Japanese family movies

List of the best Japanese movies about family and family relationships, selected by visitors to our site: Survival Family, Magic Tree House, Us, Flying Witch, A Dog Named Palma, Old, Welcome to the Space Show, Creepy, Flavors of Youth, A Boy Called H.

In the top there are new films of 2021, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Country
Markimdb: 7.2
Genrefantastic, comedy, drama
CountryJapan

A world wide electrical outage occurs. Everything that requires electricity comes to a stop. Tokyo is nearly ruined. Yoshiyuki Suzuki decides to escape from Tokyo with his family.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genreadventure, family, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:45

Magic Tree House is a 2011 Japanese anime drama film based on the American children fantasy series of the same name. The film is directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori, and the film's screenplay was adapted from the Japanese version of the novel series Magic Tree House by Ichiro Okouchi. The film stars actress Keiko Kitagawa as Jack, and also stars child actress Mana Ashida as Annie. Magic Tree House debuted at the 24th Tokyo International Film Festival on 23 October 2011. It was subsequently released in Japanese cinemas on 7 January 2012.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrehorror, thriller, comedy, detective
CountryUSA, China, Japan
Duration01:56

Husband and wife Gabe and Adelaide Wilson take their kids to their beach house expecting to unplug and unwind with friends. But as night descends, their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some shocking visitors arrive uninvited.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genrefantasy, comedy, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Kowata Makoto is an air head with a bad sense of direction that just moved into her relative's house... But is that all?

Markimdb: 6.9
Genreadventure, family
CountryRussia, Japan

The film is inspired by an incredible story of a shepherd dog named Palm who was inadvertently left in the airport by her owner. She befriends nine-year old Nicholas whose mother dies leaving him with a father he barely knows - a pilot who finds the dog at the airport. It's a story of amazing adventures, true friendship and unconditional love.

Markimdb: 5.8
Genrefantastic, thriller, drama, detective
CountryUSA, Japan

A group of families on a tropical holiday discover that the secluded beach where they are staying is somehow causing them to age rapidly – reducing their entire lives into a single day.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genrefantastic, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration02:16

Five children save the life of a dog-like alien while at a self-run summer camp. He attempts to reward them by taking them to an alien colony on the Moon. Events take a turn for the worse when his report on that attack that injured him causes passage from the Moon to the Earth to be banned, and children are stranded in space. The children need to find a way back home before camp ends and their parents discover that they are missing. They also have to avoid the poachers that injured their alien friend, and now seem to be stalking them all.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrethriller, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

After having narrowly escaped an attempt on his life at the hands of a psychopath, detective inspector Takakura quits active service in the police force and takes up a position as a university lecturer in criminal psychology. But his desire to get to the bottom of criminals’ motives remains, and he does not hesitate long when former colleague Nogami asks him to reopen an old case.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan, China
Duration01:31

Three different stories of youth set in different cities of China. 1 Shanghai Love. 2 Sunny Breakfast. 3 Small Fashion Show. Directed by Zhenxing Yi, the plot revolves around a young man working in Beijing. He used to live with his grandma in his less developed hometown Hunan. While he is drown in his childhood reminiscence, he receives an unexpected call – Grandma is in critical condition.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genredrama
CountryJapan

Told from the viewpoint of the father Morio, "A Boy Called H" follows a young boy named Hajime Senoh, nicknamed "H". His father, Morio runs a tailor shop. With the onset of World War II, their family must endure difficult times. Nevertheless, H is filled with curiosity and a sense of justice. Based on the autobiographical novel "Shonen H" by Kappa Senoh (published by Kodansha, July 9, 1999).

Markimdb: 6.3
Genredrama
CountryJapan
Duration02:04

In a land far away, there is a legend that an Iron Clad Savior shall bestow upon the land and save its people from grief, abuse and evil. An armored suit-wearing woman with amnesia, only known as "Iron Girl", fights against a group of outlaws called "Crazy Dogs" to save a small village in the wasteland. Is she the legendary "Iron Savior" written in the old document of the village?

