69 Japanese Films - Nippon Connection 2020

This film explores the complex relationship between my inner self and the external world as it existed in 2018. It follows the shifting dynamic between my personal identity and how I perceive society, particularly as reflected through my daughters' evolving…

Filmmaker Yoshifumi Tsubota visits his uncle, who lives alone and has a slightly autistic nature. Captivated by his uncle's distinct personality, Tsubota documents their visits over several years. Having also been diagnosed with a developmental disability, Tsubota's connection with his…

Fuku-chan is a kind, cheerful, and somewhat overweight man. The return of a woman from his past forces him to confront his long-held anxieties about women.

Cenotes were sacred water sources for the ancient Mayans, believed to link the world of the living with the afterlife. The past and present of those who lived near these cenotes intertwine, creating vivid moments filled with light and shadow…

Seiji Hasumi is a well-liked English teacher at a private high school. However, he harbors a violent, sociopathic nature and devises a drastic plan to address the increasing bullying and misconduct among his students.

To learn more about her mother's history, Gorgeous travels with six friends to visit their aunt at a historic country estate. The large, mysterious house reveals hidden secrets and stories from the past. As Gorgeous and her friends explore, they…

A series of disheartening routines persist, but a series of bizarre events unexpectedly spark a glimmer of hope.

The film portrays menstrual periods as pink, heart-shaped entities with sentience. These beings repeatedly inconvenience women each month, causing physical discomfort and emotional distress, yet also providing a source of comfort and support.

A solitary high school girl navigates life and blossoms into adulthood through a series of experiences, all while feeling isolated. Accompanied by the evocative music of Kosame Nishiyama's "Mirai E," this film evokes a gentle sense of nostalgia.

Between 2006 and 2017, over 5,000 people in Japan died as a result of overwork – and the official count is likely lower. Japanese employees rarely challenge exploitative working conditions due to intense social pressure. This documentary follows a moving…

Sixteen-year-old Yu (Haruya Dan) lives with his mother. However, when his father remarries, he insists Yu move in with him. Heartbroken by this change, Yu reacts with anger at what he perceives as his parents' selfishness.

Tokyo Girl is a fast-paced, visually intense film exploring modern life through the eyes of a young woman. Released in January 2019, it captures the feeling of Japan at the end of the Heisei era, just before the Reiwa era…

Nobuyoshi Kikuchi has dedicated his life to the world of books, designing over 15,000 covers. He continues to work with traditional tools – rulers, scissors, and pencils – crafting unique fonts and carefully selecting paper. He values personal connections with…

Sushi, a Japanese man, journeys through southern Portugal in a camper van his age, searching for a legendary spring rumored to heal heartbreak. His travels lead to unexpected encounters, and the people he meets along the way, along with shared…

A woman enjoys a happy life with her daughter until she reunites with her former lover at a wedding. After a decade apart, they rekindle their affair.

A short film by Yu Iwasaki.

This documentary follows Mitsu Tanaka, the renowned leader of Japan's women's liberation movement in the 1970s. Filmed over four years, starting in 2014, the film offers an intimate look at her life and daily experiences.

A short film by Daijiro Mizuno and Kana Ohashi.

Kanako, longing to be a plant, encounters Koh in a botanical garden. Slowly, Koh begins to develop roots. Their unusual friendship evolves into a connection that transcends typical human relationships built on spoken words.

A short film by Yui Yamaguchi.

The Ainu are the native people of Japan, and Hokkaido, the country's northern island, was once called Ainumosir, meaning "land of the Ainu." Ainu traditions are now in serious decline; recent estimates show fewer than 20,000 Ainu people remain in…

When Kanako, a model daughter and high-achieving student, vanishes, her mother enlists the help of her ex-husband, a former police officer with a history of violence, to find her. As he investigates, his perfect image of Kanako begins to crumble,…

A short film by Makiko Sukikara.

As dawn approaches, a thick fog blankets the landscape, and a funeral takes place for a crow.

