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Asian cinema: Japanese films

Asian cinema: Japanese films
From Akira Kurosawa to Yasujiro Ozu, from Takeshi Kitano to Hirokazu Koreeda, from samurai to yakuza to the Japanese New Wave, and from anime to J-horror to pink films, this is the place to go for reviews, interviews and features about movies both classic and new from Japan.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Visitors feel the weight of the Forbidden City as they step through its gates. Photo: Getty Images

Power behind the throne: why the Forbidden City was built to intimidate

How the stone, timber, symmetry and sheer size of a 600-year-old complex made Beijing’s imperial kingdom feel almost divine.

Reading Time:5 minutes
Sophia the singing robot and Johnny Poon, conductor and dean of creative arts at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Photo: Alexander Mak

Sophia the robot learns to sing as Hong Kong teaches androids the joys of music

Reading Time:7 minutes
The ancient temples of Angkor Wat provide a stunning backdrop for the Angkor Empire Marathon. Photo: Cambodia Tourism Board

Why Cambodia’s Angkor marathons are a big winner with runners from around the world

In partnership with:Cambodia Tourism Board
Reading Time:4 minutes
Crabs are quickly sorted for size then steamed to lock in their freshness, in Tortosa, Negros Occidental, in the Philippines. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Taste the Philippines: Bacolod’s slow-food ethos and sustainable future

Reading Time:8 minutes
Blue Box Cafe in Tiffany & Co’s Causeway Bay store. Photo: Blue Box Cafe

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from steakhouse Don Pedro to modern Chinese haute cuisine at Joyn

Reading Time:2 minutes
Teams taking part in the fancy dress competition at last year's Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races.Photo: Eugene Lee

The best things to do in Hong Kong, June 21-28

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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Haruka Ayase in a still from Sheep in the Box, Hirokazu Koreeda’s latest sci-fi drama. Daigo Yamamoto co-stars.
Asian cinema

Why Hirokazu Koreeda paired Haruka Ayase and a TV comic in Sheep in the Box

A-lister Haruka Ayase and television comic Daigo Yamamoto star as a grieving couple confronting an AI ‘resurrection’ in Sheep in the Box.

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American cinema

The rise of liminal space horror movies like Backrooms and Exit 8

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European cinema

Best movies from the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, from Fjord to Minotaur

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Asian cinema

Review | The Samurai and the Prisoner: Kiyoshi Kurosawa back with feudal-era thriller

The veteran Japanese director’s new film with Masahiro Motoki as a besieged warlord is an intelligent, captivating spin on the samurai genre.

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(From left) Yuriko Yoshitaka, Masahiro Motoki and Ryota Miyadate in a still from The Samurai and the Prisoner.
Asian cinema

Review | Sheep in the Box: Hirokazu Koreeda tackles grief in sci-fi drama

Hirokazu Koreeda’s Cannes entry probes grief, artificial intelligence and family bonds, but its subplots leave the film scattered.

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TV shows and streaming video

Meet Karen Fukuhara, who plays Kimiko Miyashiro, aka The Female, in The Boys

The actress is back for the fifth and final season of the Amazon Prime Video series also starring Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty and Antony Starr.

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Asian cinema

Review | All of a Sudden: Ryusuke Hamaguchi wows with Paris-set drama

Starring Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto, the three-hour movie on caregiving and capitalism is anchored by a profound bilingual conversation.

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Tao Okamoto plays a Japanese theatre director in All of a Sudden. The Paris-set drama is directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
Asian cinema

Review | Nagi Notes: Koji Fukada ponders the meaning of art in wartime

Featuring nuanced performances and beautiful camerawork, Nagi Notes asks what art should mean in the chaotic world we live in.

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Asian cinema

Review | Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express is a riotous sci-fi anime ride

A 47-minute compilation of Yohei Kameyama’s animated series, Milky Subway provides more laughs and surprises than many feature-length films.

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Asian cinema

Best movies to watch at the Hong Kong International Film Festival 2026

Silent Friend, Sirat, Good Boy and Pillion are among our top picks at this year’s festival, which is celebrating its 50th edition.

Tony Leung Chiu-wai in a still from Silent Friend.
Tourism

Gripping samurai exhibition explores Japan’s warrior class, cuts through myths

From armour to art, ‘Samurai’ at the British Museum traces the Japanese elite class’ evolution and cultural impact, from anime to Star Wars.

A samurai suit of armour and helmet are seen at “Samurai”, a new exhibition at London’s British Museum running until May 4.
Asian cinema

Who is Hikari, the Japanese director behind Beef and Rental Family?

