Movies That You Must See Before Traveling to Japan
Japan is a country full of culture and information that can seem overwhelming when you first come to this country. But there is a way for you to enjoy your trip and understand the customs better. That is watching movies about Japan made in Japan.
There are several films, mostly American, about Japan that reflect a fictitious and even stereotypical image of the country. Many people watch these films and when they arrive in Japan they realize that everything is very different from what they saw and can cause confusion and even misunderstandings. So we decided to do deep research, based on calculating the number of tags on social media and the number of web searches and we managed to create a list of the best 20 movies to watch about Japan before coming on a trip. We have also included some 5 films in a special selection because the latter was not included in any other list and in our opinion they are important films about Japanese history and culture.
We hope you enjoy them and learn a lot about our wonderful country, Japan.
Japanese Movies Ranking
1. Your Name
2. Every Day A Good Day
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
4. Spirited Away
5. My Neighbor Totoro
6. Kiki’s Delivery Service
7. Zen
8. Princess Mononoke
9. Castle in the Sky
10. Howl’s Moving Castle
11. Whisper of the Heart
12. In This Corner of the World
13. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
14. Tokyo Story
15. The Wind Rises
16. The Cat Returns
17. To Each His Own
18. Only Yesterday
19. When Marnie Was There
20. Seven Samurai
Special Selection
1. For Those We Love
2. The Tale of Princess Kaguya
3. Rhapsody in August
4. Grave of the fireflies
5. Lady Maiko
1. Your Name
Director: Makoto Shinkai Genre: Society Release date: 2016 Comment: This is a movie about a young couple in modern Japan. But they didn’t meet on a regular date but wonderfully and mysteriously.  |
2. Every Day A Good Day
Director: Tatsushi Omori Genre: Culture Release date: 2018 Comment: For the people who are interested in Japanese tradition, this is must watch a movie. It’s about the importance of the tea ceremony in daily life and what we can learn about it.  |
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Director: Hideaki Anno Genre: Society Release date: 1995 Comment: This is one of the most famous animes in Japanese history. Is about a young boy who is recruited to participate in a war against some creatures called Angels. But this is not a regular action anime but is filled with emotional content and is going to take you through a journey to better know yourself and your feelings.  |
4. Spirited Away
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 2001 Comment : This movie is a classic from Studio Ghibli. Take a journey through the fantastic world of Hayao Miyazaki. The story is about a girl who, by accident, enters another world where she will have friends but also a lot of problems.  |
5. My Neighbor Totoro
Director : Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 1988 Comment: Tororo itself is one of the most famous characters in Japan. You can see him everywhere. This is a story about two sisters who meet with this friendly creature.  |
6. Kiki’s Delivery Service
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 1989 Comment: A young witch must complete her training far away from her home. She will move to a small town where her adventures are going to begin.  |
7. Zen
Director: Banmei Takahashi Genre: Culture Release date: 2009 Comment: For those who are interested to learn more about Japanese Zen Buddhism, this is a movie that we recommend. This is the real story of one of the founders of this type of Buddhism in Japan, and all the obstacles he had to face to bring the Japanese people this important knowledge.  |
8. Princess Mononoke
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 1997 Comment: The constant conflict between the new artificial civilization and the force of nature is very well portrayed in this movie by Studio Ghibli.  |
9. Castle in the Sky
