A Man
Kei Ishikawa, 2022
Rie and Daisuke are two lonely kindred spirits who meet and fall in love. Years later, they are happily married and caring for their own child and Rie’s son from a previous marriage. Everything changes when Daisuke is killed in a tragic workplace a
Anime Supremacy!
Kohei Yoshino, 2022
After years of hard work, Hitomi is finally living her dream - directing her first anime TV series. However, it emerges that the show is going to premiere against tough competition. Hitomi’s idol - anime megastar Chiharu - is about to make his long
Blue Thermal
Masaki Tachibana, 2022
University freshman Tamaki Tsuru is looking for a fresh start; after a romantic disaster she plans to leave behind her enthusiasm for volleyball to find a new pursuit. While tennis seems like the perfect club pastime to throw herself into, a freak ac
Come Back Anytime
John Daschbach, 2021
For decades, the self-taught ramen master Masamoto Ueda and his wife Kazuko have run Bizentei - a tiny Tokyo ramen joint. On the weekends, they venture out into the countryside where they harvest natural ingredients for their ramen and homely side di
December
Anshul Chauhan, 2022
Katsu and Sumiko’s lives were shattered after their daughter was murdered by a classmate. The trauma of the murder and subsequent trial ultimately led to their divorce. Seven years later, they find themselves revisiting the past when their daughter
Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura
Takashi Yamazaki, 2017
When Akiko marries mystery author Masakazu and moves to Kamakura, she discovers an amazing new world. A simple stroll through the streets brings her into contact with supernatural creatures such as spirits and goblins. One morning, Masakazu awakes to
Eros + Massacre
Yoshishige Yoshida, 1969
Filmmaker Yoshishige Yoshida - also known as Kij? Yoshida - was one of the leading figures of the Japanese ‘New Wave’. Like fellow countercultural filmmaker Nagisa Oshima, he began making waves at the major studio Shochiku in the early 60s. Howev
Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko
Ayumu Watanabe, 2021
Brash single mother Nikuko is well-known for her bold spirit, much to the embarrassment of Kikuko, her pensive yet imaginative daughter. In contrast to her mother, Kikuko wants nothing more than to fit in as she navigates the everyday social dramas o
Goodbye, Don Glees!
Atsuko Ishizuka, 2022
As children, Toto and Roma were best friends who had their own special club - the Don Glees. However, the pair were separated when Toto moved to Tokyo to attend high school. Returning to his hometown for the summer, Toto discovers Roma has invited a
Inu-Oh
Masaaki Yuasa, 2022
Set in 14th century Japan, Inu-Oh tells the story of two social outcasts who join forces to become a revolutionary musical duo. Inu-Oh is a talented dancer who has been cast out by his dance troupe due his extreme physical abnormalities. Tomona is a
Just Remembering
Daigo Matsui, 2021
Just Remembering is a relationship drama told in reverse order. Yo is a taxi driver who gets brief glimpses into her passengers’ lives as she shuttles them around Tokyo. Her ex-boyfriend Teruo is a theater worker whose dreams of becoming a professi
New Religion
Keishi Kondo, 2022
Miyabi’s life and marriage collapsed following the death of her young daughter in a tragic accident. Years later, she is living with a new boyfriend and has taken a job as a sex worker. One day, she enters the eerie apartment of a mysterious client
Plan 75
Chie Hayakawa, 2022
Set in a not-too-distant future, Plan 75 imagines a Japan where the government has introduced a ‘voluntary euthanasia’ scheme in a bid to combat the challenges posed by an ageing population. Anyone aged 75 or older can apply, and they are given a
Samurai Cat
Takeshi Watanabe, Yoshitaka Yamaguchi , 2014
Kyutaro was once a formidable samurai. However, after losing his position, he has run out of money and is now living alone. Kyutaro doesn't know how to make money without using his sword. One day, Kyutaro gets a strange job offer - kill a cat. He dec
Sanka: Nomads of the Mountains
Ryohei Sasatani, 2022
Japan, 1965. 15-year-old Norio returns to his family’s countryside home to prepare for his upcoming high school entrance exams. Lonely and frustrated, he finds himselfclashing with his strict father. One day, he encounters fellow teenager Hana, who
Shin Ultraman
Shinji Higuchi, 2022
The arrival of giant ‘kaiju’ (alien monsters) on Earth prompts the Japanese government to set up the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol enforcement unit to coordinate the world’s response to the alien threat. The crew of planners and scientis
Step
Ken Iizuka, 2020
When Kenichi’s wife Tomoko died, he decided to bring up their daughter Miki on his own. Kenichi wonders whether he ought to remarry for his daughter’s sake, but he can’t bring himself to take that step when he thinks about how his parents-in-la
Suzume
Makoto Shinkai, 2022
On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety— As the skies turn red and the earth trembles, Japan stands on the brink of disaster. But one determined teenager, Suzume, sets out on a mission to save her country. Able to see the super
The Night I Swam
Kohei Igarashi, Damien Manivel, 2017
In a snow-covered part of Japan, a fisherman makes his way to the local market. His 6-year-old son is awoken by his departure and finds it impossible to fall back to sleep. On his way to school, the young boy strays off the path and wanders into the
The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes
Tomohisa Taguchi, 2022
One summer morning before school, Kaoru hears an unsettling rumour: there’s a mysterious tunnel that can grant any wish to those who enter it, but ages them dramatically in exchange. At first, he writes it off as nothing more than an urban legend,
Your Lovely Smile
Lim Kah Wai, 2022
Your Lovely Smile stars real-life Japanese indie filmmaker Hirobumi Watanabe (Poolsideman, JFF 17) as a fictionalised version of himself. In the midst of the pandemic, Hirobumi struggles to get new projects off the ground. When he’s invited to Okin
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