The filmmaker talks about her journey from Osaka to Hollywood and how her new film with Fraser as a fake dad was inspired by her childhood.

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Pokemon

How Pokemon took over the world as the beloved franchise turns 30

On Pokemon Day 2026, we look at the history of the global multimedia phenomenon and how it captured the hearts of children and adults alike.

Asian cinema

Review | A New Dawn: climate crisis meets fireworks in confusing Japanese anime

Yoshitoshi Shinomiya’s beautiful debut feature is sure to excite fans of Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, even if a muddled plot lets it down.

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A still from A New Dawn, directed by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya. Lead characters voiced by Riku Hagiwara and Kotone Furukawa. Photo: A New Dawn Film Partners
Tourism

Ponyo exhibition invites visitors into Hayao ⁠Miyazaki’s ocean world

The ‘Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo’ exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles includes rare artwork and production sketches.

A visitor interacts with a Ponyo exhibit at “Studio Ghibli’s Ponyo”, a new exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, on February 12, 2026. Photo: AFP
Asian cinema

What is it like to win the lottery? These 10 Asian movies have the answers

Winning the lottery can change your life forever, for good or bad. These 10 films from across Asia explore luck, wealth and greed.

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Asian cinema

Review | Tokyo Taxi: Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho lead moving Yoji Yamada drama

Tokyo Taxi is an utterly captivating ride that sees an elderly woman bond with her taxi driver while reminiscing about her eventful life.

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Asian cinema

Review | All You Need Is Kill: Japanese novel behind Edge of Tomorrow gets animated

A young recruit is stuck in a time loop amid an alien invasion in All You Need Is Kill, an animated sci-fi thriller based on a light novel.

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A still from All You Need Is Kill (category IIA, Japanese), directed by Kenichiro Akimoto. The film delivers dazzling anime sci-fi thrills. Photo: Hiroshi Sakurazaka/Shueisha
Asian cinema

Loved Back to the Past? 10 Asian time travel gems you may also enjoy

After the success of Louis Koo’s Back to the Past, here are 10 other Asian time-travelling movies that are well worth checking out.

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Asian cinema

The 12 best Asian films of 2025: Ne Zha 2, Kokuho and more

Our pick of the best Asian films of the past year includes a record-breaking animation and a movie that is nothing short of breathtaking.

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Sony

How mega-hit Kokuho could make Japanese live-action films global contenders

Kokuho, Japan’s record-breaking cinematic triumph, is helping to redefine global perceptions of Japanese live-action film for modern viewers.

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A still from Kokuho. The three-hour epic is now Japan’s top-grossing live-action movie of all time and has been shortlisted for the 2026 Academy Awards’ international feature film category. Photo: courtesy of Toho Co
Asian cinema: Korean films

Review | Two Seasons, Two Strangers: a hypnotic ode to writing and travel

Starring Shim Eun-kyung and Yuumi Kawai, Japanese drama Two Seasons, Two Strangers is both fascinating and beautiful.

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Yuumi Kawai in a still from Two Seasons, Two Strangers
Asian cinema

Hong Kong abruptly cancels 3 Japanese film screenings amid diplomatic row

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department has dropped Kamome Diner, Tampopo and An from its upcoming film programme.

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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Road to Vendetta: Jeffrey Ngai plays an assassin in his first lead role

A John Wick-inspired action thriller co-produced by Hong Kong and Japan, Road to Vendetta is a textbook case of style over substance.

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Asian cinema

Want to find solace in film? 10 movies that may offer catharsis and hope

Following last week’s tragic fire at a Tai Po estate in Hong Kong, we look at films in which humanity endures through the darkest of hours.

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Arata Iura (left) and Ryo in a still from Distance (2001), which was conceived in the aftermath of the sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, carried out in March 1995 by the Aum Shinrikyo doomsday cult.
China-Japan relations

Japanese concerts cancelled in China as diplomatic row takes cultural toll

Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy.

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Japanese culture, from pop music to anime, has a big fan base in China. Photo: AFP
Asian cinema

Review | Kokuho: kabuki epic with Ryo Yoshizawa is the best Japanese film of the year

Kokuho is a lavish, bewitching story of two Japanese kabuki theatre actors, raised in the same family and competing to become the best.

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Asian cinema

Can’t get enough of Another World? 10 animated films set in the afterlife

If you liked Another World, you will love these 10 afterlife animations, with subjects from rabbits and dogs to a pianist and a corpse bride.

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