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 1986 Comment: If you are planning to visit Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, you should watch this movie before going there. Is one of the first movies of Ghibli and a classic. Is about a mysterious castle that supposedly floats in the sky, and a lot of people want to get there as soon as possible.  |
10. Howl’s Moving Castle
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 2004 Comment: This is a movie about love but also world peace. The colors, the music, and the characters of this movie will make you laugh and cry and take you to a beautiful world.  |
11. Whisper of the Heart
Director: Yoshifumi Kondo Genre: Society Release date: 1995 Comment: This story is about a couple who is trying their best to fulfill their dreams. Is a realistic, but beautiful movie in Tokyo. The lessons that this movie teaches us, are very important for our daily lives, and the fact that we should never give up our dreams.  |
12. In This Corner of the World
Director: Sunao Katabuchi Genre: History Release date: 2016 Comment: This is a movie of great importance in our world because is about a girl who lived in Hiroshima Prefecture during the times of world war 2. She has to face all the tragedy that the war brings and of course, the atomic bomb. Is a very emotional movie that was going to be nominated for the Oscars. If you are planning to visit Hiroshima, we recommend you to see this movie before coming.  |
13. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: Culture Release date: 2008 Comment: Ponyo is a very funny movie about a love story between a young boy and a girl who is kind of a mermaid, but not exactly. This movie also gives us lessons about the importance of the sea.  |
14. Tokyo Story
Director: Yasujiro Ozu Genre: Society Release date: 1953 Comment: This is a movie that although is from 1953, still reflects very well how is modern Japanese society. And not only Japan but all the developed countries where the workers are leaving behind their family and their parents. Is a movie to think deeply about and try to understand the feelings of our family.  |
15. The Wind Rises
Director: Hayao Miyazaki Genre: History Release date: 2013 Comment: We recommend that before coming to Japan, you do some research about Japanese history. This movie gives you a glimpse of what was like during the period the begging of the modernization of Japan. The protagonist was one of the creators of the warplanes that the Imperial Army of Japan used.  |
16. The Cat Returns
Director: Hiroyuki Morita Genre: Culture Release date: 2002 Comment: Is a movie about a girl who moves to the country of the cats. A fantasy movie perfects to see in the family.  |
17. To Each His Own
Director: Izuru Narushima Genre: Society Release date: 2017 Comment: A businessman who is always overworking and at the border of committing suicide suddenly meets with a guy who gives him a whole new world perspective and the protagonist’s life starts to change deeply.  |
18. Only Yesterday
Director: Isao Takahata Genre: Society Release date: 1991 Comment: Through this movie, we can see the story of a girl who turns into a businesswoman. She decides to go to the countryside and by doing that, she starts to remember a lot of events that happened in her childhood, and she begins to think is the path that she took was the most suitable for her.  |
19. When Marnie Was There
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Genre: Culture Release date: 2014 Comment: This movie is about the mysterious encounters of an introverted girl who is visiting the countryside, and a beautiful girl called Marnie who invites her to play every day. This story is very different from regular fantasy movies. It hides a very special meaning.  |
20. Seven Samurai
Director: Akira Kurosawa Genre: History Release date: 1954 Comment: This is a classic from Japanese cinema, directed by Akira Kurosawa. This inspired several western movies. Are about a village that needs protection and they recur to the samurai.  |
