Japanese films about memory

List of the best Japanese films about memory according to the audience: Rhapsody in August, Ramen Shop, Oh Lucy!, Flying Colors, Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 2 - The Battle for Doldrey, Us, Godzilla: The Planet Eater, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl, Mardock Scramble: The Third Exhaust, Tomorrow I Will Date With Yesterday's You.

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
Genredrama
CountryJapan
Duration01:38

The story centers on an elderly hibakusha, who lost her husband in the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, caring for her four grandchildren over the summer. She learns of a long-lost brother, Suzujiro, living in Hawaii who wants her to visit him before he dies.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genredrama
CountrySingapore, Japan, France

Masato is a young ramen chef in Japan. After the sudden death of his emotionally distant father, returns to his birthplace, Singapore.

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: 7.3
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryJapan

A high school girl, Sayaka Kudō was the bottom of the class. After a year, she improved her deviation value from 30 to 70, then passed Keio University that is considered one of the most difficult to enter in Japan.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genreaction, fantasy, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:40

The Band of the Hawk participates in the Midland war campaign. On the bloody battlefield, they conquer decisive victories that lead them to Doldrey, an old fortress that will decide the outcome of the war.

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: 5
Genrefantastic, action, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:38

With no means for defeating Godzilla Earth, mankind watches as King Ghidorah, clad in a golden light, descends on the planet. The heavens and earth shake once again as the war moves to a higher dimension.

Markimdb: 8.1
Genrefantasy, comedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

In Fujisawa, Sakuta Azusagawa is in his second year of high school. Blissful days with his girlfriend and upperclassman, Mai Sakurajima, are interrupted by the appearance of his first crush, Shoko Makinohara.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrefantastic, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:05

Third film of the Mardock Scramble series. Rune Balot goes to a casino connected to the October corporation to try to wrap up her case once and for all.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan

Takatoshi Minamiyama (Sota Fukushi) majors in art at an university in Kyoto. On the train to the school, he sees Emi Fukuju (Nana Komatsu) and falls in love with her at first sight. Gathering up all his courage, he speaks to her. They begin to date and enjoy happy days together, but Emi reveals her secret to him.

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: 5.9
Genredrama
CountryJapan

A man is caught on live national TV naked and drunk in the middle of the sacred Namahage festival, where men dressed in ogre-like costumes visit homes to scare kids into behaving during the next year. Tasuku, a young father, is ostracized for shaming the village and its tradition and flees to Tokyo alone. Two years later, he returns to his hometown to make it up to his ex-wife and their little daughter, only to find himself faced with a very difficult situation.

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: 8.1
Genrefantasy, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:57

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genredrama
CountryJapan, France, Germany
Duration01:41

Sentaro runs a small bakery that serves dorayaki pastries filled with sweet red bean paste (“an”). When an old lady, Tokue, offers to help in the kitchen he reluctantly accepts. She will soon prove to have magic in her hands…

Markimdb: 7.3
Genredrama, history
CountryJapan, Turkey

Two historical incidents that deepened the friendship between Japan and Turkey are connected in this story of friendship and compassion: The sinking of the Turkish frigate Ertuğrul off the Japanese coast in 1890, and the evacuation of Japanese nationals from Iran in 1985. Virtuous director Mitsutoshi Tanaka's call for world peace received the VFX-JAPAN Award 2017 for Excellent Motion Picture and the 39th Japan Academy Film Prize in ten categories, including Best Art Direction, Best Sound Recording, Excellent Film and Excellent Director.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:00

Yokozawa meets a man (Kirishima) and his life is turned around. Kirishima starts to blackmail and tease Yokozawa, but Kirishima might actually be trying to help him recover from an emotional period of his life in the process.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:03

High school student Yuki Hase (Kento Yamazaki) wants to become close with classmate Kaori Fujimiya (Haruna Kawaguchi) who is alway by herself. Kaori Fujimiya refuses to become close with Yuki Hase, because she forgets her friends every new Monday. Even though Kaori tells Yuki why she doesn't want to become friends, Yuki still wants to become close to her.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genremelodrama, musical
CountryJapan
Duration02:13

Troubled high school student Makoto arrives in Tokyo to exact revenge from a past incident. He then falls in love at first sight with Ai, a daughter raised in a wholesome family. Around Makoto and Ai are Iwashimizu, who has feelings for Ai and Gamuko, a gang member who eyes Makoto.

