005-03-26
Love Is Five Seven Five
Overview: A haiku club comprised of five unlikely students aim to win the national high school haiku tournament.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-03-26
Popularity:
Bedtime Eyes
1987-04-25
Bedtime Eyes
Overview: Based on a polemic novel by Amy Yamada, Bedtime Eyes is about the intense love relationship between a second rate Japanese jazz singer and a black American GI on the margins of the law.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1987-04-25
Popularity:
11’09”01—September 11
2002-09-04
11’09”01—September 11
Overview: Filmmakers from all over the world provide short films – each of which is eleven minutes, nine seconds, and one frame of film in length – that offer differing perspectives on the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-09-04
Popularity:
Iwane: Sword of Serenity
2019-05-17
Iwane: Sword of Serenity
Overview: Iwane Sakazaki returns to his homeland and gets caught in the middle of an incident that results in the tragic death of two of his best friends from childhood. He decides to leave his domain, parting with his fiancée Nao, and becomes a vagrant masterless samurai with nothing more to lose. Iwane drifts to Edo, filleting eels during the day and working as a bodyguard at night for Imazuya, a reputable money exchanger. He gradually wins the trust of the people around him because of his mellow nature, the chivalrous way he treats everyone with courtesy, and his skills of swords. One day, he learns that Imazuya is being targeted in a conspiracy to sabotage a new monetary system implemented by the government, and Iwane decides to protect the people who have given him support.
Genres: Action Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-05-17
Popularity:
Goodbye Mama
1991-04-20
Goodbye Mama
Overview: A successful office lady, who has made herself sexually available to a doctor, has her routine disrupted when her former boyfriend's son appears in her life. She is not connected to the boy, but his father has been in an accident.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1991-04-20
Popularity:
A Tale of Young Elopement
1987-02-07
A Tale of Young Elopement
Overview: A 30-year-old man's life gets up-ended when his girlfriend accepts an arranged marriage meeting with a more successful man.
Genres: Romance Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1987-02-07
Popularity:
Sniper
2016-10-02
Sniper
Overview: Detective Ryoko Kozuki receives a demotion after having an affair with a superior. She succeeds in arresting a rapist in an undercover operation that puts her at risk. Her achievement immediately becomes the talk of the precinct, but no one approaches her because of her past. Ryoko is determined to bring criminals to justice. She takes on “The Prime Ministerial Candidate Snipe Case” which took place 15 years earlier.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-10-02
Popularity:
Survival Family
2016-12-12
Survival Family
Overview: A world wide electrical outage occurs. Everything that requires electricity comes to a stop. Tokyo is nearly ruined. Yoshiyuki Suzuki decides to escape from Tokyo with his family.
Genres: Comedy Family Drama Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-12-12
Popularity:
Yona Yona Penguin
2009-12-23
Yona Yona Penguin
Overview: Rintaro directs a tale of three children who visit a land of wonder. This is the first "3D anime" that Madhouse has produced. Oh, and there are penguins.
Genres: Family Animation Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2009-12-23
Popularity:
Masked Crusader, Mr. Jirenman
1979-10-06
Masked Crusader, Mr. Jirenman
Overview: A meek salaryman who gets no respect at home and is belittled at work gets inspiration from Superman and somehow becomes a strangely suited, hugely endowed, masked sexual avenger.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1979-10-06
Popularity:
Castle of Sand
2019-03-28
Castle of Sand
Overview: A bruised and battered corpse in Shibuya, Tokyo has the attention of the local cops. A veteran detective is assigned to the case. The last utterance of the victim is one clue that detective Imanishi has to work on. Yet, the case becomes more tangled quickly. Elsewhere, a prodigy named Waga Eiryo is composing an orchestral piece. Remake of The Castle of Sand (1974).
Genres: Drama Crime Mystery TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-03-28
Popularity:
A Sower of Seeds
2012-03-03
A Sower of Seeds
Overview: Kinjiro, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is a good-natured fellow who goes around the country helping farm families. At his new appointment in Usuki City, Oita Prefecture, he visits a tea-growing family he has known for a long time. There, he finds the family head's granddaughter Minori, who lost her job in Tokyo and has just returned home.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2012-03-03
Popularity:
Oz Land
2018-10-26
Oz Land
Overview: Kurumi is hired at a high-end hotel, but is instead dispatched to work at fun fair that is connected to the business network. The new work is out in the country and there is not much else to do or places to go. The go-to employee is one Yoshiko. Kurumi wants to be successful and valued and is eager to learn from Yoshiko. All is not as it seems on the surface however.