Special Selection
1. For Those We Love
Director: Taku Shinjo Genre: History Release date: 2007 Comment: In the west, the word “Kamikaze” is widely known, but almost without context. This movie gives us a human perspective of the members of the Special Attack Unit. They were young men who sacrifices their life during the final stages of world war 2.  |
2. The Tale of Princess Kaguya
Director: Isao Takahata Genre: Fantasy Release date: 2013 Comment: The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is one of the most famous Japanese folk tales. This movie is a beautiful adaptation of this story. It was made in a very unique way of animation. This movie also gives us a glimpse of how the aristocrats lived during the Heian Period.  |
3. Rhapsody in August
Director: Akira Kurosawa Genre: History Release date: 1991 Comment: The atomic bombing of Nagasaki is a major historic event in the world. But this movie takes us to see this event through the eyes of a lady and her grandson who are vising her on their vacation. By visiting the city of Nagasaki, they start to learn about the things that the city has been through. Without using flashbacks, Kurosawa is capable to tell us the importance of learning about this event.  |
4. Grave of the fireflies
Director: Isao Takahata Genre: History Release date: 1988 Comment: This Ghibli movie is not very known in the west even though it was released the same year as “My Neighbor Totoro”. This is a serious and realistic movie that presents us with the life of two brothers who suffer the consequences of war at a young age.  |
5. Lady Maiko
Director: Masayuki Suo Genre: Human Drama Release date: 2014 Comment: The Geisha and the Maiko are often depicted as the image of Japan. But in the west, their true way of living is very unknown and often badly portrayed. In this colorful and cheerful movie, we get to see how a young girl begins the prepare herself to become a Maiko, an apprentice of a Geisha. We can also see Kyoto city and its beautiful landscapes.  |
日本是一個擁有豐富文化和信息的國家，初次到訪的人可能會因此感到不知所措。有可以享受旅行並更好地瞭解風俗的方法，那就是透過觀看日本在地製作的關於日本的電影。
有些關於日本的電影，內容是虛構的或是帶有對日本的刻板印象製作的（主要是美國電影）。許多人看完那些電影後來到日本，發現自己看到的電影內容與實際上的日本有很大的出入，而感到混亂。所以我們決定透過統計社交媒體上的標籤數量和網絡搜索次數，列出來日旅行前必看的20部最佳電影，此外，我們還特別挑選了5部不在清單上、關於日本歷史和文化重要的電影。
我們希望你能喜歡這些影片，並對我們美好的國家 — 日本有更多的瞭解。
日本的電影人氣排名
1. 你的名字。
2. 日日是好日
3. 新世紀福音戰士
4. 香港：千與千尋、臺灣：神隱少女
5.龍貓
6. 魔女宅急便
7. 禪 ZEN
8. 香港：幽靈公主、臺灣：魔法公主
9. 天空之城
10. 香港：哈爾移動城堡、臺灣：霍爾的移動城堡
11. 心之谷
12. 謝謝你，在世界的角落找到我
13. 香港：崖上的波兒、臺灣：崖上的波妞
14. 東京物語
15. 風起
16. 香港：貓之報恩、臺灣：貓的報恩
17. 不幹了，我開除了黑心公司
18. 香港：歲月的童話、臺灣：兒時的點點滴滴
19. 回憶中的瑪妮
20. 七武士
特選日本的電影
1. 吾為君亡
2. 輝夜姬物語
3. 八月狂詩曲
4. 螢火蟲之墓
5. 窈窕舞妓
1. 你的名字。
導演 : 新海誠 |
2. 日日是好日
導演 : 大森立嗣 |
3. 新世紀福音戰士
導演 : 庵野秀明 |
4. 香港：千與千尋、臺灣：神隱少女
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
5. 龍貓
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
6. 魔女宅急便
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
7. 禪 ZEN
導演 : 高橋伴明 |
8. 香港：幽靈公主、臺灣：魔法公主
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
9. 天空之城
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
10. 香港：哈爾移動城堡、臺灣：霍爾的移動城堡
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
11. 心之谷
導演 : 近藤喜文 |
12. 謝謝你，在世界的角落找到我
導演 : 片淵須直 |
13. 香港：崖上的波兒、臺灣：崖上的波妞
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
14. 東京物語
導演 : 小津安二郎 |
15. 風起
導演 : 宮崎駿 |
16. 香港：貓之報恩、臺灣：貓的報恩
導演 : 森田宏幸 |
17. 不幹了，我開除了黑心公司
導演 : 成島出 |
18. 香港：歲月的童話、臺灣：兒時的點點滴滴
導演 : 高畑勲 |
19. 回憶中的瑪妮
導演 : 米林宏昌
|
20. 七武士
導演 : 黒澤明 |
特選日本的電影
1. 吾為君亡
導演 : 新城卓 類型 : 歷史紀錄電影 上映年份 : 2007年 評論 : 在西方，「神風特攻隊」一詞雖廣為人知，但大多數的人不知道這個詞的由來。這部電影告訴我們特攻隊隊員的觀點，他們是在第二次世界大戰最後階段犧牲生命的年輕人。 |
2. 輝夜姬物語
導演 : 高畑勲 類型 : 奇幻電影 上映年份 : 2013年 評論 : 「竹取物語」是日本具有代表性的民間故事之一。這部電影是由「竹取物語」改編的精美動畫電影。此外，電影還能一窺平安時代貴族的生活。 |
3. 八月狂詩曲
導演 : 黑澤明 類型 : 歷史紀錄電影 上映年份 : 1991年 評論 : 在長崎投下原子彈是世界歷史上的一件大事。這部電影透過一名女性和她的孫子的視角來講述這件事。他們通過造訪長崎市街，開始了解這座城市經歷的一切。黑澤導演在不使用倒敘的情況下，傳達了解這一件事的重要性。 |
4. 螢火蟲之墓
導演 : 高畑勲 類型 : 歷史紀錄電影 上映年份 : 1988年 評論 : 儘管這部吉卜力動畫電影與「龍貓」同年上映，卻鮮少被日本以外的人所知。是一部嚴肅而現實的動畫電影，講述年幼時被捲入戰爭的兄妹的人生。 |
5. 窈窕舞妓
導演 : 周防正行 類型 : 歷史紀錄電影 上映年份 : 2014年 評論 : 藝妓和舞妓經常被描繪成日本的形象。然而，在西方他們真正的生活卻鮮為人知，往往被描述的很糟糕。這部豐富多彩而歡樂的電影中，可以了解少女準備成為舞妓（藝伎的學徒）的過程，還能看到京都美麗的街道。 |