Markimdb: 7
Genrefantastic, thriller, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

The anime's setting is a fictional Japanese city named Sugomori City. One day, Noriko Sonosaki tells her classmate Katsuhira Agata, "You have been selected to be a Kiznaiver." The Kizuna System, which allows Katsuhira to share his wounds, connects him to the classmates whose lives and personalities completely differ from his. The Kizuna System is an incomplete system for the implementation of world peace that connects people through wounds. All those who are connected to this system are called Kiznaivers. When one Kiznaiver is wounded, the system divides and transmits the wound among the other Kiznaivers. Sugomori City is built on reclaimed land, but as the years go by, the city's population is decreasing. The story is set in this town where Katsuhira and the others live.

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: 5.6
Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:34

A spectacular journey of an unwilling young hero thrust into a mysterious past full of monsters, dragons, and strange hidden powers. Through a series of out of this world battles and adventures, Jun, a shy middle school boy, is transformed into a hero destined to battle evil and ensure harmony and tranquility in the world.

Markimdb: 6.1
Genrehorror, thriller, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration00:40

A series of grotesque murder cases takes place on rainy days. Detective Hisashi Sawamura (Shun Oguri) works to catch the murderer like he has done with past cases, but he soon realizes the murderer's next target is his wife and son. A man in a frog mask is a suspect.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:31

A group of Yokohama students fight to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball during preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. While working there, Umi and Shun gradually become attracted to each other but have to face a sudden trial. Even so, they keep going without fleeing the difficulties of reality.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrehorror, action
CountryJapan

Hideo Suzuki is a 35-year-old mangaka assistant, whose life seem to be stuck around his exhausting but low-paying job, unfulfilled dreams, strange hallucinations and unsatisfying relationships. He sees himself as a supporting character in his own life, has low self-esteem, resulting in frustration. One day, the world as Hideo knows it is shattered by the presence of a disease that turns people into homicidal maniacs, whose first instinct is to attack and devour the nearest human.

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: 5.7
Genrecomedy, cartoon
CountryJapan

The anime follows Machi, a middle school student who serves as a shrine maiden at a Shinto shrine and takes care of a bear, who lives on mountain in Japan's northern Tohoku region. The bear, Natsu, has the ability to talk and is Machi's guardian. When Machi explains to Natsu that she will attend a school in the city, he gives Machi a set of trials that she must pass in order to be able to survive city life.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, drama, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:38

It is the second year of the Kowa Period. The world has unified around the reorganize United Federation of Nations, and has enjoyed days of continuing peace, but now, that peace suddenly comes to an end. Suzaku, while travelling as the masked man "Zero" accompanying Nunnally on her visit to the refugee camp, is defeated by a mysterious Knightmare Frame, and the two of them are taken away. Following secret orders from Schneizel, Kallen, Lloyd and Sayoko infiltrate Zilkistan, the Land of Warriors, where they are attacked by a mysterious Geass user. There in Zilkhstan is a person named C.C., known to the assailants as the "former master". In the indomitable kingdom which once conquered even the great army of the Holy Britannian Empire, what do the people desire? Hope, or despair? The people of Zilkhstan Palace certainly know of Geass. What are they, and C.C., planning?

Markimdb: 6.7
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:57

In a valley, with a dense growth of trees, a baby is killed. The baby's mother Satomi is arrested as the prime suspect. The police also learn that Satomi is involved in a romantic relationship with her next door neighbor Ozaki. The information was provided by the neighbor's lover Kanako. Meanwhile, magazine reporter Watanabe, who is covering the story, discovers the shocking fact that Ozaki was involved in a rape case 15 years ago. Even more shocking, the victim in the rape case is Kanako.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genrecomedy, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Sorata Kanda, a high school sophomore living in Sakurasou, the den of their academy's problem children, spends his days being dragged around by the strange residents, swearing he's going to escape Sakurasou one day.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genremelodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:46

Takao, who is training to become a shoemaker, skipped school and is sketching shoes in a Japanese-style garden. He meets a mysterious woman, Yukino, who is older than him. Then, without arranging the times, the two start to see each other again and again, but only on rainy days. They deepen their relationship and open up to each other. But the end of the rainy season soon approaches...

