Japanese films about missing people

List of the best Japanese films about missing people, selected by visitors to our site: Happy Hour, Emperor, Samurai Marathon, Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, The World of Kanako, High and Low, Gozu, The Snowman, ERASED, Alien vs. Ninja.

In the top there are new films of 2023, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Country
Markimdb: 7.6
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan

Jun, Akari, Sakurako, and Fumi truly believe that they can confide in each other. But one day, at a party, Jun confesses that she is seeking a divorce from her husband and this information seems to upset the other three. They follow her trial as she attempts to win her case against her husband's will.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genredrama, military, history
CountryJapan, USA
Duration01:45

As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.

Markimdb: 6.1
Genredrama, history
CountryJapan, United Kingdom

When feudal lord Itakura Katsuakira decides to prepare his samurai troops for the onslaught of modernization by having them compete in a marathon, his independent-minded daughter Yuki secretly joins the race.

Markimdb: 4.9
Genrehorror, thriller, detective
CountryCanada, France, Japan, USA
Duration01:35

Heather Mason and her father have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn't fully understand, Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she's not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrethriller, drama, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:58

When Kanako, a model daughter and a brilliant student, disappears, her mother asks her ex-husband, a violent former policeman, to find her. As his investigation progresses, his idealized image of Kanako cracks: the girl hides a dark life that her father can not even imagine.

Markimdb: 8.4
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration02:23

An executive of a shoe company becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genrehorror, thriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryJapan

Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA, China, Sweden, Japan
Duration02:36

    Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous looking snowman.

    Markimdb: 6.4
    Genrethriller, fantasy, drama, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:37

    Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist who has the ability to turn back time and prevent deaths. When his mother is killed he turns back time to solve the mystery, but ends up back in elementary school, just before the disappearance of his classmate Kayo.

    Markimdb: 4.4
    Genrehorror, fantastic, action, fantasy, comedy
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:21

    A band of ninja warriors, led by an Iga Ninja named Yamata, witness a giant ball of fire drop from the sky and crash into the forest. When the warriors find and attempt to identify the object, they discover aliens that attack and feast on them. Yamata and the survivors swear vengeance, but in challenging the aliens, they learn that their weapons have no effect.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genredrama, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:09

    Set after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, all 14-year-old Sumida Yuichi wants to become is a regular boy and live a decent life. His environment though repeatedly drags him into the mud. He runs his parent's rental boat business, which is located next to a nondescript lake. His mother frequently comes home with different men and soon she leaves him entirely. His father only comes around looking for money. Chazawa Keiko is a classmate of Sumida Yuichi. She harbors a severe crush on Yuichi. Keiko's home life isn't much better than Yuichi's. Her mother builds a gallows with a noose in place for Keiko to take her own life. Her mother believes her life would be better off without Keiko. Under these circumstances, Keiko pays a visit to Yuichi's home. A group of people are lingering nearby who live in makeshift tents on the property. Keiko tries to befriend Yuichi, but she is berated and even physically assaulted. She doesn't get deterred though and sticks around.

    Markimdb: 5.5
    Genrehorror, action, comedy, crime
    CountryJapan, France

    Akira (Hayato Ichihara) admires Genyo Kamiura, the most powerful yakuza. Genyo Kamiura has been targeted numerous times, but he has never been killed. He is called the invincible person. Because of Genyo Kamiura, Akira enters the world of the yakuza. His yakuza colleagues treat him like an idiot, and Akira can't even get tattoos because of his sensitive skin. An assassin is sent to take out Genyo Kamiura. The killers know that Genyo Kamiura is a vampire. Thus begins the apocalypse.

    Markimdb: 5.5
    Genrefantastic, drama
    CountryJapan

    A homeless man meets a medical school student who pays him to volunteer for a surgical procedure known as trepanation, drilling a hole in his skull, which ends up giving him the ability to communicate with the dark side of people’s subconscious minds.

