best japanese time travel movies

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A List of Must-Watch Japanese Movies with Time(Travel)Related Theme

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I know I have posted about Japanese movies with time(travel)related themes before, but now that I have watched more, I guess I can list them here, just because. I mean, I can’t help it. It’s really one of my most favorite themes. Stories about time travel will always fascinate me.  [Btw, apologies in advance for the so many watch pics I post here. After all, we talk about a “time” related theme, right? 😆 ]

Ok, first, let me list some movies that I have posted before, so I can direct you to their post.

1. Be with You [2004] ( here, no. 3 ) 2. Kimi to 100-kaime no koi [2017] ( here, no. 2 ) 3. ReLIFE [2017] ( here, no. 3 ) 4. Orange [2015] ( here, no. 4 ) 5. My tomorrow, your yesterday [2016] ( here, no. 5 ) 6. Before the coffee gets cold [2018] ( here, no. 6 ) 7. Kimi no nawa [2016] (It’s an anime, but I really must list it here, you can read more here, no. 1 ] 8. 56-nenme no shitsuren/56-year heartbreak [2020] ( here, no. 3 ) 9. Second Summer, Never See You Again [2017] ( here, no. 7 ) 10. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time [2010] Previously I watched only the anime, I have briefly reviewed it before ( here, no. 10 ). But it looks like there was live adaptations for that, a movie, and a 5-episode drama. I haven’t watched the live adaptations yet so I can’t tell how different it is from the anime.

And here are some that I just watched 🙂

11. Tokyo Girl [2008] I found someone recommending this movie randomly, and when I checked I felt like I’ve watched it but I wasn’t sure, so I just went ahead and watched it (again). After watching it, I feel some scenes were familiar but I completely forgot the whole story, so maybe previously I only watched the trailer and not the whole movie, I don’t know. LoL But, wow, I actually loved this movie. I loved how it connected the past and the future, and how the connection to the past affected the future but did not change the future. Not sure if I explained it well, but it was just portrayed really well. I mean, the future happened because of that connection to the past, and the past happened because of its connection to the future. Does it make sense? If not, perhaps you could watch it yourself 😀 But I mean, it’s like a cyclical causal and correlational relationship. It was just amazing.

Summary: A girl dropped her phone during an earthquake. That phone fell into a “wormhole,” taking it to fall on the same place but in the past. The girl couldn’t find the phone, the guy from the past, when the cellphone wasn’t even invented, found it. The girl tried to call her phone, but it got connected only the moon wasn’t covered by clouds. Soon they learned that they were from a different era, with around a 100year difference. The guy bought her something in the past, he asked the shopkeeper to keep it, telling them that 100 years from that time a girl would come to pick it up. The girl later picked it up. The shopkeeper, who was just a kid when the gift was bought but had now been very old when the girl picked it up, was actually saved by the guy in an accident. Isn’t it amazing? Like, imagine you’re now talking to someone from the past and then they told you to come to a store to pick something they bought for you, and you could actually pick that 100-year-old gift intact. Just wow. I find it really amazing and mind-blowing. This kind of imagination. Fiction writers really have amazing imaginations, I respect them a lot.

12. The Devil Wears Juni-Hitoe Kimono [2020] I love this movie because of the characterization. I mean, it told a story about the past, but the character was quite progressive. The “devil”, actually the main character, who was the emperor’s wife, had quite progressive thoughts as a woman. I remember when she was told that she was feared, she said, “That’s fine. A feared woman. Any fool can be lovable but being feared requires brains. I don’t care what the idiots think of me.” Or when she reflected on how her love life was, she said, “People think I’m a pathetic woman without a man to love her. They are wrong. I go after what I want. I protect what’s important to me. I am going to keep deciding how I live my life. I’ll keep reaching beyond my limits. ” I love how in the midst of patriarchal society, in which men were often considered second to me, having to be submissive and all, the queen was actually a girl of her own. She defined herself and didn’t succumb to how people saw her. She had her own goals, and she was determined. At the same time, she was kind enough and actually a good mother-and person.

I also love this movie because Rai, the main character who traveled to the past, actually learned his lesson and became a better person when he went back to the future, facing all of his problems gently and more responsibly, and with more determination. And, [spoiler], I love how he was faithful to the girl he loved, not only in the past but also when they were “reunited” in the future.

Summary: A guy with an inferiority complex could not get a regular job so he just took part-time jobs. When he was working to set up an exhibition of “The Tale of Genji,” he was interested as he felt some kind of connection to the story, with him being the ordinary older brother with an excellent younger brother. That day, her girlfriend dumped him and he had to celebrate just another success of his younger brother. He felt down and passed out on the road, and when he woke up, he was in the past, in the time “Tale of Genji” actually happened. He worked for the emperor and learned a lot of things. He wished to stay there forever but somehow he was transported back to the future/his present time. 

13. Honnouji Hotel [2017] Summary: A girl was contemplating her marriage and accidentally stayed in the Honnouji hotel. When she got in the elevator, she was taken back to Nobunaga Oda’s era. She met Nobunaga Oda and lived in that era once in a while as she could go back and forth between the present and the past only in certain right times and when the bell rang.

My thoughts: What I love about this movie is perhaps how entertaining it is? Like, it is kinda hilarious and some scenes will definitely make us laugh. What intrigued me, however, is the interaction between the past and the present. Like, the girl somehow was trying to “save” the characters from the past because she already learned in history, i.e. who would die when, how, and why. When she informed them, people from the past, would it change it? Or would it actually be the cause of those historical events? I think, time-travel movies such as this would always be intriguing especially because of the “what if” thinking. Like, what if the time travel did not happen, would it have been different? Did it happen like written in history because of the time travel? Did the time travel actually change something? Etc. And we can’t be sure of the answers because, well, maybe because it’s fictional so that it’s hard to imagine and use our logic to get a clear explanation. Or maybe because I’m not smart enough to think of or understand the theory. Hhe

14. Calling you [2007] (Kimi ni shika kikoenai) Summary: An introverted girl had trouble holding normal or regular conversations with people. She had difficulty making friends so she ended up being alone and thus created imaginary phone conversations. One day, someone actually picked up and joined her imaginary phone calls, and they started to talk to each other.

My thoughts: I’m not sure if this can be included in time-travel-themed movies or if it simply involves magic. Well, okay, it’s fiction so anything can happen. But I mean, I’ve got some questions because 1) the phone was imaginary so basically the girl was just talking in her mind, 2) let’s say it’s more like mind-reading, how did the other person read the mind from a different place which is far away? So yes, it’s interesting.

15. The Miracles of the Namiya General Store [2017] Summary : Three friends ran into an old general store and decided to stay the night there. They found a mailbox and even saw a letter dropped from outside. The letter was asking for advice about their worries. When they saw the letter, they noticed that it was actually written and sent from 32 years ago. They decided to reply and left a letter themselves.

My thoughts: I love how simple this movie is, yet also intriguing. I mean, three boys stayed a night in a seemingly abandoned old general store and found a letter written years ago. So simple, right? But it’s amazing how their actions on it were actually connected to their present, like how what they did was actually what caused their “existence” and “survival.” Like, how what they did was actually what caused them to have a place to exist, live, and survive? You know, like, how it was actually a history that affected their life indirectly. One occurrence led to another and it led to another, etc. so that it looked causally cyclical and impactful? Well, I don’t know how I should explain without giving spoilers. LoL But it’s amazing. I guess you should watch it yourself 😉

16. Brave: Gunjyo Senki [2021] Summary: A school ground was transported into the past when thunder strikes. The students within the prestigious school found themselves traveled to the wartime era. As the students, becoming members and experts at their respective student clubs (i.e. archery, baseballs, boxing, etc), used their strength and worked together to find a way to save their friends who were caught hostages by the samurai and to bring them and their school back to the present era.

My thoughts: This is the last movie of the late Haruma Miura, so I had a mixed feeling when watching this. But aside from that, I love the movie. I might have said it before and again, but I really love how Japanese movies/anime/dramas often present their history through a movie like this. I’m not into history, but by watching such movies/anime/drama, I actually find history kinda interesting. In fact, I think I get familiar with some Japanese historical figures through movies like this. I wish my country’s history can be presented in a movie or drama like this. I think it will help us to get interested and learn more histories. I mean, movies like this tell us what happened in history without burdening our brain with memorization. It’s different from school, where we are often to memorize it. Watching history-related movies like this can help us learn and enjoy it at the same time.

17. Erased [2016] (Boku dake ga inai machi) Summary: A guy has the ability to “repeat” a time to prevent an incident from happening. He’d keep going back in time to a time before the accident happened until he solved the mystery and prevented it from happening. One day, he found his mother stabbed to death. Afraid he’d be suspected of the murder, he ran and tried to go back to the past to prevent his mom from dying. Unexpectedly, he went back to his old body, to a time when he was still a kid, when a serial murder was taking place. He kept going back to living his life as a child until he solved the mystery behind the serial murder case.

My thoughts: I don’t know what to say. Hahaha I mean, it’s really great. The idea of going back to prevent something bad from happening. How the future changed because we did something different in the past. Wow. I am just curious about the other characters, though. Like, when we prevented something from happening by going back to the past, does it mean all incidents after that are canceled and non-existent? Or did they still happen in another timeline? But, well, a 120minute movie won’t be enough to discuss it all. LoL It’s a fiction after all ^^ But I mean, the idea is really superb. And I always appreciate amazing ideas like this ‘cause I know it’s nearly impossible for me to come up with such marvelous ideas myself 😉

18. Enoshima Prism [2013] Summary: A guy went to the death anniversary of his childhood friend, and on his way home, when boarding the train, he was brought back to the past, right before his friend’s death. He found that he could travel to the past and so he was determined to change the past and went back there several times in attempt to prevent his friend from dying. There was a price he had to pay, though. Do you want spoilers? Haha

My thoughts: I couldn’t believe I had not watched this movie, until it was recommended to me. Like, how come? It’s such a great movie with a time-travel theme, how could I not decide to watch it the first time I read or saw the poster? Jeez. But, well, love is about timing and momentum, so perhaps the timing and my momentum with this movie is only this year but not before. But, well, it was intriguing. SPOILERS: He actually succeeded in preventing his friend’s death but then he was forgotten by them because any change in the past was said to rewrite everyone’s memory so everyone lost the memory about and with him including himself. Yet, that’s what he chose. He thought it’s ok that way, he believed it’s better as long as his friend was alive. Well, if it were me, I really am not sure if that’s what I want to choose. Like, they’re significant and important for me because of the memories I had with them, right? If nobody remembers, then it means nothing, right? After all, we live only as long as we’re remembered even after our death, once we’re forgotten, that’s death, right? But, well, I don’t know. It’s an interesting movie, though. If you could travel to the past and could prevent someone precious to you from dying but they’d forget you, would you choose that?

19. Summer Time Machine Blues [2005] Summary: The members of high-school sci-fi student club found something that looks like a time machine. They decided to give it a try and go back to the day before to prevent the AC remote from getting broken. It turned out that the time machine was brought by a sci-fi club member from the future who traveled to the present. Some events happened and they were connected, i.e. what they did caused something to happen in the past, and the time travel from the future caused them to change the present in attempts to create the said future. Overwhelming? It’s great, though. I’ll recommend anyone who loves time-travel movies to watch this one^^

My thoughts: So I have actually watched this, but all I remember was the Kappa thing. The rest I forgot. So when someone recommended it to me, I decided to watch it, and I was like, “Right, I had watched this before.” But, ugh, it’s actually a great time-travel movie, how they connect the past, the present, and the future. How they made it look like everything was planned (by God) right from the beginning, including the time travel. Like, what happened now was the result of the people from the future traveling to the present which caused people at the present to travel to the past, which in effects impacted the present. Confusing? But I mean, it’s really great. Somehow “it makes sense.” I don’t know how to explain it, but if you watch it, I think you’ll understand. At the beginning, it might be boring, like you try to find what’s so special about the movie but you can’t really find any, but if you keep watching without trying to find anything, it’s actually exciting. It’s “idle” but it makes you

Well, I think that’s all today. Anyway, here are some that are recommended to me but I haven’t watched. I might update them later when I have watched them. 1. Sakurada Reset 2. Nobunaga Concert [Ok, I think I watched this but kinda dropped it, so I can’t really tell. Might rewatch later].

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The 10 Best Japanese Historical Dramas You Need To Watch | Top Taiga Dramas

Japanese historical dramas (called taiga dramas) are in a league of their own. These dramas often take inspiration from actual events in Japanese history but the drama itself will have exaggerated and awe-inspiring scenarios and characters.

Some of the best features of Japanese historical dramas include their elaborately adorned costumes, passionate and immersive acting, and captivating set designs that often reflect the true nature of the historical period in which the drama is set in.

The 10 Best Japanese Historical Dramas (Taiga Dramas)

If you’re interested in watching some of the most popular Japanese historical dramas , have a look at our Top 10 taiga dramas list below.

• Sanadamaru (2016)
• Naotora: The Lady Warlord (2017)
• Nobunaga Concerto (2016)
• Atsuhime (2008)
• Ryomaden (2010)
• Yae no Sakura (2013)
• Taira no Kiyomori (2012)
• Musashi (2003)
• Yoshitsune (2005)
• Shinsengumi (2004)

1. Sanada Maru (2016)

Sanada Maru is a historical Japanese drama that focuses on the Sanada clan during the Sengoku period in Japan. In particular, it focuses on the samurai Sanada Nobushige who played a huge role in defending Osaka Castle during the Seige of Osaka in 1615.

Nobushige was born into a family that owned a piece of land in Shinsu, present-day Nagano Prefecture. He eventually grew up to be a much-respected samurai warrior commander.

Nobushige was faced with the monumental task of defending the invading forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He comes up with the brilliant idea to construct a small fortification around the perimeter of Osaka Castle, which becomes the defining line of defense for him and his men.

2. Naotora: The Lady Warlord (2017)

Naotora: The Lady Warlord is set during the Sengoku period of Japan.

The series is based around Naotora Li, the last remaining child of the Li clan. Back then, it was virtually unheard of for a female to be a lord.

However, due to violent past wars and conflicts, there are no more male successors left and thus Naotora stepped up to the plate.

This series follows the trials and tribulations that Naotora must endure as a Lady Warlord.

3. Nobunaga Concerto (2016)

This series follows the adventures of Sanura, a regular high school student who accidentally travels back in time to the Sengoku period. He incidentally meets Oda Nobunaga, a young lord who is the eldest son of the Oda family – who is a spitting image of him.

Oda Nobunaga seizes the chance of this fateful encounter and asks Saburo to take his place whilst he sets out towards his visionary goal of unifying the country.

Before Saburo gets a proper chance to process what was happening around him, he is spotted by a liegeman and brought back to the castle. Saburo is then introduced to the world of a feudal lord – killing people, sacrificing lives, and heavy responsibilities.

This drama sounds like it would be dark and serious, but it is an action-comedy with some hilarious and heart-warming scenes.

4. Atsuhime (2008)

Atsuhime contains one of the most elaborate taiga (Japanese historical drama) plotlines to ever grace Japanese television.

It follows the life of Tensho-in, the wife of Tokugawa Iesada who was the thirteenth shogun of the Ego Shogunate. Initially born with the name Atsuhime, Tensho-in grew up in Kagoshima Prefecture, referred to back then as Satsuma. Throughout her childhood and into her teens, she is depicted as a warm-hearted and curious tomboy.

After she marries Tokugawa Iesada, she ascends to the highest rank in Ooku, an inner palace circle where women of the reigning shogun resided.

Iesada passes away soon after their marriage. From then on, Atsuhime takes the name Tensho-in at the tender age of 23 and asserts herself as a leader of the Tokugawa clan to face the turbulence brought on by the Meiji Restoration.

5. Ryomaden (2010)

Ryomaden is a multiple-part series that is set back in the Bakumatsu period. It centers around Sakamoto Ryoma, one of the most important figures in Japanese history.

Sakamoto Ryoma was a low-ranking samurai from Shikoku who eventually rose to dominance and actively opposed the Tokugawa Shogunate. He played a crucial role in the eventual overthrow of the Shogunate and the introduction of the Meiji Restoration.

This series focuses on the achievements, hardships, and trials he had to face throughout his life.

6. Yae no Sakura (2013)

This powerful female-led Japanese drama tells the story of Niijima Yae, also known as Yamamoto Yaeko. She was born into the Yamamoto family in the Aizu, Fukushima Prefecture.

Rather than grow up as a typical female (back in those days, this meant picking up sewing), she shows much more interest in guns and fighting. She eventually becomes skilled enough to help defend the Aizu Domain during the Boshin War, which earns her the nickname of ‘Bakumatsu Joan of Arc’.

After the war, she finds herself in the presence of Jo Nijima, a man who has experienced the western culture and doesn’t find her brash or out of line for speaking her mind and standing up for gender equality. Their love eventually blossoms and they heal and support each other on their journey in life.

7. Taira no Kiyomori (2012)

This drama focuses on the life of Taira no Kiyomori, a military general from the Heian period who established the first Samurai-dominant government in the history of Japan.

He was born in 1118 as the first son of the Taira no Tadamori, the head of the Taida clan. After his father’s death, he showed his leadership and ruthlessness early on and assumed complete control.

Some of his main achievements include clearing the sea of pirates in the area of Seto and most famously breaking down the noble system to build up a samurai-dominated government.

8. Musashi (2003)

Miyamoto Musashi is the original author of “The Book of Five Rings”, a centuries-old novel on confrontation and victory.

Its original context is meant to be for swordsmen and alike, yet throughout history, and especially since it’s been translated into English, “The Book of Five Rings” has appealed to a much broader audience.