Markimdb: 7.4
Genredrama
CountryJapan

In this film director Yoji Yamada bows down before his teacher and role model. Yamada was assistant director on Yazujirō Ozu’s Tōkyō monogatari, a moving family portrait set after the Second World War. In his remake, Yamada has made very few departures from Ozu’s masterpiece in order to update the story of ageing couple Shukichi and Tomiko to present day Japan. Once again, the pair decides to leave their quiet lives in the country to pay a visit to their children and grandchildren in Tokyo. Once there, they discover that neither their oldest son, a doctor named Koichi, nor their eldest daughter Shigeko - who runs a beauty parlour - has time for them: both are too busy attending to their everyday concerns. Even the youngest son went his own way. The old couple feel lonely and bewildered in the fast-paced metropolis.

Markimdb: 5.8
Genrefantastic, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:06

Koichi and Atsumi are lovers who have known each other all their lives. A year ago, however, a suicide attempt by Atsumi left her in a coma. Through 'sensing', a type of neurosurgical procedure allowing contact with the intentional aspect of a comatose patient's mind, Koishi tries to find out why Atsumi tried to kill herself, and to bring her back to consciousness. He enters her subconscious, and is told to find a picture of a plesiosaur she drew when she was a child. It turns out that a childhood incident buried in their past will bring their minds together.

Markimdb: 5.9
Genreaction, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:09

While a menacing typhoon approaches, an accident at the giant natural gas plant Regalia occurs. Japan Coast Guard rescue divers Daisuke Senzaki (Hideaki Ito), Tetsuya Yoshioka (Ryuta Sato) and engineer Hiroshiichirou Sakuragi (Masaya Kato) head together to the gas plant. During their rescue efforts an explosion occurs that traps Daisuke, Natsu Nishizawa Kazue Fukiishi and worker Hisayoneo Kizima (Gaku Hamada). Daisuke then looks for a way out for his party with a man he just meets Takuya Hotori. Because of the typhoon, even a helicopter cannot approach the Regalia. Meanwhile, at the head office of the Japan Coast Guard, the Japanese coast guard tries to find a way to rescue the trapped people, but the government officials put national interests first. Tension arises between these two parties. Daisuke's wife Tamakisai Senzaki (Ai Kato) prays for the safe return of Daisuke not only for her sake, but for their new born son.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genreaction, comedy, melodrama, cartoon, short, sport, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:12

A love story between two people that each have a secret to hide. One a pro-wrestler, the other a Nun. Losing never felt so good.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genredrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

A traveler is confronted by spirits in an abandoned shrine; a story of honor and firefighting in ancient Japan; a white bear defends the royal family from a monstrous red demon; ragtag soldiers battle a robotic force in futuristic Japan.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan, South Korea
Duration02:13

Higashigaito Yutaka is transferred to the Bangkok branch of Eastern Airlines. In three months, he will marry Michiko, a relative of the airline's founder, and though he doesn't love her, he knows he could be CEO one day if they wed. In Thailand, Yutaka meets Touko at a bar and is instantly drawn to her. His relationship with her only intensifies as the wedding date approaches. Eventually, he decides to break up with her and calls Michiko in front of her. Touko is disappointed, and the next day she leaves for New York. Yutaka and Michiko reunite in Thailand and proceed with their wedding. Twenty-five years later, Yutaka and Michiko are married with two sons. But Yutaka still harbors memories of Touko in his heart. Yutaka visits Bangkok on business and goes to the Oriental Hotel where he had stayed with Touko-and finds she is now in charge of VIP guests there. They realize their love for each other remains, but reality pulls them apart once again.

Markimdb: 8
Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

The year is 1991 and 6th grader Yaguchi Haruo only has video games to live for. He's not popular in school and he's neither handsome, funny, nice nor even friendly. The only thing he has going for him is that he is good at video games. One day at the local arcade, he plays Oono Akira, a fellow classmate but who's popular, smart, pretty and a rich girl that absolutely destroys him at Street Fighter II. Not only does he lose to her 30 times in a row, he can’t beat her at any game. Haruo can’t seem to shake Akira off as she follows him from arcade to arcade everyday after school and beats him every time. As weird as it sounds, the odd couple begins a strange bond and friendship.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genreaction, fantasy, drama
CountryUSA, United Kingdom, Japan, Hungary
Duration01:59

