Japanese movies about the military

List of the best Japanese movies about the military, selected by visitors to our site: Battle Under Orion, Panfilov's 28 Men, The Land of Hope, Shin Godzilla, Emperor, Godzilla, Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins, Air Bound, Mazinger Z: Infinity, The Crossing.

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

Country
Markimdb: 6.1
Genreaction, military
CountryJapan

The story of a Japanese sub's last mission during WWII.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genredrama, military, history
CountryRussia
Duration02:24

USSR, Late November, 1941. Based on the account by reporter Vasiliy Koroteev that appeared in the Red Army's newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, shortly after the battle, this is the story of Panifilov's Twenty-Eight, a group of twenty-eight soldiers of the Red Army's 316th Rifle Division, under the command of General Ivan Panfilov, that stopped the advance on Moscow of a column of fifty-four Nazi tanks of the 11th Panzer Division for several days. Though armed only with standard issue Mosin-Nagant infantry rifles and DP and PM-M1910 machine guns, all useless against tanks, and with wholly inadequate RPG-40 anti-tank grenades and PTRD-41 anti-tank rifles, they fight tirelessly and defiantly, with uncommon bravery and unwavering dedication, to protect Moscow and their Motherland.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrefantastic, drama
CountryJapan, Germany, United Kingdom, Taiwan

An old couple, their only son, the son's wife, a young man and his lover live peacefully in a village. Then, a terrifying earthquake strikes that causes a nearby nuclear station to explode. The residents must evacuate, but the family lives on a farm, with only half of the area designated as an evacuation area...

Markimdb: 6.7
Genrehorror, fantastic, action, thriller, drama, adventure
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

From the mind behind Evangelion comes a hit larger than life. When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side - the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.

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: 6.4
Genrefantastic, action, thriller, fantasy, adventure
CountryUSA, China, Japan
Duration02:03

Ford Brody, a Navy bomb expert, has just reunited with his family in San Francisco when he is forced to go to Japan to help his estranged father, Joe. Soon, both men are swept up in an escalating crisis when Godzilla, King of the Monsters, arises from the sea to combat malevolent adversaries that threaten the survival of humanity. The creatures leave colossal destruction in their wake, as they make their way toward their final battleground: San Francisco.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genreaction, melodrama, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:14

Former legendary assassin Kenshin Himura has now become a wandering samurai. Offering aid & protecting those in need as atonement for his past deeds. During this time Kenshin Himura comes across and aides Kaoru Kamiya (Emi Takei). Her father opened the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, a kendo school located in Tokyo and Kaoru is now an instructor there. Kaoru then invites Kenshin to stay at her dojo. Their relationship develops further, but Kenshin is still haunted by his violent past...

Markimdb: 5.2
Genreaction, fantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryJapan

Gamba, a town mouse with a brave spirit decides to go on an adventure to discover the ocean. On his way, he meets a troubled child mouse, Chuta. He says his family and other mice on a nearby island have been killed by a clan of weasels, led by the terrifying Noroi. Gamba promises to save the island, his family and the other mice. He and his friends team up to defeat the evil Noroi and his clan.

Markimdb: 5.9
Genrefantastic, action, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

When the evil Dr. Hell attacks the Earth, the mighty giant mecha Mazinger Z is formed to stop him.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genremelodrama, drama, military, history
CountryChina, Japan, South Korea, USA
Duration02:08

During the Chinese Revolution in 1949, three couples flee from China to an island of Taiwan.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrefantastic, drama, adventure, cartoon, detective, military, anime
CountryJapan

Amid the desolate remains of a once-thriving city, only the rumbling of a motorbike breaks the cold winter silence. Its riders, Chito and Yuuri, are the last survivors in the war-torn city. Scavenging old military sites for food and parts, the two girls explore the wastelands and speculate about the old world to pass the time. Chito and Yuuri each occasionally struggle with the looming solitude, but when they have each other, sharing the weight of being two of the last humans becomes a bit more bearable. Between Yuuri's clumsy excitement and Chito's calm composure, their dark days get a little brighter with shooting practice, new books, and snowball fights on the frozen battlefield.Among a scenery of barren landscapes and deserted buildings, it is an uplifting tale of two girls and their quest to find hope in a bleak and dying world.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genreaction, drama, adventure, military, history
CountryUSA, Japan
Duration02:21

    The story of the battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Imperial Japan during World War II, as told from the perspective of the Japanese who fought it.

    Markimdb: 5.8
    Genrefantastic, action, cartoon
    CountryUSA, Japan
    Duration01:29

    A distant Federation outpost Fort Casey comes under attack by bugs. The team on the fast attack ship Alesia is assigned to help the Starship John A. Warden stationed in Fort Casey evacuate along with the survivors and bring military intelligence safely back to Earth. Carl Jenkins, now ministry of Paranormal Warfare, takes the starship on a clandestine mission before its rendezvous with the Alesia and goes missing in the nebula. Now, the battle-hardened troopers are charged with a rescue mission that may lead to a much more sinister consequence than they ever could have imagined....