Markimdb: 6.6
Genreaction, fantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

In the story, the seasons have changed and it will soon be the second spring. Tatsuya and Miyuki have finished their first year at First Magic High School and are on their spring break. The two go to their villa on the Ogasawara Island archipelago. After only a small moment of peace a lone young woman named Kokoa appears before them. She has abandoned the Naval base and she tells Tatsuya her one wish.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryJapan

Tanaka is going through a tough time trying to support his younger sister Mitsuko, recently arrested and hold up in jail. As an investigative reporter, he immerses himself into a story about a shocking murder case gone cold; a family was brutally murdered a year ago and the case remains unsolved.

Markimdb: 5
Genrefantastic, action, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:15

100 years ago, titans suddenly appeared on Earth. Soon, human civilization veered on collapse due to the titans. Humans then built a giant wall to defend themselves. Within the giant walls, humans lived in peace, but, 100 years later, the giant wall is broken.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genreaction, fantasy, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:45

Spurred by the flame raging in his heart, the Black Swordsman Guts continues his seemingly endless quest for revenge. Standing in his path are heinous outlaws, delusional evil spirits, and a devout child of god. Even as it chips away at his life, Guts continues to fight his enemies, who wield repulsive and inhumane power, with nary but his body and sword—his strength as a human.

Markimdb: 4.6
Genredrama
CountryUSA, Japan

Searching for escape in Tokyo's back alleys, a haunted English teacher explores love and lust with a dashing Yakuza, as their tumultuous affair takes her on a journey through the city's dive bars and three-hour love hotels.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrefantasy, adventure, family, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:41

The son of a sailor, 5-year old Sosuke lives a quiet life on an oceanside cliff with his mother Lisa. One fateful day, he finds a beautiful goldfish trapped in a bottle on the beach and upon rescuing her, names her Ponyo. But she is no ordinary goldfish. The daughter of a masterful wizard and a sea goddess, Ponyo uses her father's magic to transform herself into a young girl and quickly falls in love with Sosuke, but the use of such powerful sorcery causes a dangerous imbalance in the world. As the moon steadily draws nearer to the earth and Ponyo's father sends the ocean's mighty waves to find his daughter, the two children embark on an adventure of a lifetime to save the world and fulfill Ponyo's dreams of becoming human.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genreaction, thriller, fantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:44

Hell – A place where beings that have committed mortal sins during their lifetime are sent. It is a realm where even Soul Reapers are forbidden to interfere. When a group of vicious Sinners plot to escape from this eternal prison, they discover that Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki is the key to their freedom. The Sinners launch an attack and in the process kidnap Ichigo's younger sister Yuzu and take her to Hell. With the help of a mysterious man named Kokuto, Ichigo and his friends must now travel into the depths of Hell to stop the Sinners and save Yuzu, unaware that their actions could bring Hell to the World of the Living.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrefantasy, comedy, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration02:00

Clinging to an unfinished letter written by her recently deceased father, young Momo moves with her mother from bustling Tokyo to the remote Japanese island of Shio. Upon their arrival, she begins to explore her new habitat, meeting local children and learning their routines and customs. However, it's not long before several bizarre occurrences crop up around the previously tranquil island. Orchards are found ransacked, prized trinkets start disappearing and, worst of all, each morning after her mother leaves for work, Momo hears strange mumblings coming from the attic of their home. Annoyed by these creepy goings-on and her mother's refusal to believe them, Momo embarks on a strange and supernatural adventure to discover the source of the mischief, which leads her to a trio of troublesome imps: the flatulent lizard Kawa, the childlike Mame and their hulking ogre leader Iwa. Momo also learns that her visit to the island is in some way connected to her father's mysterious letter.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genredrama
CountryJapan, Taiwan
Duration01:52

Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genredrama
CountryFrance, USA, Mexico, Morocco, Japan
Duration02:23

Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrehorror, thriller, detective
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration02:43

Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.

