Masami Nagasawa is fierce and unforgettable as O-Ei, the woman behind ukiyo-e master Hokusai, in Tatsushi Omori’s gritty historical biopic. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/09/film/hokusais-daughter/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #hokusai #ukiyoe #masaminagasawa #tatsushiomori #masatoshinagase
A master of action comedy, Yugo Sakamoto trades gunfire for dropkicks in his latest assassin thriller, “Flame Union.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/09/film/flame-union/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #yugosakamoto #takuyamatsumoto #masayukiino
Yakuza and flowers intertwine in "The Last Blossom," a story of second chances and quiet tenderness. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/02/film/the-last-blossom/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #anime #japanesefilm #bakukinoshita #kazuyakonomoto
In his debut feature “Brand New Landscape,” Yuiga Danzuka reimagines the Tokyo family drama in a modern metropolis. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/10/02/film/brand-new-landscape/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #yuigadanzuka #kenichiendo
“Hero’s Island” director Keisuke Otomo recreates Okinawa’s postwar turmoil in rich detail, but some of the anger from the source novel gets lost on screen. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/25/film/heros-island/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #satoshitsumabuki #suzuhirose #masatakakubota #keisukeotomo #junjoshindo
Haruki Murakami’s world of quakes, cults and odd encounters resurfaces in Tsuyoshi Inoue’s feature “After the Quake.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/25/film/after-the-quake/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #harukimurakami #afterthequake #311 #earthquakes #greathanshinearthquake #nhk #japanesefilm #literature
Japan’s largest film festival kicks off Oct. 27 with stories of courage, resilience and love — from the Himalayas to Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/24/film/tokyo-international-film-festival-hamnet-climbing-for-life/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #filmfestivals #japanesefilm #tiff #tokyo #chloezhao #leesangil #kokuho
The government plans to expand support for the domestic content industry to boost exports of anime and films with the aim to triple overseas revenue from Japanese content to ¥20 trillion in 2033. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/09/18/japan/content-industry-support/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #anime #japanesefilm #film #meti
Yoshihiko Matsui’s first feature in nearly two decades seethes with fury over Fukushima’s forgotten victims. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/18/film/there-was-such-a-thing-before/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #yoshihikomatsui #oshiromaeda #airukubozuka #fukushimano1 #311 #earthquakes #tsunami
Lee Sang-il's three-hour kabuki drama, once deemed a “high business risk,” overcame doubts over subject matter to find its audience. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/18/film/kokuho-box-office-expectations/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #kabuki #kokuho #japanesefilm
Move over, “Spirited Away.” The new “Demon Slayer” film just cut its way into Japan’s all-time No. 2 box-office spot. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/17/entertainment-news/demon-slayer-opening-weekend/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #entertainmentnews #demonslayer #japanesefilm #anime
Sony Pictures’ "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle" has set an opening weekend record for the Japanese anime genre at U.S. and Canadian theaters, raking in $70 million. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/15/companies/sony-demon-slayer-anime-record/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #demonslayer #japanesefilm #anime #us #canada #sony
Kenji Iwaisawa levels up from indie masterpiece "On-Gaku: Our Sound" with a bigger production that keeps his unique stamp. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/11/film/100-meters/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #anime #japanesefilm #kenjiiwaisawa
‘Faking Beethoven’ tries to play the messy lies behind a musical giant’s story for laughs — with mixed results. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/10/film/faking-beethoven/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #yukiyamada #aratafuruta #kazuakiseki #bakarhythm #ludwigvanbeethoven
The latest film in the "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" anime franchise topped ¥30 billion in box-office revenue in the first 52 days of its release. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/09/film/demon-slayer-30-billion-box-office/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #demonslayer #anime #japanesefilm
Greta Thunberg’s rallying cry gets reimagined by a trio of eco-conscious kids in Mipo Oh’s latest film, “How Dare You.” https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/04/film/how-dare-you/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #yuaoi #mipooh
Director Kei Ishikawa brings the Nobel Prize-winning author’s novel to the screen as a haunting meditation on memory, loss and elusive truths. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/09/04/film/a-pale-view-of-hills/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #suzuhirose #keiishikawa #kazuoishiguro #yoyoshida #fuminikaido
Balancing realism and compassion, Yoshihiko Taniguchi’s "Happy Life" shows a family adrift and a daughter forced to shoulder responsibilities far beyond her years. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/08/22/film/happy-life/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #chiyurinishiguchi #yoshihikotaniguchi #sankichikawamoto
Satoko Yokohama’s film mixes watercolor whimsy, bohemian houseguests and a school newspaper scoop gone too far into a breezy, youth-skewed summer tale. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/08/22/film/seaside-serendipity/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #konosukeharada #satokoyokohama
Black-and-white, but far from simple, Kon Ichikawa’s film is a survival story that stares into humanity’s darkest corners. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/08/20/film/fires-on-the-plain-restoration/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film#konichikawa #worldwarii #japanesefilm #eijifunakoshi