    Markimdb: 7.5
    Genreaction, drama, military, history
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration02:24

    In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words use by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War.

    Markimdb: 6.6
    Genredrama, military, biography, history
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:20

    Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943) was the Japanese Naval commander who was given the order to attack Pearl Harbour, an order he was duty bound to obey which went against his own personal beliefs. While this infamous attack is a low point in Japanese and US history it wouldn’t have happened if the Japanese government had listened to Yamamoto in 1939 and searched for a more peaceful way to end their war campaign, proving his many ominous presages of the outcomes of the attack to come true.

    Markimdb: 5.8
    Genrefantastic, action, cartoon, anime
    CountryUSA, Japan, Canada, South Korea
    Duration01:24

    An untold chapter in the Mass Effect saga, following the early career of Alliance Marine, James Vega, as he leads a squad of elite special forces into battle against a mysterious alien threat known as The Collectors. Stationed at a colony in a remote star system, Vega and his troops must protect the inhabitants from an invasion of the deadly insectoid warriors determined to collect the population for unknown purposes. Soon after the attack, Vega's commanding officer falls in battle, forcing the young officer to embrace the responsibility of leadership for the colony's survival. Having idolized Earth's greatest hero and warrior, Commander Shepard (the central character in the Mass Effect video games), the young and idealistic Vega must now make life and the death decisions that will effect not only the lives of his squad, but the lives of every person in the colony - all of whom he has sworn to protect...

    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: 7
    Genrethriller, drama, cartoon, military, anime
    CountryJapan

    Taking place in the year 1937 on the eve of World War II, the story involves a mysterious spy training organization known as the "D Agency." The organization is established by Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki from the Imperial Japanese Army. His ideals lead him to recruit people beyond military academy graduates and personnel, while training them to become skilled agents in arts of manipulation. These agents would become a specialized team to conduct operations. One such antihero agent, under the name Jirou Gamou, goes on a harrowing mission to uncover secret documents titled "Black Notes," while battling forces from within and without his own ranks.

    Markimdb: 8.5
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryJapan

    During the Second World War, Japanese conscientious objector Kaji works as a supervisor in a Manchurian prison camp. He hopes to avoid duty as a soldier, but he also hopes to be helpful to the welfare of his prisoners. But an escape attempt by Chinese prisoners results in Kaji's arrest for collusion. He faces the possibility of transferral to combat--or worse.

    Markimdb: 6.8
    Genreaction, fantasy, comedy, melodrama, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    A young man who had surely died in an accident, was reborn in another world as a baby! After that, he was picked up by the patriot hero "Sage" Merlin Wolford and was given the name Shin. He was raised as a grandson by Merlin and soaked up Merlin's teachings, earning him some shocking powers; however, when he became 15, his grandfather Merlin said, "I forgot to teach him common sense!"An "abnormal" boy's unconventional other world fantasy life starts here!

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genreaction, melodrama, drama, detective, military, history
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:24

    A young man Kentaro Saeki (Haruma Miura) keeps failing his bar test and does not know what to do any more. His older sister Keiko is a freelance writer. Kentaro and Keiko begin to search for information on their grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe (Junichi Okada) who dead in the special forces during World War II. Their grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe was terrified of death and obsessed with life. Why did he join the special forces? According to his fellow navy soldiers, Kyuzo Miyabe was a genius and also a coward. Kentaro and Keiko then discovers the shocking truth which has been sealed for 60 years.

    Markimdb: 8
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller, cartoon, detective, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:04

    Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda are pulled into the post-apocalyptic underworld of Neo-Tokyo and forced to fight for their very survival. Kaneda is a bike gang leader, and Tetsuo is a member of a tough motorcycle crew who becomes involved in a covert government project called Akira. But a bloody battle ensues when Kaneda sets out to save his friend.

    Markimdb: 6.7
    Genreaction, drama, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:02

    Youngsters called Kildren, who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a war as entertainment, organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the full.

    Markimdb: 6.5
    Genrefantastic, action, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration00:30

    The war on terror exploded, literally, the day Sarajevo was destroyed by a homemade nuclear device. The leading democracies transformed into total surveillance states, and the developing world has drowned under a wave of genocides. The mysterious American John Paul seems to be behind the collapse of the world system, and it's up to intelligence agent Clavis Shepherd to track John Paul across the wreckage of civilizations and to find the true heart of darkness—a genocidal organ.

    Markimdb: 4.8
    Genrefantastic, action, thriller
    CountryCanada, Japan
    Duration01:42

    In a world where clone soldiers from three military tribes are locked in a perpetual battle of air, land and technology, one clone is separated from the battle and finds herself on the run with a group of unlikely companions.

