Machiko Ono

The Mourning Forest

A young woman working at a retirement home takes an elderly man living there on an excursion into the countryside, but the two wind up stranded in the titular forest.

Funky Forest: The First Contact

An outrageous collection of surreal, short attention span non-sequiturs largely revolving around Guitar Brother, his randy older sibling, and the pair's portly Caucasian brother.

20-Year-Old Soul

A young music lover named Asano Daiyoshi died at the young age of 20. In that fact, there is a feeling that a miracle that cannot be imagined overflows the bonds of many people. Feel the brilliance of life that you can live powerfully even if it is short. It's a movie that everyone can sympathize with and give courage to tomorrow.

Climber's High

On August 12, 1985, a jumbo jet crashes, causing 520 fatalities, making the accident the biggest single-plane accident in the world. The local press reporters are tossed about by the waves of facts and rumors. While overwhelmed by the magnitude of the accident, Yuuki, in charge of this crash report at a local newspaper, faces a string of decision-making moments. What are news and a reporter? How should a man do his work and survive in a corporate hierarchy? What do family and friends mean to him? An intriguing story, which keeps the audience on the edge of tension and reality.

Suzaku

Depicts the life of a family in a remote Japanese timber village. Family head Tahara Kozo lives with his mother Sachiko, wife Yasuyo, nephew Eisuke and young daughter Michiru. Economic recession and failed development plans cause tragedy in the family.

Beyond Outrage

As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West. What started as an internal strife in Outrage has now become a nationwide war in Outrage Beyond.

Anime Supremacy!

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.

Frog River

Record shop clerk and aspiring DJ Tsutomu searches for his masculinity when challenged to a kendo duel.

Yoru no Agura: Ane to Ototo to Watashi

Akiko quit being a piano teacher and has been spending her days aimlessly without setting any goals for herself. One night on New Year’s Eve, she and her younger reclusive brother Yukio are summoned by their older sister Haruko to an urgent meeting because their father is dying. Haruko proposes that they join hands and fight against his mistress Midori in order to protect his assets from her. Despite Akiko’s reluctance, she gets dragged into it by Haruko and has to scurry about. However, she gradually comes to know a different side to her two siblings that she had never realised. They eventually end up sneaking into the family home in the middle of the night to steal the safe.

Sabakan

Nagasaki in 1986. Young friends Hisada and Takemoto decide to go to Boomerang Island to "see the dolphins". The friendship between the two deepens as a result of this adventure.

The Dry Spell

The story takes place during a summer of continuous sunshine when water supply restrictions are issued in the city. Shunsaku Iwakiri works for the city's water department and his job is to visit homes and stores that are behind on their bills and either collect the money or shut off the water supply (water suspension enforcement). Shunsaku is separated from his wife and children, and his heart grows thirsty as he spends his days visiting poor households and being abhorred. One day, during a water shutoff, Shunsaku meets two young sisters who have been neglected. He sees them as his own children and offers them a helping hand.

The Floating Castle

In the year 1590, the mighty warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi is close to fulfilling his ambition of unifying all of Japan under his banner when he comes across unexpected resistance in the form of a floating fortress known as Oshi Castle. Narita Nagachika, a frivolous hedonistic fellow and unlikely candidate for the position of rebel general, finds himself in charge of defending the castle. His odds? An army of 500 men to combat Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army of 20,000.

Like Father, Like Son

Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. He learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth. He must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.

Mom's Celestial Robe of Feathers

"There are many things that I don't like. The traffic jam on the way to Naha, my debt-ridden father, my best friend's boyfriend, milk, and my hometown, Shioya-wan. Why did my beautiful mother marry my father?" Ruri tried to escape from these thoughts as she faced an uncertain future. Then, one day, she learns of her mother's past, but…

Kiki's Delivery Service

A young girl named Kiki must leave her home for a year to begin training in witchcraft. She leaves on her broom, but first says goodbye to her friends and family. Kiki then begins her new life with her trusted cat Jiji.

