5 MUST WATCH Japanese films

First Love: Directed by Takashi Miike

First Love is a "tarantino-esque" story about a boxer who is suddenly diagnosed with an inoperable brain turnover, and a call girl, who has to pay back her family debts to the yakuza. Together they become caught up in a drug smuggling scheme that occurs over the course of one night in Tokyo’s underworld.

Harmonium: Directed by Koji Fukada

Harmonium is your typical Japanese family drama, but with a brutal twist and an ending, you will never forget. One day, Tanaka, an old acquaintance of Toshio, shows up at Toshio’s home after having just been released from prison. Soon afterTanaka’s influence begins to bleed into Toshi’s family life, bringing with it unimaginable consequences.

In this Corner of the world: Directed by Sunao Katabuchi

For all my anime lovers, In this Corner of the World, is set during the Second World War in Japan and follows the journey of a young woman named Suzu as she tries to navigate her life as a daughter, lover, and wife, trying to overcome the many hardships that are thrown her way during this time of war.

Like Someone in love: Directed by Abbas Kiarostami

The paths of an old man, looking for companionship, and a young woman, offering him her body for money, become intertwined for the next 24 hours as they encounter various characters from their lives. The legendary Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami, delivers a beautifully minimal yet intoxicating tale set in Tokyo.

Bullet Ballet: Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto

Bullet Ballet. Welcome to the insane world of Shinya Tsukamoto. After his girlfriend commits suicide, a man is hell-bent on finding a gun to end his life. Sounds simple right? Well, the only problem is, the man gets caught up in an all-out yakuza gang war. This neo-noir psychological thriller is yet another one of Tsukamato’s "chaos-theory-esque" films that any lover of Japanese cinema MUST watch!