Over 200 years after his time, a solitary Kappa survives in modern Japan and is discovered by a young boy named Koichi. Koichi secretly adopts the Kappa, whom he names Coo. Together, the unlikely friends search for remote locations, hoping…

A short film by Makiko Sukikara.

Maki Yoshioka, a novelist and mother struggling with writer's block, finds herself increasingly harassed by her neighbor, Miwako Wakata, after a dispute over a futon. Maki decides to write a novel inspired by Miwako, but the resulting story unexpectedly becomes…

A short film by Lisa Fukaya.

Naoto felt invisible. In school, Chihiro was the first to ever address him. He's spent years dreaming of finding her and finally locates her after eleven years. But she's changed. He becomes fixated on her, and begins secretly residing under…

A sudden lightning strike hits a theater just as it's closing, and three moviegoers are unexpectedly transported into the world of the film they were about to watch.

Yasuko Matsuyuki stars in this drama about a woman in her forties who enjoys being single, but then begins dating a man who is 24 years younger than her.

A graduation film by Sarina Nihei from Tama Art University.

Towa lives with his parents Satsuki and Yuichi in a coastal town on Nagashima. Yuichi is a fisherman, and Satsuki runs a restaurant. Unbeknownst to Towa, he was adopted as a baby, found abandoned and severely malnourished in an internet…

Kaori Sakagami spent six years gaining access to film inside a Japanese prison. Her documentary follows a special program where a few inmates participate in a therapeutic circle, aiming to understand the root causes of their actions. Even after release,…

In 2011, the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami ravaged the town of Rikuzentakata. Hiromi ABE hosts a local radio show there, covering current events and speaking with residents. Her focus extends beyond the immediate aftermath and rebuilding efforts to capturing…

On the run after a stabbing, Shinoda accidentally hits a young woman with his car. He discovers she's a zombie fleeing her abusive ex-boyfriend. They form an unlikely partnership and decide to escape together, aware that they have nowhere safe…

Yoshida's return to Tokyo from London with his parents marks a difficult transition. He struggles to fit into Japanese society, feeling lost and resentful. He discovers a new outlet in hip-hop, adopting the name SEEDA and beginning to rap while…

Kinta and Ginji are best friends, often teasing each other but never holding a resentment. They're too easygoing for that. They spend their days together exploring fields and forests, relaxing in the grass, and playing music – just two ordinary…

Minori works as a server in a ramen shop, but she's growing weary of customers who only focus on her looks and themselves. She's blunt and often angry with everyone, and carries a deep frustration with her own inability to…

In 1961, Japan is rocked by the "Nabari Poison Wine" case, a shocking incident where five people die at a village party. Masaru Okunishi, a participant, becomes the prime suspect. The story suggests he intended to kill his wife and…

A woman is walking with her baby on a remote road alongside a river when they are stalked by a dangerous man with malicious intentions. Will anyone intervene to protect them? The answer is… Crap-Man!

A group of university students enjoy a night out, and a sophomore known as "The Girl with Black Hair" has a series of strange experiences throughout the city's nightlife. Unbeknownst to her, a senior student, "Senpai," is persistently trying to…

Kira is playing with a homemade crossbow when he accidentally kills his classmate, Itsuki. Because there's no proof, Kira is acquitted. But the trial receives massive media attention, and the resulting public outcry deeply affects his family.

A young man travels from Japan to Taiwan with the mission of persuading his brother, who is struggling, to relinquish his inheritance.

After a painful loss, a young woman encounters a rabbit.

In Japan, a quiet understanding exists between the government and the major news outlets: journalists generally avoid harsh criticism, and the government provides access to specific information through press conferences. Isoko Mochizuki, a reporter for the Tokyo Shimbun, disrupts this…

A delivery robot with a human-like form travels the galaxy, making deliveries. While completing her routes, she contemplates the complexities of humanity.