Kaleidoscope

A photographer and a filmmaker challenge each other to shoot—one to photograph the other to film—two young actresses, one from Tokyo, the other from the countryside. The photographer seeks naturalism in his compositions, and Kawase observes and comments on his work. The competition between the photographer, the filmmaker, and the actresses creates a charged atmosphere.

Tales of the Bizarre: 2002 Spring Special

Hosted by veteran comedian Tamori, "Bizarre Tales 2002 Spring Special" presents five tales. 1. Mushi Game (Ignore the Game) - starring Uchiyama Rina 2. Okashina Machi (Funny Town) - starring Yanagiba Toshiro 3. Tokage no Shippo (Lizard's Tail) - starring Kashiwabara Takashi 4. Yogisha no Otoko (Man's Night Train) - starring Osugi Ren 5. Manhole - starring Kagawa Teruyuki

Detective in the Bar

A friend of the detective has been is murdered. During the investigation, he comes across a source which tells him that his friend was murdered for involvement with the dark side of the political world. On top of that, a woman approaches the detective with a request.

Yah Chayka!

Renowned Japanese poet Shuntaro Tanikawa teams with former "rock chick" Wakako Kaku to craft this pensive love story told almost entirely in still photographs. After steering a suicidal man away from the brink of despair, an astronomical observatory worker teaches him her favorite watchword, "Yah Chakya!" ("I, Seagull"). The phrase had once been spoken by the first female cosmonaut, and was the call-sign for the Soviet spacecraft Vostok. But for this woman, the word has taken on greater meaning; not only is it a greeting, but a secret handshake and a symbol of the universe as well. Upon learning the phrase, the man finally finds the strength to go on living.

Gips

22-year old secretary Kazuko first bumps into Tamaki on the way back from work. Tamaki is crawling along the sidewalk on crutches at a snail's pace, and stumbles into the young audiotypist after apparently having trouble with an ill-fitting shoe over her cast. After helping her back to her feet, Kazuko follows Tamaki back to her apartment, the two of them barely exchanging words. Once in Tamaki's room, Kazuko is dispatched on an errand to fetch some beer... Their game begins..

The Smiling Man

Based on a novel of by Nukui Tokuro, Hohoemu Hito tells the story of Nito Toshimi who, after graduating from Japan’s most difficult university and founding a job at a major city bank, marries Shoko and have a daughter, Amina. Nito, while leading a life that looks like the picture of happiness and being the envy of everyone, is charged with the murder of his wife and young child. At his trial, he reveals a shocking motive for the crime: “I wanted space for books.”

Thousand and One Nights

Tomiko, a middle-aged woman, waits patiently for her husband, who disappeared thirty years ago, to return. She lives alone in a declining fishing village, and continues to search tirelessly for her husband. One day she meets Nami, whose husband has also disappeared.

Arigatou

In the early morning of January 17, 1995, the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck, and Tadao Furuichi (Hidekazu Akai), who was running a camera store in Kobe City, lost his friends, his house, and his property. Tadao is busy volunteering for the reconstruction of the town, and one day he comes across his own golf bag that survived the earthquake. Feeling a miracle, Tadao decides to challenge the professional golf test before he turns 60.

Tales of Terror from Tokyo and All Over Japan Volume 1

"Shin Mimibukuro," which has greatly influenced numerous Japanese horror works such as "Ring" and "Ju-on," is finally being fully adapted into a complete visual format for the first time. The directors include Takashi Shimizu of "Ju-on," Hideo Nakata of "Ring 0," actor Shiro Sano, and Akio Yoshida, the veteran of TBS dramas such as "Kamaitachi no Yoru," all of whom are distinguished talents in the horror world. The cast is also spectacular, featuring a diverse array of talents such as Rina Uchiyama, Kaoru Okunuki, Nao Omori, Mako Ishino, Hitomi Miwa, Riko Kurita, Nobuto Okamoto, and Ikkei Watanabe.

