TV & Film

In the heart of Shinjuku lies a small 12-seat izakaya that only operates from midnight to 7 am. All that is on the menu is pork miso soup, however, the...

The original fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen (first published in 1837), The Little Mermaid, receives an inventive cultural and temporal retelling in Tetsurō Araki’s new film Bubble. In this...

A monster movie (also known as The Kaijū Eiga) was a genre that many people would watch in the 1950s. Kaijū simply translates to “Strange Beast”, while Eiga means “Project...

You’ve no doubt heard of Studio Ghibli and their remarkable movies such as “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle”. One of the main reasons why people love these movies is...

After almost 30 years since its release, why is Sailor Moon still popular amongst people around the world? Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, or more commonly known as Sailor Moon, is...

Japan has contributed a lot to the world of art and entertainment. In the past few decades, Japanese pop culture has flourished at an exponential rate. Countless Japanese musicians, filmmakers,...

In celebration of the British Film Institute’s (BFI) anime season, we at Japan Nakama are excited to bring you the latest about the incredible slew of anime classics set to...

Makoto Shinkai seems to have nailed the formula for creating legendary masterpieces in the Anime film genre. If you want to see high-quality animation, you can never go wrong with...

Events and trends from the 1980s transformed Japan into the eye-catching, dynamic and exciting society we see today. The 80s marked the death of Emperor Shōwa, the creation of Super...

For a full picture of how far the Japanese cinema industry has come, it is important to consider what made it what it is. It can't be ignored that the...

One of the most popular animated films of all time, Princess Mononoke explores the delicate balance between nature and human industry, as well as the conflict that arises when both...

Batman: Gotham Knight is a deft exploration of the DC universe’s millionaire crime-fighting vigilante - with a twist. Airing in 2008 as a bridge between Batman Begins and the now-released...

Finally, BFI's two-month ANIME season is here to entertain and captivate all of us anime enthusiasts and newbies alike. From March 28 through May 31, 2022, the British Film Institute's...

Like a Studio Ghibli film gone rogue, “Akira” (1988) is a Japanese animated sci-fi thriller that's a wonder to watch. With its visually stunning animations, awesome world-building, and intense action;...

In Mamoru Hosoda's inventive take on the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, a tale as old as time gets a futuristic retelling. The newest feature film by director Mamoru...

2022 marks 36 years since Studio Ghibli was first founded on June 15, 1986. Since then, the studio has gained accolade after accolade in the realm of animation, setting the...

Cyberpunk and anime: an artistic mashup that has led to some of the most elaborate depictions of dystopia in the medium’s century-spanning history. From the early works of Osamu Tezuka...

As the first Japanese film nominated for an Academy Award, you know you’re going into something special with Drive My Car. Based on the short story of the same name...

An adventurous spirit in the unfamiliar past, action, suspense, romance, and toiling in a harsh environment - all necessary to fulfil a Jidaigeki, aka Japanese historical drama.  Originating in 19th-century...

The death game subgenre has been one that has been gaining a full head of steam in recent times. Look no further than the very much-hyped, worldwide phenomenon Netflix series...

Hollywood is known to rip off stories, but when it comes to Japanese cinema, it's in a league of its own. Japan has given Hollywood some of the best movies...

It has gotten harder and harder to create a fresh and new anime each year that passes. Given that around 50 shows air every quarter, rehashes and cliches are aplenty,...

For its UK-wide Japanese film festival dubbed "What Lies Beneath," the Japan Foundation is excited to return to the big screen after temporarily going online due to the Covid-19 crisis...

The Cyberpunk genre is a classic, and since its humble beginnings, has evolved into an always compelling inspiration for anime. Western and Japanese cyberpunk artists, alike, have each offered their...

Japan is well-known for its distinct culture, particularly its cinema. For over a century, the country has been producing films that are both artistic and popular, appealing to both critics...

First, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse introduced popular audiences to the many unique forms of Peter Parker. Whether re-imagined as the 1930s undercover investigator 'Spiderman Noir', a literal spider robot 'Sp/dr,'...

The best way to describe Sion Sono’s cult film is four hours of pure chaos. Through swinging camera movements and uncomfortable close ups, including the high-speed zooms that have tinges...

Lofi beats — the music genre associated with chill and relaxing sounds that make you want to sit down and work on your tasks as its downtempo and chillhop beats...

Japan has a storied film history. Not only has it been around for over 100 years, but it has been a huge influence on filmmaking as a whole. Japanese cinema...

Live-action anime adaptations have seemingly always been criticized in their efforts to replicate their source material. Most would argue that anime is simply just better suited for animation. From the...

MilkTea, a screening label specialising in East and Southeast Asian films, will offer a trio of Japanese family films in December that will showcase families of all shapes and sizes as...

2021 saw the release of some of the most highly anticipated anime of the last decade. Both Japanese and global anime rankings courted a diversity of anime genres, from action...

