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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
Morning mist hangs over the tea plantation at Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, in the New Territories. Photo: Alexander Mak

Hong Kong’s 1,000-year-old tea heritage is being rediscovered and rehabilitated

Discover Hong Kong’s hidden tea legacy, predating British influence, as a band of young local growers races to safeguard ancient cultivation and traditions.

Reading Time:11 minutes
The stuffed crab shell at Seventh Son is dipped in egg and breadcrumbs twice before being fried. Photo: Alexander Mak

Masters of Hong Kong’s ‘kung fu’ cuisine on the struggle to save Cantonese classics

Reading Time:8 minutes
Stephen Yan with fans in Toronto in 2024. Photo: courtesy Retrokid

Wok with Yan’s return: Hong Kong-Canadian TV chef Stephen Yan reunites with fans decades after disappearing

Reading Time:9 minutes
“Longgang’s Weird Building”, a fortress-like structure located in Longgang, Shenzhen, China. Photo: Alexander Mak

One man’s fortress: an eccentric’s labour of love in Longgang

Reading Time:6 minutes
Hong Kong actors (from left) Karan Cholia, Inderjeet Singh and Bipin Karma at Statue Square, Central. Photo: Alexander Mak

Hong Kong’s film scene: 3 South Asian actors rewrite the script

Reading Time:7 minutes
A scroll depicts a Christian baptism in ancient China.

Reflections | What happened to China’s early Christians and their heretic doctrine?

Reading Time:2 minutes
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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Hwang Jung-min in a still from Hope, one of our picks of features to catch at the 2026 Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival in Hong Kong.
Asian cinema

10 must-see movies and programmes at Hong Kong’s Summer IFF 2026

This year’s Cine Fan Summer International Film Festival boasts 37 features, from regional premieres to 4K restorations of Hong Kong classics.

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Studio Ghibli

The appeal of Ghibli: why films like Totoro continue to find fans

Books and literature

Author Eiko Kadono is 91, loves pink and never tires of writing

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TV shows and streaming video

Review | Human Vapor: Shun Oguri, Yu Aoi anchor Netflix’s bold sci-fi thriller reboot

This exciting tale of a mysterious serial killer who can turn into a murderous cloud of gas is a reimagining of a classic Japanese thriller.

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Uta Uchida in a still from Human Vapor. Photo: Netflix.
Cinema

From the Vault: culturally significant films

In the From the Vault feature series, the South China Morning Post’s film experts reflect on culturally significant films celebrating notable anniversaries.

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

Box-office hit Backrooms highlights a growing obsession with eerie liminal spaces like hallways, alleyways and empty shopping centres.

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Renate Reinsve in a still from Backrooms.
European cinema

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

The 2026 Cannes Film Festival may have lacked its usual blockbusters, but that gave indie films more exposure. Here are 10 of the best.

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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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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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(From left) Daigo Yamamoto, Rimu Kuwaki and Haruka Ayase in a still from Sheep in the Box.
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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Karen Fukuhara plays Kimiko Miyashiro, aka The Female, in Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys. Photos: Getty Images via AFP; IMDB
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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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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A still from the animated film Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express (category IIA; Japanese), directed by Yohei Kameyama.
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.

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.

Pokemon fans take part in the Pokemon Go City Safari event in Hong Kong in December 2024, a two-day event that saw players able to “catch” the virtual creatures at the city’s landmarks. Photo: Dickson Lee
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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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.

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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Bill Tung and Lydia Sum (first and second from right) play the heads of a materialistic Hong Kong family in the Lunar New Year comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World (1987). Photo: D & B Films Co
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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Takuya Kimura and Chieko Baisho in a still from Tokyo Taxi (category: IIA, Japanese), directed by Yoji Yamada.
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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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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Ryo Yoshizawa in a still from Kokuho, one of the Post’s best Asian films of the past year. Photo: Shuichi Yoshida/ASP
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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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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