Japan Film Overview and Reviews (FrinkThinks)

World Cinema with Professor Frink User Guide

              Every country included in the database will include a list of the films in either alphabetical order or occasionally by director or movie studio, along with a map of the country and color coded ratings for each film which entail our individual ratings of each film. Films are initially broken down by individual rating out of 10, with movies rated 9 or 10/10 are scored in green, 7’s and 8’s in yellow and, 5’s and 6’s in red.  Everything rated lower is in black, and I include every film from the country in attempt to create a clearer picture of that countries filmmaking goals.   Films scoring in the 8/10 range or higher will be included in our guide below the film list and from there, broken into specific categories where each film will have the following: Name of Category, Availability, Color Coded Rating, Director and Year of Release. We include the Film Synopsis courtesy of IMDB, grade appropriate suggestions, events/themes, major film awards, and finally my review called FrinkThink (Patent Pending),.  For instance an individual entry looks something like the following:  here the category is on top and the individual entry in directly below with all of the included data.

Studio Ghibli – Films from Top Japanese Animation Studio- All Ghibli Films Available on HBOMax

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Director: Hayao Miyazaki (1984)                                                                                     

“Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.”  High School (9-12) - College/ Environment

In the history/social studies classroom, it is important to recognize especially with world history the different aspects of individual cultures that we focus on.  We do this through describing events and themes.  Central to the curriculum around a country such as Japan has students focus on the Samurai era and warring states period up until the 19th century.   Japan then both ended its isolation with the rest of the world while beginning an era of believed supremacy that would lead to the Japanese invasion of much of Pacific Asia.  World War II was the bloodiest conflict in history and Japan was one its major players, who happened to surrender, and the only country to be attacked with atomic bombs.  

This creates an extremely unique vision for Japanese directors of classic Samurai films like Akira Kurasawa, to films skewed to a younger age group through the work of Studio Ghibli and other brilliant Japanese animation film studios.  The Japanese rebuilt their society from a relatively ancient one filled with warlords and Samurai roaming the countryside, to arguably the most technologically advanced country on earth. This is wholly unique to the Japanese experience and best told through their eyes and not out own. 

Along with events, we have themes.  These are more universal in nature and can reflect things that all countries deal with.  These can be coming of age stories, films with an environmental message, class struggle, and many more.  Combining the event with the theme, which is one of our main objectives at World Cinema, is essential to our goal to creating a database that will help shape the perspective of each individual nation/culture.  We do this by allowing viewers to understand that while we may have unique aspects of culture and personal identity, in actuality we find we are far more alike than we believe. It turns out the human condition has the inherent need for core values like family, love, and identity no matter what country, culture, or religion.  

  Each country’s films are initially broken down into subcategories based on when the film was made and the type of film.  This includes categories such as French New Wave or the films of Japanese legendary animation studio, Studio Ghibli, that tend to show a very specific image of a place and time.  For instance we break down French films into French Classics from the 20’s through the French New Wave movement of Godard and Truffaut of the 50’s and 60’s.  These films are more abstract in nature and as such are suggested for use in High School or College classrooms. 

We also have films for younger viewers that almost always have an English Dub version for the history or English classroom, along with suggestions of short scenes that best exemplify the theme the film is attempting to portray, while allowing for small bits of the French version to be played to help students learning French.  We also have French Documentaries.  We love the ability documentaries have to teach perspective to students, as they are essential first hand sourced material that is true to the country it represents.  This is also a guide for parents to start engaging their children on a global level.

  We have a categories dedicated to themes such as excellent films of the 21st century for France, films by the aforementioned Akira Kurasawa for Japan; many of them award winning, powerful films.  And just for fun we include a section of awesome films that don’t really have any practical application in the classroom, but are still excellent viewing.  This database is not just for Education, as we want everyone to be able to access our information in order to pick out the best films that would most interest the individual user.  