Genres: Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-10-26
Popularity:
They Say Nothing Stays the Same
2019-09-13
They Say Nothing Stays the Same
Overview: Toichi is a boatman who ferries the villagers to a town on the other side of the river. Besides rowing a boat for the villagers all day long, he barely communicates with anyone except Genzo, a young neighbour. Upstream, a large bridge is being constructed. Everyone is excited, but Toichi has mixed feelings about it. One day, Toichi meets a mysterious girl. Having no family and no place to go, Toichi lets her stay with him, but this encounter starts to bring about changes to Toichi's life.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-09-13
Popularity:
The Promised Land
2019-10-18
The Promised Land
Overview: A girl is kidnapped and the perpetrator roams freely. When a similar case occurs along the same road and in similar circumstances a suspect is identified leading to the accused running away and going into hiding.
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-10-18
Popularity:
Winning Pass
2004-01-24
Winning Pass
Overview: This is a story about a high school student who had it all going for him. He was great at basketball, he had a love like no other, until a day where he loses the ability to walk. This is the story of his struggle through hardship to regain it all.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-01-24
Popularity:
Body and Soul
1997-10-18
Body and Soul
Overview: Yoshihiko now lives with a couple of old friends, a married couple, Ryosuke and Aya. They share a past in several senses. It was Ryosuke who walked off with Yoshihiko’s girlfriend Aya. In doing so, he broke up with his own girlfriend, Reiko. Now they are all back together again and old feelings begin to surface.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1997-10-18
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Three for the Road
2007-07-11
Three for the Road
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-07-11
Popularity:
Casting Blossoms to the Sky
2012-05-12
Casting Blossoms to the Sky
Overview: In the aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, a journalist arrives in Nagaoka, a city decimated during a WWII air raid and by the 2004 Chūetsu earthquakes, to report on the disaster; there, she learns about the experiences of its inhabitants and stumbles upon a stage play written by an enigmatic student of her ex-boyfriend.
Genres: Fantasy Drama War
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2012-05-12
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Show Me the Way to the Station
2019-10-18
Show Me the Way to the Station
Overview: A young girl, Sayaka, develops a heartwarming friendship with an old man named Hasu. Based on an award-winning novel by Ijuin Shizu.
Genres: Drama Family
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-10-18
Popularity:
The Key
1997-10-18
The Key
Overview: Ikuko is a mature, reserved Kyoto woman married for many years to a respectable, now-middle-aged man. The only problem in their relationship has been that her husband is dissatisfied with her lack of passion during lovemaking. All this changes after they meet the young Mr. Kimura
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1997-10-18
Popularity:
Universal Laws
1990-01-27
Universal Laws
Overview: A young man working as a first-class fashion designer decides to give up his business and return to his hometown after the sudden death of his father.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1990-01-27
Popularity:
Disciples of Hippocrates
1980-11-21
Disciples of Hippocrates
Overview: The story revolves around Ogino, who is in the last year of his medical studies. Between lectures, exams, on field training, his commitment as a pro-reformist militant and his girlfriend, Ogino is starting to wonder if he's really cut out to be a doctor.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1980-11-21
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The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
1999-11-07
The Nagaharu Yodogawa Story: A Cineaste's Life in Kobe
Overview: Depicts the life of Nagaharu Yodogawa.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1999-11-07
Popularity:
Shall We Dance?
1996-01-27
Shall We Dance?
Overview: A bored Japanese accountant sees a beautiful woman in the window of a ballroom dance studio. He secretly starts taking dancing lessons to be near her, and then over time discovers how much he loves ballroom dancing. His wife, meanwhile, has hired a private detective to find out why he has started coming home late smelling of perfume.
Genres: Music Comedy Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1996-01-27
Popularity:
Shimo-ochiai Yakitori Movie
1979-06-23
Shimo-ochiai Yakitori Movie
Overview:
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1979-06-23
Popularity:
Make-Up
1984-05-02
Make-Up
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1984-05-02
Popularity:
Nosari: Impermanent Eternity
2020-07-11
Nosari: Impermanent Eternity
Overview: A young man wanders and makes calls to elders who live alone. Saying “Granny, it’s me,” he lies to them that he is their grandson. An old lady, who runs a music shop in the declining shopping area in Amakusa, answers his call and warmly accepts him. Pretending as her grandson, he settles down in the town. He gets used to his friendship with young villagers, the sound and landscape of Amakusa, and the old lady’s everyday life.
