Yasuko Matsuyuki heads the cast of this drama about a 40-something woman who is happy with her single life but nevertheless starts dating a man who is 24 years her junior.
Two different high school children - a swimmer and an academic - set off on a quest together one summer.
Acclaimed director of Summer of Chirusoku, Half a Confession and Yunagi City, Sakura Country Kiyoshi Sasabe casts Rin Takanashi and Takumi Saitoh as members of the farming industry. The Sowing Traveller 3 tells a universal story of the cherished act of growing fruit. Ayane is conflicted about coming back home because she feels it’s a setback. Filming took place in Akaiwa, Okayama prefecture, a peach growing area with lots of sun and fertile soil. Along with the harmony of daily life that the local people have with nature, an important feature of the film is its beautiful landscapes.
In this black comedy the lives of a timid small-time printer and his young wife are turned inside out by the arrival of a stranger who moves in and takes over their world. Set in a village-like outpost in the heart of Tokyo, this is a wry commentary on Japanese xenophobia. Kiki Sugino heads a spritely ensemble cast.
When a television producer visits the home of a brother and sister to interview them for his series on paranormal phenomena, what first appears to be a simple case of psychopathology turns into a full-blown epidemic of demonic manifestation. To his horror he realizes that he is not only a witness to the blossoming insanity, filming each scream and horrific expression, but that he and his technology have been intricately tied to the cause and conduit of its spread…
After losing their restaurant in a fire, a husband and wife come up with a strange plan to rebuild their shattered finances: marrying the husband off to a series of lonely women and defrauding them.
A troubled teenager only lives through her camera and the Internet. Fascinated by science, she experiments on various animals, and her own mother, poisoning her with thallium and documenting the results.
It depicts two high school girls trying to change the atmosphere of the world with their ideas by setting up a camera in the town and transmitting the footage via SNS.
On a sinking island in Manila Bay, an aging Japanese man searches for the daughter he abandoned as a child.
Mikuri and Hiramasa both work and share housework duties. They have peaceful days together. One day, Mikuri learns that she is pregnant. They decide to marry, but they soon face problems. Mikuri suffers from pregnancy sickness and Hiramasa decides to take a paternity leave before an important project is finished. The couple experience unfamiliar situations involving childbirth and rearing. They go through difficult times.
Hitomi Saito has been climbing the ranks for years and is set to direct an anime series for the first time, while brilliant director Chiharu Oji is about to make his big comeback after nearly a decade.
Dramatization of The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and its announcers activities to support the Japanese military's fight during the war. Based on the facts, depicts the hidden relationship between broadcasting and the war.
In 1969, Sawada is filled with idealism that permeated that era and starts working as a gonzo journalist for a weekly magazine. Two years later, Sawada interviews activist Umeyama with senior reporter Nakahira. Umeyama boasts that his group will steal arms and take action in April. Sawada doubts Umeyama's claims but is attracted to his personality. An incident occurs... Sawada hears news that a man was killed at a army post...
Twenty-five-year-old Momo has friends. Her parents live some distance away, but they sometimes get together to dine out. She dates an acceptable guy, and they share drinks at home. She apologizes to unreasonable clients over the phone at work and hones her ability to keep things civil with coworkers at drinks after work. This perfectly ordinary life means Momo doesn't immediately notice a nagging feeling: "I want to die." For her, it's a phrase she must never say aloud. One summer, unable to bear the thought of the coming Monday, Momo takes a day off from work. She begins to visit other people who struggle with thoughts of suicide, but have discovered alternatives and choose to live instead. She connects with these "Papagenos" through social media. Over the course of her difficult journey, Momo herself begins to discover other choices beyond death.
It was "just" a summer day spent with someone she didn't know, who was drunk and had lost her memory.
After dying in a bus crash and falling to hell, high schooler Daisuke joins a demonic rock band so he can be reincarnated back into the mortal world.
Five young men participate in an experiment drug test, which is known as a short-term, high-paying part-time job.
