Japanese cinema has a long and diverse history, with a large influence on popular culture and cinema even today. Sub-genres such as anime and horror films are a key part of the industry and have since spread internationally, with films such as Ring (1998) inspiring American versions of the same. Samurai films are also prevalent in Japanese cinema over the years, such as the period drama Samurai Rebellion (1967) which features the popular tropes of honour and action. Most Japanese films can be split into realism and fantasy, the former dealing with its history and the harsh realities of its present. The combination of the two make for varied and interesting films, with the Japanese film industry being one of the largest in the world.
Check out CulturalPulse’s shortlist of the best Japanese films over the past 70 years below.