It is important for this database to include as much information as possible while still making the format user friendly enough for the average viewer.   Therefore we color code a lot.  We hope to continue to find the best ways to effectively categorize the information we mean to include on World Cinema with Professor Frink.

Film Guides with FrinkThink Reviews

Film, Director, and Year of Release + Synopsis (IMDB)

Film Categories, Film Availability, Age Breakdowns, Main Thematic Elements, and Film Awards

Analysis for Teachers and Students +

Teaching/Effective Usage in Classroom (FrinkThink)

Studio Ghibli – Films from Top Japanese Animation Studio – All Ghibli Films Available on HBOMax

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Director: Hayao Miyazaki (1984)

“Warrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.”  High School (9-12) - College/ Environment

FrinkThink:  Nausicaä is one of Hayao Miyazaki’s films for older viewers.  The central premise is the Earth is swarming with destructive giant bug like creatures named Ohm’s.  While initially presented as the antagonist of our story it quickly becomes evident that the Ohm’s are just trying to survive in a world that became environmentally devastated by humans.  The Ohm’s are a terrific allegory for the current era known as the Anthropocene, where humans are largely responsible for destroying the environment.  Nausicaä is best utilized as a metaphor for environmental devastation especially in lessons/units related to the worldwide impact of Climate Change. 

My Neighbor Totoro, d. Hayao Miyazaki (1988)

“When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.”    K-4th grade/ Environment and Family Life           

FrinkThink:  My Neighbor Totoro is one of the most delightful films ever made, with a story accessible among 5 year olds and 75 year olds alike.  The film follows two young girls who greatly miss their ailing mother who resides in a hospital, while living near the forest with their father.  As the eldest, being only around 5, decides to embark on a trip to visit her mother, this is where the magic kicks in.  While waiting in the rain for a bus she encounters Totoro, an 8 foot bear/raccoon hybrid radiating kindness and warmth, who proceeds to hold an umbrella over her head to protect her from the rain.  From there we learn about Japanese forest spirits as this film is a subtle introduction to Shintoism.  With Totoro, little totoros, and the famous Catbus, which is half cat half bus with flying abilities, the girls take a fantastical trip to visit mom.  Totoro + Catbus = Magic Time, and yes I have a Totoro T-shirt which is my current favorite.     

Only Yesterday, d. Isao Takahata (1991)

“A twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.”  6th-8th/ Young Romance

Porco Rosso, d. Hayao Miyazaki (1992)

“In 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot is cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig.”    8th-12th/ Post World War I                                    

FrinkThink:  This enchanting little fable about an Italian “dogfighter” (WWI fighter pilot) named Porco, who in the middle of a battle one night found himself transformed into an anthropomorphic(animals that take on human physical characteristics, think Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse) pig who maintains his greatness in flight.  Also, Porco is played in the English Dub by the great Michael Keaton (Batman/Beetlejuice), which is a huge plus.  The crux of the story revolves around Porco accepting that the time of the great dogfights and war of empire (WWI) as ending and the beginnings of fascism beginning to take over his beloved country led by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.  Miyazaki once again creates a brilliant blend of magical realism, and his love of flying machines is brilliantly rendered in an almost spiritual, mystical fashion.  While definitely a film for those learning about the rise of fascism is 1930’s Germany, it’s gentle enough to be both meaningful and playful at the same time, making it extremely accessible for Western Viewers.

Whisper of the Heart, d. Yoshifumi Kondo (1995)

“A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.”  3rd-5th/ Young Romance and Coming of Age

Princess Mononoke, d. Hayao Miyazaki (1997)

“On a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.”  High School – College/Industrialization vs. Environment

Spirited Away, d. Hayao Miyazaki (2001)

“During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.”  4th-8th/ Classic Japanese Spiritualism (Shinto) vs. Modernity and Coming of Age/Academy Award Best Animated Feature                                                                          

FrinkThink:  In my humble opinion, Spirted Away is one of the greatest films ever made, and my favorite foreign film.  An enchanting fable of a young girl forced to grow up fast after mistakenly entering the world of spirits, and their favorite vacation spot, the iconic bathhouse.  This is a terrific introduction to Japanese spiritualism and the Shinto religion that has been the dominant religion in Japan for centuries.   The transformation of our main character, Chihiro, is magnificent as a scared girl turns into a confident young woman.  This stunningly beautiful film is a must see, not just for students, but for everyone.  This is Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece, which is saying a lot coming from one of the greatest directors in the history of film. 

