Where to start · From Ozu to anime
Where to start with Japanese cinema
Japanese cinema holds some of the calmest and some of the wildest films ever made. From Ozu's quiet family dramas to anime and samurai epics, this path covers the essentials.
1Start here
Tokyo Story1953 · Yasujirō Ozu · 137 minOzu's gentle film about ageing parents visiting their busy children. Quietly devastating.2Then
Seven Samurai1954 · Akira Kurosawa · 207 minThe great action epic that everyone since has borrowed from.
Spirited Away2001 · Hayao Miyazaki · 125 minStudio Ghibli's masterpiece, and the best animated film to start with.
Shoplifters2018 · Hirokazu Kore-eda · 120 minKore-eda's family of misfits. Tender and heartbreaking.3Go deeper
Ugetsu1953 · Kenji Mizoguchi · 96 minMizoguchi's ghost story, as beautiful as it is sad.
Harakiri1962 · Masaki Kobayashi · 135 minA samurai drama that becomes a furious attack on honour itself.
Perfect Blue1998 · Satoshi Kon · 81 minSatoshi Kon's psychological thriller about fame and identity.
Drive My Car2021 · Ryusuke Hamaguchi · 179 minHamaguchi's long, rewarding drama about grief, theatre and a red car.