Ramblers

Two young men arrive at a deserted countryside train station. They are Tsuboi and Kinoshita, amateur filmmakers on their way to a meeting with a genuine film star who might be interested in appearing in their next production.

Chieri and Cherry

Chieri is a sixth grade girl whose only friend is a stuffed toy named Cherry, which she found while hiding in the cellar during her father's funeral. Chieri and Cherry undertake a journey on the border between fantasy and reality.

Crying Out Love in the Center of the World

While searching for his fiancee Ritsuko, Sakutarou rediscovers through flashbacks the void deep within him caused by the events from his high school days.

Eureka

In rural Japan, the survivors of a tragedy converge and attempt to overcome their damaged selves, all while a serial killer is on the loose.

At River's Edge

A samurai Sakunosuke gets an order from clan chamberlain to kill another samurai who is married with his own younger sister. As a loyal samurai he has to accept the mission even though he has inner conflicts.

The Castle of Crossed Destinies

In the inner chambers of the Shugun's castle, 3,000 men attempt to vie for the affection of the female shogun. Based on the 4th-6th volumes in the manga series "Ooku" by Fumi Yoshinaga.

Being Good

A new primary school teacher struggles to deal with his new students and their over-protective parents. When he learns that one of his pupils is being abused, he decides to do something about it.

The Taste of Tea

A spell of time in the life of the five-piece Haruno family in rural Tochigi Prefecture. Yoshiko is not an ordinary housewife, instead working on an animated film project. Uncle Ayano, a successful music producer, is looking to get his head together after living in Tokyo. Meanwhile, Sachiko is concerned with why she seems to be followed by a giant version of herself. As the lazy days pass by, each member of the family is followed in a series of episodic vignettes.

The Apology King

Ryoro Kurojima is the director of a Tokyo apology center. His job is to teach others how to apologize. Ryoro Kurojima solves problems by using his apology techniques on anything from simple arbitration to a national crisis.

Solomon's Perjury 2: Judgment

A group of junior high school must find out the truth of their classmate's death is he was killed by someone or committed suicide.

Solomon's Perjury 1: Suspicion

A group of junior high school must find out the truth of their classmate's death is he was killed by someone or committed suicide.

Ke no Hi no Kekeke

Winner of the 47th Creative TV Drama Award. Through the story of a high school girl with "sensory sensitivity" who tries to create a place for herself with her friends, this tv special gives courage to all those who feel "difficult to live".

Confess to Your Crimes

The story tells of the granddaughter of the political family Uta, who is kidnapped. The kidnappers' demand is not money, but for the politician to hold a press conference and confess to the crime. Kentaro Nakashima plays the protagonist, Koji Uta, the second son of the Vice Minister of the Cabinet, Seijiro Uta (played by Shinichi Tsutsumi). Despite his reservations about his father's actions, he reluctantly takes on the role of his father's secretary, and the kidnapping incident plunges the Uta family into unprecedented predicaments.

Bali Big Brother

Sachiko runs a business in Japan, but her business fails. She then escapes to Bali. There, Sachiko meets rich Japanese man Aniki. From him, Sachiko gets encouragement.

Too Young To Die!

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.

Nadeshiko Tai

The story is set in Chiran, Kagoshima, the site of a secret base used to launch kamikaze missions during the war. At the time, a group of young girls known as the Nadeshiko Tai were gathered to help out at the base. The drama will be part documentary and it is based on the experiences of 78-year-old Shoko Nagasaki, a survivor of the Nadeshiko Tai.

