Japan has a cinematic history that spans more than 100 years. The country has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2010 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived. From narrative features, to fantastical Anime stories, Japanese cinema continues to thrive. The Angelika has always celebrated international cinema and our online streaming service Angelika Anywhere is a great resource for watching some of the best in Japanese film!

Here are a few of our picks…

Kikujiro (1999)

• Drama / Comedy
• Directed by Takeshi Kitano

In the tradition of CENTRAL STATION comes KIKUJIRO, the highly acclaimed film from Takeshi Kitano, the award-winning director of FIREWORKS, HANA-BI and SONATINE. The Cannes Film Festival Official Selection tells the story of a young boy who sets out on a journey, alone, to find his wayward mother. Soon, he encounters an unlikely protector in a crochety man, with whom he has a series of unexpected adventures. “The result,” states the Los Angeles Times, “is a heart-tugger made totally irresistible because of the combination of Kitano’s wry, sly sense of humor and his rigorous detachment.”

Watch Kikujiro on Angelika Anywhere

Air Doll (2009)

• Drama / Fantasy / Romance
• Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

From BAFTA nominated Director/Writer Hirokazu Koreeda (STILL WALKING, SHOPLIFTERS), the Cannes and Toronto International Film Festival Official Selection AIR DOLL follows a life-size blow-up doll who develops a soul and falls in love with a video store clerk. Heralded by the Philadelphia Inquirer as “a charming, richly textured fable that touches on fundamental questions of existence.”

Watch Air Doll on Angelika Anywhere

Our Little Sister (2015)

• Drama
• Directed by Hirokazu Koreeda

From internationally acclaimed director Hirozaku Koreeda, Cannes Film Festival Official Selection OUR LITTLE SISTER follows Sachi, Yoshino and Chika, who meet their shy teenage half-sister when they travel to the countryside to attend their absentee father’s funeral. The siblings bond quickly, and the three sisters invite the newly-orphaned teen, Suzu, to live with them. She eagerly agrees, and together they embark upon a new life of joyful discovery. Ultimately a moving, universal story of a fractured family, Director/Writer Hirokazu Koreeda’s film is rated an impeccable 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. RogerEbert.com calls it, “the rare film that captures the everyday pleasures and anguishes of family life.”

Watch Our Little Sister on Angelika Anywhere

Paprika (2006)

• Anime
• Directed by Satoshi Kon

Prepare to enter the realm of fantasy and imagination — where reality and dreams collide in a kaleidoscopic mindscape of sheer visual genius. In this psychedelic animated experience, Satoshi Kon (MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, TOKYO GODFATHERS) creates a magnificent exploration into the human psyche. Starring a stunning vocal performance by Megumi Hayashibara (NEON GENESIS EVANGELION) in the titular role, PAPRIKA is an incredible cinematic experience to behold. Rolling Stone raves, “Fiercely provocative, Paprika shames Hollywood’s use of animation as a kiddie pacifier.”

Movie Trivia: Satoshi Kon, the film’s director and co-writer, has named Yasutaka Tsutsui as an influence. The film is based on Tsutsui’s 1993 novel, also named Paprika. Tsutsui is well-regarded as the father of postmodern science fiction in Japan. He has also faced a lot of criticism by refusing to shy away from writing about things that are taboo in Japan, such as being critical of the Imperial system in Japan.

Watch Paprika on Angelika Anywhere

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