    Markimdb: 5.8
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryJapan

    One afternoon, Shiori, a very sexually active young woman working in a café, is riding her bicycle and cuts off Kosuke, who is pulling a two-wheeled cart. Once a recognized playwright, Kosuke now lives a quiet life in a mountain hut, far away from the city, in the hope of escaping his past. But after their first encounter, he will soon be caught in Shiori’s web of sexual desires…

    Markimdb: 7
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan, France

    An old man and a young woman meet in Tokyo. She knows nothing about him, he thinks he knows her. He welcomes her into his home, she offers him her body. But the web that is woven between them in the space of twenty four hours bears no relation to the circumstances of their encounter.

    Markimdb: 5.9
    Genremelodrama
    CountryJapan

    Mia Kurihara works in the public relations department of a company. She falls in love with Kairi Miyoshi. He is the vice president of the company, but he is also married.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrefantasy, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:53

    A young girl had her voice magically taken away so that she would never hurt people with it, but her outlook changes when she encounters music and friendship. Will Naruse be able to convey the anthem of her heart?

    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: 6.4
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Love is blooming at Sakuragaoka High School. Natsuki Enomoto has finally mustered the courage to confess to her childhood friend, Yuu Setoguchi. However, in the final moments of her confession, an embarrassed Natsuki passes it off as a "practice confession." Oblivious to her true feelings and struggling with his own, Yuu promises to support Natsuki in her quest for love. While Natsuki deals with her failed confession, fellow classmate Koyuki Ayase struggles with his own feelings for Natsuki. Despite his timidness, he is determined to win over her heart. This movie follows Natsuki as she dreams of one day ending her practices and genuinely confessing to Yuu. Meanwhile, close friends also find themselves entangled in their own webs of unrequited love and unspoken affections.

    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: 7.3
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:08

    Unemployed 35 year old Sakurai aspired to become an actor, but failed miserably. He decides to end his own life, but first he goes to purify himself at a public bathhouse. While there, he meets the very prosperous Kondo, who subsequently suffers a fall, erasing his memory. On a whim, Sakurai switches locker keys, steals the man's belongings, and decides to pass himself off as Kondo. What Sakurai does not know is that Kondo runs an illegal business, which brings him into contact with ornery Yakuza members. Meanwhile, Kondo has been convinced that he is actually the failed actor Sakurai and he faces the dismal reality of that life with increasing bewilderment. Fortunately, at the hospital he meets the lovely Kanae who, while yearning for marriage, goes out of her way to help "Sakurai" pull himself together. Eventually Kondo regains his memory, but before he can make a new life with Kanae, he has to solve the many problems caused by the theft of his identity.

    Markimdb: 4.7
    Genrehorror, comedy
    CountryUSA, New Zealand, Canada, Israel, Japan
    Duration02:09

    An ambitious anthology film featuring segments directed by over two dozen of the world's leading talents in contemporary genre film. Inspired by children's educational ABC books, the motion picture is comprised of 26 individual chapters, each helmed by a different director assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were then given free reign in choosing a word to create a story involving death. Provocative, shocking, funny and ultimately confrontational; THE ABC's OF DEATH is the definitive snapshot of the diversity of modern horror.

    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: 7.4
    Genreaction, fantasy, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Shirō Emiya is a young magus who attends Homurahara Academy in Fuyuki City. One day after cleaning the Archery Dojo in his school, he catches a glimpse of a fight between superhuman beings, and he gets involved in the Holy Grail War, a ritual where magi called Masters fight each other with their Servants to win the Holy Grail. Shirō joins the battle to stop an evildoer from winning the Grail and to save innocent people, but everything goes wrong when a mysterious "Shadow" begins to indiscriminately kill people in Fuyuki...

    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: 5.5
    Genrehorror, action, comedy
    CountryJapan

    Bullied by his boss, worked around the clock, he’s nothing more than a corporate drone. All it takes is a zombie outbreak for him to finally feel alive.

    Markimdb: 6
    Genredrama, biography, history
    CountryJapan, Hong Kong

    Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan risk their lives and stay at the nuclear power plant to prevent total destruction after the region is devastated by an earthquake an tsunami in 2011.

