Discover Movies

Contains all the openings and endings of the Macross OVAs and Series, game cut scenes, music videos and much more.

Extra, behind scenes from Hideaki Anno's film Ritual (also known as Shiki-Jitsu).

One of the first documentaries to focus on the aftermath of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the film gives voice to survivors of the atomic bombings and documents the long-term effects of radiation on their lives. Combining testimony with stark images of destruction and recovery, it serves as an early cinematic appeal against nuclear war.

A galvanising documentary about the organised resistance of a group of students barricaded at the Takasaki City University of Economics. The university student struggles at the end of the 1960s in Japan were the culmination of over a decade of protests, social dissent and political unrest. All this gave energy to the student movement, which displayed original and sustained forms of organisation and resistance against the government and which would spread to universities all over the country. Together with the filmmakers of the recently formed collective Jieiso, Ogawa Shinsuke joined a group of students barricading themselves inside the Takasaki City University of Economics. Shot over the course of a year, this film documents the nature of the political discussion and organisation as well as the fierce debates going on among the students and their violent struggles with the authorities. Credit: ICA London

The film takes shape through the form of a video exchange between Hirokazu Kore-eda and Naomi Kawase. Each films the world around them and intimately reflects on their individual struggles with making films. Kore-eda self-consciously reflects on his process, “What does a camera shoot? What does a film capture? The emptiness in my life reflects in my work.” Kawase concentrates on her everyday life and candid moments with her friends, who say, “Hang in there Naomi we are all on your side,” and, “You never keep the promises you make, but I love you anyway.”

This documentary includes footage of KOKIA's tour throughout Europe, starting in Paris, then going around to all the counties and concludes with her returning to Japan. It also includes various clips of her performances throughout Europe. This documentary was filmed between April 2009 until June 2009.

An early experimental film by Toshio Matsumoto. Produced as part of the student riots in Japan at the start of the 1960s, Matsumoto uses collage, archival footage, and impassioned narration to create an expressive, visceral criticism of the US-Japan Security Treaty.

The man who created the sounds of the future, legendary sound designer Matuo Ohno, most famous for his work on the 1963 animated TV show Astro Boy.

A LaserDisc-exclusive sound and image ski fantasy from 1981 by Japanese producers, soundtracked by the pop rock band Talizman.

This is a documentary centered on traditional Japanese patterns. To capture the unique sensibility of the Japanese people, the film features 170 kimono fabrics from the Muromachi to Edo periods, along with over 1,000 family crests that have been passed down through generations. These elements are presented using avant-garde visual techniques. Viewed from a modern perspective, the film transforms the exceptional patterns created by the Japanese in the past into a completely new illustrated scroll. The entire documentary contains no narration, relying solely on visuals and music to convey its message.

This was a sponsored documentary film by director Kazuo Kuroki of Japan. This highly artistic film focused entirely on Japanese marathon runner Kenji Kimihara. Kimihara finished eighth in the 1964 Olympic marathon with a time of 2:19:49. He had previously won the Japanese trials in 2:17:11 on April 12th of that year. He competed in a total of three Olympic marathons in all (finishing 2nd in 1968, and 5th in 1972) and he won 9 of 18 marathons prior to the Mexico City Games, including the Boston Marathon in 1966. Kimihara’s personal best was 2:13:25.

Behind the scenes documentary for Toho's "The Return of Godzilla" from 1984.

Mickey Mouse's 100th anniversary is on the way, and the celebration starts in Japan! His best friends, pop duo King & Prince, are releasing "What We Got (Japanese Version)," a new official theme song. This special includes the full music video starring King & Prince alongside Mickey & Friends, plus exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and a candid interview with the duo.

"AA" is a documentary about Akira Aida (mostly known as Aquirax Aida), a japanese music critic who introduced free jazz, improvisation, and progressive rock to Japan. It's based on interviews with 12 critics and musicians who had connections with him. This is a documentary that considers the past, present and future of improvisation.

Documentary made by Toho for the Masterworks reissue of all of its Kurosawa films. This one focuses on "Sanshiro Sugata, Part Two" (1945).