    Markimdb: 7.9
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryJapan, USA
    Duration03:00

    Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.

    Markimdb: 7.7
    Genremelodrama, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:37

    Rihito Sajo, an honor student with a perfect score on the entrance exam and Hikaru Kusakabe, in a band and popular among girls, would have never crossed paths. Until one day they started talking at the practice for their school’s upcoming chorus festival. After school, the two meet regularly, as Hikaru helps Rihito to improve his singing skills. While they listen to each other’s voice and harmonize, their hearts start to beat together.

    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
    Genredrama, biography
    CountryFrance, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Belgium, USA, Japan, Netherlands

    In the lush tradition of the glorious films of Merchant and Ivory, comes the true life story of Leonie Gilmour (Emily Mortimer), whose life crossed continents, wars and cultures, embodied with courage and passion in search of art and freedom. A tender and inspiring story of a remarkable woman who nurtures the amazing artistic talent of her son who has only one way to succeed and one person to guide him, as he grows into the world renown artist, Isamu Noguchi.

    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: 5.6
    Genrecomedy, melodrama
    CountryJapan

    Setoka Tachibana is a female high school student who has confessed her feelings to other boys 12 times, but has been rebuffed each time. Her older brother Haruka Tachibana cares for his younger sister deeply, but he keeps secret from her that they are not blood related. One day, Setoka's first love Takane Serikawa appears after many years and approaches her.

    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: 6.8
    Genredrama, crime, detective
    CountryJapan

    The movie begins in the year 1995 where there were 5 peculiar murder cases. The murderer would always get someone close to the victim to witness how he would strangle the victim from behind with a rope but he would let the witnesses go and speak to the media on how the murders happened. Ito plays the role of Makimura, the police detective who was in charge of investigating the serial murders but failed to catch the cunning murderer and his respected superior ended up being killed as well. 22 years later in 2017 when the case is nearing its statute of limitations, a man named Sonezaki claims to be the culprit for the 1995 murders and even publishes a book titled "Watashi ga satsujinhan desu" to talk about the cases. Despite the disgust towards Sonezaki's actions, the intensive attention showered on him via the media and SNS makes him become the talk of town.

    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: 6.6
    Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
    CountryJapan

    Luca follows in his father's footsteps to rescue his mother from evil Ladja. Finding the heavenly hero who wields the Zenithian sword is his only hope.

    Markimdb: 7.7
    Genreaction, drama
    CountryUSA, New Zealand, Japan
    Duration02:34

    Nathan Algren is an American hired to instruct the Japanese army in the ways of modern warfare, which finds him learning to respect the samurai and the honorable principles that rule them. Pressed to destroy the samurai's way of life in the name of modernization and open trade, Algren decides to become an ultimate warrior himself and to fight for their right to exist.

    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: 7.9
    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: 4.5
    Genrefantastic, action, drama, adventure, cartoon, crime, anime
    CountryJapan
    Duration01:22

    Marking the 75th anniversary of his birth, Shotaro Ishinomori's classic spy heroine manga "009-1" has been adapted into a live-action motion picture for the first time ever.

    Markimdb: 8.3
    Genremelodrama
    CountryJapan

    Novel writer Rio Kijima and university student Haruhiko Kuzumi are in a romantic relationship. Even after Rio Kijima returned to his hometown, they maintained their relationship by corresponding with each other. Haruhiko Kuzumi recently got a job and their relationship has not been the same. One day, Rio Kijima injures his arm. He meets Shizuo Akemi. Rio Kijima asks Shizuo Akemi to transcribe a story he is writing. This causes Rio Kijima to remember when he and Haruhiko Kuzumi first became interested in each other. Around this time, Haruhiko Kuzumi comes to Rio Kijima.

    Markimdb: 8
    Genredrama, detective, military, history
    CountryJapan

    A war widow determined to clear the name of her disgraced husband, who was court-martialed for desertion and executed. Official records have been destroyed, and the ministry that distributes benefits continues to deny her a pension. Twenty-six years after the war, she seeks out four survivors of her husband's garrison. Each tells a dramatically different story about her husband's conduct, but she is determined to learn the truth.

    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: 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: 6.2
    Genrethriller, crime
    CountryJapan
    Duration02:04

    Ninagawa is a powerful man in Japanese politics and with top economic connections.His granddaughter is then murdered. The suspect is Kunihide Kiyomaru (Tatsuya Fujiwara). Kunihide Kiyomaru has a prior conviction for assaulting and killing a girl 8 years ago. The police could never apprehend the suspect in the prior killing.

    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
    Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, short, anime
    CountryJapan

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    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: 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: 6.8
    Genreaction, thriller, comedy, melodrama, drama
    CountryJapan

    A detective probes the brutal murder of a woman in a red light district while a housewife hides her double life as a prostitute from her husband.

    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.




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