What is the highest-rated Japan movie on Celluloid?

Seven Samurai (1954) leads our Japan catalogue with a 93% Celluloid Score — Celluloid Pick. Directed by Akira Kurosawa, it is ranked above 45 other Japan titles in our database.

Best Movies from Japan — Ranked by Celluloid Score

Quick Answer

The highest-rated Japan film on Celluloid is Seven Samurai (1954) with a 93% Celluloid Score — Celluloid Pick.

46: Films indexed

60%: Avg. Celluloid Score

2: Languages

37: Critic reviews

Guide to Japan Movies on Celluloid

Each film from Japan in our catalogue includes a Celluloid Score from up to four verified inputs, original verdict text, and linked editorial reviews where available. Audience sentiment is separate.

Titles are indexed by original language and country of production for easier discovery.

Essential Japan Picks

Top 5 by Celluloid Score

Seven Samurai 1954 · Akira Kurosawa · Japanese

Kurosawa's epic template for action cinema remains unmatched in scope, character, and editing rhythm.

93%

Celluloid Score Celluloid Pick

Tokyo Story 1953 · Yasujirô Ozu · Japanese

Ozu's minimalist domestic masterpiece routinely tops critics' polls as one of the greatest films ever made.

93%

Celluloid Score Celluloid Pick

Rashomon 1950 · Akira Kurosawa · Japanese

The film that introduced Japanese cinema to the world and gave us the term Rashomon effect.

92%

Celluloid Score Celluloid Pick

Spirited Away 2001 · Hayao Miyazaki · Japanese

Miyazaki's masterpiece won the Oscar for animation and remains Japan's most beloved export.

92%

Celluloid Score Celluloid Pick

Ran 1985 · Akira Kurosawa · Japanese

Kurosawa's King Lear adaptation is among the most visually overwhelming war films ever made.

91%

Celluloid Score Celluloid Pick

Japan Movie Reviews

All reviews →

Full critic reviews with answer-engine summaries — each review answers whether the film is worth watching, what it is about, and where to stream it.

Seven Samurai (1954) ★★★★★

Seven Samurai (1954) Review: Where the Team-Up Movie Began

Seven Samurai is Akira Kurosawa's three-and-a-half-hour epic of farmers, ronin and bandits, and still the richest, most thrilling action film ever made.

Yes, without reservation. It is essential for anyone who loves action, epics or great filmmaking, and its long running time flies by far faster than the number suggests.

Tokyo Story (1953) ★★★★½

Tokyo Story (1953) Review: Small Neglects, Vast Sorrow

Tokyo Story is Yasujirō Ozu's quiet masterpiece about an elderly couple visiting their busy adult children, a film whose gentle surface hides deep emotional force.

Yes. It is one of cinema's most profound family dramas, best for patient viewers willing to meet its slow rhythm; its rewards grow with every viewing.

Rashomon (1950) ★★★★½

Rashomon (1950) Review: The Truth in Pieces

Rashomon is Akira Kurosawa's compact drama of a forest crime told by witnesses who cannot agree, the 88-minute film that made the world look at Japanese cinema.

Yes. It is essential for anyone curious about film history and still gripping as a puzzle about truth, though its theatrical acting takes a few minutes to adjust to.

Spirited Away (2001) ★★★★★

Spirited Away (2001) Review: Finding Courage in a Strange World

Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy turns bewilderment, work and small acts of kindness into an extraordinary adventure. A spoiler-free review of its animation, world-building and emotional logic.

An exceptional animated fantasy for viewers who enjoy strange worlds and patient discovery. Spirited Away combines dazzling invention with an ordinary child's courage; younger viewers may find its transformations and threats frightening.

Ran (1985) ★★★★½

Ran (1985) Review: Kurosawa's King Lear in Flames

Ran is Akira Kurosawa's King Lear transplanted to feudal Japan, a vast, colour-drenched tragedy of a warlord and his sons that ranks among the great war films.

Yes. It is late Kurosawa at full power, essential for lovers of epic cinema and Shakespeare, provided you can commit to nearly three hours of grim, stately tragedy.

Shoplifters (2018) ★★★★½

Shoplifters (2018) Review: The Work of Being a Family

Hirokazu Koreeda finds affection, dependence and moral ambiguity in a precarious Tokyo household. A spoiler-free review of its ensemble, domestic detail and refusal of easy answers.

A compassionate, morally complicated family drama. Shoplifters is exceptional in its performances and everyday detail, though its child-neglect themes and painful questions make it more demanding than its warmth suggests.

Perfect Days (2023) ★★★★★

Perfect Days (2023) Review: Grace in a Tokyo Routine

Perfect Days is Wim Wenders's serene Tokyo drama about a public-toilet cleaner's daily rituals, anchored by Kōji Yakusho's Cannes-winning, near-wordless lead turn.

Yes. It is a quietly profound film about attention and contentment, ideal for patient viewers who can let a slow, repetitive rhythm work on them.

Your Name (2016) ★★★★½

Your Name (2016) Review: A Body-Swap Romance That Soars

Your Name is Makoto Shinkai's anime about a Tokyo boy and a country girl who wake up in each other's bodies, a funny, dazzling romance that grows into much more.

Yes. It is one of the most beautiful and emotionally satisfying animated films of its decade, ideal for teenagers and adults, including viewers new to anime.

Drive My Car (2021) ★★★★½

Drive My Car (2021) Review: Learning to Listen

Ryusuke Hamaguchi's drama uses a car, a theatre rehearsal and the spaces between conversations to examine grief. A spoiler-free look at the performances, pacing and emotional demands.

A deeply rewarding drama for an attentive evening. Drive My Car finds emotional movement in listening and repetition, though its three-hour duration and restrained pace will not suit every mood.

Black Box Diaries (2024) ★★★★☆

Black Box Diaries (2024) Review: A Survivor Holds the Camera

Black Box Diaries is Shiori Ito's Oscar-nominated documentary about investigating her own sexual assault in Japan, a raw and urgent act of self-exposure.

Yes. It is a gripping, courageous documentary about pursuing justice against powerful institutions, for viewers ready for distressing subject matter.

Godzilla Minus One (2023) ★★★★½

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Review: A Monster Born of Guilt

Godzilla Minus One is Takashi Yamazaki's postwar kaiju drama, in which a guilt-ridden former kamikaze pilot faces the monster: perhaps the best Godzilla film since 1954.

Yes. It is a rare monster movie with a real beating heart, thrilling and moving in equal measure, and worth seeing even if you have never cared about kaiju films.

Harakiri (1962) ★★★★½

Harakiri (1962) Review: The Samurai Code on Trial

Harakiri is Masaki Kobayashi's austere samurai masterpiece, in which a ronin's request to die becomes a devastating indictment of honour and hypocrisy.

Yes. It is one of the greatest samurai films ever made, best for patient viewers who want a slow-burning moral drama rather than nonstop sword fights.

Princess Mononoke (1997) ★★★★½

Princess Mononoke (1997) Review: A War With No Villains

Princess Mononoke is Hayao Miyazaki's animated fantasy epic about a cursed prince caught between a forest's gods and an ironworks town, and it refuses easy villains.

Yes. It is one of the great animated epics, essential for older children, teenagers and adults, though its violence makes it a poor pick for very young viewers.

Akira (1988) ★★★★½

Akira (1988) Review: Neo-Tokyo Still Burns Brightest

Akira is Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk anime landmark about bikers, psychic power and a city on the brink, and its hand-drawn spectacle is still breathtaking.

Yes. It is one of the most important animated films ever made and a thrilling ride, ideal for science fiction fans who can handle graphic violence and a dense, rushed plot.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) ★★★★★

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) Review: Grief at Full Speed

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is the record-breaking anime feature that sends Tanjiro and a legendary swordsman onto a haunted train, and makes grief its real enemy.

Yes. It is a spectacular, deeply felt anime action film, ideal for fans of the series and still rewarding for newcomers willing to catch up on the first season.

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) ★★★★½

Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Review: Hunger After the Bombs

Grave of the Fireflies is Isao Takahata's animated war drama about two orphaned children in 1945 Kobe, and one of the most devastating films ever made.

Yes, once. It is a masterpiece of animated drama and an essential war film, best for teens and adults ready for a profoundly sad, unsentimental story.

High and Low (1963) ★★★★☆

High and Low (1963) Review: The Price of Doing Right

Akira Kurosawa turns a kidnapping into a test of responsibility, then widens the frame to an entire city. A spoiler-free review of the staging, police investigation and Toshiro Mifune's performance.

An outstanding moral thriller and police procedural. High and Low is compelling for its precise staging and difficult central choice, though its methodical investigation asks for patience after the urgent opening.

Ikiru (1952) ★★★★☆

Ikiru (1952) Review: What Makes a Life Useful?

Takashi Shimura's quiet performance gives Akira Kurosawa's drama its force. A spoiler-free review of bureaucratic routine, mortality and the difficult search for a useful life.

A moving, demanding drama about finding purpose in ordinary work. Ikiru rewards viewers who welcome moral questions and patient performances; its illness narrative may be difficult if loss is close to home.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021) ★★★★★

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning Review: Tragedy Before Legend

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is the saga's sombre prequel, following Takeru Satoh's young assassin and Kasumi Arimura's grieving Tomoe through Bakumatsu Kyoto.

Yes. It is the finest Rurouni Kenshin film, a tragic samurai romance of real beauty, best watched after the earlier films but powerful enough to stand on its own.

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends (2014) ★★★★½

Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends Review: The Vow Under Fire

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends completes the Kyoto story as Takeru Satoh's Kenshin trains with his old master and faces Shishio in a thunderous finale.

Yes. It is a rousing, superbly staged conclusion to the original trilogy, essential for anyone who has seen Kyoto Inferno, though it is not a standalone film.

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) ★★★★☆

Howl's Moving Castle (2004) Review: Enchantment Over Logic

Howl's Moving Castle is Hayao Miyazaki's ravishing anti-war fantasy about a cursed young hatter and a vain wizard, gorgeous even when its plot comes loose.

Yes. Its images, music and heroine are enchanting, even if the story unravels late. Ideal for Ghibli fans, families with older kids and fantasy lovers.

Look Back (2024) ★★★★☆

Look Back (2024) Review: Two Girls, One Drawing Desk

Look Back is Kiyotaka Oshiyama's hour-long anime about two schoolgirls bound by rivalry and a love of drawing manga, a compact, piercing film about art and loss.

Yes. It is a short, emotionally precise anime about why people make art, ideal for anyone who draws or writes, though its brevity leaves some threads thin.

Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno (2014) ★★★★½

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno Review: The Saga Catches Fire

Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno sends Takeru Satoh's wandering swordsman to stop Tatsuya Fujiwara's Shishio, a bigger, darker Japanese action sequel.

Yes. It is one of the best live-action manga adaptations ever made and a superb action film, but watch Origins first and have The Legend Ends ready to follow.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) ★★★★☆

My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Review: Wonder at a Child's Pace

My Neighbor Totoro is Hayao Miyazaki's gentle Studio Ghibli fantasy about two sisters, a country house and a giant forest spirit, a film of pure, unhurried wonder.

Yes. It is a warm, enchanting family film that captures childhood like few others, though its slight, episodic story may feel slow to viewers expecting adventure.

Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins (2012) ★★★★½

Rurouni Kenshin: Origins (2012) Review: The Gentle Swordsman

Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins turns Nobuhiro Watsuki's manga into a fast, heartfelt Meiji-era action film, with Takeru Satoh as an assassin who has sworn off killing.

Yes. It is a benchmark for live-action manga adaptations, with superb swordplay and a lovable hero, and the right place to start the five-film Rurouni Kenshin saga.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021) ★★★★½

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final Review: The Past Comes Collecting

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final pits Takeru Satoh's Kenshin against Mackenyu's vengeful Enishi, a ferocious, emotionally charged late chapter of the Japanese action saga.

Yes. It is a gripping, superbly choreographed revenge story and a strong late chapter for fans, though newcomers should start with the earlier films.

Happyend (2024) ★★★★½

Happyend (2024) Review: Friendship Under Watch

Happyend is Neo Sora's near-future Tokyo drama about two best friends drifting apart as surveillance tightens around their school, and a quietly furious debut.

Yes. It is one of the most distinctive coming-of-age films of recent years, ideal for viewers who like political cinema that works through mood and friendship.

Battle Royale (2000) ★★★★½

Battle Royale (2000) Review: Class Warfare, Literally

Battle Royale is Kinji Fukasaku's savage Japanese satire in which a school class is forced to fight to the death, a shocking thriller with a furious heart.

Yes. It is a ferocious, blackly funny survival thriller that still outclasses its imitators, for adult viewers who can stomach graphic violence among teenagers.

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021) ★★★★☆

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021) Review: Grief Meets Shonen Spectacle

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is Sunghoo Park's anime prequel about a haunted teenager and the school that trains him to fight curses, with superb action and real emotional weight.

Yes. It is a thrilling, surprisingly moving anime feature for action fans and Jujutsu Kaisen viewers, though newcomers may find parts of its world rushed.

Suzume (2022) ★★★★☆

Suzume (2022) Review: Closing Doors on a Nation's Grief

Suzume is Makoto Shinkai's anime road movie about a teenager sealing magical doors across Japan, a gorgeous fantasy that turns disaster memory into adventure.

Yes. It is a beautiful, moving anime adventure for teenagers and adults alike, even if its romance is thin and its formula will feel familiar to Shinkai regulars.

The Boy and the Heron (2023) ★★★½☆

The Boy and the Heron (2023) Review: Miyazaki Looks Inward

The Boy and the Heron is Hayao Miyazaki's wartime fantasy about a grieving boy, a gorgeous and deeply personal film that is harder to follow than his classics.

Yes, with reservations. The animation and emotional core are superb, but the dreamlike second half is opaque; best for Miyazaki devotees and patient viewers.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) ★★☆☆☆

The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Review: Handsome but Hollow

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an anime prequel about a siege in Rohan, handsome in its landscapes but stiff, thin and too long for its story.

Mostly no. Devoted Middle-earth completists may enjoy the Rohan lore and the painted scenery, but most viewers will find it a stiff, overlong side story.

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway (2026)

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel Review: Clues at Full Throttle

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway, the 29th Conan film, pairs a clue-driven highway mystery with some of the series' most thrilling motorcycle action.

Yes, with reservations. It is one of the stronger recent Conan films, a treat for fans and a fair entry point for mystery lovers, though its formula and late info-dumps show.

A Silent Voice (2016)

A Silent Voice (2016) Reviews: What Critics Said

Critics praised A Silent Voice as a tender, visually inventive drama about bullying, guilt and redemption, though several found its condensed manga plot crowded and its deaf heroine too passive.

Most critics say yes: A Silent Voice is a moving, carefully animated study of guilt and friendship, though its busy plot and shifting tone kept some at a distance. This is a roundup of published reviews; Celluloid has not rated it.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (2025)

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Reviews: What Critics Said

Critics agreed that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is a visual triumph with thrilling fights, but most found its flashback-heavy, episodic structure long and hard going for anyone new to the series.

For fans, critics say yes: the animation and fights are among the best in the genre, though the episodic structure drags and newcomers will struggle. This is a roundup of published reviews; Celluloid has not rated it.

Perfect Blue (1998)

Perfect Blue (1998) Reviews: What Critics Said

Most critics have rated Perfect Blue as a clever, unnerving psychological thriller about fame and identity, though one early reviewer found it shallow and exploitative and even admirers conceded that its plot does not always cohere.

Most critics say yes: Perfect Blue is a sharp, disorienting thriller about celebrity and identity that looks ahead of its time, though some found it confusing or exploitative. This is a roundup of published reviews; Celluloid has not rated it.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) Reviews: What Critics Said

Most critics found The Super Mario Galaxy Movie bright, busy and packed with Nintendo references but thin on story and character, though a few enjoyed it as a breezy, affectionate romp.

Most critics say it is mainly for young children and devoted Nintendo fans: it looks lovely but has little story, with only a minority finding it delightful. This is a roundup of published reviews; Celluloid has not rated it.