From business executives to practitioners of other martial arts, “The Book of Five Rings” is one of the most recognized novels in the world.

This drama follows the life of Miyamoto Musashi. Orphaned at 10 years old, Musashi grows up as a skilled martial artist. He eventually joins the Battle of Sekigahara, fighting for the losing side of Toyotomi.

He manages to elude the enemy as they hunt for any surviving soldiers and wanders around the countryside for years, mastering his swordsmanship and making a name for himself. Many men seek him out during this time to test their sword skills against him and quickly learn why he has earned such a nickname.

9. Yoshitsune (2005)

Yoshitsune focuses on the life of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a late Heian and early Kamakura general of the Minamoto clan of Japan.

He was an excellent battle commander who is known notably for his leadership during the Genji clan’s victory over their rival, the Heike clan.

This eventually led to his brother’s establishment of the first shogunate in the history of Japan. This drama is his story.

10. Shinsengumi (2004)

Shinsengumi is a Japanese historical drama that’s based on what could be described as the most tumultuous period during Japanese history.

After 300 years of peaceful isolation from the world, Commodore Perry’s “Black Ships” arrive on the shores of Japan, and the world as the Japanese people knew it changed forever.

Confusion, intrigue, fright, and wonder spread across the land as new things are introduced to the once closed-off country.

Amidst all the change happening, one group perseveres and risks their lives to preserve the traditional shogunate system.

The Shinsengumi are led by the charismatic Kondo Isami. This drama focuses on the hardships, sacrifices, passion, and glory of these men.

I hope you enjoyed this list of the 10 best Japanese historical dramas!

As you can see, many of these dramas are based on real-life characters! The Japanese are incredibly proud people, and showing depictions of their past leaders and commanders in action has long been a point of interest.

It may not be an accurate historical recount, but you can bet that many, if not most, major events throughout history have been accounted for throughout these brilliantly filmed and acted Japanese historical dramas.

Which one will you be starting first? Let us know in the comments section below!

For more J-drama inspiration, feel to read our selections of the best Japanese romance dramas and the best Japanese school dramas .

I love Japanese historical dramas! I’m so glad you’ve put together a list of some of the best ones to watch.

Thanks a heap. So how are we supposed to watch them?

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The 55 best Japanese movies of all time

Samurai spectaculars, period epics, terrifying horrors and glorious animes

There’s more to Japanese movies than Kurosawa, Ozu and Miyazaki. That’s not to downplay their contributions to the country’s cinematic history – or cinema in general. All three are potential GOATs. It’s just that there’s much, much more where that exalted triumvirate came from. 

Like the trailblazing silent works of Kenji Mizoguchi. Or the off-kilter pop-art crime thrillers of Seijun Suzuki. Or the bizarrely horrifying visions of Takashi Miike. On this list of the greatest Japanese movies of all time, you’ll find them all, alongside, of course, Kurosawa’s epics, Miyazaki’s soulful animations and Ozu’s powerful domestic dramas – oh, and Godzilla too. You’ll trace Japan’s unique filmmaking history, moving from the silent era to its post-war golden age to the 1960s New Wave to the anime explosion of the ’80s, all the way up to the current renaissance spearheaded by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Mamoru Hosoda.

It’s a lot to take in. But with expert commentary from Junko Yamazaki – assistant professor of   Japanese Media Studies at Princeton , whose focuses include post-war Japanese film music and the jidaigeki (period drama) genre – this cinephile’s bible is as authoritative as it is exhaustive. Consider it your travel guide to one of the world’s most creative movie cultures.

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Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

The greatest Japanese movies, ranked

1.  seven samurai (1954).

• Action and adventure

Director : Akira Kurosawa

If you’re looking for an entry point to Japanese cinema, or world cinema – or, shoot, just cinema in general – consider this your diving board. For experts, it probably seems a bit remedial at this point, but the most masterful of Akira Kurosawa’s many masterpieces has served as a gateway for generations of filmgoers precisely because of its simplicity. An impoverished Japanese village is besieged by bandits, so the townspeople pool their resources to hire a ragtag group of samurai to protect them. From that basic foundation, Kurosawa spins an epic that is, at turns, exhilarating, funny and emotionally resonant, not to mention highly influential – Hollywood has lifted the plot for everything from The Magnificent Seven to A Bug’s Life . Its 207 minute runtime might seem daunting, but trust us: you’ve never felt two and a half hours whizz by so quickly.

2.  Ugetsu Monogatari (1953)

Director :  Kenji Mizoguchi Japanese cinema tells a great ghost story – Kwaidan , Onibaba , The Ring et al – and there are few better than Kenji Mizoguchi’s spooky jidaigeki film. Ugetsu (‘Monogatari’ means story) was a breakthrough hit at European festivals, a gateway drug for western cinephiles beginning to discover the power and craft of Japan moviemaking. And it has both in spades, as its long sweeping camera moves follow a humble potter as he swipes right on a mysterious temptress (dude, she’s a ghost!), while his wife and child suffer back home. Backdropped by civil war, its deep humanity and sympathy for women in violent times still hit hard 70 years on.

Junko Yamazaki: Mizoguchi became synonymous with mise-en-scène (referring to how elements are arranged in the frame in front of the camera) in 1950s film criticism. Ugetsu , along with The Life of Oharu (1952) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954), was not only a subject of, but also an inspiration for the film criticism that flourished in postwar France, especially the influential Cahiers du Cinéma magazine.

3.  Tokyo Story (1953)

Director : Yasujiro Ozu Ozu made movies that drive a stake through your heart so softly and slowly you don’t even know how deeply they’ve pierced you until it’s too late. With this family drama, the director achieved the apogee of his unique quiet brand of devastation. On the surface, it’s the simple story of two grandparents visiting their adult children in Tokyo – not exactly riveting stuff. But what transpires is a rather brutal examination of ageing, parenting and flawed humanity in modern Japan. It’ll leave anyone with a parent in a state of contemplative silence afterward – or racing to the phone to give them a call.

4.  Rashomon (1950)

Director :  Akira Kurosawa One of the most influential films in all of cinema, the legacy of Rashomon ’s multi-perspective storytelling can be felt in everything from The Usual Suspects to Gone Girl . And there’s not too many Japanese movies that get namechecked on The Simpsons (‘Come on, Homer, Japan will be fun! You liked Rashomon.’ ‘That’s not how I remember it’). Kurosawa shows us the same incident – the murder of a samurai in the Kyoto countryside – from four perspectives (one from beyond the grave) and leads us down a rabbit warren of conflicting tales and shaky evidence. What really happened? Well, don’t trust our version.

Junko Yamazaki: Despite its studio’s general indifference, Rashomon was submitted to the 1951 Venice Film Festival upon Giuliana Stramigioli of Italifilm’s recommendation. Unexpectedly, the film won the top prize, the Golden Lion, leading to Japanese films becoming regular fixtures on the international film festival scene and broadening the scope of what would become the Second Golden Age of Japanese Cinema.

5.  Late Spring (1949)

Director : Yasujiro Ozu Like a cinematic Tardis, Yasujiro Ozu’s melancholy dad-and-daughter drama looks small from the outside while containing multitudes within. A widowed professor (Chishu Ryu) wants to see his 27-year-old daughter (Setsuko Hara) married, even at the cost of his own happiness. She’s appalled by the idea, happily continuing to tend to him, so he decides to feigns a remarriage of his own. Nothing in Ozu’s famously quiet, still films is accidental and here he finds a myriad of ways to chart that place where noble and murky intentions bleed into one another. It’s one of the greatest weepies of world cinema – even Ryu’s wistful sighs are enough to break your heart.

6.  Woman in the Dunes (1964) 

Director : Hiroshi Teshigahara

An amateur entomologist goes out on a beach expedition and ends up trapped in a deep dune, unable to climb back out and stuck with a nameless woman who lives there, tasked with the Sisyphean task of shovelling sand in buckets sent off to the villagers. Trapped, they live in a little hut at the bottom of the dune. Woman in the Dunes is a spellbinding and surreal film on the everyday malaise of domesticity that draws you into a dream-like state.

Junko Yamazaki: Both director Teshigahara, the art student son of a modernist flower arranger, and Kōbō Abe, the influential Japanese writer who penned the original novel, were leading figures in Japan’s postwar avant-garde movement. And Woman in the Dunes is rooted in that environment, where the avant-garde music of Tōru Takemitsu (whose extensive film scoring credits also include Ran and Hara-kiri ) seamlessly integrates, creating a synergistic effect.

7.  Spirited Away (2001) 

Director : Hayao Miyazaki 

The spellbinding world depicted in Spirited Away i s a place that only exists in the brilliant imagination of Hayao Miyazaki, but fans still travel far and wide to hunt down real-life locations that either resemble or inspired the film’s peculiar bathhouse. Rich in symbolism and full of captivating characters, including a spirit with a voracious appetite and a six-legged boilerman, this stunning Oscar-winner is a testament to the value of hand-drawing anime in an increasingly digitised world (even if it’s at a rate of one minute of animation per month).

8.  Akira (1988)

Director : Katsuhiro Otomo

Based on director Katsuhiro Otomo’s own sci-fi manga epic, Akira ’s vision of the future (now in our past, being set in 2019) is vastly influential. You can see traces of it in everything that calls itself ‘cyberpunk’ – not to mention its iconic bike slide sequence that’s been homaged in animations ever since. Its visuals are staggering, with gaudy capitalist wastelands depicted in eye-popping colours, and the animation, which injects some gross body horror into the mix, is endlessly inventive. It all elevates a rather simple emotional story of disaffected youth, as biker gang leader Kaneda’s rivalry with childhood friend Tetsuo explodes outward to a level of cosmic consequence.

9.  Harakiri (1962)

Director : Masaki Kobayashi Culminating in an orgy of against-the-odds violence that makes Kill Bill look like Bambi , Masaki Kobayashi’s masterpiece bows to absolutely nothing in the field of chambara (‘ sword fighting’) movies – not even Seven Samurai . Its genius is structural: it opens with a ronin requesting permission to commit seppuku – ritual suicide – on the estate of a powerful clan, before flashing back to the agonising, humiliating fate of another ronin who made the same request. Are the two connected? And will there be hell to pay? Youbetcha.

10.  Cure (1997) 

Director : Kiyoshi Kurosawa 

A series of murders baffles police detectives. The victims are found with an ‘X’ carved on their bodies, the murderers nearby and happy to confess, but completely unaware of how or why they committed their crimes. Kiyoshi Kurosawa loved American horror movies, and conceived Cure as a homage to them. Although somewhat shadowed by supernatural fare like Ringu or The Grudge , Cure is a powerful precursor to the J-horror mania that would sweep the world in the late ’90s. Junko Yamazaki: Having studied under one of the most influential Japanese film critics and theorists, Shigehiko Hasumi (whose influential book Directed by Yasujiro Ozu became available in English in 2024), Kurosawa’s medium-conscious filmmaking revives the hypnotic spell of moving pictures in the modern era through the framework of horror films.

11.  Ran (1985)

Raging against the dying of the light in the spirit of its protagonist, an ageing Kurosawa translated King Lear into a sprawling, muscular epic set in feudal Japan. Ran has the 75-year-old at the absolute peak of his powers. It’s missing his old muse Mifune – the pair had fallen out by this point – but Tatsuya Nakadai makes a fearsome but increasingly demented warlord, whose empire crumbles after he divides it between his sons. With its vast landscapes, brutal wide-angle battles and magnificent blaze of primary colours, Shakespeare has rarely been rendered with so much grandiosity and splendour.

12.  The Human Condition (1959-1961)

Director : Masaki Kobayashi

Though released as a trilogy (with each film split into two chapters), it’s impossible to argue for any one segment of this phenomenal ten-hour war epic over any other. It tells the story of pacifist soldier Kaji (the superlative Tatsuya Nakadai, in his first leading role), who tries valiantly to protect the lives and dignity of his comrades as he trains, fights and suffers as a Japanese conscript during World War II. With feature-length sections that anticipate future Western classics like The Great Escape and Full Metal Jacket, it’s hard to deny the titanic scope of its influence. 

Junko Yamazaki : Kaji’s experience was deeply influenced by the first-hand experiences of director Kobayashi and original novel author Junpei Gomikawa, who both served in the army in Manchuria and were prisoners of war. Shot in the Sarobetsu Plain in Hokkaido, it’s a haunting reflection of Japan’s imperial history that explores the limits of humanism. Can one be a ‘sympathiser’ or remain ‘just’ while serving on the side of colonisers? 

13.  Perfect Blue (1997)

Director : Satoshi Kon

The idea of the internet as a dream space is something that Satoshi Kon would explore through to his final feature Paprika , but his debut feature offers the most terrifying realisation of that theme. Its subjective imagery makes the audience experience idol-turned-actress Mima’s loosening grip on reality as she’s stalked by an obsessive fan, with Kon’s tight editing and concise storytelling making every image untrustworthy. Perfect Blue is both disturbing and eerily prophetic in its depiction of online harassment, and the dark side of digital interconnectivity.

14.  Ringu (1997)

Director : Hideo Nakata

After multiple remakes, sequels, parodies and crossovers, you’ll know the drill: if you receive a cursed videotape and play it, you’ll be dead in seven days via the hand of long-haired ghost girl Sadako. The original film was a smash hit at festivals and sparked a worldwide obsession with Japanese horror. The original remains terrifying in its simple details: the pale whites of Sadako’s eye, her torn off fingernails and clipped movements.

15.  Tokyo Olympiad (1965)

• Documentaries

Director : Kon Ichikawa The official documentary of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics isn’t just a celebration of godlike athleticism. Instead, Kon Ichikawa ( The Burmese Harp ) presents the sporting event through a humanist lens, searching for the accumulative effort and personal struggle. Even when shot with a striking, impressionistic style these acts are never isolated from their context or apolitical. As African nations making their Olympic debuts, the anti-colonialist struggle is never far from Ichikawa’s mind. The result is a beautiful, hypnotic work that raises the bar for sports documentaries.

16.  Ikiru (1952)

Director : Akira Kurosawa Akira Kurosawa’s quietest film is also his most emotionally devastating. After being diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, a low-level bureaucrat (Takashi Shimura) quits his job to spend the last year of life searching for meaning – first in the bars and dancehalls of Tokyo, then in a more lasting final project. Few films cut so directly to the core of human existence and what it truly means to leave a legacy. A fine English remake starring Bill Nighy came out in 2022, but the original has a dreamily soulful quality that can’t fully be replicated.

17.  Sansho the Bailiff (1954)

Director : Kenji Mizoguchi Kenji Mizoguchi’s period piece is set in the 11th century and has you praying for the sweet embrace of the 12th century, which surely couldn’t have been as bad as this morass of corruption, oppression and general bastardry. Filmed by his regular cinematographer, Kazuo Miyagawa, with gliding pans and long takes, its central treatise – ‘a man is not a human being without mercy’ – underpins the epic arc of its central character, the orphaned son of a righteous governor who learns goodness only after getting pretty deep into villainy. A lot of shit goes down along the way, though, and as Mizoguchi is at pains to point out, much of it happens to women.

18.  Floating Weeds (1959)

Director : Yasujirō Ozu

Legendary US critic Roger Ebert once described Yasujirō Ozu as a director who ‘places composition above everything else’. And when the master filmmaker moved to colour filmmaking in the late ’50s, his meticulous visual style arguably reached perfection. The third of his six colour films, Floating Weeds tells the story of a sleepy seaside town that is visited by a travelling kabuki theatre troupe. It’s full of fleeting passions and quotidian encounters, backdropped by azure skies, colourful banners, red popsicles and green trees. That vibrant canvas only enriches the irresistible atmosphere of Ozu’s gentle, contemplative storytelling.

19.  My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Though the Ghibli universe is teeming with plucky heroines and fantastical creatures, none quite possess the same degree of celebrity as My Neighbor Totoro ’s eponymous forest spirit, otherwise known as the face of the anime studio’s official logo. In this charming story set in post-war Japan, two sisters move into a new house in a rural town, where they encounter a friendly clan of mystic beings in the nearby forest. There aren’t any dastardly witches or epic battles between good and evil here, as there are in some of Ghibli’s more recent films inspired by western fairy tales, but there’s enough of Miyazaki’s magic in this beloved classic to last several lifetimes.

20.  Yojimbo (1961)

In the mid-’60s, Sergio Leone popularised the spaghetti western with a film about a cunning gunslinger who rolls into town and plays two outlaw gangs off against each other for little more than his own profit and amusement. A Fistful of Dollars made Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name into a timeless antihero. What few western fans realised was that Dollars was a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s propulsive samurai classic, Yojimbo . Swap six-shooters for swords and the old west for the late Edo period in Japan, and you have one of the best samurai flicks of Japan’s golden age. And Toshiro Mifune is so iconic as its samurai hero, they brought him back for a sequel, Sanjuro , a year later.

Junko Yamazaki : You can’t overemphasise the role Akira Kurosawa’s films played in the aesthetic shift in jidaigeki in the early ’60s. Violence was theatrically displayed for the enjoyment of children and young women in the Tōei Company jidaigeki of the ’50s, but the depiction of violence in the ‘60s became unprecedentedly explicit and cruel. 

21.  Hana-bi (1997)

Director : Takeshi Kitano

Hana-bi – or Fireworks – tells the story of a cop (played by director Takeshi Kitano) with a wife suffering from leukaemia and a partner who gets paralysed in the line of duty.  As the mostly-silent Kitano tangles himself up in yakuza dealings and his ex-partner tries his hand at art, the most serene, contemplative and outright gorgeous gangster film ever made emerges. And all from the mind of the same guy that headed up legendarily bonkers game show Takeshi’s Castle. Which is some flex.