The late Shinzo Abe was the longest-serving prime minister of all time, holding office for 2,822 consecutive days. While his hawkish foreign policy and "Abenomics" economic policies won him support, he also attracted public attention for his controversial words, actions and scandals. Nobusuke Kishi, a politician and the maternal grandfather of former Prime Minister Abe, was nicknamed the "Monster of the Showa Era" for his ability to manipulate the political and business worlds by walking the fronts and backs of society. The film explores the mysteries of his blood and upbringing that led him to adopt an extremely "forward-looking" political stance in order to realize his ambitions, which were imprinted in his childhood mind as his "grandfather's teachings". With black humor and satirical picture books, the film unravels who former Prime Minister Abe was and what he left behind for this country.
A singular deadpan comedy, The Passion tells a story of a young woman raised in a convent named Frances-ko (Mayuko Iwasa), after Saint Francesco. Distressed by not knowing about love and sex, she calls out for a sign from above, but instead hears a voice from below. A human-faced growth speaks to her from between her legs, constantly berating her, calling out "Woman, you are worthless!" Mr. Koga, as she names it, continues the verbal abuse, yet Frances-ko somehow adapts, forming an adversarial yet symbiotic relationship. This bizarre film, based on Kaoruko Himeno's acclaimed 1997 novel of the same name, is skillfully directed by Ryoko Yoshida, lensed by veteran cinematographer Akiko Ashizawa, grounded by Iwasa's show-stopping performance and enlivened by the hilarious Kanji Furutachi, who lends his voice to the chauvinistic Koga. The soundtrack boasts an unmissable eclectic score by legendary experimental musician and composer Otomo Yoshihide.
Dan Mitsu stars as Kana, a female employee at a publishing company who strikes up a sexual relationship with a younger co-worker. He soon discovers that Kana's fetishes extend to sadomasochistic tendencies, involving a mysterious man only known as "Sensei". This discovery will push his relationship with Kana to a new, dangerous level that he may not be ready for.
Oriza Hirata is Japan's leading playwright and director, who runs his own theatrical company, Seinendan. Theatre 2 (Observational Film Series #4) examines the dynamic relationship between theatre and the society through depicting Hirata's activities. In order for his art and his not-so-commercial company to survive this highly capitalistic modern society, what kind of strategy does Hirata have and practice?
Mirai Suzuki (Yuko Oshima) becomes responsible for her mother's debt which is owed to loan shark Kaoru Ushijima (Takayuki Yamada). To begin paying off her mother's debt, Mirai begins working at a dating cafe. Meanwhile, Jun (Kento Hayashi) is the ambitious and greedy company president for an event group. To borrow money, Jun visits Kaukau Finance owned by Kaoru Ushijima.
Due to the economic recession, the orchestra is shut down. The members hear later that the orchestra will be reformed. Only some of the members, who have not yet been rehired, gather for the orchestra. For the first time since they disbanded the orchestra plays together, but they sound horrible. At that time, the conductor Tetsusaburo Tendou appears in front of them.
Saeko and Yukako live together in a small apartment complex in Tokyo. After the Tohoku earthquake in 2011, both live in a state of unease. Saeko, who is in a divorce, is worried that her daughter is exposed to radiation. Yukako is also afraid of radiation and tries to convince her husband to move. The two become friends after Yukako tries to save Saeko after a suicide attempt.
A strange phenomenon takes place. A beautiful flower blooms on a selected woman's body and that flower is called the "Shanidar". When the Shanidar is in full bloom, the flower produces a substance which is then sold at a high cost to develop new drugs. Kenji Otaki works as a researcher at the facility where the Shanidar is grown.
When eight men are assigned to live 14,000 kilometers from home in inhumanly cold conditions, food becomes their new existence.
A widowed lumberjack's life is turned upside down when a film crew shooting a zombie movie asks for his help and increasingly starts to rely on him.