Matchbox Cine is re-releasing Naoto Yamakawa's cult masterpiece The New Morning of Billy the Kid (1986) in an exclusive online showing on December 3rd-5th, 2021. Since its premiere, the film...

If you can’t decide on an anime to watch next or to add to your watch list, you might want to consider checking out My Hero Academia. Boku No Hero...

Experience Japanese film masterpieces with the maestro of action Akira Kurosawa and genius storyteller Yasujiro Ozu, capturing the splendour, scale, and aesthetics of the Land of the Rising Sun. Hosted...

Elegantly subtle and terrifyingly direct, these are words I would use to describe Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story. It's a film that hits you hard when you least expect it and...

We're thrilled to announce BFI: Japan 2021, the UK's largest Japanese film festival. Film screenings were postponed last Autumn 2020 due to COVID, so we're overjoyed to watch some of the best...

Mr O’s Book of the Dead it's the last movie in the experimental Butoh dance film trilogy that happened when celebrated dancer Kazuo Ohno and director Chiaki Nagano joined forces....

Revisiting older forms of media can often be a challenge. What was once new and pretty can feel outdated and cliche today. Watching old special effects in movies or playing...

Some people may be quick to point out the release date of this movie, its genre, and its premise and just write The Boxer off as a Japanese version of...

In partnership with the Japan Foundation, we’re super excited to announce the Japanese Avant-Garde and Experimental Film Festival of 2021: Bodies. Bodies explores how we interact with other beings, spaces...

Historical fiction has always had a tricky role to play. First and foremost, it must be a historically accurate portrayal of the time period; otherwise, you risk offending those who...

Satoshi Kon is regarded as one of the most groundbreaking and influential directors who ever set foot in the industry of animation and, to a larger extent, cinema. He only...

When you sprinkle a pinch of Japanese flair over movie posters it makes magic! The 20th century was the golden age of film, and when the international blockbusters entered the...

We chat with Max, the creator of Japan Poster Shop, a company that collects and sells vintage Japanese movie posters. Max has spent almost his entire life collecting these one-of-a-kind...

It's no secret Japan goes crazy for anime and manga, no matter the genre or theme. Classics like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Your Name, and Castle in the Sky...

The Auteur Yojimbo (Bodyguard) A Samurai’s Swansong A Fistful of Copyright Sayonara, Samurai The Auteur Coinciding with the BFI’s major season on Japanese cinema, we here at Japan Nakama have...

In our last film review, we discussed the transcendent efforts of the late Akira Kurosawa to distinguish the intricacies of human fallibility in his seminal crime drama, Rashomon. Dissecting the...

Akira Kurosawa is arguably the most well-known and celebrated filmmaker in Japanese cinematic history, bar perhaps one Yasujiro Ozu. With a prominent style and narrative diversity that has duly inspired...

With an endless array of captivating cinema dating back to 1894, Japanese films make up one of the largest, oldest, and universally admired film industries in the world. Luckily for...

In the UK, owning a car is overrated. Why would you own when you can so easily rent? Simply download one of the many apps, set up a pay-as-you-go tab,...

The Netflix series “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” along with its older renditions, has been garnering global popularity over the years: featuring its unique and distinctive concept of filming six strangers...

With the shutters of our favourite places firmly locked over the past few months, we’ve all been passing the time as best we can - searching for ways to capture...

A remake of the 2012 Korean film ‘Confessions of a Murderer,’ Yu Irie’s ‘Memoirs of a Murderer,’ explores a loophole in Japanese law that allows a serial killer, known up...

Next up in our Why I Love Japan series, which seeks to draw attention to some of our favourite artists, photographers, and creatives; all of who have a distinct interest...

Last week I explored Japanese avant-garde cinema at Barbican. JAEFF welcomed me in and I took my seat within the audience while the guest speakers prepared themselves, deciding which colour...

After the talk on the Tremors of the Japanese New Wave, I take my seat in the Barbican theatre for Bad Boys (Hani, 1961) and Studio Sunrise (Aoki, 2017). Inspired...

Inside the belly of Pirate Studios in Bristol, I connect to the Wi-Fi and let UMMMI know that I’m ready for a chat. I swipe the green button and she...

Beyond the cracked marble hotel lobby fountains and abandoned shopping malls lies a world that both owes vaporwave its respect whilst also being indispensable in carving it. Certain TV shows...

On a rainy day near Buckingham Palace, I went to the Institute of Contemporary Arts for the sold-out showing of Japanese Girls Never Die (2016), directed by Daigo Matsui. I shuffled...

Split between 1980’s Tokyo and Shizuoka, Yuhihiko Tsutsumi’s 2015 romantic comedy ‘Initiation Love, イニシエーション・ラブ)’ appears to explore the struggles faced by a couple navigating first love and long-distance relationships; a...