Genres: Family
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2020-07-11
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Congratulatory Speech
1985-12-28
Congratulatory Speech
Overview:
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1985-12-28
Popularity:
Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai
2021-10-15
Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai
Overview: Set in the 19th century, "Moeyo Ken" follows the life of Toshizo Hijikata. He was the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi and fought against the Meiji Restoration.
Genres: History Drama Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-10-15
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Legend of the Cat Monster
1998-08-16
Legend of the Cat Monster
Overview: A legendary actress thought to be dead is discovered living in an isolated mansion. A screenwriter is tasked with writing her comeback film, which leads the two to live under the same roof.
Genres: TV Movie Horror Fantasy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1998-08-16
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Boku to Mama No Kiiroi Jitensha
2009-08-22
Boku to Mama No Kiiroi Jitensha
Overview: Taishi lives with his father Kazushi. His mother left home when Taishi was very young and he barely has any memories of her. He believes that his mother left home to study in Paris. His favorite moments come once a week when he receives a letter from his mother. But one day, during Taishi's summer vacation, he learns that his mother isn't in Paris but in Shodoshima, Japan. Taishi then decides to take his pet dog with him and bicycle from his hometown of Yokohama all the way to Shodoshima. On his 500 kilometers trip to Shodoshima, Taishi meets various peoples and touches their hearts, while leaving behind small miracles. What Taishi doesn't know about his mother is that she suffers from memory loss and that's why she lives apart from her family. Taishi's father Kazushi soon learns that his son has left for Shodoshima and he sets out to find his son.
Genres: Drama Family Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2009-08-22
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Living in the Sky
2020-10-23
Living in the Sky
Overview: In the time after Naomi’s parents suddenly die, she happens to meet and bond with the popular actor Morinori Tokito who lives in the same apartment building.
Genres: Family Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2020-10-23
Popularity:
Godot of the Emotos
2019-04-20
Godot of the Emotos
Overview: The acting family, the Emotos, are the subject of this documentary following Emoto Akira and his sons.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-04-20
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Underdog: Part One
2020-11-27
Underdog: Part One
Overview: Tells the story of three bottom-dog boxers who gets used as punching bags. Pro boxer Suenaga Akira fell off the path to greatness but still tries to crawl his way to the top. Omura Ryuta is a youngster who grew up in foster care. Miyagi Shun, a TV celebrity with famous parents, takes a shot at boxing as part of a TV show. Three underdogs with very different back stories put their pride on the line as they exchange blows.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2020-11-27
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Happy Flight
2008-11-15
Happy Flight
Overview: A variety of aviation professionals such as pilots, flight attendants, the ground crew, mechanics, dispatchers, controllers, and the bird patrol crew all support a single flight. They have only one mission: to secure the safety of the passengers.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-11-15
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Stardust Over The Town
2020-03-06
Stardust Over The Town
Overview: Story of the struggling chorus group "Yamada Osamu and the Hello Nights", who gain an unexpected new member in the young Ai, who pursues her dream of becoming a singer.
Genres: Music
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2020-03-06
Popularity:
Zebraman
2004-01-30
Zebraman
Overview: A down-and-out school teacher receives the calling to become the real life personification of an old television superhero, Zebraman.
Genres: Comedy Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-01-30
Popularity:
Teacher's suitcase
2003-03-11
Teacher's suitcase
Overview: Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night she happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, 'Sensei', in a bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired and, she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as the seasons pass - from spring cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms - Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love.
Genres: Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-03-11
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The Great Yokai War: Guardians
2021-07-01
The Great Yokai War: Guardians
Overview: Kei Watanabe is a fifth grade elementary school student. He has inherited the hunter's blood to hunt yōkai. To save the world from being destroyed, Kei Watanabe challenges a war against the yōkai.
Genres: Fantasy Family Adventure Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-07-01
Popularity:
Kodokunogurume ōmisoka supesharu ~ tabe-osame! Setouchi shutchō-hen ~
2017-12-31
Kodokunogurume ōmisoka supesharu ~ tabe-osame! Setouchi shutchō-hen ~
Overview:
Genres: TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-12-31
Popularity:
It Feels So Good
2019-08-23
It Feels So Good
Overview: When it rains it pours. Kenji divorced his wife, lost his job and his old squeeze Naoko is getting married back home in the north of Japan, specifically in Akita. He returns there in order to attend her wedding. Naoko surprises him by proposing that they have sex again. The one night stand is the new beginning.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-08-23
Popularity:
The Dog Bridegroom
2017-05-13
The Dog Bridegroom
Overview: Ninomiya Azusa is a depressed elementary school teacher in Tokyo, who has problems both at work and in her personal life. One day, she suddenly hears a voice saying "If you go to Imore Island, you will get what you want.", so she decides to give it a try.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-05-13
Popularity:
Tetsujin 28: The Movie
2005-03-19
Tetsujin 28: The Movie
Overview: One of the true classic's of anime's much-loved robot genre.
