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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
Donald Trump attends a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, in 2017. Photo: Reuters

Trump’s Beijing banquet: will it be Big Macs or Huaiyang cuisine in the Great Hall?

Discover how Huaiyang cuisine – China’s diplomatic delicacy – balances tradition and innovation to win over world leaders, from Nixon to Obama, in Beijing’s high-stakes banquet diplomacy.

Reading Time:9 minutes
Sumela Monastery, Trabzon province, Turkey. Photo: Getty Images

Rediscovering Turkey’s northeast: a journey from Trabzon to Erzurum

Reading Time:7 minutes
The Reverend Will Newman, chaplain of Hong Kong’s St John’s Cathedral and priest-in-charge of St Stephen’s Chapel, in Hong Kong's Stanley district. Photo: Alexander Mak

Meet the Reverend Will Newman, chaplain of Hong Kong’s St John’s Cathedral and Stanley Prison

Reading Time:5 minutes
Sichuan Verandah provides adjustable spice levels, from “baby spice” to “spice master”. Photo: courtesy Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s hottest new openings, from Stübli to Blanc de Noirs

Reading Time:2 minutes
A spiral staircase at Fort Canning Park, a hilltop landmark in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock

Discover the Singapore that lies beyond Marina Bay Sands

Reading Time:5 minutes
The ARTTA Concept-designed 1,000 sq ft show flat in Chinachem Group’s In One project in Ho Man Tin. Photo: Steven Ko

Luxury show flat interiors in Hong Kong blend realism with dream design

Reading Time:5 minutes
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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Tao Okamoto plays a Japanese theatre director in All of a Sudden. The Paris-set drama is directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
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

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Asian cinema

Review | Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express is a riotous sci-fi anime ride

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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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Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

Review | Road to Vendetta: Jeffrey Ngai plays an assassin in his first lead role

A John Wick-inspired action thriller co-produced by Hong Kong and Japan, Road to Vendetta is a textbook case of style over substance.

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Jeffrey Ngai in a still from Road to Vendetta (category IIB; Cantonese, Japanese, English, Mandarin), directed by Njo Kui-ying. Sara Minami co-stars.
Asian cinema

Want to find solace in film? 10 movies that may offer catharsis and hope

Following last week’s tragic fire at a Tai Po estate in Hong Kong, we look at films in which humanity endures through the darkest of hours.

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China-Japan relations

Japanese concerts cancelled in China as diplomatic row takes cultural toll

Fans of Kokia and JO1 left disappointed as diplomatic dust-up over Sanae Takaichi’s comments ripples out into the economy.

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Asian cinema

Review | Kokuho: kabuki epic with Ryo Yoshizawa is the best Japanese film of the year

Kokuho is a lavish, bewitching story of two Japanese kabuki theatre actors, raised in the same family and competing to become the best.

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Ryo Yoshizawa in a still from Kokuho. Photo: Shuichi Yoshida/ASP
Asian cinema

Can’t get enough of Another World? 10 animated films set in the afterlife

If you liked Another World, you will love these 10 afterlife animations, with subjects from rabbits and dogs to a pianist and a corpse bride.

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A screen grab from Soul, starring Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey, one of 10 animated films focusing on the afterlife. Photo: Disney/Pixar
Asian cinema

Review | Black Showman: Masaharu Fukuyama leads boring murder mystery adaptation

Fukuyama fails to conjure excitement as a magician-turned-sleuth alongside Kasumi Arimura in this screen version of Keigo Higashino’s novel.

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Asian cinema

12 of the best movies at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2025

Highlights of the 22nd HKAFF include local film Another World, Japanese period epic Kokuho and South Korea’s The World of Love.

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Asian cinema

Review | Dollhouse: haunted doll J-horror with Masami Nagasawa is great fun

Japanese director Shinobu Yaguchi mixes horror and riotous comedy in this film about a family tormented by a possessed doll.

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Masami Nagasawa in a still from Dollhouse (category IIB; Japanese), directed by Shinobu Yaguchi. Masami Nagasawa and Koji Seto co-star.
World of performing arts

Hit film Kokuho is reviving Japan’s centuries-old performing art of kabuki

The second highest-grossing domestic live-action film in Japan of all time, Kokuho has sparked renewed interest in the kabuki art form.

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A still from Kokuho. Photo: courtesy of Toho Co, Shuichi Yoshida/Asahi Shimbun Publications
Asian cinema

Review | Kowloon Generic Romance: Walled City-set Japanese fantasy makes zero sense

Riho Yoshioka, Koshi Mizukami and a Mandarin-speaking version of Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City star in this very odd production.

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Asian cinema

Review | Scarlet: Mamoru Hosoda’s Hamlet-inspired anime set to divide viewers

Fans of Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda’s earlier works are likely to appreciate this animated fable, but others may find it a bit of a trial.

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