Cast: Kirin Kiki

Direction Hirokazu Koreeda

Cast Kirin Kiki · Sôsuke Ikematsu · Lily Franky · Moemi Katayama

Synopsis Shoplifters (2018) follows the story of Osamu, a day laborer who, along with his son Shota, engages in petty theft as a means of supplementing their income. One day, after a successful shoplifting spree, Osamu discovers a young girl named...

Direction Hirokazu Koreeda

Cast Hiroshi Abe · Yui Natsukawa · You · Kazuya Takahashi

Synopsis Even If You Walk and Walk (Still Walking) (2008) is a poignant family drama that unfolds over the course of a single summer day, as grown children reunite with their elderly parents in their long-standing family home. The siblings, along...

Direction Lee Sang-il

Cast Eri Fukatsu · Satoshi Tsumabuki · Akira Emoto · Kirin Kiki

Direction Hirokazu Koreeda

Cast Ohshirô Maeda · Koki Maeda · Hiroshi Abe · Jô Odagiri

Synopsis I Wish (2011) follows the journey of Koichi, a young boy residing in Kagoshima, southern Kyushu, with his mother and grandparents. His younger brother, Ryunosuke, lives separately with their father in Hakata, northern Kyushu, due to their parents' divorce. Koichi...

Direction Naomi Kawase

Cast Masatoshi Nagase · Kirin Kiki · Miyoko Asada · Etsuko Ichihara

Synopsis An (2015) follows the story of a pancake stall manager who encounters an unusual yet endearing elderly woman seeking employment. Intrigued by her homemade bean jelly, he decides to hire her, leading to a bond that transcends their culinary venture.

Direction Masahiro Shinoda

Cast Shima Iwashita · Yoshio Harada · Tomoko Naraoka · Taiji Tonoyama

Synopsis Ballad of Orin (1977) follows the journey of Orin, a visually impaired musician who travels with a troupe, bound by a vow of celibacy. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she is assaulted, leading to her expulsion from the...

Direction Hirokazu Koreeda

Cast Hiroshi Abe · Kirin Kiki · Yoko Maki · Lily Franky

Synopsis After the Storm (2016) follows Ryota, a once-acclaimed author now reduced to a private investigator, who squanders his earnings on gambling and struggles to meet his child support obligations. Following his father's passing, Ryota's elderly mother and his former wife,...

Direction Joji Matsuoka

Cast Jô Odagiri · Kirin Kiki · Yayako Uchida · Takako Matsu

Synopsis Tokyo Towers (2007) follows Eiko as she departs from her alcoholic spouse, taking their son Masaya with her from the bustling city of Tokyo to her quaint hometown in a rural mining community in Kyushu. Eiko dedicates herself to providing...

Direction Seijun Suzuki

Cast Yoshio Harada · Naoko Otani · Toshiya Fujita · Michiyo Oguso

Synopsis Zigeunerweisen (Tsigoineruwaizen) (1980) follows Professor Aochi, a German scholar vacationing in a small coastal village, who encounters Nakasago, a former academic turned vagabond. Nakasago is hunted by an enraged crowd for supposedly seducing and murdering a fisherman's wife. The police...

Direction Tetsuya Nakashima

Cast Kyôko Fukada · Anna Tsuchiya · Hiroyuki Miyasako · Sadao Abe

Synopsis Kamikaze Girls (2004) follows the story of Momoko, a young woman who, despite her unconventional fashion sense, leads a seemingly ordinary life in a small, rural Japanese town. Her unique style, inspired by the elaborate lolita dresses of 18th Century...

Direction Naomi Kawase

Cast Tohta Komizu · Hako Oshima · Tetsuya Akikawa · Kirin Kiki

Synopsis Hanezu (2011) is set in the Asuka region, often considered the cradle of Japan, where ancient inhabitants found meaning in patience and acceptance. In contrast, contemporary society seems to have lost this ability to wait, constantly striving for progress and...

Direction Rintaro Mayuzumi · Kazuyoshi Okuyama

Cast Masahiro Motoki · Naoto Takenaka · Michiko Hada · Teruyuki Kagawa

Synopsis The Mystery of Rampo (1994) follows the story of Edogawa Rampo, a renowned author whose most recent literary work is suppressed by the government due to its unsettling and potentially harmful content. Despite destroying his drafts, Rampo's publisher presents him...

Direction Takashi Yamazaki

Cast Takeshi Kaneshiro · Anne Suzuki · Kirin Kiki · Goro Kishitani

Synopsis Ritana (The Returner) (2002) is set in the year 2084, where the world is on the brink of annihilation due to a prolonged alien invasion. As humanity's last hope, a brave guerrilla fighter named Milly embarks on a desperate mission....

Direction Seijun Suzuki

Cast Makiko Esumi · Sayoko Yamaguchi · Hanae Kan · Masatoshi Nagase

Synopsis Pistol Opera (2001) follows the story of Makiko Esumi, a tall, slender, and dark-haired model turned actress who portrays Miyuki Minazuki, a skilled assassin clad in a black kimono and high-heeled boots, famously known as "Stray Cat." Ranked third in...

Direction Lee Sang-il

Cast Ken Watanabe · Ken'ichi Matsuyama · Satoshi Tsumabuki · Takahiro Miura

Synopsis Rage (2016) intertwines three distinct narratives set in separate Japanese cities, each connected by a chilling and unresolved homicide. The film delves into the lives of individuals whose paths are unexpectedly crossed by this grim event, revealing the intricate web...

Direction Kinji Fukasaku

Cast Kenichi Hagiwara · Kazuya Kimura · Keiko Oginome · Sonny Chiba

Synopsis Triple Cross (1992) follows the story of three seasoned criminals who unite for a bold and daring robbery. Each has a personal motive: Imura is burdened with overwhelming debts, Sbiba, portrayed by the renowned martial artist Sonny Chiba, seeks to...

Direction Kon Ichikawa

Cast Sayuri Yoshinaga · Hideki Noda · Takuzo Kawatani · Kirin Kiki

Synopsis Tsuru (1988) is a captivating film inspired by the traditional folk tale "Repayment from a Crane." The story unfolds on a chilly, snowy evening when a stunning woman, known as Tsuru (Crane), appears at the humble abode of a destitute...

Direction Haruhiko Mimura

Cast Tsunehiko Watase · Yûko Tanaka · Mikijiro Hira · Yoichi Ito

Synopsis Amagi Goe (1983) is set in Japan during the 1940s, where a young high school student has an extraordinary encounter with Ozuka Hana, a geisha, while traversing the Amagi Pass. Following this meeting, a baffling murder occurs, and Ozuka is...

Direction Seijirô Kôyama

Cast Yoshi Kato · Hiroyuki Nagato · Kirin Kiki · Fumie Kashiyama

Synopsis Hometown (1983) is a poignant tale set in the remote mountains of Japan, where a dam construction project is set to displace local farmers. Among them is Denzo, a 78-year-old man whose family believes him to be losing his faculties....

Direction Seijirô Kôyama

Cast Kaori Momoi · Toshiyuki Nagashima · Hajime Hana · Nobuko Otowa