The Cat Returns, d. Hiroyuki Morita (2002)

“After helping a cat, a seventeen-year-old girl finds herself involuntarily engaged to a cat Prince in a magical world where her only hope of freedom lies with a dapper cat statuette come to life”. 4th-6th/ Coming of Age

Howl’s Moving Castle, d. Hayao Miyazaki (2004)

“When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.”  5th-8th/ Fantasy and War

Ponyo, d. Hayao Miyazaki (2008)

“A five-year-old boy develops a relationship with Ponyo, a young goldfish princess who longs to become a human after falling in love with him.”  K-3rd/ Young Child Development

The Secret World of Arrietty, d. Hiromasa Yonebayashi (2010)

“The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter, Arrietty, is discovered.”  3rd- 5th/ Environment, Family Life, and Coming of Age

From Up on Poppy Hill, d. Goro Miyazaki (2011) “A group of Yokohama teens look to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball in preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.”  5th-8th/ Post WW2 and Coming of Age

The Wind Rises, d. Hayao Miyazaki (2013)

“A look at the life of Jiro Horikoshi, the man who designed Japanese fighter planes during World War II.” 8th-12th/ World War 2

The Tale of Princess Kaguya, d. Isao Takahata (2013)

“Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her, but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.”  3rd-5th/ Folklore and the Environment 

When Marnie Was There, d. Hiromasa Yonebayashi (2014)

“Due to 12 y.o. Anna's asthma, she's sent to stay with relatives of her guardian in the Japanese countryside. She likes to be alone, sketching. She befriends Marnie. Who is the mysterious, blonde Marnie?”  6th-8th/ Young Adult Romance

Films of Legendary Japanese director, Akira Kurasawa

Rashomon (1950)

“The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.”  11th - College                                                                 

FrinkThink:  Rashomon is one of the most influential movies in the history of cinema.  The plot device that Kurasawa creates involves telling the story of a violent crime, but showing it from the perspective of four different individuals each adding too and changing the story until the truth is finally revealed.  Rashomon does a terrific job at exploring the different societal castes created by feudalism.  We learn a great deal about the type of people who were and weren’t valued in feudal Japan.  The mystery and final reveal are truly epic, and is so influential in the aspect of multiple perspectives being copied by so many of Kurasawa’s peers throughout the World and to this day.  This is a film that is both extremely valuable in both the History and English classrooms as it brings old Japan to life for the Social Studies, while illustrating how to tell a story from multiple perspectives to create something greater than the sum of its parts for English. 

Scandal (1950)

A celebrity photograph sparks a court case as a tabloid magazine spins a scandalous yarn over a painter and a famous singer. 9th-12th 

Ikuru (To Live) (1952)

“A bureaucrat tries to find a meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.” 10th- College  FrinkThink:  Old Japan is an iconic society that film has heavily dissected.  Feudalism and Warlords ruled the day, with protection of Samurai/Ronin.  While Kurasawa is most famous for this type of film, Ikuru is a brilliant departure into the realities of living in post war Japan.  Japan entered the modern economy around this time and due to its new, uncertain democratic status, it became bogged down by soulless bureaucracy.  This was new for Japan and Ikuru brilliantly illustrates the concept of Old Japan vs. the beginning of modern Japan.  The argument is clearly that Japan had lost its identity, lost the greatest War in history, and now had to reckon with how to rebuild a modern society.                     