22.  Audition (1999) 

Director : Takashi Miike

Want to prank an unsuspecting guest who has no familiarity with the deranged oeuvre of Takashi Miike? Invite them over for a viewing of a quiet romantic dramedy called Audition and watch as their expression gradually shifts from patient boredom to nauseated terror. Burning low and slow for its first half, the movie does indeed present itself as a lightweight weepy about a widower who decides to hold a casting call for a fake film in order to find himself a new wife. But just when you think you’re about to nod off, Miike pulls the mask off, revealing an ultraviolent horror show of unimaginable terror. It’s one of the great fake-outs in movie history, but it’s also a piercing critique of masculinity and gender roles in Japan. Once the acupuncture needles come out, the ‘piercing’ becomes literal.

23.  High and Low (1963) 

Director : Akira Kurosawa Decades before Parasite , Akira Kurosawa snuck a piece of barbed social commentary to the public in the guise of a highly entertaining mixed-genre thriller. A wealthy businessman (the always-awesome Toshiro Mifune) learns his son has been kidnapped, and the ransom will destroy him financially. When he discovers it’s actually his chauffeur’s son who’s been abducted, he must decide what’s more important: his conscience or his bank account. Based on a novel by Ed McBain, High and Low can be enjoyed as pure noir, but the context of the period – Japan’s growing economic disparity and a rash of kidnappings happening across the country at the time – gives it added weight. It’s a multi-layered title, referring both to the haves and have-nots and the literal trajectory of the movie, which travels from the high rises of Yokohama down to the city’s squalid underbelly. In the subgenre of Kurosawa films with modern settings, it’s a clear masterwork – and gives the upcoming Spike Lee remake a lot to live up to.

24.  Godzilla (1954)

Director :  Ishiro Honda What makes Godzilla so enduring? Is it its baked-in nuclear anxieties – still all too relatable – or the pioneering miniature sets, mostly ransacked as Gojira emerges from the Pacific and sets about squashing large portions of the Japanese mainland beneath its scaly bulk? A bit of both, but the fact that its disaster movie mechanics are so believable, even when you know full well there’s a man inside that heavy monster suit (shout out to Katsumi Tezuka) is down to the stony-faced sincerity with which Ishiro Honda conducts his opera of destruction. He knew that, sometimes, humans need to be reminded of their place – a message that most great monster movies have run with ever since.

25.  Kwaidan (1964) 

Director : Masaki Kobayashi An anthology horror based on Japanese folk tales that’s more interested in the uncanny than outright terror, Kwaidan ’s four yarns deal with vengeful ghosts, snow spirits, possessed hair and deceitful men. While the stories are labelled as horror, they are heavy in atmosphere and light on scares. The film’s dreamlike cinematography, from the all-seeing eye apparition in the sky to the man with his body covered in incantations, offers some of the most beautiful images committed to film.

26.  Maborosi (1995)

Director : Hirokazu Kore-eda

Hirokazu Kore-eda announced himself with a drama that journeys through the grief of a widow whose husband has seemingly committed suicide. Sure, it doesn’t sound like one of the most uplifting things you’ll ever see – and, make no mistake, this thing is tundra-bleak. But the After Life and Shoplifters director’s fiction debut is also gorgeous and therapeutic. Without wallowing in its own melancholy, Maborosi is solemn and patient, giving as much time to its lonely widow as it does to dwelling on the contrasts between Osaka’s cold, still streets and the dramatic, weathered Noto Peninsula.

27.  The Burmese Harp (1956)

Director : Kon Ichikawa A consummate technical filmmaker, Kon Ichikawa gained recognition in the West with a pair of powerful anti-war films in the late ’50s. Fires on the Plain offers a shocking examination of the horrors of World War II. The Oscar-nominated The Burmese Harp , on the other hand, offers a more sentimental skew on life in uniform. It’s a pensive, philosophical drama that follows a sympathetic, musically-minded soldier (Shōji Yasui), struggling to convince a group of Japanese soldiers to surrender to the British. In the aftermath, Mizushima disappears, leaving his former battalion to ponder what happened to him.

28.  Onibaba (1964)

Director : Kaneto Shindo

Japanese cinema has a rich history of folktales and ghost stories – and Kaneto Shindo’s erotic horror Onibaba is a sublime example of both. Nobuko Otowa and Jitsuko Yoshimura star as a woman and her daughter-in-law who, while their men are off at war, survive by killing samurai lost in a marsh. It’s a tale of lust, jealousy, desperation and revenge – with the hellish marsh itself an indelible character in its own right. Shot in chilling monochrome and with marvellously whistling, blustery sound design, there’s so much texture, suspense and beauty in Onibaba ’s impenetrable reeds.

29.  Battle Royale (2000)

Director : Kinji Fukasaku

For a certain generation, this dystopian thriller served as a gateway into Japanese cinema – and what an intro. Set in a near-future Japan beset by recession, unemployment and rampant juvenile delinquency, Kinji Fukasaku’s film depicts a government-sanctioned population culling event in which a group of teenagers are made to compete in a war game where only one is allowed to escape alive. It’s an obvious touchpoint for The Hunger Games , but Battle Royale doesn’t dilute its violence for YA consumption – nor its satirical bite. Even in a post- Squid Game world, its authoritarian critique still hits hard.

30.  Lady Snowblood (1973)

Director : Toshiya Fujita As TV sets became increasingly ubiquitous in the late ‘60s, cinema audiences began to dwindle in Japan. In a bid to win them back, the big film studios turned to the throwaway thrills of violent exploitation flicks – the kind that would make a star of actress Meiko Kaji. Her most famous role came in this cult classic, a bloody vengeance thriller about a 19th-century assassin bent on justice for the crimes committed against her parents. The film, which makes memorable use of Kaji’s penetrative glare, is a major influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill: Volume 1 – just compare and contrast their snowy courtyard sets.

31.  The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)

Director : Kazuhiko Hasegawa Voted the greatest Japanese film of the ’70s in a poll by Kinema Junpo , The Man Who Stole the Sun is a showcase of  snappy editing, dynamic cinematography (courtesy of Funeral Parade of Roses ’ Tatsuo Suzuki), and a larger-than-life story co-written by Leonard ‘brother-of-Paul’ Schrader. The film concerns a high-school teacher (rock star Kenji Sawada) who threatens to detonate a homemade A-bomb unless the cops fulfil his wild demands – which include summoning The Rolling Stones. Iconic ’70s hard-man Bunta Sugawara is out to foil him; bus hijackings, flamethrower heists and outrageous car stunts ensue.

32.  Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Director : Isao Takahata

The life of Japan’s civilian population during the war has never been as hauntingly conveyed as Studio Ghibli’s story of two malnourished children who lose their mother during a bombing raid and take refuge in a firefly-illuminated bomb shelter. Director Isao Takahata may not be as well known as his Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki (who released My Neighbour Totoro on the same day in 1988), but he was arguably the first of the pair to strike a profound emotional chord with Japanese audiences. In this beautifully-animated classic, which also boasts a moving score by Michio Mamiya, childhood whimsy is hauntingly juxtaposed with harrowing destruction. The climax is devastating.

33.  House (1977)

Director : Nobuhiko Obayashi

Imagine Dario Argento directing an episode of Pee-wee’s Playhouse , and you’re at least in the ballpark of describing this totally insane haunted house flick from director Nobuhiko Obayashi – but really, nothing can quite prepare you for the experience. Utterly nutso even by the standards of cult Japanese horror, House takes the pedestrian premise of a schoolgirl and her friends visiting her mysterious aunt’s house in the countryside and flips it into a lysergic nightmare that’s too bizarre to be truly scary but that’s so completely mad, it occupies a genre all its own. Swept under the rug upon release, a remastered version went on a revival tour in North America in 2010, where it was embraced by the midnight movie crowd. Come for the cat that suddenly starts singing the movie’s theme song, stay for the karate fight against a man-eating light fixture. 

34.  In the Realm of the Senses (1976) 

Director : Nagisa Ōshima

One of the most controversial and erotic psychosexual art films out there ( and number 5 on our list of cinema’s greatest sex scenes ), Nagisa Ōshima’s opus is based on the sensational real-life case of Sada Abe, a former prostitute who murdered her lover, cutting off his penis and carrying it around with her for days. Several films have been made about her, but it’s the Japanese New Wave filmmaker who delivers the most memorable version of the story, in this explicit study of mutual obsession, desire and jealousy.    

35.  Nobody Knows (2004)

Director : Hirokazu Kore-eda 

In this drama highlighting social issues in modern Japanese society, 12-year old Akira is left to fend for himself and his three younger siblings when their mother (Keiko Fukushima) abandons them for a new lover. With a dwindling food supply, a near-empty coin purse and no adult to care for the children, the circumstances here are dire, but Kore-eda has a unique way of capturing all the nuanced pain and bitter sorrows of everyday life while maintaining an enduring sense of hope and warmth. That’s just one of many reasons why the auteur is referred to as the heir of Yasujiro Ozu’s humanistic storytelling.  

36.  Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)

Director : Toshio Matsumoto

This vital queer text of the Japanese New Wave showcases a radical fusion of documentary and narrative fiction. Loosely based on ‘Oedipus Rex’, it also offers a vivid exploration of Tokyo’s newly-thriving gay scene, following a transgender ‘queen’ named Eddie (portrayed by androgynous icon Peter, who later appeared in Kurosawa’s Ran ). who gallivants around nocturnal and neon-lit Shinjuku – a playground of psychedelic rock music, marijuana and orgasms. There are countless nods to western upsetters like Warhol and Godard in the film’s eclectic style, with talking head interviews, pop-inspired editing, and giddy handheld camerawork galore.— James Balmont

37.  Love Exposure (2008)

Director : Sion Sono

You’ll likely come out of Love Exposure with your head in a spin; your brain having been smacked around by all kinds of absurdity to the point of exhaustion for four straight hours. And that’s all part of the charm. Sion Sono’s masterpiece is a provocative, exciting and deeply, deeply strange work that touches on everything from teenage horniness to cultish religions. From its upskirting subplot and sweeping religious metaphors, to its hyperlink flashiness, it remains bizarre, philosophical and incendiary. There’s nothing else even remotely like it.

38.  Girls of the Night (1961) 

Director : Kinuyo Tanaka A deeply patriarchical society, Japan still hasn’t produced more than a clutch of female filmmakers. It took a 1930s starlet, Kinuyo Tanaka, to make the leap to auteur status. She only made six films, combatting sexist accusations of having been westernised and the resistence of her old collaborator Kenji Mizoguchi to her directorial ambitions along the way, and this sensitive social drama is the pick of the bunch. Decades ahead of its time as a compassionate story of young sex workers – how many of those are there? – it’s set in a reformatory in the wake of the Prostitution Prevention Law and follows one woman’s attempts to start a new life. Beautifully acted and strikingly framed, it’s an underseen treasure.

39.  Tampopo (1985)

Director : Juzo Itami

This so-called ‘ramen western’ from Juzo Itami spins together food and sex into a digressive comedy that remains both sweetly endearing and utterly bonkers decades later. Arranged as a series of intertwined vignettes, it’s something akin to Robert Altman’s Short Cuts , with the main narrative involving a Japanese noodle shop and the lives that intersect there. Itami infuses the proceedings with a gonzo sense of humour, goofing on American film tropes throughout, while also playing around sexual taboos – most famously highlighting the erotic uses of a raw egg. It’s a singular joy in the canon of world cinema.

40.  A Fugitive From the Past (1965)

Director : Tomu Uchida This sprawling crime drama (also known as ‘Straits of Hunger’) follows a trio of robbers whose disappearance coincides with a terrible storm and the capsizing of a passenger ship. A policeman becomes obsessed with the case – and spends a full decade ruminating on the whereabouts of the missing criminal mastermind. Frustratingly under-seen in the West, where it finally got a release in 2022, it marries epic, golden age with the formal experimentation of the Japanese new wave. In Japan, its status is much more secure: the country’s answer to ‘Sight and Sound’, ‘Kinema Junpo’ ranked it third in a poll of the greatest Japanese films in 1999.

41.  When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)

Director : Mikio Naruse

Less celebrated outside Japan than contemporaries such as Kurosawa and Ozu, Mikio Naruse’s social melodramas deserve equal attention – and this is masterpiece. The movie follows a young widow named Keiko (Hideko Takamine) and her struggle to find happiness for herself while also honouring her husband’s memory after his death. As was his signature, Naruse handles the surface story with a graceful touch, allowing the ultimately bleak conclusion to sneak in a gut-punch you don’t see coming.

Junko Yamazaki: The jazz score, inspired by the Modern Jazz Quartet, was composed by one of the most prolific and celebrated composers of the era: Toshiro Mayuzumi. A fearless young man, Mayuzumi experimented with a diverse array of musical styles from big band jazz and electro-acoustic music to Buddhist cantatas, spearheading a new generation of composers that helped transform Japanese cinema during its second Golden Age of the ’50s and ’60s.

42.  Pulse (2001)

Director : Kiyoshi Kurosawa Saturated with dread, Pulse is one of the most atmospheric Japanese horror films ever made. Inspired by Y2K techno-anxiety and the hikokimori social crisis (the phenomenon of severe social withdrawal among young people), it follows citizens of a lonely metropolis who become increasingly isolated from one another after receiving strange computer transmissions that ask: ‘Would you like to meet a ghost?’ There are nods to Hitchcock and Herrmann everywhere, plus one of the most terrifying spectral encounters in cinema.

43.  Sonatine (1993)

Director : Takeshi Kitano The mercurial talent that is comedian-actor-director Takeshi Kitano – aka ‘Beat Takeshi’ – was once christened the heir to Akira Kurosawa. If that seems hyperbolic in retrospect, he’s made a bruising mark on Japanese cinema with his unsmiling but still often oddly LOL-worthy visions of the criminal underworld. In this, his most ruminative, bleakly funny Yakuza flick, Kitano decamps to the seaside of Okinawa and creates an offbeam spiritual limbo for a cadre of can-kicking gangsters. Needless to say, he then fills it with violent mayhem – much of its originating with the jaded the gangster he himself plays. It’s Samuel Beckett with bullets.

44.  Drive My Car (2021)

Director : Ryusuke Hamaguchi

The rising star of Japanese cinema, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s inspired but understated fusion of Chekhov and Haruki Murakami became the country’s first ever Best Picture nominee – and made Saabs cool again in the process. A widowed theatre director ( Hidetoshi Nishijima ) arrives in Hiroshima to oversee a production of ‘Uncle Vanya’ and for arcane insurance reasons, has a young driver ( Toko Miura ) foisted on him. The bond that follows would be saccharine and predictable in the wrong (ie Hollywood) hands, but such is Hamaguchi’s ear for human complexity and our contradictory need for solitude and connection, that it swells into a deeply moving story of art, grief and healing.

45.  Fires on the Plain (1959)

Director : Kon Ichikawa Japan’s answer to Come and See and Apocalyse Now , Kon Ichikawa’s anti-war movie is spectacularly bleak – even before you get to the cannibalism. It’s a film you limp away from, much in the spirit of its broken-down infantryman (Eiji Funakoshi). He hobbles, hungry and in rags, across a scorched Leyte landscape: a symbol of a defeated army as well as the moral degradation of war. Ichikawa’s rep has always been a notch or two below the likes of Kurosawa and Ozu, but this pitiless yet philosophical adaptation of Shōhei Ōoka’s novel is yet more evidence that he deserves to stand in their company. The studio that greenlit it probably wouldn’t agree: they were expecting an action movie.

46.  The Ballad of Narayama (1983)

Director : Shôhei Imamura Long before Dignitas, there was ubasute , a ritual that sees the elderly take themselves to the top of a mountaintop once they reach 70 and wait for death to claim them. Social care may have come a long way, but filmmaking rarely slaps as hard as this story of an elderly woman facing up to her mortality, the second of two masterpieces based on the 1958 novel (Keisuke Kinoshita’s sombre, kabuki-inspired version is worth searching out too). It beat Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, Bresson’s L’Argent and Nagisa Oshima’s Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence to win the Palme d’Or, a mark of its haunting, philosophical payload.

47.  The Sword of Doom (1966)

Director : Kihachi Okamoto This brutal jidaigeki follows a wandering samurai who surrenders his soul and sanity in a bid to achieve ultimate mastery of the sword. It’s so masterful in its bloody execution that it’s hard to think of a Hollywood equivalent prior to Kill Bill. Even so, it’s not the climactic ten-minute sword fighting siege, nor a snowstorm slash-down from Toshiro Mifune’s serial hand-chopper, that makes The Sword of Doom such a stand out. It’s the otherworldly presence of Tatsuya Nakadai ( Ran ) as one of the most memorable villains in Japanese cinema. 

48.  Tokyo Drifter (1966)

Director : S eijun Suzuki A man who made movies like he was joyriding them, Seijun Suzuki’s punk energy jolts through a film that plays like someone took Le Samourai out and got it massively drunk on jägerbombs. It’s a Yakuza flick turned up to 11 that opens, seemingly for no reason, in black and white before toggling through literally all the colours across an array of vibrantly visual, Austin Powers -y nightclubs and crime dens in a blizzard of stupidly cool set pieces. The plot – again, not important – involves an enforcer retiring from gangland, only to be discover that gangland isn’t quite done with him. Filmed in a few weeks with no rehearsals, its scrappy spontaneity makes it what it is: a violent blast of cinematic disorder.  