At a time when the USSR and the USA fervently vied to develop nuclear arms, the mass media buzzed with terms inspired by nuclear testing on Bikini Atoll such as the “Daigo Fukuryu Maru Incident,” the “ash of death,” “radioactive tuna,” and “radioactive rain,” and nuclear testing continued, Japan, the only nation to have suffered an atom-bomb attack, felt massive anxiety. “What is the radioactive ash of death?” “What effect does it have on living creatures?” Against the background of the era, the film scientifically describes the terrors of radioactivity with the cooperation of many scientists, physicians and research institutions.

Short documentary produced by Space Shower TV following the release of the album "Muzai Moratorium."

Tsutomu Yamaguchi is a hibakusha. A survivor of both atomic bomb blasts in 1945. First at Hiroshima, then again at Nagasaki. Now nearing 90, Yamaguchi finally speaks out. Breaking taboos of shame and sorrow, he responds to a call to fight for a world without nuclear weapons by telling his story, so that no one else will ever have to tell one like it again. Twice reconstructs Yamaguchi’s experiences in 1945 Japan, interviews him on the after-effects of exposure and documents the last five years of the late-blooming activist’s life.

Documentary focusing on drag and underground queer culture

In a small cockpit-like room, we see two young hip hop musicians from Tokyo giving birth to a beat: precision, patience and camaraderie hold sway, midway between an installation and sitcom.

A behind the scenes look at the making of 'Clock Tower 3, focusing on legendary film director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) and his first foray into the world of video games. Given as a pre-order bonus for 'Clock Tower 3' on PlayStation 2, exclusively in Japan.

For some reason, there is very little snow in the winter of 2020 on the Shiretoko Peninsula, a special place located in the northernmost part of Japan where rare wild animals coexist with humans. The typical drift ice hasn’t appeared yet, either. Although worried, the inhabitants of the village Shari continue their daily affairs: the shepherd bakes buns, a hunter prepares a dinner with venison, a fisherman picks up trash from the sea and another person observes flying squirrels in her garden.

Contains a dance instruction footage featuring Papaya Suzuki, promo clip(s), a Las Vegas style show, and Bob's Rap performance. Fighter Masaaki Miyamoto is among the guest stars.

The Ainu are the indigenous people of Japan. Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, was previously called Ainumosir, or land of the Ainu. Ainu traditions are facing a critical situation; the latest survey revealed that the Ainu population is less than 20,000 people in Hokkaido, and UNESCO has recognized the language as ‘critically endangered.’ This documentary was filmed in Biratori town in Hokkaido, where many people with Ainu roots still live. It is also known as the hometown of the late Shigeru Kayano, who contributed greatly to the field of research on Ainu culture.

Tarachime is a documentary film which observes 'life' through childbirth. Kawase Naomi, a film director working under the theme of family, life and death, presents the bond of life through her own childbirth experience. "First, I was planning to film from the day I conceived a child and to the moment I gave birth. But I realized, while filming, that this is not the story of "one life." In the end, the film sublimed to a higher stage on which we can witness the knot tying one life with another."

One day, Shogo Manna, who operates a restaurant there, is ordered by Kaminchu (Shinto priest) to “create a sandwich worthy of being offered to the gods.” In the quest for a sandwich of such fine quality, Shogo travels around to meet with numerous people involved in the food business. He learns about the ideas and lifestyles of producers and chefs and begins to think more deeply about the theme of “Food and Lifestyle.”

Sumiko Haneda returns to film what will be the final bits of Akiko Kanda's life, documenting Kanda's will to dance as she struggles with terminal cancer.

Candidates who dream of becoming idols face a grueling survival camp with the current members of the idol group BiS!

Documentary of Nana Mizuki's summer tour of LIVE SENSATION, filmed at Shibuya Public Hall with Zepp and Hal Another Side.

A sequel to Everyday is Alzheimer`s where the director goes to Britain to know more about Alzheimer patients and how to live with them.

A behind the scenes look of the making of Halo Legends.

Thousands of travellers have visited Shikoku Island to complete the 88 Temple Pilgrimage. For more than nine centuries, they have walked a route of approximately 1200 kilometres following in the footsteps of the Buddhist monk Kukai.

This piece consists of two parts, a documentary and a short film. It is a realistic depiction of some girls aiming for their dream to become actresses! The documentary part starts with five girls who want to become actresses taking part in a "Make a movie" project under director Yu Katsumata. This is a real record of the days from the start of lesson until the announcement of the cast. The second half then contains the short film "We don't wanna", as five high school girls who don't want to grow up face anxious days, paths, love, dreams and the future... With all of this in their hearts, the five of them, head off on a "We don't wanna grow up tour". They take a slow train, headed for "paradise". It's only a one day trip, but becomes their battle diary road movie.