    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: 7.9
    Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    In Tokyo's downtown district of Ikebukuro, amidst many strange rumors and warnings of anonymous gangs and dangerous occupants, one urban legend stands out above the rest—the existence of a headless "Black Rider" who is said to be seen driving a jet-black motorcycle through the city streets.Mikado Ryuugamine has always longed for the excitement of the city life, and an invitation from a childhood friend convinces him to move to Tokyo. Witnessing the Black Rider on his first day in the city, his wishes already seem to have been granted. But as supernatural events begin to occur, ordinary citizens like himself, along with Ikebukuro's most colorful inhabitants, are mixed up in the commotion breaking out in their city.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genreaction, melodrama
    CountryJapan

    Raised suckling poison arrows among the sparring Iga ninja factions, Mumon (Satoshi Ohno, of idol group Arashi) is a carefree 16th-century mercenary. When the ninja council makes a power play to defeat the young Nobukatsu Oda struggling to step into his father’s warlord shoes as they expand rule across the country, Mumon jumps into the fray to satisfy his new bride Okuni’s (Satomi Ishihara of Shin Godzilla, Attack on Titan) demand that he make good on his promises of wealth. Yet Mumon soon finds what is worth fighting for beyond money or nation. A longtime JAPAN CUTS favorite known for his offbeat dramas, Yoshihiro Nakamura (Fish Story, Golden Slumber) takes on the jidaigeki epic with his signature sense of play featuring a jazzy soundtrack and fantastical ninja tricks. -JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film

    Markimdb: 6.1
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:08

    Dr. Ichito Kuriharai (Sho Sakurai) works at a clinic in Nagano Prefecture. He rarely has any free time due to the clinic's shortage of doctors and the constant influx of patients. Ichito even sometimes diagnoses patients out of his area of speciality and sometimes goes days without sleeping. He hopes to work at a major hospital where he can get more free time to spend with his wife Haruna (Aoi Miyazaki) and also specialize in his field of study. However, Ichito is also reluctant to add to shortage of doctors at the clinic and break his relationships with the patients. One day, Dr. Ichito Kuriharai clears out the belongings of a terminal cancer patient who passed away. During this time, he discovers a letter made out to him thanking him for the care he provided to her, even though he could not cure her sickness. Dr. Ichito Kuriharai then has a revelation about the medical chart he keeps in his hand - filled with personal observations and concerns ...

    Markimdb: 6.3
    Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:44

    Japan, 2020, a few days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Although she should be studying for her final exams, Kokone, a schoolgirl who lives in a small town with her widowed father, a mysterious and talented mechanic, falls asleep often, anywhere, anytime, entering, over and over, a dream-world where a squad of fantastic motorized contraptions fights against magic, a world close to reality where she will find out the keys of her true past.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genrecomedy, melodrama
    CountryJapan

    The year is 1987 and Japan is just reaching the peak of its economic success. Eighteen-year old Yonosuke Yokomichi arrives in Tokyo from Nagasaki. Ordinary in every way possible, he lives in a suburb far from the excitement of the big city and commutes to a university in the center of Tokyo.

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genrefantasy, cartoon
    CountryJapan

    In the near future, spirits and monsters are in full sight. A boy leads a group of people with special abilities as they plot against a massive organization that takes advantage of a certain incident and eventually know the truth about their world in the process.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genrefantastic, action, cartoon
    CountryFrance, Japan, USA
    Duration01:37

    Angelino is just one of thousands of deadbeats living in Dark Meat City. But an otherwise unremarkable scooter accident caused by a beautiful, mysterious stranger is about to transform his life... into a waking nightmare! He starts seeing monstrous forms prowling around all over the city... Is Angelino losing his mind, or could an alien invasion really be happening this quietly...?

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genredrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:30

    After being neglected by her mother, a little girl is taken in by her uncle and his transgender girlfriend, who create a loving home for her.

    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).

    Mark
    Genredrama, history
    CountryJapan

    In August, 1918, Matsuura Ito lives in a coastal village of Toyama with her husband and three children. During the summer, there wasn't much fish to catch, so her husband has been far away from home to catch fish. To support herself and her children, Ito carries goods from ships like the other women in the village. Meanwhile, the residents encounter rising prices for rice. The women are unable to feed their family due to the high prices of rice. The women ask a nearby rice store to sell rice at lower prices, but it fails. The price of rice continues to rise daily. Due to an incident, Ito and the other village women step up to the plate.

