The Greatest Japanese Cinematic Works

This list is of the 77 greatest Japanese cinematic works and was requested by D1. The reason for 77 instead of the requested number of 75 is because two of the features included are not from Japan but incorporate the Japanese language and culture. Side notes are provided beneath their entries with specific justifications. The names that follow the release years are the respective director(s). This list was completed 04/12/2026.

1.     Shoplifters (2018, Hirokazu Kore-eda)

2.     Seven Samurai (1954, Akira Kurosawa)

3.     Princess Mononoke (1997, Hayao Miyazaki)

4.     Grave of the Fireflies (1988, Isao Takahata)

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

6.     Samurai Rebellion (1967, Masaki Kobayashi)

7.     Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus (2023, Neo Sora)

8.     Chikamatsu Monogatari (1954, Kenji Mizoguchi)

9.     Akira (1988, Katsuhiro Otomo)

10.  The Burmese Harp (1956, Kon Ichikawa)

11.  Red Beard (1965, Akira Kurosawa)

12.  Harakiri (1962, Masaki Kobayashi)

13.  The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006, Mamoru Hosoda)

14.  Pale Flower (1964, Masahiro Shinoda)

15.  High and Low (1963, Akira Kurosawa)

16.  An Inn in Tokyo (1935, Yasujirō Ozu) 

17.  The Only Son (1936, Yasujirō Ozu)

18.  Spirited Away (2001, Hayao Miyazaki)

19.  Equinox Flower (1958, Yasujirō Ozu) 

20.  Supermarket Woman (1996, Juzo Itami)

21.  Late Autumn (1960, Yasujirō Ozu)

22.  Throne of Blood (1957, Akira Kurosawa)

23.  Intimidation (1960, Koreyoshi Kurahara)

24.  Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985, Paul Schrader)

a. While this is a primarily US production, it is entirely in Japanese… so I put it on the list

25.  Youth of the Beast (1963, Seijun Suzuki)

26.  Audition (1999, Takashia Miike)

27.  Yearning (1964, Mikio Naruse)

28.  A Page of Madness (1926, Teinosuke Kinugasa)

29.  My Neighbor Totoro (1988, Hayao Miyazaki)

30.  Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984, Hayao Miyazaki)

31.  Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000, Yoshiaki Kawajiri)

32.  Mifune: The Last Samurai (2015, Steven Okazaki)

a. While this is a US production, it is a documentary about revered Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, who starred in 13 of the 96 works in contention… so I decided to add it to the list too

33.  The End of Summer (1961, Yasujirō Ozu)

34.  The Castle of Sand (1974, Yoshitarō Nomura)

35.  The Ballad of Narayama (1958, Keisuke Kinoshita)

36.  Twenty-Four Eyes (1954, Keisuke Kinoshita)

37.  Scandal (1950, Akira Kurosawa)

38.  Madadayo (1993, Akira Kurosawa)

39.  Death by Hanging (1968, Nagisa Ōshima)

40.  The Face of Another (1966, Hiroshi Teshigahara)

41.  Here’s to the Young Lady (1949, Keisuke Kinoshita)

42.  The Bad Sleep Well (1960, Akira Kurosawa)

43.  Ran (1985, Akira Kurosawa)

44.  In the Realm of the Senses (1976, Nagisa Ōshima) 

45.  A Silent Voice (2016, Naoko Yamada)

46.  Crazed Fruit (1956, Kō Nakahira)

47.  Sanjuro (1962, Akira Kurosawa)

48.  Fight, Zatoichi, Fight (1964, Kenji Misumi)

49.  Kwaidan (1964, Masaki Kobayashi)

50.  Gate of Hell (1953, Teinosuke Kinugasa)

51.  Samurai Saga (1959, Hiroshi Inagaki)

[Last 4-star film is #51; First 3.5-star is #52]

52.  Ugetsu (1953, Kenji Mizoguchi)

53.  After Life (1998, Hirokazu Kore-eda)

54.  Ghost in the Shell (1995, Mamoru Oshii)

55.  Diary of Yunbogi (short) (1965, Nagisa Ōshima) 

56.  The River Fuefuki (1960, Keisuke Kinoshita)

57.  An Autumn Afternoon (1962, Yasujirō Ozu)

58.  Late Chrysanthemums (1954, Mikio Naruse)

59.  Kuroneko (1968, Kaneto Shindō)

60.  Barefoot Gen (1983, Mori Masaki)

61.  Millennium Actress (2001, Satoshi Kon)

62.  The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer (1961, Masaki Kobayashi)

63.  Boy (1969, Nagisa Ōshima)

64.  An Actor’s Revenge (1963, Kon Ichikawa)

65.  Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man (1958, Hiroshi Inagaki)

66.  Kill! (1968, Kihachi Okamoto)

67.  Floating Weeds (1959, Yasujirō Ozu)

68.  Late Spring (1949, Yasujirō Ozu)

69.  Ponyo (2008, Hayao Miyazaki)

70.  The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On (1987, Kazuo Hara)

71.  Kagemusha (1980, Akira Kurosawa)

72.  Perfect Blue (1997, Satoshi Kon)

73.  Drunken Angel (1948, Akira Kurosawa)

74.  Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972, Kenji Misumi)

75.  Your Name (2016, Makoto Shinkai)

76.  Akira Sound Clip (short) (1988, no director listed)

77.  Memories (1995, Kōji Morimoto, Tensai Okamura & Katsuhiro Otomo)

The 3.5-star films that didn’t make the cut

(Just to provide a little extra quality watching 😊)

In alphabetical order:

Ø  Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990, Akira Kurosawa)

Ø  A Colt Is My Passport (1967, Takashi Nomura)

Ø  Godzilla (1954, Ishirō Honda)

Ø  The Hidden Fortress (1958, Akira Kurosawa)

Ø  Hokusai (short) (1953, Hiroshi Teshigahara)

Ø  I Flunked, but… (1930, Yasujirō Ozu)

Ø  Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986, Hayao Miyazaki)

Ø  The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979, Kazuhiko Hasegawa)

Ø  Princess Yang Kwei Fei (1955, Kenji Mizoguchi)

Ø  Robot Carnival (1987, Katsuhiro Otomo, Atsuko Fukushima, Koji Morimoto, Hidetoshi Ōmori, Yasuomi Umetsu, Hiroyuki Kitazume, Manabu Ōhashi, Hiroyuki Kitakubo & Takashi Nakamura)

Ø  Rusty Knife (1958, Toshio Masuda)

Ø  She and Her Cat: Their Standing Points (short) (1999, Makoto Shinkai)

Ø  Snow Trail (1947, Senkichi Taniguchi)

Ø  Summer Wars (2009, Mamoru Hosoda)

Ø  Tampopo (1985, Juzo Itami)

Ø  Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021, Ryusuke Hamaguchi)

Ø  Zatoichi’s Flashing Sword (1964, Kazuo Ikehiro)

Ø  Zatoichi’s Pilgrimage (1966, Kazuo Ikehiro)

Ø  Zatoichi’s Revenge (1965, Akira Inoue)