In an interesting historical departure, this fascinating documentary analyzes the attack on Pearl Harbor from the Japanese point of view and focuses on Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Japanese military mastermind who (though bitterly opposed) planned the attack on the U.S. fleet anchored in Hawaii. If history is written by the victors, this view of the events of December 7, 1941, fills an important gap in the historical narrative of World War II.

In many parts of Tokyo redevelopment is afoot, and the cityscape continues to change at a rapid pace. While on the surface Japan is easy to live in, many Japanese still feel a sense of emptiness in the aftermath of the shattered economic bubble, a condition that prevents them from making a change. Autumn 2006. Eight "normal" young women living in Tokyo--eight women now in the middle of change.

A discussion between the director Satoshi Kon and Tamaki Saitō, a psychologist known for his work about "hikikomori", and an interview of the director Satoshi Kon and the series' music composer Susumu Hirasawa. Part of the special features of Paranoia Agent (2004).

Documentary about the politician Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

A record of the skills of six artisans and craftsmen honored with the title 'Living National Treasure'

Before their 10th anniversary concert, Kalafina prepare for the show and reminisce.

V6's 25th anniversary live tour

Naomi Kawase's documentary about Nishii Kazuo, a photo critic. He is the last chief editor for the Camera Mainichi magazine, rushing through his time with Araki Nobuyoshi and Moriyama Daido as provocative artists in the photograph world.

The film deals with the rights of Japanese-Koreans -born in Japan but without Japanese passport or nationality- and the social rejection that they face if they don’t integrate completely, abandoning their Korean identity. The film’s main thread is the story of a Korean man, who in the times of the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula, is sent to Japan to fight along with the Japanese in the Philippines, but after the war and fearing discrimination, creates a Japanese identity for himself and manages to get married and have children without his family ever knowing about his origins for 50 years until he is arrested in 1985 for forging official documents and in suspicion of being a spy from North Korea. (…) © timegoesbyin.wordpress.com/tag/i-wanted-to-be-japanese

In Thailand, three Japanese soldiers, left in the jungle more than a quarter of a century after their country's defeat, come together to discuss what their life was like during and after the war. Part two of Imamura's quest for Japanese soldiers who stayed behind after the war.

MAG・ネット is a television program aired on NHK which delves into the realm of otaku culture on a weekly basis. They cover a wide range of things, from seiyuu, games, animators, manga artists, etc and do a very good job creating a professional and illuminating weekly documentary. This is a special on the work and life of japanese master animator Yoshinori "Iko" Kanada.

Kore-eda started as a documentary maker with this beautiful portrait about the life and work of the head of Japanese social work. Yamanouchi Yoyomori devoted himself to the victims of the Minamata disease, caused by methyl mercury poisoning.

A MAKING OF 天国にいちばん近い島/ The Island Closest to Heaven, narrated by Harada Tomoyo.

After Fukushima, Yaza and his colleagues are researching the use of atomic energy in Japan. With various interview partners, they try to shed light on the background to the disaster and the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power.

Gōzō Yoshimasu is one of Japan’s leading poets, still prolific into his ninth decade. This film documents his 2019 performance of Se (‘back’), a live poetry reading set against accompaniment from avant-garde rock group Kukan Gendai. Blindfolded and wearing a facemask, Yoshimasu plays audio recordings, growls and rasps his way through a rendition of a poem, and channels every ounce of his energy into drawing, using a pane of glass as his canvas. Kukan Gendai sculpt shapes of sound in response: an entire universe thrown into sharp relief by an uncompromising contest between voice and music.

What does a Palestinian who was forced into exile by the establishment of the State of Israel and experienced the loss of home and family by bombing see in Fukushima, an area where residents have been exiled from their homeland by the nuclear power plant accident? The recipient of the “Alternative Nobel Peace Prize”, a Palestinian Human Rights Attorney, examines the commonalities of “Palestine” and “Fukushima” through a trip to Iitate Village and conversations with former residents of the village.

Documentary that teases apart the life of model Masako, who also acted in films including Ring and died at the age of 50, through interviews of people who knew her well. Directed by Masako's husband Ooka Daisuke, who is a film producer.