49.  Gate of Hell (1953)

Director : Teinosuke Kinugasa Adapted from a 13th-century picture scroll, Gate of Hell is the story of a virtuous warrior who, in the aftermath of a violent attempted coup, becomes obsessed with the woman he was sworn to protect. As the film creeps towards a suspenseful and tragic climax, it fuses Shakespearean drama with rich colour cinematography, lavish costumes and intricate sets – formally anticipating the great Kurosawa masterpiece Ran some 30-odd years later. Veteran director Teinosuke Kinugasa, whose 1926 silent horror film A Page of Madness remains one of the great surviving works of early Japanese cinema, won two Academy Awards for his troubles.

Junko Yamazaki: The first colour film from Daiei Studio (which was eager to export its signature period dramas abroad after the breakthrough success of Rashomon ) , Gate of Hell utilised Eastman Color film stock – known for offering a broader range than Technicolor and a palette less pastel than Agfacolor. It won the Grand Prix at Cannes, praised by jury president Jean Cocteau for possessing ‘the most beautiful colours in the world’.

50.  Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)

Director : Shinya Tsukamoto A grizzly, low budget sci-fi horror, Tetsuo is an unholy, psychosexual union of flesh and metal that represents Japanese cyberpunk at its most brutal. An unnamed salaryman is infected by metal that gradually takes over his body, a disturbing transformation that Shinya Tsukamoto captures in stark, high-contrast 16mm black-and-white film. Its sequels never quite lived up to the promise, but the first remains as a jagged landmark of underground creativity.

51.  Crazy Thunder Road (1980)

Director : Sogo Ishii Considering its influence on both Japan’s underground filmmaking scene and the dystopian cyberpunk genre (see Akira and Tetsuo: The Iron Man ), it’s incredible to think that Sogo Ishii’s indie biker gang flick never received proper international distribution until 2022. Filmed for peanuts using equipment borrowed from his uni, and utilising real-life biker gang members among its cast, it’s a kinetic, chaotic Japanese answer to Mad Max . Snapped up by Toei Studios and blown up for a big-screen release in 1980, its unlikely success inspired a whole generation of guerilla filmmakers.

52.  Departures

Director : Yojiro Takita  The premise of Departures – an Oscar winner for  Best International Feature Film  – begins the same way a B-grade horror movie might, with a failed cellist (Masahiro Motoki) reluctantly returning to his quiet hometown to start a new job as an undertaker. Rather than ghoulish corpses and vengeful ghosts, however, the film highlights the profoundly intimate nature of traditional Japanese funeral rituals, like hand-washing bodies for cremation. A thought-provoking and disarmingly moving piece about life, death and intricate familial bonds, it’s hard to come away from this one without tear-stained cheeks.

53.  Suzaku (1997)

Director : Naomi Kawase Naomi Kawase has come under fire in recent months, with allegations of on-set bullying and violent conduct hanging over her. But she also remains a singular, inspirational force, and an all-too-rare female filmmaker in an overwhelmingly male-driven film culture. Her breakthrough film is set in a logging village in Nara and brings documentary techniques to bear in its observations of a family’s deterioration in the wake of an aborted industrial development. It made her the youngest ever recipient of Cannes’s Camera d’Or gong for first-time directors.

54.  All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)

Director : Shunji Iwai Once derided by Roger Ebert as ‘enigmatic, oblique and meandering’, All About Lily Chou-Chou is now considered a powerful embodiment of the confusing emotions of Y2K teen life. It follows high-school students enamoured with the music of an enigmatic, Björk -like pop singer while enduring physical and psychological abuse in their day-to-day lives and is shot in an experimental style built around handheld cameras, ethereal piano music, and a non-chronological narrative that unfolds via internet messageboards. The film’s potent, dreamlike atmosphere lingers long past the end credits.

55.  One Cut of the Dead (2018)

Director : Shin'ichirō Ueda Shin'ichirō Ueda’s meta zom-com is a bit like a Japanese Blair Witch Project , a leftfield phenomenon that stands as a monument to low-budget ingenuity. A film crew is assigned to shoot a cheap horror movie for television when, wouldn’t you know it, an actual zombie plague breaks out on set. That makes it sound like a fun novelty rather than a must-see classic, but the movie positively explodes with energy and smart, winking humour on par with Shaun of the Dead . Made for an utterly paltry $25,000, it’s grossed $31 million worldwide – a testament to how far brains, blood and exhilarating creativity can take a movie.

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55 Best Time Travel Movies Of All Time Ranked

One of the fun things about time travel movies (apart from, you know, the time travel part) is that they're not married to one particular genre. Hopping from one year to the next is a narrative device that benefits everything from romantic comedies to slasher films. If you have a preferred genre, there is a very good chance that there's a time travel film within it just waiting to blow your mind. On the other hand, if you're not picky about your watch habits and are just as keen to watch a Western as a psychological thriller, time travel films are a great way to experience a generous swath of genres while keeping one thematic element consistent: messing with the sanctity of the space-time continuum. 

Below you'll find 55 of the best time travel films that the sub-genre has at its disposal. Along the way, you'll notice a couple of recurring narrative trends. More than one pair of lovers find themselves separated by a decade (or a century). Time-traveling protagonists are forced to accept the messiness of the past after attempting to right the wrongs of history. There are also fish out of water comedies galore, from helicopter-piloting samurai to modern-day teenagers stranded in the Wild West. So with all that said, feel free to take notes, synchronize your watches, and settle in for a look at the best time travel films cinema has to offer ... at least in this timeline.

55. A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court

You may be familiar with that holiest of fish-out-of-water scenarios: "man from the present gets transported back to medieval times." The third installment in the "Evil Dead" franchise, which may or may not feature later on this list, is one example. The 2001 Martin Lawrence vehicle "Black Knight" is another. But there's something especially charming about Tay Garnett's 1949 film, "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court," which adapts Mark Twain's 1889 novel of the same name. 

Inspired by Twain's text, the film follows a crooning mechanic (Bing Crosby) who is launched back to 6th-century England after receiving a blow to the head. There, he finds allies, lovers, and rivals as his modern ways inevitably clash with the antiquated traditions of a medieval court. "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" is an easy-breezy Saturday matinee flick that highlights Crosby's undeniable charm.

54. G.I. Samurai

Criminally underseen outside of Japan, Kōsei Saitō's 1979 film "G.I. Samurai" follows an elite squad of soldiers who accidentally slip through the cracks of time to an era when roving samurai clans warred in hopes of securing dominance over the country. Starring comedic legend Sonny Chiba (who, as ever, does most of his own stunts), the film is undoubtedly one of the strangest entries on this list. That said, don't let that stop you from checking out this violent genre mish-mash. "G.I. Samurai" (which also goes by the equally accurate name "Time Slip" and the utterly baffling "I Want To") is a charming if eccentric adventure through time.

53. The Visitors

Directed by Jean-Marie Poiré (who also helmed the 2001 English-language remake "Just Visiting"), "The Visitors" follows two poor medieval souls who accidentally stumble into modern times, landing in the early 1990s thanks to a bumbling, not-all-there magician. With his loyal servant (Christian Clavier) in tow, brazen knight Godefroy de Malfête (Jean Reno) must navigate such futuristic horrors as concrete roads, dentistry, and bowl cuts no longer being a fashion-forward haircut choice. Wacky to its core and endlessly over the top, "The Visitors" is a fish out of water time travel romp that's just about as goofy as they come.

52. The Butterfly Effect

While "The Butterfly Effect" wasn't particularly well-regarded when it first premiered in 2004 (as its low score on Rotten Tomatoes testifies), Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber's high-concept time travel film has since enjoyed a modern reevaluation, emerging as one of the more interesting sci-fi horror offerings of the early naughties. The film follows Evan (Ashton Kutcher, playing against type), a young man who struggles to remember his past, thanks to a history of harrowing abuse. By chance, Evan discovers that reading from his old journals allows him to literally embody his younger self, changing the most traumatic parts of his past by making different decisions. Unfortunately, as the film's title suggests, Evan's meddling in the past, however seemingly insignificant, produces a domino effect of tragic consequences for not just his own life, but the lives of those around him.

51. The Final Countdown

Plenty of films on this list have time machines. Heck, one of those time machines is even a DeLorean. But only one film has a time-traveling nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Released in 1980, "The Final Countdown" tells the story of a US military vessel that has the misfortune of traveling back in time to December 6th, 1941, the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Once the crew (which includes the talents of Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen) comes to terms with the moral implications of their situation, a "Twilight Zone"-like dilemma breaks out as to whether they ought to intervene and change the course of history, or allow a national tragedy to unfold. Part B-movie science fiction romp, part recruitment tool for the US Navy, "The Final Countdown" is utterly unlike any other time travel film on this list.

50. Somewhere in Time

Released in 1980 and starring three of the hottest people to ever exist (Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer, respectively), "Somewhere in Time" follows a young playwright named Richard (Reeve) who has an uncanny experience on the opening night of his first stage play: An old woman, who he has never met before, begs Richard to come back to her. Obsessed by the mystery-laden encounter, Richard does what any self-respecting romantic would do and travels back in time to find her via self-hypnosis. Directed by French filmmaker Jeannot Szwarc (whose 1975 creature feature "Bug" gives William Castle a run for his B-movie money), "Somewhere in Time" is both charming and emotionally devastating. You've been warned!

49. 13 Going on 30

One of the more straightforward romantic comedies on this list, "13 Going on 30" follows a young dorky teen named Jenna who makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday to grow up faster (specifically, she wants to be, "30, flirty, and thriving"). And just like that, Jenna is catapulted into the future, waking up as a 30-year-old woman with 30-year-old problems (first and foremost, the naked man she finds in her new apartment, to her considerable disgust). While the thrills of independence and adulthood are exhilarating at first (what 13-year-old doesn't dream of disposable income?) Jenna soon finds that being older comes with its own set of challenges. A contagiously charming document of all the fashion crimes the early naughties had to offer, "13 Going on 30" is notable for highlighting the considerable talents of its main cast, especially Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and the ever-delightful Judy Greer.

48. Déjà Vu

Marking the reunion of director Tony Scott and actor Denzel Washington after 2004's "Man on Fire," "Déjà Vu" is a bombastic (pun intended) time-traveling romance that also dares to be a straight-laced crime thriller. The film follows Doug Carlin (Washington), a federal agent who is summoned to investigate a horrific bombing on the Mississippi River. When Carlin proves himself to be a competent ally, an experimental FBI team invites him to participate in a new, super-secret form of investigation: A device, dubbed "Snow White," that allows users to take brief glimpses back into the past. But as the investigation persists, Doug grows less interested in catching the perpetrator in the present day, instead looking to alter history to prevent the accident from ever happening. With Denzel Washington's engaging presence, "Déjà Vu" is thrilling and heart-wrenching in equal measure.

47. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery

While there's certainly a debate to be had about whether or not being cryogenically frozen counts as time travel, around these parts we're liable to vote yes. As far as we're concerned, superspy Austin Powers (Mike Myers) going to sleep in the swinging '60s and thawing out in the 1990s absolutely makes the cut. And with his bald-headed nemesis Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers) equally de-thawed and back with a vengeance, it's up to the shagadelic international man of mystery to acclimatize to these modern times in order to save the day. The first (and best) entry in the "Austin Powers" series, Jay Roach's 1997 film is brimming with sly nods and genuinely insightful critiques of its source material (namely, the "James Bond" films). A hoot from start to finish, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" stands tall in the genre of spy parodies.

46. Army of Darkness

The third entry in the flawless "Evil Dead" trilogy, "Army of Darkness" was director Sam Raimi's vision of a horror film set in the past. This tale of the medieval dead reunites us with the series' incredibly groovy hero Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell), who was sucked through a wormhole (book of the dead-hole?) at the end of "Evil Dead II" that transported him to the year 1300 A.D. Somehow goofier than its predecessor, "Army of Darkness" follows Ash as he wins over the hearts, minds, and women of a walled city besieged by nefarious deadites. As he attempts to woo his crush and banish evil from the land, our strong-jawed hero is preoccupied with figuring out how to return back to his own time. Bonkers to its core and unabashedly full of both Raimi and Campbell's love of physical comedy, "Army of Darkness" is a blast from the past in more ways than one.

45. Happy Death Day 2U

Yeah, we hear you: Everything was tied up in one neat little bow at the end of the original 2017 film, "Happy Death Day." How could there be a sequel? What could possibly be worse than getting trapped in a time loop where you are killed over and over again by a killer wearing a creepy baby-faced mask? Well, all of you who answered "getting stuck in a parallel dimension where you're stuck in a time loop again " deserve a pat on the back. Yes, Tree Glebman (Jessica Rothe) may have escaped the maddening time loop in  her dimension, but thanks to the science experiment of some neighboring dorks, she's lost all that hard-won narrative closure and must fight for her life (well, lives ) once again. Matching its predecessor in charm and creativity, "Happy Death Day 2U" is an arguably unnecessary yet still delightful sequel.

44. Slaughterhouse-Five

Based on Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same name, "Slaughterhouse-Five" follows the time-tripping exploits of Billy Pilgrim (Michael Sacks), an aptly named man who is "unstuck in time" after becoming a prisoner of war in 1940s Germany. Slipping in and out of his past, present, and future, Billy trips in and out of decades and major life events (including being abducted by aliens). Directed with a dreamy, atmospheric competence by George Roy Hill (the man behind "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"), even Vonnegut himself praised the movie as "a flawless translation ... I drool and cackle every time I watch that film." And if praise from the horse's mouth doesn't do it for you, the film just so happens to enjoy critical acclaim across the board.

If you know one thing about 2004's "Primer," it's that it's famously difficult to explain without sounding like you spent a lot of time in a glue factory. That said, let's have a go at it: "Primer" follows four tech bros who build a machine in their garage that does ... something. They're not sure what, exactly. But it's something . One of the bizarre effects of their creation is that time appears to work differently inside the machine, making it a kind of "time machine," if you will. After much discussion, the foursome decide to experiment with it, only to discover a strange side effect: Whatever passes through the machine creates a double. A puzzle of a film full of paradoxes, loopholes, and sequences of events that overlap, dovetail, and intersect, "Primer" is a feisty, wildly ambitious indie movie that holds its own amidst the bigger blockbusters of the genre.

42. Triangle

Packaged as a typical slasher movie, Christopher Smith's 2009 psychological horror film follows a group of shipwrecked survivors who seek refuge on a mysteriously deserted ocean liner. At first, they think they are alone. Then a shotgun-wielding masked killer emerges out of the woodwork to make an already terrifying situation even worse as they pick everyone off one by one. To say much more than that (or how any of this has to do with time travel) would give away the film's secrets. So we will say no more! Featuring an innovative mid-film plot twist, "Triangle" is an unexpected delight with a captivating lead performance from Melissa George as the mentally fragile Jess. An expectation-subverting watch, "Triangle" will unquestionably win over adventurous fans of the slasher genre.

41. Happy Death Day

Grounded by a charming and sardonic performance by Jessica Rothe, Christopher Landon's 2017 horror-comedy sticks the slasher and time-travel genres in a blender with hilarious results. "Happy Death Day" follows Tree (Rothe), a mean-spirited sorority girl with a tragic past who finds herself reliving the day of her murder over and over again. Some psycho wearing the very creepy mask of their college's mascot has it out for her. And somewhere between being stabbed and electrocuted, Tree starts to suspect that uncovering the identity (and motive) of her die-hard killer is the only way to get out of this cursed time loop. But when the effects of being murdered in a variety of brutal ways start catching up with her, Tree realizes that she doesn't have much time (ironically enough) to solve the mystery. "Happy Death Day" makes dying repeatedly look super fun, and if that isn't a stamp of approval, we don't know what is.

40. Trancers

We have a fair number of time travel methods on this list: cars, hypnosis, telephone booths, you name it. But "Trancers," in all of its 1980s wisdom, takes a different approach: time travel via drugs. Set in the far-flung future of 2247, our hero is the improbably named Jack Deth (Tim Thomerson), a bounty hunter hot on the heels of a psychic villain (Michael Stefani) capable of entrancing his victims with his mind. When Deth finally learns that his foe has traveled back to the 1980s to assassinate the ancestors of future City Council members, it's up to Deth to follow him to the past and stop the nefarious mesmerist from executing his violent scheme. With more laser special effects than you can shake a stick at, "Trancers" comes courtesy of the ingenious low-budget mastermind Charles Band. Ripoffs of "The Terminator" are a dime a dozen, but they're rarely this entertaining.

39. About Time

While you could certainly say that all of the films on this list are about time, only one film is really "About Time." The 2013 sci-fi rom-com follows a young man named Tim (Domhnall Gleeson) who learns that he's inherited the ability to travel in time and change the course of his life. Written and directed by Richard Curtis — a New Zealand-born filmmaker who readers may know from the likes of "Love Actually" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" — "About Time" has charm to spare, with one of the most lovely onscreen father-son dynamics of the 2010s. A film that is the cinematic equivalent of a warm bowl of soup, "About Time" is a high watermark for one of the more persistent themes in time travel cinema: learning to accept things just as they are.

38. Back to the Future Part II

While admittedly falling short of the lighting in a bottle effect of its predecessor, "Back to the Future Part II" succeeds in being better than most sequels and most time-travel films. Directed once again by Robert Zemeckis, the 1989 film sees scrappy teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and his geriatric pal Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) journeying forward in time to the unthinkably futuristic landscape of 2015. The objective is to stop Marty's future son from making a mistake that will land him in the slammer. As you'd imagine, things don't go exactly according to plan, leaving the future (and the past) a little shaken in the wake of Doc and Marty's meddling. A solid if decidedly more chaotic sequel, "Back to the Future Part II" is full of charms of its own.

