Japanese movies about the forest

List of the best Japanese forest movies selected by visitors to our site: Wood Job!, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1, Vampire Island, Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker, Wet Woman in the Wind, Suicide Forest Village, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Hotarubi no Mori e, Temple, Mushishi: The Next Chapter - Drops of Bells.

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

Country
Markimdb: 7.5
Genrecomedy, adventure
CountryJapan
Duration01:56

After failing his university entrance exam, Yuki Hirano sets his eyes on the role of a forestry trainee. Setting off for training he doubts his decision many times, but eventually after passing the training course, he is sent to Kamusari Village for a year of work experience - where he becomes assimilated with the beauty of nature and the warm-hearted people of the village.

Markimdb: 5.8
Genreaction, fantasy
CountryJapan
Duration01:30

Morioh, 1999—a normally quiet and peaceful town has recently become a hotbed of strange activity. Joutarou Kuujou, now a marine biologist, heads to the mysterious town to meet Jousuke Higashikata. While the two may seem like strangers at first, Jousuke is actually the illegitimate child of Joutarou's grandfather, Joseph Joestar. When they meet, Joutarou realizes that he may have more in common with Jousuke than just a blood relation. Along with the mild-mannered Kouichi Hirose and the boisterous Okuyasu Nijimura, the group dedicates themselves to investigating recent disappearances and other suspicious occurrences within Morioh. Aided by the power of Stands, the four men will encounter danger at every street corner, as it is up to them to unravel the town's secrets, before another occurs.

Markimdb: 5.3
Genrehorror, thriller
CountryJapan, South Korea

Higanjima is an eerie island occupied by vampires, from where none has ever come back alive. When teenager Akira hears that his missing brother has been seen in the island, he decides to investigate with several friends.

Markimdb: 5.7
Genreaction, fantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration01:30

In the land of Orlais, a brash young Seeker—Cassandra—fights to stop a blood-soaked conspiracy. Hidden hands seek to tear apart the realm's most powerful religious order, and as the sinister plot unfolds, Cassandra is accused of treason and murder. Hunted by friend and foe alike, the impulsive beauty must clear her name while clashing with corrupt templars and rogue blood mages. Should she fail, the executioner’s blade awaits. Should she overcome her rage and expose the unseen forces threatening the rule of the Divine, Cassandra will take her place in legend.

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: 5.1
Genrehorror, detective
CountryJapan

One day a mysterious box arrived and a curse began to spread all over. The source of the box is 'Jukai Village'. The village is hidden in Jukai Forest, a suicide spot that once you enter it, you can never come out.

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: 7.9
Genrefantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:45

One hot summer day a little girl gets lost in an enchanted forest of the mountain god where spirits reside. A young boy appears before her, but she cannot touch him for fear of making him disappear. And so a wondrous adventure awaits...

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.

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: 6.4
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan, France

The story follows the social intercourse between a cameraman, Masaya, with a visual impairment, and Misako who disconnects from the world.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genreaction, fantasy, drama
CountryJapan, United Kingdom, South Korea
Duration01:33

Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan
Duration01:38

Fifteen-year-old country girl Suzume Yosano has to move to Tokyo to live with her uncle due to her father's transfer. She bumps into a mysterious man who ends up taking her to her uncle's place after she gets lost. Turns out, Suzume will be seeing him a lot more often once she starts school because... he's her homeroom teacher?!

Markimdb: 6.5
Genreaction, thriller, comedy
CountryUSA, Japan, China

Twelve strangers wake up in a clearing. They don't know where they are—or how they got there. In the shadow of a dark internet conspiracy theory, ruthless elitists gather at a remote location to hunt humans for sport. But their master plan is about to be derailed when one of the hunted turns the tables on her pursuers.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration02:12

Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genremelodrama, drama, musical
CountryFrance, Belgium, Germany, USA, Japan, Mexico, Luxembourg

The story of Henry, a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humor and Ann, a singer of international renown. In the spotlight, they are the perfect couple, healthy, happy, and glamourous. The birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious girl with an exceptional destiny, will change their lives.