A House on a Hill

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

Terminal

The masterpiece of Shino Sakuragi, who won the 149th Naoki Prize for "HOTEL ROYAL" in 2013, is now a motion picture. A lawyer burdened with an inexpiable sin, and an accused woman who seals her past and keeps it a secret. In Kushiro, Hokkaido, the pair who chose a faraway town as the terminal station of their lives encounters and develops a moving drama by starting new lives. Koichi Sato enters new territory his performance, while Tsubasa Honda plays a serious character which creates a new image for herself. Machiko Ono, Shidou Nakamura, Shigeru Izumiya and other talented cast members join in the film.

Museum

In Tokyo, Japan, several grotesque murders take place on rainy days. Detective Sawamura, who is in charge of the case, soon discovers that his own family is connected to the crimes.

The Assistant Doctor

Story of the last assistant doctor in Okinawa.

Black Widow Business

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.

Everest: The Summit of the Gods

Makoto Fukamachi is a Japanese cameraman. He finds an old camera on a backstreet of Nepal. The camera might possibly solve the mystery of whether George Mallory became the first person to successfully climb Mount Everest on June 8, 1924 or not. Pursuing the old camera's past, Makoto Fukamachi meets legendary Alpinist Joji Habu. Joji Habu is isolated from other people because of his reckless and thoughtless personality.

Fish of the Fire

Hi no Sakana (火の魚, Fish of the Fire) is a Japanese novel by Murō Saisei; it was first published in 1960, and was later adapted into a single episode TV drama that was broadcast on NHK Hiroshima in 2009. The story describes the interactions between an elderly author and a young staffer from a publishing company as they collaborate on a book cover design for the author's latest novel.

The Sparkling Amber

The bobbed-head Ryoko is a shy middle school student. She has been living with her dad, just the 2 of them ever since her mother died of an illness. It was in this Aizawa household that 3 months ago, suddenly, that the Kansai dialect wielding Michiko with her hair fastened tightly above her head came in. This is the story of amber of the three whom were like a family and yet not.

The Blue Hearts

Six directors picked a favorite song by Japanese punk rock band "The Blue Hearts" and made a short film inspired by the song.

The Tale of Nishino

Yukihiko Nishino is very popular with women, but, in the end, he is always dumped by a woman. Yukihiko seeks out his true love.

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store

In 2012, Atsuya and his 2 childhood friends do something bad and run into an old general store. They decide to stay there until the morning. Late into the night, Atsuya sees a letter in the mailbox. The letter is addressed to the Namiya General Store and the letter was written by someone to consult about worries. Incredibly, the letter was written 32 years ago. The mailbox is somehow connected to the year 1980. Atsuya and his friends decide to write a reply and place their letter in the mailbox.

Dynamite Graffiti

When Suei was little, his mother had an affair with a young man who lived next door. Suei's mother and the young man killed themselves by using dynamite. After Suei graduated from high school, he worked at a factory before quitting his job. He then went to Tokyo and began working in the erotic magazine industry. Suei eventually became the chief editor of a famous erotic magazine in the 1980's.

The Bastard and the Beautiful World

The Bastard and the Beautiful World is an omnibus film consisting of four episodes. Fujiko is running as fast as she can, being chased after by a creepy masked man called Mad Dog. They meet a talented pianist on the way. A mysterious relationship develops between Utagui, a little girl who eats songs to live and an artist who can't sing anymore. A married couple sets off on a journey to find the right arm of their dead son. As they finally reach a beach in Okinawa, they find? Bastards come together on a night dancefloor for a show.

Hasegawa Machiko's Story

In the year 1926, Machiko Hasegawa is a 6-year-old child and lives in Fukuoka. She is a bright girl, who enjoys playing outdoors. At home, she loves to draw. Her father is a handsome mining engineer and he loves his family more than anything else. When Machiko is 14-years-old her father passes away. The rest of her family decides to move to Tokyo. Her mother than makes a quick decision and sends 15-year-old Machiko to manga artist Tagawa as his student. Machiko's life is peaceful, but the oncoming war makes things tense. Machiko's family moves back to Fukuoka. When the war is about to end, the local newspaper asks Machiko to publish a serial manga. Machiko has difficulties in coming up with an idea for the manga series and decides to go to the nearby Momochi Seaside Park. She watches the ocean and comes up with the idea for manga series "Sazae-san".

