Japanese Films

Another good Japanese film to see is Woman in the Dunes.

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First of all, I recommend Akira Kurosawa's series, especially “Rashomon” (awarded Grand Prix at Canne film Festival) and “Throne of Blood”. The latter is a medieval Japanese version of Shakespeare's Macbeth and I think this film is more Shakespearean than any of the stages/filmls played by western actors. Many English scholars of Shakespeare may have the same opinion.)

If you think that Kurosawa's films are good but too serious (meaning no room for humor), then I recommend comedies directed by Juzo Itami (an actor who appears in 55 days in Peking as the representative of Japanese army). His films, “Tampopo” and “Taxing Women”, etc. are satires and share the same humorous qualities with Okuribito.

No one mentioned 'Spirited Away', the highest grossing film in Japan. It's a Miyazaki film, perhaps his best.

I haven't seen many japanese movies except for Studio Ghibli movies. I recommend most of the Studio Ghibli movies.

For comedy, watch Welcome Back Mr McDonald
For coming-to-age, Akai Ito (either TV series or movie: I prefer the movie version)
For romance, Love Story, Shall We Dance (the Japanese version) and Beautiful Life (TV series)
For light-hearted cartoon, Tonari no Tottoro
For real-life struggles, A Litre of Tears (TV series or Movie: I prefer the Movie version)
For touching cartoon, Grave of the Fireflies (there is also a movie version now,but I still prefer the cartoon one)
For classics, see other's recommendations.

I will be quite honest in saying that there is a HUGE cultural divide that makes watching and enjoying Japanese films very difficult for people not raised in the Japanese culture. This is one of the reasons why few Japanese movies make it abroad. Fortunately, this means that most of the movies that do get exported are often a cut above the usual trash and/or thematically or stylistically more appealing to foreign audiences.

Kurosawa is of course very famous but a couple of his movies which often get overlooked in favor of his samurai epics are: "Akahige" and "Ikiru." These films I both found MUCH more moving than "Okuribito" although the latter was not a bad film in its own right.

For action AND sheer depth of story I recommend the animated series: Berserk.
Also animated but more moving than most live action movies I've ever seen were teh two Rurouni Kenshin feature-length films.

Also please check out the following live action films:
tony takitani
the harimaya bridge
kiraware matsuko no isshou
casshern
audition
kamome shokudou
sharkskin man and peach hip girl
sidecar ni inu
3 extremes

Oh yeah and DEFINATELY check out all the films by Beat Takeshi A.K.A. Kitano Takeshi! He is probably the most talented director in Japan right now!

Lastly, check out: Dainipponjin !!!!!!!
and..... Waterboys !!!!

One of the trio of Japanese master-directors that most of you forgot was Mizoguchi. I have only seen his Sansho the Bailiff which tops my "Saddest films of all Time" list, but that was enough to earn him immense respect from my part.
Imamura was probably the greatest contemporary film-maker who succeeded Kurosawa, and he produced a mixture of modern social commentary and classic films on medieval and feudal times (as someone had already mentioned, The Ballad of Narayama, to only name one). There are many treasures left undiscovered or forgotten as of yet!