37. Frequency

Released in the year 2000 and directed by Gregory Hoblit (the man behind the Richard Gere vehicle "Primal Fear"), "Frequency" follows John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel), a New York City detective who accidentally stumbles on a way to communicate across time with his now-deceased father (Dennis Quaid) using a HAM radio. Overcome with joy at the possibility of saving his father's life, Gregory warns his father of his cause of death, triggering a series of events arguably more tragic than his dad's fiery demise. "Frequency" is a suspense-riddled character study that also makes for a solid (and probably weepy) Father's Day watch.

36. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Are all movie adaptations of Charles Dickens' cautionary ghost story time travel stories? In our estimation: yes. The story spends Christmas with Ebenezer Scrooge, a real jerk who begins his journey to becoming a better person after he is visited by three ghosts that show the miserly curmudgeon his past, present, and future to gain some much-needed perspective. While everyone has their own favorite "Christmas Carol" adaptation, we're going to make an executive decision here: The best "Christmas Carol" movie is 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol," the directorial debut of Brian Henson. Roll your eyes all you want at the presence of the titular Muppets, but this film features one of Michael Caine's finest performances as the cold-hearted Scrooge. Also, it's a musical. What more could you want?

35. The Time Machine

Based on H.G. Wells's novella of the same name, which was literally the work that popularized the concept of a "time machine" , George Pal's 1960 film follows a fancy and adventurous Victorian Englishman (Rod Taylor) who travels into the far-flung future only to find humanity divided into two warring factions: the child-like Eloi and the brutish Morlocks. While the inventor had hopes that the future would be a paradise of new, utopic developments, it would seem that the warring tendency in our species is bound to persist throughout the centuries unless we change our ways. Warmly received by critics , the 1960 adaptation of "The Time Machine" is campy in all the right places with plenty of charm to spare.

If you ask us, "Tenet" is less about the convoluted ins and outs of using time travel to prevent World War III than it is about the vibes (and the friendship between John David Washington and Robert Pattinson). Look, it's totally possible to enjoy a movie without having the faintest idea what it's about. Then again, director Christopher Nolan has always been interested in non-linear filmmaking, from the memory-loss of "Memento" to the languid dream logic of "Inception." "Tenet" is Nolan leaning fully into his love of temporal logistics and while it's disorienting, there can be no denying that it's a hell of a good time. Despite any flaws it may have, "Tenet" is what you get when you put James Bond and time travel in a blender (in the best possible way).

33. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Directed by Leonard Nimoy (yes, the same Leonard Nimoy who plays the pointy-eared Spock), the fourth feature film in the "Star Trek" franchise begins in a far-flung future on the edge of disaster. An alien probe is wreaking havoc on Earth's environment, drying up our oceans and polluting our atmosphere. (Are we sure it's an extraterrestrial threat? Sounds like plain old climate change to us.) In order to save humanity from the impending apocalypse, the swashbuckling Captain Kirk (WIlliam Shatner) and his intrepid crew voyage back in time to the year 1986, where they hope to locate a soon-to-be-extinct animal that can respond to the mysterious probe. Pivoting the series' sci-fi into more comedic waters, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" leans hard on the chemistry of its cast to buoy the severity of its environmentalist message. If you're going to watch one of the older "Star Trek" films, this is the one to seek out.

32. Peggy Sue Got Married

There is no time machine, per se, in "Peggy Sue Got Married." Instead, the titular character (played by Kathleen Turner) travels back in her own memories. Or maybe it's an especially vivid daydream. Who's to say? When you faint at your high school reunion, anything can happen! In any case, middle-aged Peggy Sue unintentionally travels back to her teenage days in the early 1960s, where she plays with the idea of breaking off her marriage to her high school sweetheart before it even has the chance to start. With a stellar ensemble cast, including Nicolas Cage, Helen Hunt, and Jim Carrey, Francis Ford Coppola's 1986 film is a bittersweet gem.

31. Back to the Future Part III

Very few films as excellent as "Back to the Future" are succeeded by a sequel that doesn't disappoint. And it's even rarer for such a film to produce two excellent sequels. Enter: "Back to the Future Part III," which catapults spunky skateboarder Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and the white-haired Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) back to the 19th century. The pair find themselves stranded in the Wild West, contending with saloon brawls, rowdy dames, and deadly gunfights. As always, the time-hopping duo must lay low while attempting to find a way back to their own time. There are adorable frontier romances, villains with the faces of modern-day bullies, and plenty of adoring references to old cowboy films. Although it doesn't always get the credit it deserves , "Back to the Future Part III" is a sweet-natured love letter to the Western genre.

30. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

In the first of three films charting the time-traveling/dimension-hopping adventures of Bill S. Preston (Alex Winter) and Ted "Theodore" Logan (Keanu Reeves), our titular doofuses are tasked with a harrowing objective: passing history class. Unbeknownst to these two Southern Californian himbos, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, because at some point in the future, Bill and Ted write a rock song so great it actually achieves world peace. But in order for the dynamic duo to rock out, they first need a passing grade. Armed with a time machine helpfully supplied by an ally from the future (George Carlin), the pair journey through the past to amass a gang of history's most prolific figures. Lighthearted and energetic, "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" is a profoundly silly journey through history with two of cinema's most radical dudes who have charm (and air guitar riffs) to spare.

29. The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey

A wildly strange film on a list full of kooky adventures, Vincent Ward's 1988 fish-out-of-water time travel jaunt is truly an under-discussed, one-of-a-kind experience. The surreal and atmospheric Australia/New Zealand co-production was selected in competition for  the highest prize at the Cannes film festival and received eleven awards from the Australian Film Institute . With a dream-like approach to storytelling, "The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey" follows a psychic nine-year-old named Griffin (Hamish McFarlane) who has trippy visions of an alternate reality that looks completely different from his 14th-century mining village. With the Black Plague at their door, the villagers heed Griffin's warnings and follow his directions to dig deep below the earth. On the other side, the medieval peasants emerge into a bold and bizarre new land: 20th century New Zealand. Full of fantasy and imagination that flies in the face of the film's modest budget , "The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey" is an underrated classic.

28. Jubilee

"Jubilee" boasts one of the wackiest concepts as far as time travel films are concerned. Get this: Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen herself, travels forward in time with the help of occult magic to visit 1970s Britain. Instead of a futuristic new world full of utopian progress, Elizabeth (Jenny Runacre) finds a crumbling country riddled with anarchy, social unrest, and debauchery. Directed by Derek Jarman (who also helmed the evocative 1986 biopic "Caravaggio"), "Jubilee" vibrates with undeniable punk rock energy, both critical and celebratory. So, the next time you're living your best nihilistic teenage dream, think to yourself: what  would  Queen Elizabeth I think?

27. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Released in 2006, Mamoru Hosoda's animated feature film follows the teenage Makoto (voiced by Riisa Naka), a high school girl who acquires the ability to literally jump into the past after stumbling upon a mysterious device in the science lab. Being a teen, Makoto uses her new gift for trivial, self-serving adjustments, acing pop quizzes and side-stepping embarrassing situations with ease. But when Makoto begins to realize that her adjustments have consequences for others, she resolves to only use her powers for good, and begins uncovering the mystery behind these strange abilities in the process. A decidedly personal (and relatable) approach to sci-fi fantasy, "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" captures audiences' hearts.

26. Time After Time

This 1979 film may share a name with a melodramatic ballad, but don't be fooled! "Time After Time" is way kookier than anything Cyndi Lauper could dream up. Behold, the plot: "War of the Worlds" author H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) hunts down infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper (David Warner), who has traveled to the 20th century after stealing the writer's time machine. With little interest in its pseudo-science and a romantic subplot that often gets in the way of the suspenseful thrills, "Time After Time" is an odd duck that manages to charm in spite of its idiosyncrasies. Then again, when your lead actors are having this much fun with a premise this bananas, you're bound to conjure up a good degree of movie magic.

25. Timecrimes

Easily scampering away with the best title on this list, "Timecrimes" follows Héctor (Karra Elejalde), a middle-aged nobody whose lazy day is ruined when a blood-soaked madman chases him into a secret lab in the woods. Inside, he meets a suspiciously unfazed scientist (played by writer-director Nacho Vigalondo) who casually instructs Héctor to hide in a big vat of sci-fi liquid. Sure enough, Héctor is launched back in time by one hour, forced to navigate (and solve) a string of disasters perpetrated by different iterations of himself. Few films on this list have a protagonist this stupid. But that is, in effect, part of the charm of "Timecrimes:" Héctor is just some dude who winds up at the center of an increasingly complicated web of cause and effect. Inventive, moody, and effective for its smaller scope and scale, "Timecrimes" is a pure delight.

24. Je t'aime, je t'aime

One of the older films on this list, Alain Resnais' 1968 film blends time travel with romantic obsession. From the director of "Last Year at Marienbad," the film sees a depressed young man named Claude (Claude Rich) reeling after the end of his relationship with Catrine (Olga Georges-Picot). Claude agrees to participate in a human experiment with a time travel device that promises to send its user back in the past by one year, for one minute. But when the machine malfunctions, Claude finds himself stuck reliving his nightmarish past out of sequence. Navigating fluidly through time, memory, and trauma, "Je t'aime, je t'aime" is arguably the most heartbreaking film on this list, an emotionally draining experience that must be seen (and wept over) to be believed.

23. Time Bandits

From the demented, hyper-imaginative mind of director Terry Gilliam, 1981's "Time Bandits" follows a young history nerd named Kevin (Craig Warnock) who is whisked away by six time-hopping criminals on an adventure to steal treasures from different historical eras, thanks to some convenient holes in the fabric of space and time. With whimsy to spare and an approach towards fantasy that charms both kids and adults alike, "Time Bandits" is simultaneously silly as hell and bursting with technical prowess, it contains the absurdism and production design that distinguishes Gilliam's cinematic output.

22. Safety Not Guaranteed

A bizarre ad shows up in the classifieds section of a local Washington newspaper. Someone is looking for a partner to travel back in time with them. They stress that it isn't a joke, and that they have only traveled in time once before. Tasked with covering the ad as an amusing fluff piece, a group of reporters, including the listless college grad Darius (Aubrey Plaza), set off to find and meet this clearly unhinged individual (Mark Duplass).There's no way that this lunatic actually invented a time machine, right? Unapologetically quirky, this indie rom-com could not be more twee if it tried. But sometimes adorable awkward dorks finding happiness and love while trying to journey through the ages together is exactly what the doctor ordered.

21. Il Mare

This 2000 South Korean romantic comedy follows a love story that transcends time itself ... literally. When Eun-joo (Jun Ji-hyun) in "Il Mare" abandons her seaside home for the city, she leaves a card in the mailbox for the next owner so that they can forward her any mail. Two years earlier , a young man named Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae) receives Eun-joo's letter. The pair soon realize that the beach house's mailbox can traverse time and space, and begin a really long-distance relationship. Remade stateside six years later as the Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock romance "The Lake House," Lee Hyun-seung's original is a captivating love story that is worth seeking out.

20. Predestination

Based on Robert A. Heinlein's short story, "Predestination" follows a time-hopping government agent (Ethan Hawke) who is hot on the heels of a serial terrorist equally unstuck in time. In his quest to catch the notorious Fizzle Bomber, the agent allies with a mysterious individual (Sarah Snook) who writes under the pseudonym "The Unmarried Mother." It is difficult, if not impossible, to dig into the "chicken or egg" delights of "Predestination" without giving away key plot details, so you'll just have to seek this one out to see for yourself. It's ambitious, imaginative, and a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a head-scratcher (you may have to whip out a corkboard and some red string once the credits roll).

Did  you  know that Wong Kar-Wai, the acclaimed Hong Kong director behind "Chungking Express" and "Fallen Angels," made a time travel pseudo-sequel to "In the Mood For Love"? If not, you do now. Spanning multiple timelines, real and imagined, "2046" follows a sci-fi author named Chow Mo Wan (Tony Leung) as he writes about, and lives within, a hotel filled with memories. Like much of Wong Kar-Wai's work, "2046" is deeply interested in missed connections, the painful "what-ifs?" that haunt you long after they've come and gone. With aching melancholy, Chow Mo Wan recounts his experiences with the mysterious titular room and all the lost souls who pass through it. Many films can be summarized by the mournful thesis that "love is all a matter of timing," but few are able to tease out the visual poetry of such a statement quite like Wong Kar-Wai.

18. Source Code

Directed by Duncan Jones, who more than proved himself in the sci-fi genre with 2009's "Moon," "Source Code" tells of Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal), a soldier dropped into the body of an unknown man aboard a commuter train en route to Chicago. Soon enough, he realizes his mission: There's a bomb on board, and he's the only one who can prevent the catastrophe from taking place. Reliving the last eight minutes of his host's life again and again, Colter must piece the clues together to thwart further bombings. More action-heavy than many of the films on this list, "Source Code" is a kinetic take on the time loop format grounded by a brilliant and demanding lead performance by Gyllenhaal.

The third feature film from "Knives Out" director Rian Johnson, 2012's "Looper" takes place in a future where mob bosses use time travel to dispose of bodies. Joe Simmons (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is one such time-traveling hitman, raking in the big bucks with dreams of retiring to a quiet life in France. Then, one day during a hit, Joe is shocked to come face-to-face with his future self (Bruce WIllis). A game of cat and mouse ensues, with mob intrigue, paradoxes, and determinism galore. A thinking man's sci-fi time travel thriller, "Looper" will satisfy viewers who enjoy world-building, masterful plotting, and inventive takes on the noir genre.

16. 16. Midnight in Paris

One of the many entries in the "Rachel McAdams is romantically involved with a time traveler" cinematic universe, "Midnight in Paris" follows Gil Pender (Owen Wilson), an aspiring novelist with his head in the clouds who accidentally stumbles through time while vacationing in Paris with his fiancé (McAdams). Brushing shoulders with literary idols, infamous artists, and starry-eyed creatives, Gil soon finds that the draw of the past easily outweighs his obligations to the present. Featuring an all-star ensemble cast and an undeniably charming romantic attitude, "Midnight in Paris" is an enjoyable viewing experience (especially if you cover your eyes and ears when the director/writer credits flash on screen).

15. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

What's a "Harry Potter" film doing on a list of time travel movies? Well, if you'll recall, the third film in the franchise features a third-act plot device called a Time-Turner that allows our wizarding heroes to rewrite history, saving the father figure of hero Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) from a fate worse than death. Sure, the Time-Turner primarily features in the story as a way for bookworm Hermione (Emma Watson) to attend multiple overlapping classes. But, as we'll quickly learn, rules (and the space-time continuum) are meant to be broken. Directed by Mexican New Wave wunderkind Alfonso Cuarón, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" follows Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione as they contend with yet another life-threatening development: the escape of notorious convict Sirius Black (Gary Oldman).

14. Donnie Darko

A moody teen named Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) narrowly avoids being incinerated by a plane crashing into his bedroom when he is lured outside by a giant, demonic-looking bunny rabbit. You know. Typical teen stuff. The rabbit, Frank (James Duval), informs Donnie that the whole world is going to end in less than a month. As Frank continues to pull the strings of Donnie's life, the teen is nudged to commit mischief, arson, and yes, time travel. Famously confusing, with tangential universes and deterministic quandaries galore, "Donnie Darko" is the kind of film that will make your brain hurt ... hopefully in a good way. Featuring one of the greatest soundtracks of the 1990s (INXS and Tears for Fears? In this economy ?), Richard Kelly's "Donnie Darko" is one of the defining films of the early 2000s.

13. Arrival

While Ted Chiang's 1998 short story was long thought to be unfilmable, director Denis Villeneuve has a talent for bringing high concept stories to the screen (there's a reason he was drawn to "Dune"). In Villeneuve's 2016 film "Arrival," a renowned linguist named Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is summoned to assist with a bizarre development: Twelve mysterious, smooth-edged alien crafts have touched down across the world. It's up to Dr. Banks to devise a way to communicate with the beings inside the craft and determine if the extraterrestrial visitors are friends or foes. As Dr. Banks discovers, the key to cracking the code may lie in the aliens' nonlinear experience of time. A quiet masterpiece that benefits from repeated viewings, "Arrival" is an intelligent and hopeful slice of science fiction.

12. Palm Springs

Some time travel films see folks hurtling forward (or backward) in time. Others, like 2020's "Palm Springs," have time travelers moving in circles over and over again. One of the most inventive spins on the time loop sub-genre, Max Barbakow's feature film debut follows Nyles (Andy Samberg), a man who has been attending the same wedding over and over again in sunny Palm Springs. After Nyles is shot with an arrow during an impulsive hook-up with Sarah (Cristin Milioti), the depressed maid-of-honor joins the nihilistic Nyles in perpetually sun-drenched purgatory. Released during the beginning of the pandemic when every day really did feel the same, "Palm Springs" embraces the Sisyphean metaphor inherent in the time loop structure.

11. Planet of the Apes

Now, look. If this film's inclusion on this list has you scratching your head, that can only mean one of two things: You haven't seen the original "Planet of the Apes" film,  or you've been living under a pop-culture rock and have somehow avoided stumbling across the iconic twist ending of the 1968 sci-fi classic. Indeed, as we learn at the film's end, our resilient hero George Taylor (Charlton Heston) hasn't actually traveled through space at all ... just time. Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, "Planet of the Apes" couches some genuine existential horror in the seemingly campy premise promised by its title. It's an oldie but a goodie that will reward the patient viewer with one of the greatest rug-pulls sci-fi filmmaking has to offer.