Modest Heroes

Two tiny, aquatic humanoids search for their missing father, a boy battles a lethal allergy to eggs, and an invisible salaryman tries to become a hero.

Sniper

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.

Synchronicity

Three strangers get a strange feeling that something is "calling them." Minor things about their daily lives begin to have significance to them. However, this change causes each of them to distance themselves from those around them.

If Blessed

Poet Okachimachi Kaito makes his directing debut. Featuring lead actress Ono Machiko, who starred in The Mourning Forest (Mogari no Mori) and is also a regular in director Kawase Naomi's other works, this film portrays the pure love between a prisoner sentenced to death and the fiance of the man he killed, and was nominated to be in the section "Japanese Eyes" in the Tokyo International Film Festival. Jun (Kubota Masashi) receives the death penalty for a botched robbery that turned into murder and while in prison, he is visited by Kaoru (Ono), a Christian and the fiance of the man he killed. However, when her fiance was killed, he was secretly with another woman. Jun and Kaoru soon become attracted to one another and, using a bible, they start to communicate in secret.

Shadowfall

Typically thieves enter a house, steal things and get out. This time an unsuspecting thief enters a home to steal as much as he can and instead is faced with an occupant inside the house. There is a woman within who is going to commit a murder. She is also about to set the place ablaze. The thief stops her and in the process the criminal becomes the one stopping a crime. The situation is connected to a case from some twenty years go.

Typhoon Family

Ittetsu and Maitsuko are married, but they are not just any normal couple. They robbed a bank and took a cool million or two from the capitalists. Then they duly vanished. Years have passed and their children have congregated to divide their parents' money, but first there is the matter of arrangements and a funeral.

Rail Truck

A tale of two islands and growing up as a stranger in a strange land, told with an artistry that recalls Hou Hsiao-Hsien at his best. Based on Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s short story of the same title (1922), Kawaguchi’s film moves the original early 20th-century Izu Peninsula to present-day Taiwan, where the strength of family ties is singularly put to the test. Yumiko (Machiko Ono), who married against her parents' wishes, has struggled on in stubborn determination since her husband’s death, moving her family from their Tokyo home to the verdant, rural Taiwan village of her in-laws. Her son Atsushi, strongly conscious that in ethnocentric Japan he is "different," is in a state of rebellion against both the society in which he has grown up and his mother. In their new home the family rediscovers the bonds that unite it.

When Will You Return?

Tomoko Ashimura types on a computer her memory of her late husband Goro, but Tomoko Ashimura succumbs to a disease. On behalf of Tomoko Ashimura, her grandchild Osamu collects Tomoko’s memoirs. He learns about the love between his grandparents for the past 50 years and the difficult life they faced during and after the Pacific War.

A Family

Taken in by the yakuza at a young age, Kenji swears allegiance to his old-school boss, pledging to adhere to the family code amid ever-changing times.

Crickets

Kaoru, a wealthy woman whose youth is fading, abandons the hustle and bustle of the city to live a peaceful life in a house on the coast. There she takes care of an old deaf, dumb and blind man as if he were an insect, a child or a pet. He can’t do anything for himself, so she feeds him and accompanies him on his walks. This strong mutual dependency offers Kaoru an escape from society and allows her to free herself from restrictions imposed by common sense.

Shikasha

A woman and her child get trapped underground while investigators look for them.

I'm Sure Tomorrow...

Youth fantasy love story starring idol Kazue Fukiishi.

Tomorrow's Dining Table

3 women are happy and busy raising their boys named Yu. Due to some little thing, their lives fall apart. Their anger and anxiety unconsciously head towards their sons Yu.