Seven Samurai (1954)

“A poor village under attack by bandits recruits seven unemployed samurai to help them defend themselves.”  6th-8th               

FrinkThink:  Arguably the most iconic Japanese film in history and probably the most widely viewed in the American classroom is the fantastic, Seven Samurai by Akira Kurasawa.  The famous American film and recent remake, The Magnificent Seven, is actually an American take on this splendid film.  Seven Samurai has it all; heart, laughs, drama, and great battle scenes.  Led by Kurasawa’s muse, Toshiro Mifune, who plays the wannabe Ronin, un-employed Samurai, is a group of actual Ronin who are employed for protection by a village from ruthless bandits.  This film is perhaps the most accessible film related to Japanese feudalism, as students can enjoy the terrific rapport of our seven hilariously flawed, yet epically brave heroes.  With a terrific final battle scene, Kurasawa wraps up a film that is pretty much a required watch for students studying Japanese feudalism, and a terrific tool for History teachers.  If you haven’t seen Seven Samurai, and are a fan of history or Japanese culture, you owe it to yourself to check this film out.   

Throne of Blood (1957)

“A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle..” 9th-10th/ Macbeth Adaptation                                  

FrinkThink: Throne of Blood by Kurasawa is a fantastic adaption of Shakespeare’s classic, and my favorite Shakespearean tragedy, Macbeth, which is applicable in both the History and Language Arts classroom. The plot seamlessly follows the main parts of Macbeth, while telling the story from the angle of Feudal Japan.  We learn a great deal about the lawlessness that plagued Japan during this time, which is a pivotal aspect when learning about Feudal Japan.  At the same time, students in Language Arts who have read Macbeth in class will be able to see the stories’ classic hallmarks including witches, an evil lady Macbeth pushing her husband into sheer villainy for the sake of ultimate power, and the final battle where the forest “moves” and the Macduff character gets his revenge.   This is not the only Kurasawa film on this list based on Shakespeare, as it’s clear that great filmmakers can adapt Shakespeare to fit their own culture as his stories are so universal in nature.  You could even set up a thematic unit where History and Language come together to focus on the feudalism prevalent in both Shakespeare’s England and Kurasawa’s Japan.  I have a separate thematic unit I created on the Industrial Revolution that I have posted as an example of how a unit such as this could be implemented.

Sanjuro (1962)

“A crafty samurai helps a young man and his fellow clansmen save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.”  8th-10th 

Red Beard (1965)

“In 19th-century Japan, a rough-tempered yet charitable town doctor trains a young intern.” 8th-12th

Dodes’ka-den (1970)

“Various tales in the lives of Tokyo slum dwellers, including a mentally deficient young man obsessed with driving his own commuter trolley.” 8th- 12th 

Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior) (1980)

“A petty thief with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.” 9th-12th Palme d’Or Winner

Ran (1985)

“In Medieval Japan, an elderly warlord retires, handing over his empire to his three sons. However, he vastly underestimates how the new-found power will corrupt them and cause them to turn on each other...and him.”  11th- College/ King Lear Adaptation

FrinkThink: Ran by Kurasawa is an epic adaption of Shakespeare’s classic King Lear.  It has a bold vision that translates the feudal states of England to Japan during era of the warring states.  Most of Kurasawa’s films are in black and white, so to see a film like this shot with gorgeous color adds an entirely different dimension to what a Kurasawa epic could look like.  The metaphor of a retiring warlord, unsure of who to pass his legacy down to, plays brilliantly with an aging Kurasawa reflecting upon how vast the scope of his country’s history and his own massive influence.  Combined with how important his films had become to his countryman and the entire world, he had a proud yet uncertain legacy of a vastly changing world.