The sound of a baby crying perfectly mirrors the frustration I feel. It seems everyone is born crying, and life is just a series of cries as you grow. Despite being an adult, I desperately wish I could be a…

Mimi experiences her first pimple – a noticeable red spot on her face. Self-conscious and worried about standing out, she tries to fit in with her classmates by copying their style. However, these attempts at conformity don't hide her blemish.…

Shuhei Amamiya transfers to Moriwaki Elementary, full of optimism. However, he quickly becomes a target for the school bullies and is drawn into a dare to play a strange piano in the woods. There, he meets Kai Ichinose, an equally…

Two sisters, skilled in magic as "noroiya" (cursers), live in a fantasy world. When a massive tree unexpectedly appears in a forest, entwined with structures resembling those from our own world, they investigate and are transported to Earth. There, they…

Chiyo is a poetic look at suburban life in Japan, seen through the filmmaker's memories of her grandmother. The film presents a collection of ordinary moments in Yashio – from a summer festival to Buddhist ceremonies – weaving together small…

Saki's father struggles with alcoholism, and her mother finds solace in a new religion. Witnessing her father’s erratic behavior and her mother’s isolation, Saki observes her family unraveling. Amidst this turmoil, she tries to envision her own path forward.

This film offers a sharp, comedic look at the lives of the extras who work at Warp Station Edo, a popular filming location for samurai movies. Through the story of a 63-year-old extra, the mockumentary explores the dreams that drive…

Hinako discovers the novel "Tamaran Hill" and is instantly captivated, especially since "tamaran"—her father's favorite curse word—is in the title. She quickly finds herself immersed in the story, which features a character similarly fascinated by the word, and unexpectedly encounters…

A young reporter, Erika, covers news related to corporate crime, government conspiracies, and social issues. While investigating what appears to be a government cover-up, she encounters a government bureaucrat named Sugihara, setting the stage for a likely conflict.

Takuya drifts through life, hanging out with his old high school friends, avoiding any thought of what comes next. But after a sudden tragedy, he resolves to uphold a promise he made years ago: He must hide his friend's adult…

Family Romance is a company that rents people to fill roles in life. Founder Yuichi Ishii helps his customers achieve their desires. However, things become complicated when a mother hires Ishii to pretend to be her missing father for her…

In Kyoto, a quiet high school student encounters a man who insists he is the student's older self from the future. The future self claims to have manipulated time to prevent a tragedy – the loss of their first love.

A daughter struggles for recognition while living in the shadow of her celebrated father, fiercely pursuing her own path to success.

Kenji, the youngest of a construction team building a new shopping center, faces a challenge: the project requires demolishing an old dance floor. However, attempts to tear down the building are repeatedly blocked by an unknown force. Rumors of a…

Yoko, a high school student, lives with her brother Kenji, and they've always relied on each other since their parents died. One night, Yoko sees Kenji, who is planning his wedding, having an affair with Misa. This betrayal deeply frustrates…

A fifth-grade student forms a connection with a new girl who possesses an intriguing aura. He eventually discovers her significant secret.

Nitobe and Sakamoto, childhood friends, work the front desk at a capsule hotel. Nitobe is drawn to philosophy and shellfish; Sakamoto is consumed by thoughts of suicide. The hotel's diverse clientele includes a grieving Finnish mother, a woman on the…

Ichiko, a laid-back slacker, has a falling out with her sister and moves out to live independently, taking a late-night job at a discount store. Returning home one evening, she encounters Kano, a silent boxer who trains at a nearby…

Yoko Yuki's film uses stop-motion animation to bring the natural world to life, making it feel tangible. The story follows the shifting seasons.

The story of a trip to Thailand unfolds through various media during a relaxed conversation between the filmmaker and Foodman, who also composed the music.

Aoi Aioi lives with her older sister, Akane, alone since their parents died in an accident 13 years ago. Feeling responsible for Akane's well-being, Aoi plans to move to Tokyo after graduation to ease her sister's load and chase her…

Tiny people who always wear hats find themselves caught in absurd situations as the world around them unfolds.