High school student, Ryoichi, hasn't gone to school since he injured a classmate. He kills time playing videogames alone everyday. One day, Uncle Kiyoshi comes to the house to recover after having tried to kill himself. During the daytime, only Ryoichi and Kiyoshi are in the house. Ryoichi can't stand his uncle’s eccentric behavior; however, he gradually starts to enjoy Kiyoshi's company. From their conversations, Ryoichi learns that perhaps there are second chances in life...
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.
A strange life together of a man and a woman united by paintings. A film starring Yuya Ozeki, shot in honor of his 20th birthday!
Compilation film featuring short works from directors Hitoshi Yasaki ("Short Cakes"), Yuki Tanada (scriptwriter "Sakuran," "Tsuki to Cherry"), Hiroyuki Nakano ("Stereo Future," "Samurai Fiction"), Masahiko Nagasawa ("Yoru no Picnic"), Masaya Kakehi ("Bijokan), and more for a total of 18 shorts. This time around the theme is "24 hours," where filming for each work must have been completed in 24 hours in order to appear in this film.
Satomi leaves her job after a bad break up and on the way home she she falls in love with a Shiba Inu puppy, Ku-chan. She stay at home for a bit but when she tries to return to work, the puppy cries all day. Ku-chan is then diagnosed with separation anxiety at the vet.
Set in the early 1990's, after The Persian Gulf War began, a 30 year old man passes himself off as Captain Kuhio a pilot for an American Special Unit. He also boasts that he is the offspring of Kamehameha I and a distant relative of Queen Elizabeth of England. In actuality, the man is a marriage swindler looking for his next big score.
A modern-day actress reincarnates during the Pacific War, but with a smartphone in her hand. A series that conveys everyday life during the war through Instagram.
Hisashi and Mai are a happy couple in their 20s who are engaged to be married. But three months before their wedding, Mai becomes seriously ill. Her heart stops momentarily, and she falls into a deep coma. Hisashi visits Mai at the hospital every day before work. With no idea if or when she will ever awake, Mai’s parents encourage Hisashi to find someone else, but he refuses to give up and continues to pray for her recovery. As if his prayers are answered, Mai begins to regain consciousness several years later, and even utters a few words. But tragically, she has suffered brain damage and has no memory of Hisashi.
All seniors at a high school stay together at a camp, including student Chinatsu. On their first day, the home room teacher announces that all the students must play the card game "Old Maid". In order to reverse the declining academic abilities of its younger generation, the Japanese government planned this camping program. In this card game, the students that lose will meet their deaths.
After failing her university entrance exam, Sakuko is invited by her aunt Mikie to spend summer vacation in a beautiful seaside town. Sakuko gets to know the people of the town, including Takashi, a shy relative of her childhood friend.
Izumi Hoshi is senior in high school, but she led a small yakuza group in her past. After killing her uncle's murderer with a machine gun, her yakuza group disbanded. Izumi now lives an ordinary life as a high school student and works as a manager at a cafe. A dangerous situation soon awaits for Izumi.
Toshio hires Yasaka to work in his workshop. But then this old acquaintance, who has just been released from prison, begins to meddle in Toshio's family life.
In 2024, Kirishima Satoshi, a wanted member of the East Asian Anti-Japan Armed Front, passed away after he gave his own name at a hospital.
Tetsuo is a lowlife. A film director with a small indie hit many years back, yet he has never gotten any further as he refuses to go against his 'artistic integrity'.
Watako has just lost her lover, Kimura, in a traffic accident in Tokyo. She decides to bury the trauma of this tragedy and carries on with her life with her husband. Although she puts on a facade for a while, the loss of Kimura has left deep marks, and she can't escape his memory any longer. She must now confront her grief.
A middle school student named Kozue finds a red balloon with an SD card attached to it. On the SD card is an invitation to the wedding of two complete strangers. In order to escape her daily doldrums, Kozue decides to go to the wedding with her classmate, Kikuchi. However, along the way they cross paths with a pair of suspicious men, a mysterious girl, and a strange cop. When they finally make it to wedding, they get drawn into the fray of yet another unexpected situation.