10. Interstellar

Are all movies set in space time travel movies? It's certainly a question worth asking. Aging in a relativistic biological space-time is one hell of a drug, after all. Without getting too deep into Albert Einstein's twin paradox , long story short: We age slower when we're zipping about in space. Christopher Nolan's 2014 sci-fi film "Interstellar" not only features some heartbreaking moments of time dilation, but a third act reveal that the power of love can bend the fabric of space and time itself. The film begins with an apocalyptic scenario: A global blight is turning Earth into a pile of ash and dust. A plan forms to find humanity a new home planet and a team, including former NASA test pilot Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), is sent out into the galaxy to scout the three potential candidates. Operatic, inventive, and brimming with intergalactic spectacle, "Interstellar" is an epic space saga of the highest quality.

9. 12 Monkeys

In the alarmingly not-too-distant future of 2035, mankind has been driven underground by a deadly viral pandemic. James Cole (Bruce Willis), a mild-mannered, soft-spoken convict, "volunteers" to act as a time-traveling guinea pig. His mission is to voyage back to 1996, the year of the outbreak, and discover its cause. However, when Cole is accidentally transported back too far into the past, his sweaty warnings about the impending disaster come across as the ravings of a lunatic, and he is promptly incarcerated in a mental health facility. There, he meets two individuals who will profoundly impact not only his life, but the future of the human race: a compassionate psychiatrist and a fellow mental patient who just so happens to be the son of a prominent virologist. Directed by the imaginative former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam, "12 Monkeys" balances its gritty surreal gait with an uncomfortable degree of plausibility.

8. Edge of Tomorrow

Arguably the greatest video game movie ever made (despite not being directly based on any one particular video game), "Edge of Tomorrow" (also known by its more plot-accurate title "Live, Die, Repeat") tells of a future in which mankind is engaged in an apocalyptic battle with an alien force that is giving humanity a real run for its money. Major Bill Cage (Tom Cruise), a smooth-talking PR man who's never held a gun (or piloted a mech-suit), finds himself on the frontlines of a naval landing meant to turn the tide. The catastrophic invasion quickly claims the life of the inexperienced Cage, who dies slathered in the corrosive blood of an especially large alien foe. Then Cage wakes up, startled to find that he is very much alive and apparently stuck in a time loop reliving the disastrous day of the invasion over and over again. With creative action set pieces and an inventive approach to the time-loop sub-genre, "Edge of Tomorrow" is a tremendous amount of fun.

7. Run Lola Run

On the face of it, "Run Lola Run" doesn't seem to be an obvious entry in science fiction cinema. The 1998 German film follows a young woman (the titular Lola, played by Franka Potente), whose forgetful boyfriend Manni (Moritz Bleibtreau) accidentally leaves a big chunk of change on a subway car that belongs to a dangerous criminal. It's up to Lola to rustle up the funds and rendezvous with Manni in 20 minutes to avoid disaster. Over the course of the film, we witness three different timelines of Lola's sprint, each deviating significantly thanks to the butterfly effect. Experimental, kinetic, and brimming with undeniable 1990s energy, "Run Lola Run" is a breezy, fast-paced meditation on chaos theory, determinism, and all the mind-breaking side effects time travel entails. "Run Lola Run" might not have a time machine, but its detailed, hyper-specific concern with the fallout of how small decisions shape our lives more than justifies its presence on this list.

6. La Jetée

Directed by the prolific experimental filmmaker Chris Marker, this 1962 French-language film may be short, clocking in at just under 30 minutes, but its influence on science fiction cinema is vast. "La Jetée" follows an unnamed man (Davos Hanich), a prisoner of a future war that has driven all survivors below the surface to survive the post-apocalypse. Tapped as a reluctant test subject to be launched back in time (presumably to learn more about and ultimately prevent World War III), the man is hurtled backward and forward through the decades in search of a solution to humanity's "present" predicament. If this brief plot synopsis sounds familiar, that's because "La Jetée" served as the source material for the aforementioned "12 Monkeys." Still, the 1962 film stands on its own and is absolutely worth checking out, even if you're only familiar with Terry Gilliam's quasi-remake.

5. Groundhog Day

One of the best "time loop" films and one of the best romantic comedies of all time, 1993's "Groundhog Day" follows a grumpy, self-centered weatherman named Phil (Bill Murray) who is dispatched to a small town to cover the titular rodent-related holiday. To Phil's horror (and our amusement), the cranky newsman finds that he can't leave the humble borders of Punxsutawney even if there weren't a snowstorm. Trapped reliving the same day over and over again, Phil's anger and despair eventually transform into something far more endearing and productive. A comedy classic that makes full use of Murray's dual mastery of crankiness and charm, "Groundhog Day" is a cinematic gem worth revisiting again (and again and again).

4. The Terminator

The original 1984 "Terminator" film is the real deal. Straddling genres with mercurial ease (Is it a slasher? Science fiction tech-noir? All of the above?), "The Terminator" follows Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), who finds herself the target of a nightmarish foe: a machine wearing the flesh of a man, tasked to kill her. Unbeknownst to her, Sarah is going to give birth to the leader of the human resistance in an impending machine-led apocalypse. And while the titular muscle-bound hunk of junk (Arnold Schwarzenegger) aims to kill her son before he can be conceived, an agent of the resistance (Michael Biehn) has been tasked to protect her. Textured, brutal, and methodical, "The Terminator" is the slow-stalking progenitor of its much more bombastic follow-ups. Respect where respect is due, we say.

3. Your Name

Do you know what all of these films about time travel were missing? If you answered "romantic comedy body-swapping" you are correct . Directed by Makoto Shinkai (who readers may know from his 2019 film "Weathering with You"), "Your Name" follows the story of two 17-year-old high schoolers, Taki (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and Mitsuha (Mone Kamishiraishi) who repeatedly switch bodies at random. To say much more, or how the story relates to time travel, would give too much away. Suffice to say, "Your Name" was a runaway commercial success , surpassing the international box office of "Spirited Away" and garnering critical praise to match. If you like to cry, "Your Name" is the film for you — a heartbreaking and visually stunning story that features some of the most strikingly well-realized teenage characters in cinema, animated or otherwise.

2. Terminator 2: Judgment Day

"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" holds a number of high-octane superlatives: it's one of the best time travel films of all time, one of the best sci-fi action films ever made, and one of the best sequels. Taking a decidedly punchier approach than its moodier horror-adjacent predecessor, "Terminator 2" sees John Connor, leader of the human resistance against the AI apocalypse, sending Arnold Schwarzenegger's unstoppable machine back in time to protect his younger self (Edward Furlong). After breaking John's survivalist mom Sarah (Linda Hamilton) out of a psychiatric institution, the trio set off to prevent doomsday before it can happen. Hot on their heels is the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), an advanced AI assassin capable of morphing its liquid-metal body to imitate anyone it pleases. Packing a genuinely emotional center into its back-to-back action sequences and time-defying special effects, "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" deserves all the praise it receives.

1. Back to the Future

Spunky teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) joins his senior citizen pal, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) for a nighttime science experiment: a test drive of a time machine that also happens to be a DeLorean. But an unexpected run-in with a gang of terrorists sends Marty fleeing to the year 1955. Through no fault of his own, Marty accidentally threatens his own existence by forming a love triangle with his own parents that would make Freud spin in his grave like a wind turbine. It's up to Marty to make his own parents fall in love and reconnect with the younger version of Doc Brown to find a way back ... to the future. Full of crackerjack silliness and goofy plotting, the secret strength of "Back to the Future" is its simple message that your parents, believe it or not, are people too. Bouncy and full of the charm that makes director Robert Zemeckis a pillar of the 1980s, "Back to the Future" is pure candy-coated perfection.

The Best Time Travel Movies for a Brief Escape from 2023

We don't have time machines yet, so these films are the next best thing.

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Add these titles to your watch list to awaken the time traveler within you. From Japanese animations to over-the-top comedies to dramas saturated with social commentary, these films all have one thing in common: They'll boggle your mind and make you think, while keeping you entertained. But remember, no matter how cool it looks to fly in a time-traveling spaceship, the present moment is and always will be the most important time there is.

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Before anyone tries to suggest that 13 Going on 30 isn't a time travel movie, I'd like to point out that Jenna Rink seamlessly moves between the present and the future, navigating alternate timelines with ease. In this female-led riff on the Big story, Jenna Rink wishes to escape high school and become “thirty, flirty, and thriving.” With the help of a little magic wishing dust, Jenna gets her dream, waking up in the future as a successful magazine writer who looks just like Jennifer Garner. However, she's lost touch with her childhood bestie Matty (Mark Ruffalo), and she can't help but wonder what could have been.

Watch Now on Prime Video

Tenet (2020)

Christopher Nolan's epic sci-fi flick stars Denzel Washington's son, John David Washington, as The Protagonist, a former CIA agent enlisted with stopping World War III, which is no mean feat. In order to prevent the world's total destruction, The Protagonist learns to bend time, leading to some pretty trippy storylines. Robert Pattinson and The Crown 's Elizabeth Debicki co-star.

Meet Cute (2022)

Kaley Cuoco and Pete Davidson make a delightful couple in Peacock's deliciously dark romantic comedy Meet Cute . Cuoco plays Sheila, a woman having suicidal thoughts until she discovers a time machine in the back of a nail salon. Chronically unlucky in love, Sheila decides to go back in time 24 hours so that she can re-live her first date with Gary (Davidson), trying to create the perfect evening each time. However, the ability to time travel comes with some drawbacks, and the temptation to mess with history is pretty overbearing, especially in the search for true love.

Watch Now on Peacock

About Time (2013)

Richard Curtis' About Time employs time travel in an extremely inventive way to tell a (probably sweet) love story; though there's been much discourse around the story's portrayal of consent, or lack thereof. The movie follows Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), a man looking for love, who inherits the ability to travel through time from his father. Using his newfound gift, Tim courts Mary (Rachel McAdams), attempting to build a relationship in spite of any obstacles in the way.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass star in this intriguing indie film about the possibility of time travel. Plaza plays an aspiring journalist who takes on a very strange assignment involving a bizarre personal ad. “You'll get paid after we get back,” it reads. “Must bring your own weapons. I have only done this once before. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED.” What starts as an unlikely hoax soon challenges everyone's beliefs about the ability to travel through time.

Watch Now on Amazon

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

2017's Happy Death Day delighted fans with its innovative twist on the time loop comedy. 2019's Happy Death Day 2U takes the concept to another level, and will have time travel aficionados screaming. Having escaped from her original time loop, Tree (Jessica Rothe) finds herself being hunted by the Babyface killer once more. After one of Tree's classmates develops an experimental quantum reactor, Tree finds herself caught in a brand new loop, and she's forced to find even more inventive ways to escape.

Needle in a Timestack (2021)

Needle in a Timestack is a romantic drama presenting an alternate future in which the rich are able to time travel for fun. However, these “time jaunts” have very real consequences, and often send ripples through the lives of the less wealthy. The film focuses on a happily married couple whose relationship is threatened when a wealthy ex decides to tamper with the timeline. The all-star cast includes Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom, Leslie Odom Jr., and Freida Pinto.

Watch Now on Apple TV

Kate & Leopold (2001)

Kate & Leopold stars Hugh Jackman as a 19th century duke who is accidentally transported to 21st century New York by one of his ancestors. Amateur physicist Stuart discovers that he can use gravitational time portals, bringing Leopold to the present day without meaning to. Stuart's ex-girlfriend Kate (Meg Ryan) hilariously hits it off with Leopold, despite the fact that he's set to travel back to his own time period the following week.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Before dedicating his life to the Avatar franchise , James Cameron was responsible for a plethora of fun blockbusters, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day . Expanding upon the first film, Sarah Connor, played by Linda Hamilton, finds herself targeted by Skynet once again. This time, a killer T-1000 Terminator is sent back in time to assassinate Sarah's teenage son, John (Edward Furlong), the future leader of the resistance. Meanwhile, a reprogrammed, and much funnier, T-800 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is sent back to protect Connor. Easily the best installment in the franchise.

Watch Now on HBO Max

Mirai (2018)

The Japanese animated film Mirai is a dreamy adventure fantasy about a four-year-old boy named Kun, who starts feeling neglected when his little sister is born. Fleeing to the garden of his new house, Kun accidentally discovers a time travel portal. Throughout his wondrous journey, Kun encounters his mother as a child, and his little sister as an adult, learning so much about his family in the process.

Watch Now on Netflix

When We First Met (2018)

Noah (Adam DeVine) regrets missing his chance with Avery (Alexandra Daddario), especially when she meets her future fiancé, Ethan, the very next day. At Avery and Ethan's engagement party, an incredibly drunk Noah ends up in a photo booth, which transports him back in time. Hoping for a second chance, Noah uses the photo booth on multiple occasions, but he ends up altering the course of everyone's lives in the process, for better and worse.

Last Night in Soho (2021)

Edgar Wright's dazzling psychological thriller follows aspiring fashion designer Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie), who manages to time travel back to the 1960s. There, she meets Sandie, a striking woman trying to get her start as a singer. Ellie's fashion designs become infused with the glamour she witnesses in the '60s, as well as the darkness she finds there. Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith co-star.

The Lake House (2006)

After demonstrating some intense chemistry in Speed , Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves reunited for 2006's The Lake House , a romantic drama with a time travel twist. Architect Alex (Reeves) and doctor Kate (Bullock) find themselves living in the same house, but years apart. By some magical turn of events, they're able to communicate by writing letters to one another via the Lake House's mailbox. Despite the distance between them, Alex and Kate strike up a romance thanks to their time traveling letters.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

A list of the best time travel movies wouldn't be complete with at least one of the Bill & Ted movies on it. 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure is responsible for launching Keanu Reeves's career, and it remains one of the most enjoyable films from the era. In the first movie, Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are failing history, until they magically discover a phone booth that just so happens to be a time machine. The academically-challenged pair meet some of history's most important figures, who they enlist to help with their dreaded school assignment.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Groundhog Day may belong in the "time loop" sub-genre of time travel movies, but it most definitely deserves a place on this list. Bill Murray's performance as disgruntled weatherman Phil is literally iconic, and the fun begins when he's set to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the annual Groundhog Day event. Unfortunately for Phil, his worst nightmare is realized when he wakes up the next morning to find that he must relive February 2 again. The hilarious time loop is made even better by Murray's co-star, Andie MacDowell.

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Back To The Future (1985)

This classic sets the scene for all time-travel movies that came after it. When 17-year-old high school student Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) hops into in a time-traveling car invented by his scientist friend Doc (Christopher Lloyd), he is accidentally sent 30 years into the past. From the moment he lands in 1955, Marty just wants to get back to the future. So, he embarks on a hysterical adventure to ensure his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love so that he can get back to life as he knows it. There are two sequels to the film, Back to the Future Part II and Back to the Future Part III , all of which deserve their own plaque in the time travel movie hall of fame too.

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Avengers: End Game (2019)

The dramatic finale to The Infinity Saga (comprised of 23 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), Avengers: Endgame pulls out all the stops. This epic showdown between the Avengers and Thanos uses newly discovered time travel technology to give the Earth's Mightiest Heroes a chance to win another battle. When Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) devises a time-bending strategy to gather all the Infinity stones, he enlists the help of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to build a special device to time-jump. But with his new priorities as a family man, Tony is wary of altering history in any major way. So, instead of going back in time, they decide to bring back their fallen friends into their current timeline, five years later. Once reunited, the Avengers assemble to restore balance to the universe.

Watch Now on Disney+

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

This surreal A24 sci-fi flick is a brilliant take on the multiverse. Teeming with enchanting visuals, the action film features a Chinese-American woman named Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) who co-owns a little laundromat with her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). She feels trapped in an unfulfilling marriage and is struggling to make ends meet. However, when she accidentally discovers the multiverse, she is granted an opportunity to reach her full potential. While a tale of time travel, EEAAO is ultimately a story of self discovery. Directors Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (collectively nicknamed “The Daniels”) are the minds behind this epic inter-dimensional adventure, which brings to light the powers hidden within every individual. You may want to consider the advice of one viewer who said, “Don’t do drugs, watch this instead.”

See You Yesterday (2019)

An amalgamation of time travel fantasy, political critique, and powerful family ties, See You Yesterday is a movie you don't want to miss. Produced by Spike Lee and directed by Stefon Bristol, who was taken under Professor Lee's wing while attending NYU's graduate film program, the story features two prestigious teenagers who spend all their spare time working on scientific inventions that eventually lead them to develop time travel technology. When her brother is caught in a fatal encounter with the police, Claudette “CJ” Walker (Eden Duncan-Smith) builds two time machines that can help her and her friend Sebastian (Danté Crichlow) change the series of events that lead to CJ’s brother getting killed. But their experience leads them to time travel's greatest truth: All actions have a ripple effect that can change the present moment in unseen ways. The film critically engages with police brutality and was made by a team of creators of predominantly African descent to bring you this time-travel adventure that will leave you entertained, engaged, and inspired.

Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)

Hot tubs have a good reputation for their steamy bubbles and even steamier memories. But what if they also doubled as time travel devices? This hilarious guilty-pleasure comedy features three pals who are caught in a rut in their adulthood, from being freshly dumped by a girlfriend, to being stuck in a dead-end job, to drinking away the sorrows of having accomplished absolutely nothing by the age of 40. Needless to say, these friends could all use a life upgrade. Luckily, when they venture into a magic hot tub at a winter resort, they accidentally travel back to 1986 and are given a second chance at life. Their tumultuous journey through the past leads them to be more conscious about the future. Plus, they have the opportunity to do a few things differently. When the hot tub teleports them back into the present day, each of them is better than they left off. Most hot tubs leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, but this one took it to a whole other level.

Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness , and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.

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15 Best Movies About Japan To Watch (In 2024)

• by Jonny Duncan
• January 2, 2024 January 12, 2024

These are some of the best movies about Japan to watch to help understand the country before visiting or just for general viewing.