YACHIMUN

The studio of potter Seisho Kuniyoshi is deep in the mountains, surrounded by greenery, where he devotes every day to making pottery. One day, a girl appears and begins to destroy the pottery.

A Madder Red

7 years ago, Yoichi died in a traffic accident. His wife Ryoko did not receive compensation from her husband's death. She has since raised her son Junpei by herself. Junpei is now a middle school student. Ryoko also cares for her father-in-law, who lives in a nursing home and she also runs a cafe. Her care is in a difficult situation due to Covid-19, while Junpei experiences bullying at school.

Amiko

Amiko isn't like other children. Her endless energy makes her an outcast at school and gets her in trouble at home. When a painful family loss disrupts her seemingly idyllic seaside life, her sense of isolation intensifies, yet it doesn't stop Amiko from inviting people into her world.

PLASTIC

After his shot at a record deal falls through, Jun transfers to sleepy Nagoya and begins busking songs by his favourite 1970s glam rock band, Exne Kedy. The music catches the eye of fellow fan Ibuki and the pair soon fall in love over their shared musical taste.

DitO

Professional boxer Eiji Kamiyama had been attempting a comeback in the Philippines but hit 40 without a fight. Suddenly, his daughter Momoko arrives with news of her mother's death. Disturbed by their reunion, Momoko and Eiji start an awkward life together, seeking what it means to be a parent and child. Miraculously granted a fight, Eiji decides to battle for their own place in the world. This story portrays the growth and existence of a "parent" and "child," set against the backdrop of boxing.

Oboe no Nai Satsujin

An ex-cop suffering from dementia is marked by detectives pursuing a murder case. It is a case that he does not remember at all, but he has a strong motive for committing the crime... Is he really the murderer?

Bullet Train Explosion

When panic erupts on a Tokyo-bound bullet train that will explode if it slows below 100 kph, authorities race against time to save everyone on board.

The Man Who Carries the Voice of August

This is the story of a strange encounter brought about by the atomic bomb, based on the true story of Akihiko Ito, a journalist who lived in Nagasaki and traveled throughout Japan to collect the stories of atomic bomb survivors.

Hana's Miso Soup

Yasutake Shingo works as a newspaper reporter but his life is stiffled and lifeless. That changes one day when he meets the irrepressible Matsunaga Chie by accident. Just as their relationship is blossoming however, Chie tells Shingo that she has breast cancer. Shingo determines to marry Chie right away, but she'll have to go through surgery and cancer treatments firs...

Yakushima's Illusion

Corry, a French coordinator of pediatric heart transplants is sent to Japan where organ donation remains taboo. As she fights to save a young boy, her partner Jin, a photographer from Yakushima, suddenly vanishes.

Taste and Tears

Bound by shared loneliness, Shinya and his classmate Yuka grow close while working on their school newspaper. But after a sudden incident, Yuka vanishes without a trace, leaving Shinya clinging to an unfulfilled promise. Thirty years later, long-buried truths about Yuka’s past finally surface, forcing Shinya to confront what was lost, and what remained unsaid.

Totto no Ketsuraku Seishunki

In 1946, one year after World War II, Tetsuko leaves her mother in Aomori and moves to Tokyo alone to discover her purpose. Enrolling at Koran Girls' School, her loud and impulsive nature intensifies. She becomes captivated by the world of cinema, frequently breaking school rules to sneak into theaters and watch movies on her way home. As she explores her independence, her family life begins to rebuild. Her new home in Tokyo is completed, allowing her mother to rejoin her. Additionally, her father, who was rumored to be interned in Siberia, is confirmed safe and will soon return. While Tetsuko is overjoyed about the upcoming family reunion, she faces a pivotal moment where she must finally decide on her future path.

The Ogre's Bride

In a Japan where humans and demons co-exist peacefully, Yuzu is an ordinary high school girl who lives in the shadow of her older sister, who is the bride of a demon. One day, she has a life-changing encounter with a beautiful ogre who claims her as his bride.