    Markimdb: 3.7
    Genrehorror, thriller, detective
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:36

    Akane is a high school teacher who hears a rumor from her students that there is actual footage on the Internet of someone's suicide. The footage is said to drive anyone who sees it to also commit suicide. Akane does not believe the rumor at first, but when one of her female students dies after viewing the footage, she and her boyfriend Takanori are fatefully drawn into the horror that has been created by the man who appears in the suicide footage, Kashiwada. Kashiwada's intention is to create chaos in the world by bringing back Sadako and the power of her curse. Now Akane has to fight against Sadako and Kashiwada to save the lives of herself and Takanori.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:08

    The atmosphere in True Cross Academy is lively and boisterous in the days leading up to the grand festival held once every 11 years. During this time, Okumura Rin is entrusted with the responsibility of suppressing the berserk Phantom Train. In the midst of his mission, he meets a devil whose appearance is that of a young boy.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genredrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:39

    When Yadomi Jinta was a child, he was a central piece in a group of close friends. In time, however, these childhood friends drifted apart, and when they became high school students, they had long ceased to think of each other as friends.One of the friends from that group, Honma Meiko, now has a wish she asks Jinta to fulfil. The problem is, she can't remember what her wish is anymore. As Meiko won't cease to bother Jinta about it, he gives in and decides to try to grant this wish he knows nothing of; for that, however, the help of his other former friends, now all very estranged from himself and from each other, may turn out to be necessary. He hasn't spoken to Anjou Naruko, Matsuyuki Atsumu, Tsurumi Chiriko, or Hisakawa Tetsudou in a long time; as he struggles to grant Meiko's wish and gathers his old friends together in the process, all the old feelings that still exist between them and have long been stashed away are bound to come up again.

    Markimdb: 8.5
    Genrehorror, thriller, fantasy, drama, cartoon, detective, anime
    CountryJapan

    On a warm summer day, a boy heard the sound of bells ringing, as if in celebration, in the mountain near his home. Several years later in that same mountain, the mushishi Ginko stumbles upon a young girl in a mountain with branches and leaves growing out of her body. He later realises that she is the lord of that mountain but finds it strange that a human like her was chosen as the lord. He meets her older brother who has continued to search for her ever since she disappeared while accompanying him on a stormy day. The story is about Ginko’s peculiar journey amidst the occult to unravel the mystery behind the enigmatic girl called Kaya and the mountain that has become her home.

    Markimdb: 6.2
    Genremelodrama
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:58

    A smart high school student falls in love with her English teacher after she receives one-on-one tutoring from him.

    Markimdb: 8
    Genrefantasy, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:05

    Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her - but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

    Markimdb: 4.9
    Genrehorror, thriller, fantasy, cartoon, detective, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:42

    Kanazawa Nobuaki has transferred to a high school far from where he used to live. Due to an incident at his old school, Nobuaki is afraid of getting close to his new classmates and keeps himself at a distance, but he starts opening up because of a sports day inter-class relay. Then a single text message from someone calling themselves the "King" is sent to everyone in class. Nobuaki's classmates think it's a simple prank and don't take it seriously - but Nobuaki knows that a death game is about to begin, and struggles to oppose it...

    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: 7.8
    Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, drama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:30

    One year after the events of the anime, Rintarou begins to feel the repercussions of extensive time travel, and eventually completely fades from reality. Kurisu, being the only companion to remember him, now must find a way to bring him back.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genredrama, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:56

    The film centers on Asuna, a young girl who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved mysterious boy named Shun. However, Shun disappears and Asuna embarks on a journey of adventure to the land of Agartha with her teacher Mr. Morisaki to meet a Shun again. Through her journey she comes to know the cruelty and beauty of the world, as well as loss.

    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: 7.6
    Genrehorror, comedy, short
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:11

    Things go badly for a hack director and film crew shooting a low budget zombie movie in an abandoned Second World War Japanese facility, when they are attacked by real zombies.




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