Markimdb: 5.3
Genredrama
CountryJapan, France

Centres on Jeanne, a journalist tracking a mysterious rare herb that appears only once every 997 years.

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: 6.7
Genrethriller, drama, adventure
CountryJapan

Yoshitsune Minamoto, disguised with his retinue as monks, must make do with a comical porter as their guide through hostile territory en route to safety.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrefantastic, action
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

Ajin is a live-action adaptation of a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gamon Sakurai. Kei Nagai dies in a car accident, but realises he is a type of immortal known as Ajin (demi-human). Hunted by humans, Ajin is eventually found by the government and used as a subject in cruel experiments. He finds fellow demi-humans along the way as he escapes and goes on the run.

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: 6.6
Genrehorror, drama
CountryJapan
Duration01:31

Suffering from double vision, a single mother (Cocco) tries to take care of her baby in the grip of terrifying hallucinations. Experiencing a nervous breakdown, she is deemed unfit to take care of her child and has it taken away from her. The only respite the mother has from her visions is when she sings. An award-winning novelist (Tsukamoto) overhears her singing whilst riding the bus and the pair subsequently develop a volatile relationship.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrehorror, fantastic, action
CountryJapan
Duration02:11

If you are chosen by the bizarre black sphere known as the Gantz, you are already dead—yet you might be able to reclaim your mortality. First, the Gantz demands that you undertake brutal missions of madness, killing aliens hidden among the population. It is your only chance and you have no choice. You must play this disturbing game. And if you die again—and you likely will—it’s permanent.

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: 6.4
Genrefantastic, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:09

Rune Ballot is a down-and-out teen prostitute in Mardock City. One day, she's picked up by an ambitious casino manager named Shell who gives her everything she could want. Renewed by a false innocence, a false past, and now the false life Shell has given her, Ballot feels grateful. However, she can't help but be curious about why he's done so much for her, so she does some research about his past on a computer. This turns out to be a mistake which will change her life greatly. When Shell finds out what she's done, he attempts to burn her to death by blowing up her car.

Genredrama
CountryJapan

Yusuke Kafuku, a stage actor and director, still unable, after two years, to cope with the loss of his beloved wife, accepts to direct Uncle Vanja at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There he meets Misaki, an introverted young woman, appointed to drive his car. In between rides, secrets from the past and heartfelt confessions will be unveiled.

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.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genreaction, comedy
CountryJapan
Duration01:30

Nakatsu was laid off at his company and now works part-time at a convenience store. One day, Nakatsu forms a vigilante group to protect his town with Toshida, who has a mysterious physical ability, Kanari, who is a female high school student with excellent information gathering abilities, and Kusaki, who wields hammers under his sleeves. As they punish evil doers, the group gains popular support and flourish.

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: 7.3
Genredrama, cartoon, history, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:42

In the aftermath of the most devastating conflict mankind had ever experienced, the tiny island of Shikotan became part of the Sakhalin Oblast... and on the unhealed border in this remote corner of the world, friendship among children from two different countries timidly blossomed, striving to overcome language barriers and the waves of history. Inspired by true events.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genredrama
CountryJapan

A story about the disappearance of Kirishima, a star athlete of the volleyball club, and how his disappearance affects every person in school.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:45

People everywhere were enjoying a new game called Ordinal Scale, an ARMMORPG developed exclusively for the Augma, a new wearable console designed for AR (augmented reality) gaming. But, the players had no idea that a nightmare from the virtual world was starting to spread into reality! As his fellow players find themselves in danger, the hero is called upon once again.

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: 7.2
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:16

Following the death of the unmarried and childless Taki, Takeshi, a young relative of hers, discovers several pages of closely written lines in which the old lady has recorded her memories. This is how he learns the truth about her youth working as a housemaid and nanny for the Hirai family in a little house in Tokyo with a red gabled roof.

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: 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: 8
Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:00

Spring time in April and the last of the cherry blossoms are still in bloom. The usually aloof bookworm with no interest in others comes across a book in a hospital waiting room. Handwritten on the cover are the words: "Living with Dying." He soon discovers that it is a diary kept by his very popular and genuinely cheerful classmate, Sakura Yamauchi, who reveals to him that she is secretly suffering from a pancreatic illness and only has a limited time left. It is at this moment that she gains just one more person to share her secret. Trying to maintain a normal life as much as possible, Sakura is determined to live her life to the fullest until the very last day. As her free spirit and unpredictable actions throw him for a loop, his heart begins to gradually change.