Classic Post WWII Japanese Films

Late Spring, d. Yasujiro Ozu (1949)

“Noriko is twenty-seven years old and still living with her widowed father. Everybody tries to talk her into marrying, but Noriko wants to stay at home caring for her father.” 6th-8th 

Tokyo Story, d. Yasujiro Ozu (1953)

“An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.”  7th-10th                                                           

FrinkThink:  Tokyo Story is an illuminating window into the changes in relationships within the typical Japanese immediate family.  While Japan had long gone through a period of feudal classes, it maintained an East Asian Confucian style of thought relying heavily on respect for elders and masters.  Ozu is clearly trying to depict a lack of respect for this specific post-war generation.  The question is why.  Was it a fundamental change or one caused by a disdain for the suffering that generation had caused prior to and during WW2.  In the 67 years since this film was released it seems that respect for elders in Japanese society has balanced out leading one to believe this lack of attention was based on the actions of those during the Imperial Empire.  This film has wonderful performances and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in the history of international cinema.  Tokyo Story manages to be an incredibly vivid portrait of a specific time and place, 1953 Tokyo, Japan.  This is a great historical document that can easily be implemented into a unit on Japan at large or World War 2 and post-war Japan. 

Hungry Soul Part I/ Hungry Soul Part II, d. Yuzo Kawashima (1956)  “Two women start relationships with men who are considered wrong to them.”  11th-College

Sun in the Last Days of the Shogunate, d. Yuzo Kawashima (1957) “In the last days of the Shogunate, a resourceful grifter seeks to outwit competing prostitutes, rebellious samurai and other inhabitants of a brothel in order to survive the hardened times.” 10th-12th Scenes with attack of foreigner headquarters in Tokyo

Hiroshima Mon Amour, d. Alain Resnais (1959)

“A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.” 10th-12th 

Harakiri, d. Masaki Kobayashi (1962)

“When a Ronin requesting seppuku at a feudal lord's palace is told of the brutal suicide of another Ronin who previously visited, he reveals how their pasts are intertwined - and in doing so challenges the clan's integrity.”  11th-College                                               

FrinkThink:  They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and in Harakiri by Masaki Kobayashi, a wronged Ronin whose nephew is brutally killed in a Seppuku ceremony at the hands of a brutal lord and his minions, gets sweet, sweet vengeance. This has all the hallmarks of a classic Tarantino film that keeps coming back to a central theme of revenge and righting a terrible wrong.  This film starts out in a haunting, depressed way where a desperate young man is trying to get a little money just for his family to survive.  He attempts to bluff his way by threatening to commit Seppuku in front of a clan of samurai and their master, but the sadistic clan in charge calls that bluff and forces the young man to essentially torture himself until he dies.  This is a classic tale of class and social inequality that plagued feudal Japan. The common man in feudal Japan had to struggle with constant hunger and persistent insecurity.   And while the film starts on a disturbing note, our hero comes in, and brilliantly destroys the clan from the inside out.  What an exciting, gorgeous film this is.  Although Harakiri is a violent film, it’s not unwarranted, as sometimes the thirst for vengeance can become overwhelming, especially when completely justifiable based on circumstance. 

Japanese Young Adult Animation (non Studio-Ghibli)

Miss Hokusai, d. Keiichi Hara (2015)

“The life and works of Japanese artist and ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai, as seen from the eyes of his daughter, Katsushika O-Ei.” 4th-6th 

A Silent Voice, d. Naoko Yamada (2016)

“A young man is ostracized by his classmates after he bullies a deaf girl to the point where she moves away. Years later, he sets off on a path for redemption.”  7th-10th 

Your Name. d. Makoto Shinkai (2016)

“Two strangers find themselves linked in a bizarre way. When a connection forms, will distance be the only thing to keep them apart?”  4th-6th 

In This Corner of the World, d. Sunao Katabuchi (2016)

“Set in Hiroshima during World War II, an eighteen-year-old girl gets married and now has to prepare food for her family despite the rationing and lack of supplies. As she struggles with the daily loss of life's amenities she still has to maintain the will to live.”  6th-8th 

Mirai, d. Mamoru Hosoda (2018)

