5 films to watch before traveling to Japan

How wonderful it is to dream about future trips while lounging on the couch! Some countries occupy my entire brain before a big departure: I find myself obsessed with the upcoming destination... And that was certainly the case before my first trip to Japan!

I think Japan, I eat Japan, I sleep Japan, I speak Japan, I sing Japan (it's better if you don't hear me)... and I watch Japan!

The moment becomes an opportunity to revisit some classics and discover new cinematic gems.

After several weeks of hard work watching movies and manga, here is my selection of Japanese films to see before traveling to Japan!

There are languages that attract us more than others without us always being able to explain why. The warmth of one, the rhythm of another...

My father told me that each language is a music, and as long as we don't understand its melody, we can't love it. And to speak a language, one must love it.

And I love the Japanese language!

I find it so beautiful, so melodic, so expressive! I enjoy watching Japanese films and anime in their original version: the Japanese language, beyond the feeling of immersion, adds an extra dimension to the cinematic experience!

Try it with a cartoon from your childhood (you've probably seen at least one episode of some Japanese anime): watch a clip in French, then in Japanese. It's not the same experience!

Because Japanese cinema is not limited to Godzilla, here are some films to (re)discover for those who want to immerse themselves in the Japanese universe for an hour or two...

Note: I don't like horror films or thrillers, so you won't find any in this ranking. But casually, if you don't know them yet and if you enjoy that cinematic style, I can recommend two films I've seen: Ring (1998) and The Grudge (2004).

I couldn't talk about Japanese films without starting with this one. Because it's undoubtedly the first Japanese film I ever saw. Because it's a cult classic from a cult director... or perhaps the best film of this director for some.

This director? Akira Kurosawa. You probably know him at least by name... In his most famous films, you'll also find >, >, or even >.

Seven Samurai is a film François insisted I watch. He, who, in his adolescence, went through a > phase... This discovery left a strong impression on me. A film that transports us through time and space: medieval Japan, represented in a black and white film from 1954... What an adventure!

The film immerses us in a small village, regularly attacked by bandits. The village thus decides to hire 7 samurai to defend them... But the samurai depicted in the film are not the valiant heroes we imagine: they too are >. We are far from the classic good versus evil scheme, but rather in a muddle where moral passes after financial gain... Note: Ultimately, Kurosawa doesn't showcase samurai in this film, but rather >: masterless samurai.

What's amusing in the legacy of this film is that Seven Samurai was inspired by the universe of western films... only to itself become an inspiration for one of the most famous Westerns: >. The circle is complete!

But that's not the only mark this film left: we find its influence in numerous movies like 1001 Bullets, Star Wars, and several works by Steven Spielberg.

This film, especially for one from this era, is very complex in its script and character treatment. It offers a deep analysis of the human soul that is rare (if not non-existent) at that time. This film is part of Japan's history, as well as of world cinema history. It is regarded by many as one of the best Japanese films and one of the best action films in cinematic history.

Note: it's a very long film (207 minutes for the full version). I saw online a film enthusiast say:

If I find a woman able to watch the full version of Seven Samurai to the end without getting bored: I'll give her a ring!

Daigo Kobayashi, a talented professional cellist, sees his dreams shattered the day the orchestra he played in for years in Tokyo dissolves. With his head down and a heavy heart, he returns to his rural hometown in the north of the country, in Yamagata. While looking for a job, he responds to an ad for what he thought was a travel agency. But this > takes him into a very different world, that of funerals. Gradually, he will overcome his preconceptions and the taboos around death to become familiar with the intricate funeral rites, with patience and poetry...

Awarded the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 2009, this film I discovered a few years ago left a strong impression on me. Its poetry. Its uniqueness. Because this isn't the kind of film you see every day...

Also interesting for the journey it invites us to take, amid the winter landscapes of a Japanese province, but also this journey into the world of funerals, with its taboos and rites. It is a humanistic and uplifting film.

Where some criticize Departures for its slowness and excessive length, I see poetry, sobriety, and the charm of the rhythm of life (and cinema) in Japan.

And for those who want to dig a little deeper, I invite you to check out the review offered by Nath (from the YouTube channel >).

Watch until the end: Nath gives us more recommendations for Japanese films to discover (to give you even more ideas!).

It's summer and Masao, a 9-year-old boy living alone with his grandmother, is bored... and misses his mother, who is far away. On his journey to find her, he encounters Kikujiro (played by Kitano, the director), a solitary yakuza in his forties, an irresponsible adult, who decides to accompany him. This improbable duo takes us on a > through the Japanese countryside with touching and comical scenes, always tinted with humor. Kikujiro's Summer is a standout film in Kitano's filmography: it's likely one of the most accessible, while his other films dwell in the dark world of the yakuza.

