The long read · Japanese cinema
From Rashomon to Ghibli: Japanese Cinema and Its Global Stars
Few countries have given cinema as many masters as Japan: Kurosawa, Ozu, Mizoguchi, Miyazaki and Kore-eda. Here is the story of Japanese film, from the samurai epics to Studio Ghibli and the Oscars, and where to watch in Tokyo.
Updated October 2026
From Rashomon to Studio Ghibli
In 1951 Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon won the Golden Lion in Venice, and the world discovered a golden age: Kenji Mizoguchi’s ghost stories, Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story, voted the greatest film by the world’s directors in Sight and Sound’s 2012 poll, and Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. The same year, 1954, Toho released Godzilla, and Gate of Hell won the Grand Prix at Cannes.
Shōhei Imamura won the Palme d’Or twice, for The Ballad of Narayama and The Eel. Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985, made Hayao Miyazaki’s films loved worldwide, and Spirited Away won the Oscar. Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters took the Palme d’Or in 2018, and Departures, Drive My Car and The Boy and the Heron have all won Oscars since 2009.
Must-watch films
To understand Japanese cinema, start with these, and see our Tokyo on film page for the city’s own classics.
- Rashomon (1950): Kurosawa’s tale of one crime told four ways, winner of the Golden Lion.
- Seven Samurai (1954): Kurosawa’s epic, the model for countless westerns and action films.
- Godzilla (1954): Ishirō Honda’s original monster film, still haunting.
- Spirited Away (2001): Miyazaki’s fantasy, winner of the Golden Bear and the Oscar.
- Shoplifters (2018): Kore-eda’s family drama, winner of the Palme d’Or.
- Drive My Car (2021): Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s Chekhov-haunted road movie, winner of the Oscar.
The stars
Japan’s stars, from the golden age to Hollywood.
- Toshiro Mifune (1920–1997): Kurosawa’s fierce leading man, from Rashomon to Yojimbo.
- Setsuko Hara (1920–2015): the radiant heroine of Ozu’s films.
- Miyoshi Umeki (1928–2007): the first Asian performer to win an acting Oscar, for Sayonara.
- Ken Watanabe: nominated for the Oscar for The Last Samurai.
- Koji Yakusho: best actor at Cannes in 2023 for Perfect Days, set in Tokyo.
- Hiroyuki Sanada: the star and producer of Shōgun.
Where to watch in Tokyo
The National Film Archive of Japan at Kyobashi screens classics and holds exhibitions on Japanese film history, and the Tokyo International Film Festival, founded in 1985, fills cinemas around Hibiya and Ginza each autumn. For animation lovers, the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka is a dream, with a short film shown only there.
Our advice: book the Ghibli Museum well ahead, then watch Tokyo Story to see the city as Ozu knew it.
The Ghibli Museum, Mitaka Tokyo’s arts: the back story Tokyo on film
Japan in Hollywood
Japanese cinema has shaped Hollywood for seventy years: Seven Samurai became The Magnificent Seven, Yojimbo inspired A Fistful of Dollars, and Godzilla is a Hollywood franchise. Ken Watanabe, Rinko Kikuchi and Hiroyuki Sanada are international stars, and in 2024 Godzilla Minus One won the Oscar for visual effects, a first for a Japanese film.
Questions and answers
Which Japanese films have won the Oscar?
Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron for animation, Departures and Drive My Car for international feature, and Godzilla Minus One for visual effects, among others.
Can I visit the Ghibli Museum?
Yes, in Mitaka in western Tokyo, but tickets are sold in advance for fixed dates and times, and they sell out quickly.
Join the conversation
Which Japanese film or star do you love most? Share your favourite scenes and the films we should add.
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Sources: the National Film Archive of Japan, the Tokyo International Film Festival, the Festival de Cannes, the Venice Biennale, the Berlinale, the BFI’s Sight and Sound and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, checked on 6 November 2026. The trailers are from Janus Films’, GKIDS’ and Toho’s official channels.