First of all, you may be wondering what a backpacking website has to do with Japanese movies. Well, I’ve been a huge fan of Japanese movies since I went to film college when I saw them for the first time, and for the past 25+ years have watched all the movies listed here, and many more.

I always recommend to other travellers to watch movies about the places they intend to travel to before going to understand the place better, which is why I do articles like this, especially as my Japanese guides are some of the most popular ones on my site.

Note: I own none of the images in this post. They are used in fair usage terms to discuss the movies.

Movies About Japan

Naturally, there are plenty more great movies about Japan to watch other than just these, but these are my personal favourites and span all genres from the old classics to modern greats.

They are a mix of mostly Japanese movies and a few foreign movies made in Japan that are about the country.

Firstly, I’ve added links to where you can watch these movies and they are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use the links. This helps me with keeping my website running. Thanks!

Also a top tip : You can get a 1-month free trial of Amazon Prime (get with that link) where you can watch many of these movies about Japan for free and then cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want to continue.

Drive My Car (2021)

I’ve updated this list since first publishing it a few years ago to reflect some other recent movies and Drive My Car is number one on this list now.

If you were to watch just one recent movie about Japan then make it this one. It’s the best Japanese movie I’ve seen in a while.

It follows an actor whose wife dies and in dealing with his grief he ends up getting new work and needs a driver to help get him around. That driver is a young 20-year-old woman and they develop a special relationship over time and in doing so it helps him.

A lot of this movie is set inside a car which may not sound so exciting but the dialogue between the two is brilliant. Highly recommended.

Watch it here:

Seven Samurai (1954)

This is a masterpiece in Japanese cinema and is directed by legendary director Akira Kurosawa.

It’s a story about a samurai who is down on his luck and recruits 6 other samurai to help in the defence of a village from bandits when asked to.

The villagers, in turn, provide meals and a place to stay for the samurai.

There’s an epic fight sequence at the end of the movie.

This movie won’t be to everyone’s liking as it’s three and a half hours long and can be slow in parts.

But if you appreciate beautiful cinema and directing and have an interest in the times of the samurai in Japan then this is a must-watch.

Watch to see one of the best movies about samurai ever made and for what it was like during the times of the samurai.

It’s one of the best movies about Japan in feudal times and one of the best Japanese fighting movies.

Spirited Away (2001)

This list would not be complete without including animated movies. Even if you don’t like animation you should watch it at least once before going to Japan, as they are such a big part of the modern-day culture there.

Spirited Away is one of the best Japanese anime movies you could watch and is directed by the legendary animation director Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli fame.

It’s about a ten-year-old girl who wanders into an old amusement park in the countryside with her parents, who are turned into pigs, and she then has to work in a bathhouse for gods to be free and free her parents.

It won the Best Animated Feature at the 2003 Oscars. Watch Spirited Away to see how great Japanese animation can be.

Black Rain (1989)

Ok, Black Rain (directed by Ridley Scott) may be a hit-and-miss movie for some people out there but I loved the setting of Osaka in this movie. It has become a cult classic movie about Japan although, upon its initial release, it had mixed reviews.

The first 15 minutes or so starts in New York City and the rest is set in Osaka, Japan, which is one of my favourite cities in the country.

It’s about a New York cop (Michael Douglas) who has to transport a Yakuza gangster from the city back to Osaka. But things go wrong on arrival there and the gangster escapes and he must team up with a local Japanese detective (Ken Takakura)to track him down.

The scenes in Osaka are brilliant giving a good look at the city and also the culture clash between the west and the east.

Shin Godzilla (2016)

No list of movies about Japan would be complete without a Godzilla movie. The original classic Godzilla movie is from 1953 and is worth watching, but my personal recent favourite is the more recent Shin Godzilla, or Shin Gojira in Japanese, which is the staggering 31st instalment in the Godzilla film series and the third reboot of the franchise.

Unlike many previous Godzilla films, “Shin Godzilla” presents a unique origin story for the iconic monster. The creature evolves and adapts rapidly, going through different forms and stages throughout the movie.

Naturally, being a Godzilla movie, there is a lot of rampaging through the city and mass destruction. It also shows the Japanese government’s response to the attack and a rag band group of volunteers who try to unravel the mystery of the monster and its weaknesses.

Tip: You can get a 1-month free trial of Amazon Prime (get with that link) where you can watch these movies about Japan if you don’t already have an account.

Battle Royale (2000)

Get ready for some fun but also gross youth culture of the future. Japan is brilliant for all things weird and horror-related when it comes to movies and Battle Royale is a perfect example of this.

It’s about a teenage school class that is taken to an island by the authorities and each is given different weapons. They are then told that the last one alive will be allowed to leave the island.

It’s brilliant for mixing typical Japanese cuteness, and youth culture, along with a lot of violence.

Rated as one of the best modern Japanese movies.

Tokyo Story (1953)

A beautiful story about an elderly couple who go to visit their family in Tokyo, only to discover that their children have such busy lives they don’t have much time to see them.

It shows the growing differences in Japanese culture between the old and the young. It’s a slow movie, but the acting and general ambience make it worth the watch.

One of the best Japanese drama movies and a great movie about Japanese history in Tokyo after WW2.

Also, a must-see if looking for movies about Japanese culture in general. It was directed by legendary Japanese director Ozu .

Akira (1988)

As great as Spirited Away is, Akira is the movie that put Japanese animation into the mainstream.

It’s about a cyberpunk motorbike gang set in neo-Tokyo in the future, where one of their members has an accident against a child with special psychic powers that he then gains himself.

This is an epic piece of animation. If you were ever to see just one animation in your life then this would be a good choice and it’s one of the best-animated movies about Japan.

I’m personally adding it here as it’s the movie that got me into Japanese animation as a teenager and influenced many other people as well.

Audition (1999)

The end scene alone is what makes this movie so good and equally sick in one. Japanese horror is some of the best, but it’s hard to put this movie into a category. It certainly gets very horrific and psychotic as it goes along.

A widowed man interviews (auditions) various women to see who he likes, and then the one he ends up choosing turns out, in the end, to be not what he was expecting at all.

It could be called a very f**ked-up Japanese romance movie.

Just be prepared for that spine-shivering end scene. A brilliant slow build-up throughout.

Ringu (1998)

Japanese horror movies can easily out-beat many of Hollywood. Hollywood does remakes of them a lot, such as The Ring.

It’s about a girl’s ghost who was viciously murdered by her dad and now haunts those who watch a video she has possessed, where they then have 7 days to find out how they won’t die from having seen it.

Discover one of the coolest Japanese horror movies. Although there are plenty of others out there also worth seeing for this genre.

Harakiri (1962)

Another samurai movie (let’s be honest samurai movies are awesome for action and history) that starts on the slow side but the story builds up to an epic ending.

It’s set in the early 17th century in the Edo period.

It’s about a samurai who has no master (a ronin) and wishes to commit suicide (seppuku) in the traditional Japanese way having had problems with his family.

At the House of Li Samurai Clan, he recalls the family story in the courtyard of what happened. The ending is so epic you need to see it just for that. It’s that slow build-up that helps make the ending so great.

Departures (2009)

Departures won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film and is definitely worthy of it (not that you need an Academy Award to have great movies)

The plot revolves around Daigo Kobayashi who finds out the orchestra he is a part of is disbanding (after he just bought a new cello).

He leaves his home to go back to the far north of Japan where his family is from and ends up working in a mortuary where he learns how to get the dead ready for their end in life with traditional Japanese rituals.

Ichi The Killer (2001)

If you enjoy gangster-style yakuza movies with lots of violence then you will love this one! It’s not for everyone though, but it has obtained a ‘cult status’ as a movie in a similar vein to Battle Royale mentioned earlier.

It’s about a psychotic killer who is enrolled in the Japanese mafia (yakuza) to find a boss who has been kidnapped. Watch for an example of Japanese cinema pushing the boundaries.

Lost In Translation (2003)

A non-Japanese film about two Americans visiting Tokyo for different reasons. They don’t know each other but end up having adventures in Tokyo together.

It’s fun to watch the older (Bill Murray) and younger (Scarlett Johansson) learn about Japanese life and some of the “funnier things” they are not used to.

The film title says it all. Want to know what complete culture shock can feel like before going to Japan? Then this is the movie to see.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is not a movie about Japan but is a brilliant documentary based around Jiro Ono an 85-year-old sushi master, one of the best sushi chefs in Japan (if not the world), and his son who tries to follow in his father’s footsteps.

Jiro runs a small sushi restaurant in a Tokyo subway that only takes several people at a time. It’s also a Michelin award-winning place and there’s a long wait to get a seat there (months).

My favourite Japanese food documentary. If you love sushi and Tokyo then this is a must-watch.

The Best Movies About Japan

So those are some of the best movies about Japan to watch spanning a lot of genres plus a few extras.

If you’re looking for Japanese movies in English don’t worry these can all be found dubbed over but it’s better to watch them in Japanese with subtitles for a more authentic experience with the language.

Again a top tip: You can get a 1-month free trial of Amazon Prime (get with that link) where you can watch many of these movies about Japan for free and then cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want to continue.

Enjoy whichever movies about Japan you choose to see!

Have a read of the 20 best Japanese samurai movies I recommend watching.

And the 15 best documentaries about Japan .

Planning to visit Japan? Get a Japan Rail Pass (get one with that link) to save money on the fast Shinkansen trains.

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Hi, I’ve found your choice interesting, for many of these movied I haven’t watched yet (and some I havent even heard about as I’m not very much into horrors 🙂 From my part I would add “Samurai Twillight” (Tasogare Seibei) and “Farewells” (Okuribito), my absolute (not only Japanese) favourites.

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Japan’s movies and culture are very interesting, a very talented country.

Great post for us. Hoping to read your next exclusive article. so thank you.

Wow! its a imagine post. This is so helpful for us. Thanks for.

Wow! its a imagine post. This is so helpful for us. Thanks for

Movies can drive a story in such a way that every one of us can easily connect to it.

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15 Best Time Travel Movies & Shows to Stream Now

May 6, 2022

Time travel, much like magic wands or fairy godmothers, seems like something out of stories and not real life. While that may ( or may not ) be true, that doesn’t make it any less fascinating. 

Even though the events in time travel movies and shows are improbable (though not proven to be entirely impossible ), getting the chance to go back and fix wrong decisions or save someone important is something we all have fantasized about. 

Whether you’re into infinite time loops or races to prevent apocalyptic events, Hulu is the place to find some of the best time travel movies and shows.

Time Travel Movies on Hulu

In 2074, the mob has gotten… creative in how they handle hits. When they’re ready to “get rid of” someone, they simply send them to the past where specialized assassins, called “Loopers,” are waiting in the middle of the desert to finish the job. Eventually, every looper has to “close the loop” or, in other words, murder their future self to protect the secrets of their trade—but what happens when a looper’s future self outsmarts them?

Watch: Looper

Fast forward 45 years into the future. The earth has been destroyed by climate change, forcing humanity to live on artificial oxygen that is causing an incurable illness in humans. The only hope for the future of humankind comes in the form of one message: “Send Ethan Whyte.” In this pulse-pounding sci-fi thriller , Ethan Whyte (Kodi Smit-McPhee), an underground tunnel worker, is called to the future to finish the job his scientist father started.   

Watch: 2067

Demolition Man

In 1996, Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes), one of the world’s most prolific criminals and his arresting officer, John Spartan (Sylvester Stalone), aka “The Demolition Man,” were sentenced to life in a cryogenic prison meant to reprogram their violent nature. Decades later, in a utopian, post-apocalyptic society, Phoenix is unfrozen for a parole hearing and escapes. With a police force that has forsaken violence in any form, no one is able to catch him—no one except The Demolition Man.

Watch: Demolition Man

Peggy Sue Got Married

Back in high school, Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) was completely infatuated with her boyfriend (now husband), Charlie (Nicholas Cage). However, just before their high school reunion, Charlie runs off with another woman, sparking a divorce and forcing Peggy Sue to rethink her entire life. When Peggy Sue passes out at the reunion, she wakes up in her high school gymnasium—as a senior in high school. With the chance to live her life over again, will Peggy Sue make the same choices, romantic and otherwise?   

Watch: Peggy Sue Got Married

Time Loop Movies

Groundhog day.

We can’t talk about time loops without mentioning the most iconic time loop movie ever— Groundhog Day . 

Disgruntled weatherman Phil Conners (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover Groundhog Day and report on whether or not the groundhog sees his shadow. Upset by the assignment, Phil is glad when the day is over. But, when he wakes up in the morning and it’s Groundhog Day…again, Phil decides to use it to his advantage—until he realizes he could be stuck in this time loop forever.

Watch: Groundhog Day *

*Groundhog Day requires STARZ® on Hulu add-on subscription.

Palm Springs

When Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have an interrupted encounter while at a wedding in Palm Springs, they find themselves waking up to the same day over and over again. When faced with this situation, there’s only one thing to do—whatever you want. 

In this outlandish and hilarious romantic comedy , Nyles and Sarah have free reign over the wedding day—and they make the most of it. However, eventually even a rule-free life has to come to an end. The only problem is that no one knows how to end it.

Watch: Palm Springs

In one of the best movies on Hulu , former special forces agent, Roy Pulver (Frank Grillo) gets trapped in a time loop that forces him to relive his assassination day over and over again. As he fights through each somewhat new day, Roy discovers a secret government project that may explain his repeated death. The more times he dies, the closer he gets to discovering the truth, saving his ex-wife and son, and staying alive.

Watch: Boss Level

Time Travel TV Shows

While you may not be able to watch time travel favorite, Manifest on Hulu anymore, that doesn’t mean all time travel shows are in the past. From Hulu Original Future Man , to Rick and Morty , check out our favorite time travel shows streaming now on Hulu.

From Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg comes the Hulu Original Series , Future Man , which follows Josh Futturman, aka “Future Man” (see what we did there?), in his attempt to save the human race. 

Josh (Josh Hutcherson), a janitor in a medical research facility, is an avid gamer—but when he beats “Bionic Wars,” he learns his favorite futuristic video game isn’t just futuristic, it is the future. When tasked with saving the world before it’s wiped out, Josh must use his gaming skills to defeat his former boss and protect humankind from a terrible fate.

Watch: Future Man

Cole (Aaron Stanford), a time traveler from a post-apocalyptic future, has traveled back in time in hopes of preventing a deadly plague that wiped out 7 billion people. The virus was released by an elusive organization called the “Army of the 12 Monkeys,” whose leader, “The Witness,” is a mystery and the key to saving humanity. Cole, with the help of renowned virologist Cassie Railly (Amanda Schull), must find The Witness and prevent him from unleashing the virus before it’s too late.  

Watch: 12 Monkeys

On November 22, 1963, the world was rocked by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Based on the novel by Stephen King, 11.22.63 follows Jake Epping (James Franco) as he’s asked to do the impossible—travel back in time to solve the mystery of JFK’s death and perhaps, even prevent it from happening. However, changing the course of history can have devastating effects on the present. Can Jake solve the mystery without disrupting the future? 

Watch: 11.22.63

Time travel is real. The past can be altered. The future is in danger. 

When scientist Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer) discovers that time travel is real and, at the same time, that a man has stolen a time machine and is going back in time to change history, her world is turned upside down overnight. Alongside a soldier and a history professor, Lucy travels to the past in order to apprehend the man and save the future from a catastrophe before everything is erased.

Watch: Timeless

Rick & Morty

Rick, a scientific genius and alcoholic, and Morty, Rick’s average teenage grandson, embark on dangerous and mind-bending adventures into alien worlds , alternate dimensions, and infinite universes. The adult animated show follows the pair as they cause mayhem and get into trouble across the multiverse and at home. 

Watch: Rick and Morty

Time Travel Anime

Japanese anime , InuYasha , follows Kagome Higurashi, a 15-year-old girl living at a historic Japanese shrine, who just so happens to be the reincarnation of ancient priestess Kikyo, guardian of the Shikon no Tama, or Jewel of Four Souls. When Kagome accidentally falls into a well, she’s thrust back to feudal Japan in order to help young half-demon InuYasha find the scattered shards of the Shikon Jewel and protect it from the demons who seek it.   

Watch: InuYasha

Steins;Gate

Okabe Rintarou, or self-proclaimed Crazy Mad Scientist Hououin Kyouma, and his team of university science students are working on a device to send messages to the past. Much to their surprise, it works! Once the device is operational, Okabe and his team must stop an evil organization from carrying out their diabolical plans.

Watch: Steins;Gate

29-year-old Satoru Fujinuma is a struggling manga artist with a secret and strange ability—he can travel back in time to the moment before something life-threatening happens and is forced to continue doing so until the event is prevented. 

In this limited series , Satoru and his mother are in a deadly accident. In hopes of saving his mother, Satoru travels back in time, but finds himself traveling all the way back to his childhood, where he uncovers a series of events that led to his mother’s death.

Watch: Erased

Feel like traveling back in time yourself? We’ve got you covered—check out the nostalgic blasts from the past in our watchlists featuring shows from the 80s , 90s , 2000s , and old-school MTV.

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Top 20 Best Time Travel Anime Series & Movies

Here’s a question: what’s your favorite time travel anime? Are there even enough good titles in this sci-fi subgenre?

It isn’t filled to the brim each season unlike with the case of isekai titles, but it’s not impossible to find some great ones.

If you’re in the mood for some mind-boggling twists and turns (or even minor time travel elements in an otherwise typical anime) check out my list below.

And fair warning: spoilers ahead(in some cases). Some titles here have time travel itself as a key turning point or surprise in the series, so if you don’t want to know any more just skim the titles and pick one that interests you!

20. Nobunaga Concerto

I’m going to start with Nobunaga Concerto, an anime that does have time travel — but is also more of an isekai.