Urumi Kenji is a scoundrel who tricks women with his handsome looks and charm into a marriage yarn and swindles them out of their money. He is not a one-man show however. He works with Sengoku Ruriko. They use plotting, scheming, tricking, engagement rings, gourmet and sex to succeed.
Masuda, an aspiring journalist, plans to write an article in order to expose his co-worker Suzuki, who is a psychopathic murderer according to Masuda.
Saeki works with death-row convicts as a prison chaplain. He tries to instill the prisoners with a sense of morality and help them become a better person. He is a good communicator with the death-row convicts assigned to solitary cells. Saeki agonizes over whether his words really touches the prisoners and whether he is doing the right thing. Saeki also faces his past which he wants to forget. --asianwiki
Jun Kanai is a lecturer at the University of Tokyo who despite being in his thirties is still a virgin. One day he reunites with an old student of his and decides that she will be the one to take his virginity but finds out that she will soon be studying abroad.
A 21-year-old university student lost her boyfriend in a sudden accident and she can't get over him, but she begins to change thanks to her family and her friend Takumi, who shares a very similar past with her.
Yoshika has had a crush on Ichimiya, whom she calls "the One" since she was in middle school. Now, a 24-year-old salarywoman, her all-consuming fixation has prevented her from even considering another candidate for boyfriend until an office colleague asks her out.
Ryota is an unpopular writer although he won a literary award 15 years ago. Now, Ryota works as a private detective. He is divorced from his ex-wife Kyoko and he has an 11-year-old son Shingo. His mother Yoshiko lives alone at her apartment. One day, Ryota, his ex-wife Kyoko, and son Shingo gather at Yoshiko's apartment. A typhoon passes and the family must stay there all night long.
Kentaro is an unsocial 35-year-old who lives with his parents and has never dated a woman. When Kentaro’s parents set up an arranged marriage interview with a girl named Nahoko and her parents, he falls in love for the first time in his life. However, the pair soon run into unexpected obstacles. Nahoko is vision impaired and can’t seem to break free of her doting parents. Meanwhile, Kentaro has no idea how to deal with the surge of new emotions he’s feeling.
Two sisters live in the suburbs of Tokyo and one of them is having an affair with her boss. The other sister is then stalked. The sisters try to live their lives and be content, but after their father's affair their mother committed suicide and their feelings are unsettled. The sister who is stalked hates men, but ironically happens to work at a job where she is expected to flirt with men.
There were man and women who were supposed to think each other from a place far away. On a winter day, they got on the train to meet. On the journey, he unexpectedly received a E-mail from her, and she was lost all the time.
'Human Comedy in Tokyo', describes ordinary everyday lives without any significant incidents. Various dialogues are elaborately woven to bring tiny splits in human relationships to light, and through the three episodes the characters have their moments of realizing that they are actually in solitude.
Following the comic series and the subsequent television serial of the same name, and featuring the same cast, a young and relatively inexperienced man comes across a woman during his working day and sparks fly.
Theatre 1 (Observational Film Series #3) is a feature length documentary, which closely depicts the world of Oriza Hirata, Japan's leading playwright and director, and his theatrical company, Seinendan. By depicting them, the film leads the audience to revisit fundamental but timely questions: What is theatre? Why do human beings act?
Led by the country's first ever female, non-Caucasian president, the United States of America launches a Green Card video contest to attract new immigrants. Four applicants, from Japan, China and the Philippines, each desperate for a change of scenery, pour their hearts out in front of a video camera on the eve of the contest deadline.
A young bioarchaeologist Yukisuke is attracted to a girl Koyomi, who runs a small stand of taiyaki pastry that he often buys. Koyomi is hospitalized, however, by a car accident on a rainy day after they go out together, and wakes up with short term memory loss, where she cannot remember anything beyond the present day. Yukisuke tries to live close to her as before but the lack of collective memory starts to stagger him.