“A young boy encounters a magical garden which enables him to travel through time and meet his relatives from different eras, with guidance by his younger sister from the future.”  K-4th                  FrinkThink:  This gorgeous film is my favorite non Studio Ghibli Japanese animated movie.  This Academy Award nominated film is truly one that is accessible for all ages, and other than My Neighbor Totoro, is the best film for our youngest students.  The film also contains beautiful surrealist visions, with visuals and an overall ethos of what it means to begin the process of maturation.  Thus, Mirai is a film that will delight both parents and their kids.  This coming of age tale is wonderful for young kids who have become the older sibling especially since the ages of our heroes in Mirai are four and a newborn.  Frustration over losing the attention of one’s parents due to a new sibling is explored here, but countered with a story of the beauty of the love one develops for a younger brother or sister.  I recommended this movie to one of my closest friends for their 4 year old daughter to watch, and she was delighted.  There is a terrific English dub that is currently streaming, so there is no worry about subtitles for young children.  Feel free to show Mirai in any classroom starting with kindergarten on up, or watch this treasure with your kids from the comfort of home. 

Belle, d. Mamoru Hosoda (2021)

“Suzu is a shy high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters "U", a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a globally-beloved singer.”

Japanese Documentaries

The Man Who Skied Down Everest, d. Bruce Nyznik (1975)

“This Oscar-winning documentary tells the story behind Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura's 1970 effort to ski down the world's tallest mountain. Miura's trek to the top of Everest provides much of the film's drama, as several members of his climbing team die in the process. The arduous trek gives way to footage of Miura's stunning descent, which requires him to use a parachute to control his speed. The action is supplemented by passages from the journal Miura kept during the adventure.” 8th-12th                                                          

FrinkThink:  Reading the synopsis above does a pretty good job of explaining how crazy/ambitious of a stunt this was, but doesn’t really do justice to the price that was paid by so many who were hired to help get Mr. Miura up Mount Everest so he could put on a pair of skis and do one of the craziest things a person has ever attempted.  This film really is a dichotomy between the grandeur of the stunt vs. the price paid for this entirely self-indulgent, off the wall crazy foray into one’s ego.  The actual stunt itself is probably the most thrilling thing ever put on film and is incredibly exciting especially for a generation brought up with extreme sports, but only showing this scene betrays the intent of the film, which is to portray the unnecessary suffering of the poor Sherpa’s who lost their lives because they had no other option but to accept the job.  This film is incredibly sad and exciting at the same time and is a perfect metaphor for the first world (Miura’s Japan) taking advantage of the third world (the ethnic Sherpa people of Nepal) for purely selfish means.  For the classroom it checks several boxes because of the fact it is immensely exciting, borderline crazy, yet manages to illustrate how the inequality in economic power between nations can lead to pure exploitation, damaging the indigenous cultures so you can for instance, ski down Mount Everest!

Sans Soleil, d. Chris Marker (1983)

“A woman narrates the contemplative writings of a seasoned world traveler, focusing on contemporary Japan.”  10th-College

White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, d. Steven Okazaki (2007)

Using extensive interviews with survivors and archival footage, an examination reveals the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  6th-12th - The survivor’s accounts vary in what is appropriate for each age group depending on how graphic their depictions are.                                                                                  

FrinkThink:  White Light/Black Rain is a devastating portrait of the horrors that the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki faced during and after the Atomic Bombings, doing so through vivid, haunting firsthand accounts from survivors of the blasts.  This film illuminates the suffering of those who survived, while contrasting that with interviews of young, modern Japanese who when asked about what happened in 1945, surprisingly, have no clue.  This is a revelatory example of a unique aspect of Japanese culture.  In remaking themselves into a capitalist technology obsessed society, it seems to want to almost forget about the nightmares of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  The price paid for this willful forgetfulness usually falls squarely on the shoulders of the aging survivors, who have been discriminated against as if they were pariahs while constantly being tested on for scientific purposes since the bombings.   Thankfully there are films like these to help keep the firsthand accounts recorded for future generations.  This film also has firsthand accounts of the American pilots and scientists, who didn’t even understand the potential effects of radiation, that helped foster this horrifying event, but for the purpose of this database we should focus on the firsthand Japanese accounts, giving visual examples to why these weapons should never be used again.  All too often in American history we acknowledge these attacks as the end of the war and eventual cause for celebration.  With White Light/Black Rain, we see though the war may have ended, these nightmarish bombs destroyed so many innocent lives. 