Markimdb: 5.8
Genreaction, comedy
CountryJapan

At the end of the TV series of the same name, it is revealed that the husband works for the Public Security Bureau, and their marriage is a cover to keep her under surveillance. In spite of his mission, he falls in love with Nami and tries to convince her not to get involved in other people’s affairs. She is being monitored as a state-level security risk, and the bureau is unwilling to tolerate any more trouble from her. However, to save a friend, Nami runs out of the house and risks everything she has to confront the enemy. When she comes home, she finds her husband pointing a gun at her! A gunshot echoes through the quiet, upscale neighborhood…The movie picks up where the controversial ending of the drama series left off!!

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: 6.9
Genrefantasy, drama
CountryJapan
Duration00:35

A postman learns that he doesn't have much time left to live due to a terminal illness. A devil then appears in front of him and offers to extend his life if he picks something in the world that will disappear. The man thinks about his relationships with ex-friends, ex-lovers, relatives and colleagues who will be sincerely sad when he dies.

Markimdb: 7
Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
CountryJapan

A man brutally murders a married couple and leaves the word “ikari” (“rage”) written with their blood. The killer undergoes plastic surgery and flees. At three different locations in Japan, a male stranger appears. People suspect that the stranger might be the murderer.

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: 8.5
Genrefantastic, thriller, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:56

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: 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: 7.3
Genrefantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Long ago, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some people preferred the surface and abandoned living underwater permanently. As a consequence, they were stripped of their god-given protection called "Ena" which allowed them to breathe underwater. Over time, the rift between the denizens of the sea and of the surface widened, although contact between the two peoples still existed.This show follows the story of Hikari Sakishima and Manaka Mukaido, along with their childhood friends Chisaki Hiradaira and Kaname Isaki, who are forced to leave the sea and attend a school on the surface. There, the group also meets Tsumugu Kihara, a fellow student and fisherman who loves the sea.Hikari and his friends' lives are bound to change as they have to deal with the deep-seated hatred and discrimination between the people of sea and of the surface, the storms in their personal lives, as well as an impending tempest which may spell doom for all who dwell on the surface.

Markimdb: 5.5
Genrefantasy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan, USA
Duration01:32

One summer day, a group of sixth-grade boys have an argument about whether fireworks are round or flat when viewed from different angles and embark on a journey for the answer during the annual firework festival. Meanwhile, one of their classmates, Nazuna, is troubled by her parents' separation and decides to choose one of the boys – Norimichi or Yūsuke – to run away with, depending on who wins a race at the pool.

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: 5.9
Genrethriller, melodrama, crime, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom, Japan, USA

Tokyo, Japan, 1989. Lucy Fly, a foreigner who works as a translator, begins a passionate relationship with Teiji, a mysterious man obsessed with photography.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrehorror, fantastic, action, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:56

Somewhere in Tokyo, there is a room. In that room is a black sphere. Periodically, people who should otherwise have died are transferred to the room. There, the sphere gives them special suits and weapons, and sends them out on a mission to kill aliens here on Earth. While these missions take place, the rest of the world is largely oblivious to them. These missions are lethal - few participants survive them. The sphere calls the shots, and it's not the slightest bit nice. Its name... Gantz.

Markimdb: 7.3
Genreaction, comedy, adventure, cartoon, crime, detective, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:38

A yakuza boss hires Goemon Ishikawa, a modern day samurai, to protect him aboard his cruise ship casino. Everything goes sideways when the famous thief, Lupin the Third, tries to rob the vessel. Lupin's being hunted by a powerful and mysterious man: the so called “Ghost of Bermuda.” With Goemon's employer dead in the ensuing chaos, his honor is at stake, and the only way to preserve it is with blood. But this opponent is like no other, and to make things right, Goemon may need to sharpen not only his sword, but himself as well!




MoviesList