Hinako comes across the novel “Tamaran Hill” and immediately starts reading it with delight, as “tamaran” (intolerable) happens to be her father’s favorite swear word. She soon imagines herself inside the book’s story, which also deals with someone intrigued with that particular word, and even meets the real-life author Senji Kuroi there.
Three American tourists follow a mysterious map deep into the jungles of Japan searching for an ancient temple. When spirits entrap them, their adventure quickly becomes a horrific nightmare.
Eiji Akutsu is a newspaper reporter. He is working on unsolved case that took place 30 years ago. The case involved a group of people extorting several companies for money. The group sent cassette tapes to the companies. Eiji Akutsu comes across a mysterious cassette tape. Meanwhile, Toshiya Sone lives in Kyoto and runs a tailor shop. He discovers a cassette tape among his late father's possessions. He plays the cassette tape and hears his voice from his childhood days.
At midnight, in a residential area of Osaka, a middle aged man is murdered. The person who killed the man is a high school student. En is a 2nd grade high school student. She spends her boring days with her friend Kotoko, who tends to change boyfriends frequently. Kotoko falls in love with Narihira at first sight. Narihira is a soccer player at their high school. Since then, the relationship between En and Kotoko changes.
When Kanako, a model daughter and a brilliant student, disappears, her mother asks her ex-husband, a violent former policeman, to find her. As his investigation progresses, his idealized image of Kanako cracks: the girl hides a dark life that her father can not even imagine.
The story is set in the early 21st century with the population decimated by bio terror. Two kinds of humans now exist. One is the Nokusu who were infected with a virus but survived and consequently they carry an antibody. Most are young, healthy and have high intelligence, but they have a high sensitivity to ultraviolet rays and are active mostly during the night. The other group are the Kyurio. They survived by never having the virus. The Nokusu discriminates against the Kyurio. Tetsuhiko Okudera is a Kyurio. He was born in a poor village. He isn't happy with being a Kyurio and wishes he could be a Nokusu. Yui Ikuta is Tetsuhiko’s childhood friend. She tries to revive the poor village.
In present-day Los Angeles, controversial stand-up comedian Henry McHenry and internationally renowned opera singer Ann Defrasnoux form the façade of a happy couple in the spotlight. Ann gives birth to a baby girl named Annette, who possesses an exceptional gift that will change all of their lives forever.
Hiroshi has given up on his dreams of becoming a painter and works part-time cleaning office windows. He learns that he has only 3 months left to live. During his last summer, high school student Mai appears. Hiroshi becomes attracted to her.
Enigmatic, rejected, heartbroken. Masahisa Fukase must rebuild his life, overcome tradition, his inner demons and the pain of a broken marriage. The fascinating love story of the iconic Japanese photographer, his wife, his art and his family told for the very first time. A love consumed and destroyed by a life of photography.
Enigmatic, rejected, heartbroken. Masahisa Fukase must rebuild his life, overcome tradition, his inner demons and the pain of a broken marriage. The fascinating love story of the iconic Japanese photographer, his wife, his art and his family told for the very first time. A love consumed and destroyed by a life of photography.
Set in Kamakura and Busan. The Shibuyas who live in Kamakura lost their grandmother and parents in an accident. On the 23rd anniversary of the death, Tsuko suddenly reveals her plan of moving to Busan to Yoko and Ushio, so the three siblings find themselves at the crossroads of their lives.
When runaway teen Ju-Ju is embraced by a tribe of misfit youths in Kabukicho, she finds belonging for the first time — until betrayal and despair twist her haven into a prison, and she's left with one way to take back control.
Attorneys Kensuke Komikado and Machiko Mayuzumi receive a request from a general hospital. They go up against veteran attorney Kazuma Kujou who is trying to extract money from the general hospital by a medical malpractice lawsuit.