For its freshness, first of all. It smells like summer, fresh grass, and gentle rays of sunshine... For the music too, which sticks in your mind as an invitation to lightness. A joyful and contagious atmosphere.

This initiatory tale, both light in its production and heavy in its messages, introduces us to the Japanese countryside. Landscapes that further accentuate the poetic and moving side of the film. And then, and then... Japanese humor in the Kitano style is worth the watch!

A country house perched in the mountains, near Tokyo. A family. The Haruno family. Yoshiko, the mother: wanting to reclaim her professional life that she neglected in recent years to care for her children. Nobuo, the father: a therapist practicing hypnosis, even with family. Hajime, the son: a shy high school student seeking affection from one of his new classmates. Sachiko, the daughter: eight years old, full of imagination and daydreams featuring her giant double. But also: the phlegmatic uncle, Ayano, and the eccentric grandfather, a manga artist... This Japanese film directed by Katsuhito Ishii, released in 2004, immerses us in the life of a modern family with simplicity, authenticity... and magic!

This family chronicle illustrating the mundane daily life of a family in a small Japanese town is anything but ordinary: it's impossible to summarize this film! It's a story that is lived, that is shared. We bounce from one scene to another, chaining these unique and unequal moments that make up the course of a life. Sometimes sober and serious, other times grotesque and funny.

Through this daily life, we discover a Japanese village backdrop nestled in the mountains and a certain way of Japanese living, punctuated by cultural traits of yesterday and today: the game of go, cosplays, manga, music, meals...

This family portrait is also deeply touching: behind the bonds and shared moments, there is this existential loneliness we all carry... One emerges with a certain softened gaze on life and the desire to dare. To dare to enjoy. To dare to move forward. To dare to have no regrets. A taste of sweetness, madness, and melancholy all at once. A delightful tea... but with a very special flavor: a film you either love or hate!

An American-Japanese film released in 2003, this dramedy by Sofia Coppola traps us in a luxury hotel in Tokyo with two strangers lost in their lives. Strangers out of sync. Strangers tired of trying to fit in, to understand, to interpret, to adapt... to Japan, but also and especially to their own lives, which seem to move on without them. We follow Bob Harris (Bill Murray), an American actor in the midst of turmoil, smiling on cue to shoot a commercial in Tokyo while feeling deeply torn, far from his family who continues to live without him. Also far from his beautiful career that is now behind him. In his grand hotel, he meets Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson), a young American just graduated in philosophy who accompanies her fashion photographer husband, more interested in his work than in their relationship. Abandoned, Charlotte seems lost facing the stunning view of Tokyo's skyscrapers from her hotel room. Lost in a life void of meaning and interest...

For those who are put off by Japanese cinema, there are also American films set in Japan... like Lost in Translation.

A classic I first saw years ago... and which didn't leave a particular mark on me, I admit. I rewatched it before heading to Japan, with a fresh perspective. A curious gaze, soaking in the least details of the décor in which the characters evolved. Kyoto Station, temples, streets bright with advertising screens, tall glass towers... It is said that you need to watch it again after returning from Japan to spot all the inconsistencies (especially in the transitions from one district to another in the city).

This film offers an interesting view of two strangers lost, and doubly lost: facing a foreign culture and facing their life that seems to escape them. This common feeling of losing ground creates a unique bond between Charlotte and Bob. That of two shipwrecked souls seeking a lifebuoy or a patch of land in the middle of the ocean. Besides the Japanese backdrop, we watch this film for its treatment of themes like solitude, discomfort, and, of course, cultural shock.

Another American film for a first approach to Japan: Babel (released in 2006, featuring Brad Pitt among others).

There are dozens of hundreds of Japanese films! It's impossible to watch them all or talk about all those I've seen. In short, we can also mention:

I briefly talked about Battle Royale, a film considered cult... but there is a sequel: >. Before delving into this saga, take a look at the video by the talented Fossoyeur de films who creates extremely well-made film critiques and analyses.

As you might guess, I was more than eager to take off for Japan and I found no better way to quench my thirst for Japan than to dive into Japanese cinematic universes. A first approach to the landscapes and culture of this country that intrigues and fascinates so many travelers!

Coming up: anime and YouTube videos to watch before heading off to Japan...

And you, do you have any films to recommend? Share them in the comments!

To continue reading Our travel video to Japan: > Films to see before traveling to Japan: 5 anime to watch before traveling to Japan YouTube videos to watch before traveling to Japan

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