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, d. David Gelb (2011)

“A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu.” 6th-8th 

The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, d. Mami Sunada (2013)

“Follows the routines of those employed at Studio Ghibli, including filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work to release two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.” 10th-12th 

Tokyo Idols, d. Kyoko Miyake (2017)

“Girl bands and their pop music permeate every moment of Japanese life. Following an aspiring pop singer and her fans, Tokyo Idols explores a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality, and the growing disconnect between men and women in hyper-modern societies.” College

The Departure, d. Lana Wilson (2017)

“A Buddhist monk asks what we owe one another & provides experiences to help us find answers.”  College

Tokyo Olympiad, d. Kon Ichikawa (1965)

“Kon Ichikawa examines the beauty and rich drama on display at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, creating a record of observations that range from the expansive to the intimate.”  All Ages

More Top Japanese Films

Tojo Studios Presents Godzilla Series (1954- )

Created by a nuclear explosion, Godzilla is a giant lizard who battles both humans and other mega monsters in an allegory of environmentalism and the nuclear age.  All Ages

Tampopo, d. Juzo Itami (1985)

“A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.” 

Millennium Actress, d. Satoshi Kon (2001)

“A TV interviewer and his cameraman meet a former actress and travel through her memories and career.”

Letters from Iwo Jima, d. Clint Eastwood (2006)

“The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.”  11th-College

Departures, d. Yojiro Takita (2008)

“A newly unemployed cellist takes a job preparing the dead for funerals.” 9th-12th 

Still Walking, d. Hirokazu Kore-eda (2008)

“A family gathers together for a commemorative ritual whose nature only gradually becomes clear.”

Shoplifters, d. Hirokazu Kore-eda (2018)

“A family of small-time crooks take in a child they find outside in the cold.”  8th-12th Palme d’Or Winner

FrinkThink:  Shoplifters by Hirokazu Kore-eda, is another example of this terrific Japanese filmmaker’s ventures into family life, and how modern intricacies have changed the very nature of familial relationships.  The film tackles the difficulties and mutual admiration of a collection of individuals pretending to be a family in order to maintain a home and some semblance of normalcy.  Shoplifters has definite parallels to the South Korean Best Picture winner, Parasite, as a family on the outside of the margins attempts to elevate their class standing through somewhat nefarious or illegal means.  Other parallels can be seen in Dickens’ Oliver Twist, as the protagonist joins a group of thieves in order to survive, ala Fagan and his group of young pickpockets.  Shoplifters straddles different emotions in an elegant fashion from laugh out loud funny to heartbreakingly sad.  It’s clear the director is making a statement about inequality and how much harder it is for people who start at the bottom to achieve levels of success that their wealthier peers are afforded.   This fantastic Palme d’Or winner fits into units on modern Japanese socioeconomic issues, combined with the most mixed of families showing that people will do what is necessary in order to survive, even if that means violating norms or breaking laws.  Just because you do certain things, shoplifting for example, in order to create a livable existence, doesn’t make one an inherently bad person, which is what Kore-ada is attempting to express.

Non-Educational yet Sensational

Funeral Parade of Roses, d. Toshio Matsumoto (1969)

“The film follows the trials and tribulations of Eddie and other transgender individuals in Japan.”

House, d. Nobuhiko Obayashi (1977)

“A schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which turns out to be haunted.” 

Violent Cop, d. Takeshi Kitano (1989)

“A violence prone police officer discovers that his colleague is trafficking drugs.” 

One Cut of the Dead, d. Shin’ichiro Ueda (2017)

“Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.”