It's about time someone started a thread on this...
A few months ago, this film was released in the UK for the 1st time on DVD. Being a huge fan of Asian cinema, and interested in checking out a non-samurai/ non-yakuza Japanese film, I bought it. It's a very slow film, but there is enough inventiveness, and interesting twists and turns to keep you entertained. It's also visually striking at some points. There are more questions asked than answers given, but this is one of many things that leaves you thinking about it afterwards.
8/10