Genres: Action Adventure Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-03-19
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The End of the Tiny World
2021-01-29
The End of the Tiny World
Overview: Kida and Makoto grew up together because they have it in common that they don't have parents. And a transfer student, Yotchi, also gets along with them because she has a similar background, which is that they come from not such a good home environment. They spent their school life supporting each other. But, at the age of 20, Yotchi disappeared. Then Lisa, the daughter of a politician and a top model, appears in front of the two men. Makoto takes an unusual romantic interest in Lisa, who lives in a different world from them, and asked her out to dinner, but she does not take him up on it at all. Kida warns Makoto to give up on her because they live in different worlds, but Makoto quits his job and vanishes without a trace.
Genres: Thriller Drama Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-01-29
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I Never Shot Anyone
2020-07-03
I Never Shot Anyone
Overview: Renji Ishibashi, starring in the movie for the first time in 18 years, plays a hero with two faces, a dull novelist and a legendary killer. Susumu Ichikawa, an obsolete writer with no manuscript at all, had another face - a legendary hitman. But the truth of the matter is... he had never shot a person. One day, he receives a murder request from a friend. Seeing this as an opportunity to achieve the ideal hard-boiled novel, he decides to hire a real hitman and demands that he report to him the assassination situation as it was.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2020-07-03
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Wonderful Paradise
2020-11-20
Wonderful Paradise
Overview: In consequence of his professional mistakes and declining career, Shuji and his family, the Sasaya’s, are forced to leave the wealthy suburb of Tokyo. The move is slow, long and heartbreaking, and the two Sasaya children, an old teenager and a young adult, unwittingly turn the grieving process into an exuberant and unpredictable farewell party!
Genres: Comedy Fantasy Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2020-11-20
Popularity:
A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Era
1991-07-06
A Naive History of the Bakumatsu Era
Overview: In the last days of the Tokugawa shogunate, there was a cute warrior, Souji Okita, who belonged to the armed police of the shogunate in Kyoto. Very few knew that Souji was not a boy, but a woman. Souji loved the vice-leader of the armed police, Toshizou Hijikata. Souji suffered from pulmonary tuberculosis and coughed up blood during a battle. Toshizou helped her but said that he did not care for the girl with a smell of blood. Souji had a real talent for swordsmanship and no one but Ryouma Sakamoto could compete with her. Ryouma was a liberal intellectual and tried to carry out a revolution without blood. However, the bloody Meiji Restoration broke out and Souji killed Ryouma who lost his dream. Because a friendship had sprung up between Toshizou and Ryouma, Toshizou got angry and slashed at Souji with a sword. Unwillingly, she unsheathed her sword and thought that she might get love if she was killed by the man she loved.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1991-07-06
Popularity:
A Man
2022-11-18
A Man
Overview: Akira works as a lawyer. One day, he meets with his former client Rie, who asks Akira to perform a background check on her late husband Daisuke.
Genres: Drama Thriller Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-11-18
Popularity:
Prodigy
2007-09-20
Prodigy
Overview: Naruse Uta is a "unique" 13 year old child. She possessed the talent to read sheet music even before she could speak, but has now come to the point where she hates playing the piano. Her father was also a piano virtuoso, but mysteriously disappeared from her life at a young age. Because of her father's disappearance Uta's mother had to move out of their posh home and into a far modest working class neighborhood. In this working class neighborhood there is a local grocer. The grocer's son Kikuna Oto happens to be a budding musician, but lacks the drive to truly succeed. That is until Uta Naruse comes into his life...
Genres: Romance Drama Music
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-09-20
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Shonen to Inu
2025-03-20
Shonen to Inu
Overview: New Takahisa Zeze movie, adaptation of the book "Shonen to Inu." To be released in Spring 2025.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2025-03-20
Popularity:
空蝉の森
2021-02-05
空蝉の森
Overview:
Genres: Mystery
Original Language: nb
Release Date: 2021-02-05
Popularity: