What is Japanese Cinema Called? A Deep Dive into the Artistic Styles of Japanese Movies
As an enthusiastic cinephile and content creator infatuated with Japanese film, I‘m often asked – what exactly do you call movies from Japan? While terms like J-horror and anime have become part of the global lexicon, Japanese cinema encompasses a broad, creative range of genres and styles.
In this deep dive, we‘ll explore the artistic foundations of Japanese movie-making from Akira Kurosawa‘s pioneering masterpieces to modern pop culture phenomena. Grab some popcorn my fellow Japan cinema fans, this will be an epic breakdown!
The Distinct Genres of Japanese Movies
Japanese films fall primarily into five unique categories, though many hybrids and sub-genres exist within these broader buckets:
Anime: Animated productions done in a widely-recognized Japanese aesthetic style. Anime now makes up over 60% of the Japanese film market according to the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, cementing its popularity.
Kaiju Eiga: Literally translating to "strange beast movies", these monster films like Godzilla depict epic battles between towering creatures and human cities.
Jidaigeki: Feudal Japan period dramas featuring samurai warriors, swordplay action, and customs of eras like the Edo period. Akira Kurosawa elevated this genre brilliantly.
Horror: Horror with a uniquely Japanese flair, from ghost stories to psychological thrillers to gory shockfests. J-horror like The Ring and The Grudge pioneered disturbing visual styles aped globally.
Yakuza Eiga: Focusing on the Japanese mafia and criminal underworld, these gritty gangster films examine codes of honor, violence, and complex anti-heroes.
Beyond these most recognized styles, Japanese filmmakers have also delivered groundbreaking work in drama, comedy, documentary, avant garde cinema, and more. But what unites these diverse works into a cohesive national cinema?
Artistic Foundations of Japanese Filmmaking
While Japan has produced popcorn entertainment just like Hollywood, so much of its movies share core artistic philosophies passed down through generations that emphasize subtlety over bombast. These elements define Japanese cinematic storytelling:
Minimalism – Scenes often feature sparse dialogue and settings, with silence doing much of the emotional heavy-lifting. Long takes let what‘s unsaid or unseen resonate.
Contemplation – Rather than racing along to the next plot beat, Japanese films meditate on character and mood through deliberate pacing and static cameras. Lingering on images and reflections often sparks thematic ideas.
Imperfection – Flawed heroes and incomplete resolutions are embraced rather than overcome, influenced by Zen Buddhist principles of transience and austerity.
Duality – Contradictions co-exist with harmony as recurring motifs, seen through contrasts of stillness/violence, modernity/tradition, natural/urban worlds.
Everyday Strangeness – Magical realism combining mundane realities and subtly surreal or symbolic fantasy elements frequently blurs genre boundaries.
These core philosophical underpinnings transcend individual directors or eras, connecting groundbreaking auteurs like Yasujirō Ozu and contemporary anime directors in a conversation around Japanese visual identity. Now let‘s spotlight some of the pivotal voices in that discussion across history…
Influential Pioneers of Japanese Cinema
While Japan has had a rich cinematic tradition since the early 1900s beginnings, a few guiding figures fundamentally shaped its global artistic identity:
Akira Kurosawa – His emotionally charged, visually daring jidaigeki epics like Seven Samurai and Rashomon exported Japanese film language and aesthetics worldwide. A true virtuoso.
Yasujirō Ozu – The most Japanese of all directors, his minimalist family dramas defined "pillow shot" scene transitions and contemplative pacing echoed in anime as much as live-action today.
Tokyo Movie Shinsha – Animation studio founded in 1946 that eventually became the globally iconic Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki and other brilliant anime directors nurtured here.
‘Beat‘ Takeshi Kitano – His existential yakuza films cemented his auteur status melding abstract sentiment with bursts of graphic violence. A renaissance creative force in front of and behind the camera.
Kiyoshi Kurosawa – Not actually related to Akira, his slow-burn horror masterpieces like Cure and Pulse dissect societal anxieties and alienation with haunting chilliness.
And the trailblazing innovation continues today with horror maestro Hideo Nakata expanding J-horror‘s influence, anime directors like Mamoru Hosoda reaching beyond otaku audiences to win mainstream plaudits, and indie voices capturing the global streaming zeitgeist.
Why We Love Japanese Movies
But beyond individual talents that shaped its legacy, Japanese cinema broadly resonates worldwide due to its refreshing departure from dominate Hollywood conventions:
Visual Flair – From kinetic anime action to horrific theatrical imagery, Japanese filmmakers execute stunning palette, animation, and direction. Contrasted by…
Emotional Restraint – Rather than big, theatrical feelings, Japanese stars use subtle gestures and expressive eyes to convey volumes. Nuanced and magnetic.
Fearless Style – Abstract sequences, nonlinear narratives, and surrealism daringly expand the cinematic language, keeping audiences thrilled to see conventions shattered.
Textured Characters – Heroes with contradictions and hidden depths fill these stories, shaped by societal pressures yet defiantly individualistic.
Immersive Worlds – Production design rich in textures and specificity brings all eras of Japanese history vibrantly alive alongside urban spaces and imagined future cityscapes.
Both unleashing incredible fantasy spectacle yet philosophically centered on tradition and self-reflection, Japanese film gifts us visual poetry mini sagas potent with symbolic resonance. These sensibilities fuse past and future, action and introspection into a mesmerizing movie mosaic.
The Future of Japanese Cinema
While some critics have argued Japanese cinema is retreating from the global stage in comparison to the breakthroughs of the 20th century, I believe innovative and rising talent will usher in a new renaissance.
Anime continues expanding beyond niche appeal, as Mamoru Hosoda‘s works sweep international awards and Demon Slayer conquers global box offices. A new horror wave builds dark psychological dread through viral media that resonates with pandemic insights. Prestige domestic dramas are reaching new emotional heights, while hybrid sci-fi reflects societal unrest around AI and technology.
And most promisingly, increased international streaming distribution has empowered daring new independent filmmakers to share their genre-melting DIY visions to the world. Japanese cinema continues to daringly transform before our eyes.
That visual dynamism energized by philosophical rumination remains the lifeblood of Japanese film today, continuing a tradition of hand-crafted, emotionally textured movie magic bridging eras of media formats and audiences. We have so many compelling and confronting cinematic journeys yet to take together.
