Japanese films are often characterized by their emotional and carefully crafted storylines. Compared to overseas works, there are few flashy productions, but there is a unique charm to them. In this article, we will introduce masterpieces of Japanese cinema.
Table of Contents
- Characteristics of Japanese Movies
- Famous Japanese Film Directors and Actors
- Award-winning Japanese Film Masterpieces
- To Close
Characteristics of Japanese Movies
Movies are called 映画 (eiga) in Japanese, and Japanese films are called 邦画 (houga).
Many Japanese movies are characterized by their emphasis on the emotional journey rather than action scenes, rapidly moving plot and flashy production (although of course some works also incorporate these as well). There are many works that rely on the emotions from the subtle changes in the actors’ facial expressions and line delivery rather than the lines and actions themselves. The audience can understand the emotion - whether love, sadness, anger, etc. - even when nothing is said, and sometimes especially because nothing is said. (This is reflective of Japanese culture which is a very high-context culture where many things are implied or assumed to be understood, rather than outright stated.)
Another characteristic of Japanese cinema is the way the story is left to the viewer to determine the ending or meaning. The story’s beginning, turning point, and even ending may be unclear but may rather melt into each other instead as one flowing story depicted for a period of time. The ending may be unsatisfactory to those that like clear-cut endings, but are beloved by those who love open-ended ones.
If you like works that are delicate, deal with the small everyday things in the human experience in a profound way, you should definitely watch Japanese movies!
Writer's Pick
Famous Japanese Film Directors and Actors
Japanese Directors Known Around the World
While there’s too many famous directors to list them all, we’ll introduce 3 that are known around the world.
Kurosawa Akira
One of the most famous Japanese film directors is Kurosawa Akira. He is called 世界のクロサワ (Sekai no Kurosawa - The World’s Kurosawa), and has many fans including many renowned directors and actors from around the world. Two of his most famous works are “Rashomon” and “Ikiru”, and even though they were made in the 1950s, they still hold up even if you watch them today.
Miyazaki Hayao
One of Japan’s most famous film directors is Miyazaki Hayao, a master of animation film. He was the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, perhaps the most famous Japanese animation production company, and has created many masterpieces as a film director and animator, including “Princess Mononoke” and “Spirited Away”. He has announced his retirement before, but is now working on new projects.
Kitano Takeshi
Photo Credit: Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0 via WikPhoto
Kitano Takeshi is a comedian known as “Beat Takeshi” in Japan. However, he is also known (especially overseas) as a film director. His works are often characterized by extreme depictions of action and little dialogue. However, there are still moments of humor scattered here and there, a trademark and perhaps unique quality of the works of the comedian-turned actor. Renowned works include “HANA-BI” and his “Outrage” series. You may not have seen the films he directed, but you may have seen him in iconic Japanese works like "Battle Royale".
World Famous Japanese Actors
There are also famous actors who have starred in Hollywood films and became known all over the world.
Watanabe Ken
Known overseas as “Ken Watanabe”, he was highly praised overseas for his performance in the movie “The Last Samurai” (2003), and appeared in several international works after that including “Batman Begins”, "Letters from Iwo Jima", “Inception”. More recently he has been in the Godzilla franchise, the HBO show “Tokyo Vice”.
Sanada Hiroyuki
Sanada Hiroyuki appeared alongside Watanabe Ken in “The Last Samurai”. He actually started his career as a child actor in Japan and became known as an action star. He also became first known overseas for his role in “The Ring”, the original Japanese version. He now appears primarily in Hollywood works, his works including “Rush Hour 3”, “The Wolverine”, “47 Ronin”, “Westworld” and will appear in the upcoming “John Wick: Chapter 4”.
Asano Tadanobu
Asano Tadanobu is also another actor who has appeared in a wide range of work throughout his career, both in Japan and abroad. In Japan, he is known for starring in “Bright Future” and Kitano Takeshi’s “Zatoichi” among others. Internationally, he is perhaps best known as Hogun, in the MCU Thor trilogy. He also appeared in “Silence”, “Mortal Kombat” and will be in the upcoming adaptation of “Shogun”.
Award-winning Japanese Film Masterpieces
We introduce just some of the Japanese masterpieces that have won awards at overseas film festivals, listed by release order.
Kagemusha by Akira Kurosawa
“Kagemusha”, directed by Akira Kurosawa, was released in 1980 and won the Palme d'Or (the highest award) at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie is set in Japan's Warring States period. It depicts how a thief becomes the impersonator of Takeda Shingen, a famous military commander of that period and what happens to him.
Narayama Bushiko (The Ballad of Narayama) by Imamura Shohei
In 1983, director Imamura Shohei won the Palme d'Or for “Narayama Bushiko (The Ballad of Narayama)”. This is a masterpiece about an aging mother and son in a village where there is a custom that people over the age of 70 must go to die in the snowy mountains.
Unagi (The Eel) by Imamura Shohei
Imamura Shohei directed “Unagi (The Eel)” which won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997, making him the only Japanese director to have won the Palme d'Or twice, as of 2022. The film depicts the post-parole life of a man who has committed a crime and served time in prison.
HANA-BI (Fireworks) by Kitano Takeshi
Released in 1998, "HANA-BI (Fireworks)" is a film directed by Kitano Takeshi. It won the Golden Lion Award (highest award) at the 54th Venice International Film Festival. It depicts the life of a detective who is at the mercy of his companion's death and his wife's illness. In addition, he was not only the director but also the star.
Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away) by Miyazaki Hayao
Released in 2001, "Spirited Away" is a masterpiece animation film directed by Miyazaki Hayao and won the Golden Bear Award (highest award) at the Berlin International Film Festival. This work depicts the adventure and growth of a girl who gets lost in a mysterious world where there are no humans, only gods and those who serve them.
Zatoichi by Kitano Takeshi
The 2003 film Zatoichi, directed by Kitano Takeshi, won the Best Director Award (Silver Lion Award) at the Venice International Film Festival. The story of the blind swordsman "Zato no Ichi" has been serialized in Japan since 1963, and this is a bold remake of that series. Kitano Takeshi plays the leading role in this film as well.
Okuribito (Departures) by Takita Yojiro
"Departures", released in 2008 and directed by Takita Yojiro, was a highly successful film which won several awards both in Japan and overseas. It was especially acclaimed for being the first Japanese film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. It depicts a man returning to his hometown and becoming a mortician despite the pushback from his family and society.
Shoplifters by Kore-eda Hirokazu
Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Shoplifters” released in 2018, won the Palme d'Or at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. It was the first time in 21 years that a Japanese film won the Palme d'Or since 1997's “Unagi”. It depicts how a certain event changes the relationship of a family who used to make a living by shoplifting.
Drive My Car by Hamaguchi Ryusuke
“Drive My Car”, released in 2021, is based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, who is also very popular overseas. Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, it was the first Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (94th), and won the Best International Feature Film. It also won the first ever Screenplay award at the 74th Cannes International Film Festival. The movie tells the story of a widowed actor who comes to terms with her death through interactions with his personal driver.
To Close
There are many movies in Japan that are considered masterpieces. They are characterized by dialogue that appeals to the viewer's emotions and carefully crafted story development. If you are interested in Japanese movies, please try one of the films introduced here.