Based on the original 1941 movie from Japan, and from ancient Japan’s most enduring tale, the epic 3D fantasy-adventure 47 Ronin is born. Keanu Reeves leads the cast as Kai, an outcast who joins Oishi (Hiroyuki Sanada), the leader of the 47 outcast samurai. Together they seek vengeance upon the treacherous overlord who killed their master and banished their kind. To restore honor to their homeland, the warriors embark upon a quest that challenges them with a series of trials that would destroy ordinary warriors.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genrethriller, drama, crime
CountryJapan
Duration01:50

As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West. What started as an internal strife in Outrage has now become a nationwide war in Outrage Beyond.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

Arrangement instructor Makiko Norita (Yukie Nakama) displays a dignified smile, but she also makes bitting remarks. Nevertheless, with her magic arrangement skills, arrangement instructor Makiko Norita makes people happy. Based on the book "Jinsei ga Tokimeku Katazuke no Maho" by Marie Kondo (published December 27, 2010 by Sunmark Publishing,Inc.). Marie Kondo is a cleaning consultant and developed popular "KonMari Method" for organizing and storing household items.

Markimdb: 5.6
Genreaction
CountryJapan
Duration02:19

Tatsuhiko Shiratori works as a scout, recruiting girls to work in the adult entertainment business. He movies to Yokohama from Shinjuku, Tokyo. He comes into conflict with Masaki Taki who is the CEO of a scout company.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genrefantastic, fantasy, comedy, drama, adventure, cartoon
CountryUSA, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom
Duration01:28

In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that's a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.

Markimdb: 4.7
Genrehorror, comedy
CountryJapan

Wracked with guilt over the suicide of her sister Ai, who was tormented by high school bullies, pretty young karate student Megu accompanies a group of older friends on a camping trip into the woods: smart girl Aya, her druggie boyfriend Také, big-boobed model Maki, and nerdy Naoi. Things start to go badly when Maki finds a parasitical worm inside a fish they catch – and wolfs it down alive, in the hope that it’ll help keep her skinny! Soon after, and not so unexpectedly in situations like this, zombies show up and begin to complicate things further. After they’re attached by a crowd of poop-covered undead who emerge from an outhouse toilet, the group seeks refuge at the home of strange Dr. Tanaka and his daughter Sachi. But unbeknownst to them, Tanaka has been conducting experiments on the parasites—and the zombies!—and has another fate in mind for the five strangers from the city.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrefantasy, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

In a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, herbivores and carnivores coexist with each other. For the adolescences of Cherryton Academy, school life is filled with hope, romance, distrust, and uneasiness.The main character is Regoshi the wolf, a member of the drama club. Despite his menacing appearance, he has a very gentle heart. Throughout most of his life, he has always been an object of fear and hatred by other animals, and he's been quite accustomed to that lifestyle. But soon, he finds himself becoming more involved with his fellow classmates who have their own share of insecurities and finds his life in school changing slowly.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:40

Yui wants to see a whale so Kirito suggests a quest where she can meet them. However, it turns out that Leafa cannot swim so Asuna and the other female characters decide to train Suguha in a real-world pool in preparation for the aforementioned quest. Meanwhile, Kirito is called for an emergency counseling meeting at his new school. There he meets an elite member of the Virtual Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Kirito then tells him details about what really happened in Aincrad and in Alfheim.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genrefantasy, drama
CountryJapan

After death, people have just one week to choose only a memory to keep for eternity.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:53

By the year 2050 AD, a mysterious organization called Galactor has occupied half of the Earth and threatens to exterminate the human race. Around the same time, the International Science Organization had uncovered mysterious stones that bear unusual powers. It is said that one person out of approximately eight million is able to harness the power of the stones; they are known as a "Receptor". Dr. Kozaburo Nambu gathers a team of these five lucky Receptors together. Known as the "Gatchaman" team, it is their mission to defeat Galactor.

Markimdb: 4.2
Genrehorror, thriller, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:36

Five years have passed since the events of Sadako 3D. Akane is pregnant with a child with her boyfriend Takenori. However, Akane dies after giving birth to her daughter. When Takenori's sister Fuko takes up the task of caring for Akane's daughter, the infamous cursed video resurfaces. During her investigation, Fuko learns about the legend of Sadako's daughter...

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.




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