Markimdb: 5.6
Genrefantasy, comedy, adventure, family
CountryUSA, China, United Kingdom, Japan

After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle, famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company. But when the young queen falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and discovers wondrous creatures.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrefantasy, comedy, melodrama, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration01:30

    A bored and domesticated Shrek pacts with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genredrama, family
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:30

    A story that revolves around three sisters who live in their grandmother's home and the arrival of their 13-year-old half sister.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genrecomedy, adventure, family, cartoon
    CountryUSA, France, Japan
    Duration02:45

    The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.

    Markimdb: 5.4
    Genrefantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
    CountryUSA, France, Japan
    Duration01:35

    E.B., the Easter Bunny's teenage son, heads to Hollywood, determined to become a drummer in a rock 'n' roll band. In LA, he's taken in by Fred after the out-of-work slacker hits E.B. with his car.

    Markimdb: 8.1
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan

    A family of four are the sole inhabitants of a small island, where they struggle each day to irrigate their crops.

    Markimdb: 7.9
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:48

    After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genreaction, thriller, adventure, crime
    CountryUSA, Germany, China, Japan
    Duration03:07

    When a mysterious woman seduces Dom into the world of crime and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before.

    Markimdb: 4.5
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryUSA, China, Japan
    Duration02:00

    When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genredrama, family
    CountryAustralia, Japan
    Duration01:36

    Dylan discovers he has a knack for making paper planes. He has a chance to compete in a world championship, but he'll have to help rally his grieving dad, Jack, and face bullies and self-doubt to do so.

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genrefantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon, short
    CountryUSA, South Korea, Japan
    Duration01:51

    An upcoming two-hour American animated television film split into two parts. Based on Craig Bartlett's Hey Arnold! TV series, it will serve as a sequel to the series finale in which Arnold found his father's journal and read about the life of his scientist parents, including their first meeting, birthing him, and a map showing the route they took to the San Lorenzo before they disappeared.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrefantastic, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon, short
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:35

    Villainous Gru lives up to his reputation as a despicable, deplorable and downright unlikable guy when he hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care.

    Markimdb: 6
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, comedy, adventure, cartoon, short, anime
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration01:22

    The first story focused on Tai and Kari Kamiya four years before their adventure in the Digital World. It shows their first encounter with Digimon and what happened to them (as well as the other children). Tai and Kari wake one morning to find a Digi-Egg that came out of their computer the night before and the egg soon hatches, revealing a Botamon. The Digimon then evolves into Koromon and then Agumon (not the same one that became friends with Tai in the series, and yet, somehow, both Koromon and Kari remember each other), who then goes out and unintentionally destroys a good part of the neighborhood with Kari riding on his back. A second Digi-Egg appears in the sky to reveal an evil digimon, Parrotmon. Agumon then Digivolves to Greymon but isn't strong enough to beat Parrotmon and is knocked out. Tai grabs Kari's whistle and wakes up Greymon, who defeats Parrotmon and disappears with him.

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:36

    Hibiki Shimada, a normal 17-year-old high school student, still does not know how to fall in love—although surrounded by love "experts"—until one day she realizes that she's fallen in love with her hot and nice 26-year-old teacher, Itou. She then takes a path to make her teacher understand how she feels for him.

    Markimdb: 8.3
    Genredrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:26

    When a certain man is released from prison, he knows exactly where he's heading first. After falling in love with a traditional comic storyteller's rendition of the story called "Shinigami," he is determined to become his apprentice. The performer, Yakumo, has never taken an apprentice before, but to everyone's surprise, he accepts the eager ex-prisoner, nicknaming him "Yotaro." As Yotaro happily begins his new life, he meets others in Yakumo's life, including Yakumo's ward Konatsu. Konatsu was the daughter of a famous storyteller, and Yakumo took her in after her father's tragic death. Konatsu loved her father's storytelling, and would love to become a performer in her own right—but that path is not available for women.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genredrama, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    The Kusaribe family is a family of sorcerers under the protection of the ‘Tree of Origins.’ Their princess, Hakaze Kusaribe, was the greatest sorceress of their family. But Samon Kusaribe, a member of their family seeking to resurrect the ‘Tree of World's End,’ a tree that opposes the ‘Tree of Origins’ and controls the power of destruction, stuffs her into a barrel, and banishes her to a deserted island.

    Markimdb: 3.6
    Genrehorror, thriller
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration01:30

    Three American tourists follow a mysterious map deep into the jungles of Japan searching for an ancient temple. When spirits entrap them, their adventure quickly becomes a horrific nightmare.

    Mark
    Genrefantastic, fantasy, drama, cartoon, detective, anime
    CountryJapan

    Shingeki no Kyojin OVA that is bundled with manga volumes 24, 25, and 26. Several hundred years ago, mankind was nearly extinct because of the Titans. The Titans are big, have no intellect, hate people, and worst of all, they think of humans as food. The survivors of the humans built a very high wall to protect them from the Titans.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genredrama, cartoon, music, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:41

    Amamiya Shu transfers to Moriwaki elementary filled with hope and ambition. But it doesn't take long before he gets picked on by the class bullies, and gets involved in a dare to play the mysterious piano in the forest.

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genredrama, cartoon, history, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration00:30

    The historical novel series depicts Heizou Hasegawa, who metes justice on wrongdoers and supervises the crackdown on arsonists and robbers in Japan's Edo period (1603-1868).

    Markimdb: 5.7
    Genrecomedy, drama, musical, adventure, family, cartoon
    CountryUSA, Japan, United Kingdom
    Duration01:36

    Fievel and his friend Tony Toponi find a map that they believe points to a treasure buried somewhere beneath Old New York, and the plucky rodent is determined to find it. However, what he discovers under the city is a tribe of Native American mice who were driven underground by prejudiced European immigrants.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryJapan

    I (Takumi Kitamura) am a high school student. I happen to find a diary by my classmate Sakura Yamauchi (Minami Hamabe) that reveals she is suffering from a pancreatic disease. I spent time with Sakura, but she dies. 12 years later, due to Sakura’s words, I (Shun Oguri) am now a high school teacher at the same school where I graduated from. While I talk with my student, I remember several months I spent with Sakura. Meanwhile, Kyoko (Keiko Kitagawa), who was Sakura’s friend, is soon to marry. Kyoko also recalls the days she spent with me and Sakura.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Kae Serinuma is a second year high school student and an avid fujoshi who secretly ships her classmates, Igarashi and Nanashima. The death of her favorite anime character causes her to become stressed and lose weight rapidly. Now that Serinuma has become an attractive girl to her classmates, snarky junior Shinomiya and senior Mutsumi, how is she going to deal with them with her constant BL-filled fujoshi mind?

    Markimdb: 6.8
    Genrecomedy, drama
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration02:09

    A lonely, chain-smoking office lady in Tokyo falls for her teacher when she decides to take English lessons. When her teacher disappears, she sets out on a journey to find him.

    Markimdb: 7.8
    Genreaction, fantasy, adventure, family, cartoon
    CountryUSA, Japan
    Duration02:23

    Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genreaction, drama, military, history
    CountryJapan

    The background to and depiction of a watershed battle in Japanese history, at Sekigahara in 1600, when Tokugawa Ieyasu's Army of the East defeated the Army of the West of Ishida Mitsunari. The story includes the intrigues and shifting loyalties of the various retainers, family members, and samurai.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genrefantastic, action, cartoon, detective, anime
    CountryJapan

    The upcoming installment's story takes place amidst signs of postwar reconstruction in the winter of 2028. Tensions are rising in New Port City as demonstrations are held concerning the interests of foreign cartels. This leads to a shooting incident involving riot police. It all started with a cyberbrain infection released by the terrorist "Fire Starter." An independent offensive unit led by Makoto Kusanagi entrusts the suppression of the situation to their ghosts and aims for their own justice. Below the surface of the incident, lies the "tin girl" Emma and the "scarecrow man" Burinda Junior. As Kusanagi deals with the incident, she draws near to what those two ghosts were seeking.

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genrecomedy, melodrama
    CountryFrance, Japan, Belgium, Canada
    Duration01:41

    A Japanophile young Belgian woman in Tokyo falls into a whirlwind romance with a Francophile Japanese student, in this charming and tender tale of young love and cultural discovery.




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