This is why I’m including it on my list but, but not the highest for sure. So what’s it all about?

As you may have already guessed, it involves Oda Nobunaga . Arguably one of the most popular Japanese historical figures.

He was a brutal leader, but he was also brilliant and a key figure in the reunification of Japan.

But Nobunaga isn’t the OP. In Nobunaga Concerto, he meets Saburou who mysteriously time travels from the 21st century and looks like him.

Saburou was just an ordinary high school kid, but now he must replace Nobunaga, who wishes to relax in his final years.

19. Natsu-iro no Sunadokei (Sandglass of Summer Colors)

This is an old anime. Like, really old.

But while its character design, animation, and overall quality haven’t stood the test of time, it is a worthwhile show that involves more time travel than Nobunaga Concerto.

Sandglass of Summer Colors is an adaptation of a video game, a visual novel (VN) from Princess Soft that was released way back in 2002.

Also, it only has two episodes; it’s an OVA. Still, it’s an intriguing show.

Yes it once again involves a teenage boy, this time named Kotaro Makimura.

But here, the time travel comes in the form of Kotaro waking up to the next school year, and then going back and forth to specific days of his summer vacation.

Through this he learns some very crazy news about his girlfriend Kaho Serizawa. It gets deep.

18. Buddy Complex

In 2014, Sunrise released an action-heavy mecha title that surprisingly wasn’t another entry to their sprawling Gundam franchise.

It’s called Buddy Complex, and it does enough to distinguish itself from other similar titles with its appealing trio, plot, and solid execution.

Buddy Complex starts with the main hero Aoba Watase nearly getting killed in the hands of a massive robot from the future.

Hina Yumihara saves him, and also takes him 70 years into the future for him to learn all about the fighting robots and possibly prevent his demise.

Can he go back to his actual timeline? Or is he stuck in this future of warring military forces?

17. Doraemon

Yes, Doraemon is indeed a time-travel anime — and quite a good one at that.

Some argue that the time travel aspect is a mere gimmick here. But I honestly love what the anime has done with it.

The story isn’t about a dystopian future and someone who wants to save it by going back to the past.

No, it’s about Sewashi Nobi from the 22nd century sending a cat robot to improve the life of his grandfather Nobita Nobi — and that’s wonderful.

With 1,700 episodes, Doraemon has proven that this subgenre can be wholesome for kids.

Likewise, who doesn’t want a four-dimensional pouch that can bring out all sorts of gadgets of different sizes?

16. Punch Line

Punch Line was MAPPA’s third original anime after Garo: The Animation and Zankyou no Terror, the latter being one of my all-time favorites.

No, Punch Line wasn’t a modern classic in my eyes at all.

It didn’t have the serious or ambitious tone of those previous shows.

However, Punch Line was a creative risk that needs commending — and even a reappraisal from anime fans.

It’s silly but fully aware of it.

How silly? It involves spirits, nose bleeding, panty shots.

Also, the OP has to avoid looking at panties as he travels through time as a spirit. Otherwise a meteor immediately kills all life on Earth. So that’s fun.

15. InuYasha

I’ve got another entry here from Sunrise Studio.

InuYasha was one of the biggest shounen titles before series like Naruto, Bleach, and Fairy Tail took over — and it does have time travel.

Kagome Higurashi goes back hundreds of years to feudal Japan. The difference is instead of meeting a general, he meets a white-haired guy who also has dog ears.

Also, both Kagome and Inuyasha can travel between modern Japan and feudal Japan with relative ease.

And I suggest InuYasha just because it’s one of the best shounen series of all time. Time travel or not.

14. Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara (Iroduku: The World in Colors)

I have a soft spot for original anime. It takes a lot of guts to push through with a story you don’t know will work out.

It doesn’t have a built-in fan base unlike with adaptations of manga, LNs, and video games.

But Iroduku: The World in Colors was more than just an original anime.

It was a visually imaginative and wonderfully animated series, and it was clear that P.A. Works didn’t just do this half-heartedly.

Think of it as a blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and school drama.

A grandmother sends her emotionally distant granddaughter 60 years back to the past, but she doesn’t say why.

And now that she’s back to 2018(present when released) the young girl named Hitomi Tsukishiro learns all about self-discovery and human connection. Go see it.

13. Charlotte

Look, I get it — Angel Beats was a great anime series.

That was a show that managed to make me love all the students in just 13 episodes.

Plus, I’m confident that most viewers won’t ever forget the ending.

Since then, people have been clamoring for something like it from Jun Maeda.

Well Charlotte came into the fray, but it wasn’t exactly as good as Angel Beats or Clannad.

Still, Charlotte certainly has its moments as a school drama with time travel (among other powers).

Also this is an anime original, and I think the best moments outweigh the pacing and plot issues by the end.

I don’t blame you if you haven’t heard of Zipang.

Despite being released two full years later than Naruto, Zipang somehow sports a more old-school design.

Then again, it’s a fitting choice given the military and historical setting.

Simply put, it’s about a Japanese missile destroyer (a navy warship) called Mirai that gets itself into a storm, but it was no ordinary storm.

Once Mirai gets away from the storm, its crew realizes that they’ve all time-traveled to 1942 — back to the Second World War.

Exciting, right?

Here’s the more interesting part: They must try their best not to change history. But can the crew keep themselves in the background when people are dying left and right?

11. Natsu no Arashi (Summer Storm!)

Interestingly enough, I didn’t catch this until last year — a full decade since its release.

But hey, this is an excellent example of “better late than never” because this is a fine mix of time travel and comedy.

Natsu no Arashi is about, again, a male teenager who meets a beautiful girl.

But Sayoko Arashiyama is far from an ordinary teenager.

She may not even be a teenager as Hajime Yasaka finds a photo of her in her 60s.

What’s going on? And why does Sayoko still look young?

Check out Natsu no Arashi. It’s made by Shaft so expect some visual delights.

10. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

We’re getting closer to the highest ranking so let’s be really careful now. I did warn about spoilers, so be prepared.

When They Cry deceives its audience by portraying itself as another generic anime with a guy OP and a bunch of cute girls.

Only for it to actually be a murder mystery with a time loop to boot.

Also, it may even be the only horror and time travel anime out there.

One minute you’re seeing kids playing together, all smiles. The next, they’re splattered with blood and having edgy expressions.

Admittedly I hate what happened to the anime adaptation here (although the movie Orange: Future was way better in terms of animation quality and consistency).

I read the manga, and it had moments that could’ve catapulted the anime as a classic.

But the anime did not meet or exceed expectations.

Orange was just above average. But still good enough to warrant a spot here.

If you think the anime was good and made you cry and laugh, consider the gorgeous and much more emotional manga too.

8. Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World)

I think Re:Zero is a fine isekai and time travel anime.

It could’ve been like any typical isekai after all the hype for Sword Art Online. But it etched its own place in history.

Re:Zero makes you think that it’s just another guy getting transported to a fantasy world. But the time loop aspect elevates the series to new heights of dread and sheer desperation for Subaru.

It’s not just an escape to a better world with waifu material like Emilia and Rem, it’s overall a really engaging show. And I’m definitely excited for season 2 .

7. Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.)

Yup, this is big spoiler territory.

I sure hope that you’ve already watched the critically acclaimed movie, which also broke records around the world — or that you’ve read the novel of the same name.

Because time travel is what made audiences gasp in the middle of the movie. Kimi no Na wa is seemingly just about two people living in different regions… but what viewers didn’t know was that they also lived in different periods.

I still remember the shock everyone had in the cinemas (because I saw this twice in theaters).

There is nothing quite like the audiovisual spectacle of a Makoto Shinkai film on the big screen. And the ending is so rewarding if you’ve watched Five Centimeters Per Second.

6. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy)

Masaaki Yuasa needs no introduction after Devilman Crybaby garnered rave reviews from fans and critics all over the world, in part because it was available on Netflix.

But even before that, I was a huge fan of Yuasa’s directorial prowess.

He’s a man with impeccable skill, ensuring that both substance and style are way above the competition.

The Tatami Galaxy features rapid conversations (so you have to read fast if you prefer subtitles like me) and there’s so much going on when this is all about a young man’s life (and love life).

Watch him go through some sort of Groundhog Day, but in a much more artistic, magical manner.

It’s a rewarding experience across space and time (and tatami), I promise you that.

5. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

At this point, I’m not sure which of my top picks have time travel as one of its biggest turning points.

This one has a certain episode in the latter half that completely turns it from an impressive series to arguably one of the best anime of all time.

You may not agree that it’s a “deconstruction” of the magical girl genre . But it’s clear evidence that Gen Urobuchi could change the game if he had the right team.

Also, this original anime looks breathtaking.

It’s dark, it’s exciting, it’s inspirational.

Shaft had a classic in their hands and they didn’t waste the opportunity.

4. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

As one of Kyoto Animation’s first big hits, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya took the relatively small 2006 global anime community by storm.

It was hilarious, had a stellar set of characters, had a viral opening song, and had episodes that didn’t line up chronologically.

And yet the order of events didn’t ruin the story at all.

The nonlinear structure enabled a new way of looking at the character dynamics. And it made rewatches (in the chronological order) more rewarding.

Once you’ve watched the series (and bless you if you’ve seen the Endless Eight arc) go ahead and enjoy The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya .

3. Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time)

Like Masaaki Yuasa and Makoto Shinkai, Mamoru Hosoda is one of the best anime directors today.

And he’s done many more amazing films besides this one: Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast, just to name a few.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time works as well as it does because of how it didn’t just use time travel as a gimmick.

It thought of how to shape the character and the story as a whole, creating tension and developing emotional impact in the latter half.

Plus I think many of us can relate to Makoto Shonno. Spending the last year of high school knowing that life is about to change, and yet you’re unsure of your own future.

It’s thrilling, hilarious, and has a heart at its core.

2. Boku dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Am I making a controversial choice by putting this so high on my list?

Not really.

Sure, not everyone was a fan of the adaptation. And I admit that the suspense thriller aspect to it was a bit heavy-handed.

But like with how I feel about Zankyou no Terror, ERASED has highs that are so high, they easily make up for the lows.

It’s an imperfect masterpiece in my eyes.

The first episode was a 10/10 with how it easily grabbed my attention by the end with the change in aspect ratio, signifying the drastic change in time… it’s really interesting.

ERASED has a killer OP from none other than Asian Kung-Fu Generation, and I still think that the birthday scene of Kayo is one of the most heart-wrenching yet simultaneously heartwarming moments in anime.

Also, (big spoiler ahead) I dislike that some fans think the show was bad just because the guy didn’t end up with the girl he saved(and attempted to save again and again) in the past.

Look, you don’t just get to marry someone because you saved their life. You save someone because it’s the right thing to do, not because you expect something in return.

1. Steins;Gate

Is there even any other anime that could be at the No. 1 spot?

It’s the first show that comes to mind if you ask most anime fans what the best time travel anime is. And for good reason.

Furthermore, Steins;Gate isn’t just lauded as the top time travel series ever.

It’s also in the running as possible the best anime in general, usually in competition with FMA: Brotherhood.

Steins;Gate is both an outstanding gateway show to anime and one that becomes rewarding once you’ve consumed a ton of anime.

Some claim that it’s overrated, but one thing’s for sure: It set the standard for what a time travel anime could achieve in terms of sheer brilliance and entertainment.

Millennial introvert on the lookout for slice-of-life anime, world cinema, and European music. Follow on Twitter @notspencer08

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JRailPass.com » Japan Travel Blog » 15 best movies to watch before traveling to Japan

15 best movies to watch before traveling to Japan

June 15, 2022

There are plenty of Hollywood movies based on Japanese culture you could watch before traveling to Japan, such as Memoirs of a Geisha, The Last Samurai, or the remake of J-horror Ringu.

However, there are a number of other Japanese films and Japan-set movies that can give you a much better view of both modern life in Japan and its history, and current Japanese pop culture.

If you’re looking for some cinematic inspiration when planning a trip, browse the list below for some of the best Japanese films ever made and where to watch them.

Read more : Best Japanese TV shows to watch before visiting Japan

Akira (1988)

Regarded worldwide by as one of the best animated and science fiction movies ever made, Akira is a landmark Japanese anime film.

The post-apocalyptic, cyberpunk story follows the young leader of a biker gang in a visually stunning future Tokyo, as he tries to save a friend who has acquired destructive telekinetic abilities.

Boasting a huge cult following around the world, Akira has gone on to influence numerous other films including Ghost in the Shell (1995), The Matrix (1999), and Inception (2010).

IMDB | JustWatch (US) | Trailer (YouTube)

Battle Royale (2000)

Although it stirred huge controversy upon release, Battle Royale has since become regarded as one of the best Japanese films of the 2000s , and is one of director Quentin Tarantino’s favorite movies.

Based on the novel by Koushun Takami, this dystopian thriller sees a group of Japanese students taken to a remote island and forced to fight each other by a totalitarian government.

The bleak tone and bloody action is not for everyone, but Battle Royale also features some fascinating social commentary and great Japanese actors in key roles.

Departures (2008)

This Japanese drama tells the story of a young cellist who returns to his hometown in Yamagata prefecture after his orchestra is disbanded, and unexpectedly falls into working as a nōkanshi—a traditional ritual mortician.

However, because of Japanese social taboos against people who deal with death, he faces prejudice from the community , including his own family.

Departures has been widely acclaimed for the moving way it shows how death can bring out humanity and strengthen family bonds. It’s also a real-tear jerker, so make sure you have some tissues handy.

Godzilla (1954)

A classic Japanese monster movie that needs little introduction, Godzilla is the first entry in the franchise recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest running in film history.

Intended to be a parable about nuclear paranoia , many Japanese critics initially thought that Godzilla could not be taken seriously because “such giant monsters do not exist” and that the idea of a fire breathing organism was absurd.

However, Godzilla is now considered to be one of the most iconic monster films of all time, and has spawned an endless list of sequels, spin-offs, and remakes.

The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001)

An almost indescribable Japanese horror/comedy/musical , Happiness of the Katakuris starts with a bizarre animation sequence and only gets weirder from there.

The story concerns a Japanese family who renovate an old inn in the hills near Mount Fuji . However, one by one their new guests end up dead for inexplicable reasons , leading the Katakuris to cover up the crisis to keep their new business open.

If that sounds dark, rest assured that the determined family break out in a chipper clean-up song soon after the first body hits the floor. Cheerful tunes mix with reanimated zombies , strange dream scenes, and exploding volcanoes for the rest of the film.

Director Takashi Miike also made the celebrated Japanese horror film Audition (1999), but you definitely need strong nerves if you plan to watch!

IMDb | JustWatch | Trailer (YouTube)

Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

Directed by French New Wave filmmaker Alain Resnais and written by acclaimed novelist Marguerite Duras, Hiroshima mon amour is considered one of the best films made about the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Resnais was originally commissioned to make a short documentary about the event, but ending up crafting a feature story depicting an intense relationship between a Japanese man and French woman with post-war Hiroshima as a backdrop.

As it includes real footage of the ruined city and the victims, the film is a sometimes difficult watch, but is an important story about memory and forgetfulness well-told.

House (1977)

Much like Happiness of the Katakuris , House (Hausu) is an outrageous Japanese horror comedy that has gained a large cult following.

Compared to The Rocky Horror Picture Show mixed with Dario Argento’s Suspiria , the loose plot concerns a group of girls who travel to the rural home of a sinister aunt, only to encounter a series of bizarre events.

Gorgeously shot in psychedelic colors, the surreal parade of singing cats, possessed paintings, and flying disembodied heads may not scare you all that much but it will definitely leave you laughing and scratching your head.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

An uplifting documentary about the power of perseverance , Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells the story of Jiro Ono, an 85-year old Tokyo resident considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef.

In 1965, Ono opened Sukiyabashi Jiro, a humble 10-seat restaurant in a Tokyo subway station . Over 50 years later, the famous sushi bar attracts foodies from all over the globe , who must book a table months in advance, and has earned 3 Michelin Stars .

The film is an engaging profile of Jiro and his family , and also features a score from Oscar-nominated composer Philip Glass.

Lost in Translation (2003)

Considered to be one of the best films about Japan made by a foreign director, Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation took home a slew of trophies at the 2004 Oscars, and for good reason.

This modern classic set in Tokyo follows Bob, an ageing actor, and Charlotte, a lonely young woman, as they form an unexpected connection while exploring the Japanese capital.

Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson give impressive performances and Tokyo looks incredible in the film , including the Shibuya Crossing and the chic bar in Shinjuku where the characters bond.

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

If you’re looking for a movie to get kids hyped about an upcoming trip to Japan, then try My Neighbor Totoro . The title character, Totoro, has become a cultural icon in Japan, and omnipresent on merchandise in the country.

The film tells the story of two little girls who meet the adorable monster against a gorgeously animated Japanese countryside , and go on a wild adventure on the magical Catbus.

The same animation studio was also responsible for the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (2001), and while visiting Japan you can see some of their amazing creations at the Studio Ghibli museum in Mikata.

Seven Samurai (1954)

Directed by legendary director Akira Kurosawa, this absolute classic of Japanese cinema explores a samurai conflict during the Sengoku period in Japan.

Shot on the Izu Peninsula and taking place in 1586, the epic drama tells the story of a farming village that hires 7 rōnin samurai to fight off marauding bandits.

Seven Samurai is often included on lists of the greatest films ever made, and has been credited with heavily influencing the plots of movies like The Magnificent Seven (1960), Star Wars (1977) and even Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1998).

Tokyo Idols (2017)

One of the most recent films on this list, Tokyo Idols explores the cultural phenomenon around Japanese “idols” , female J-pop singers.

Described as a “pop culture profile”, the documentary focuses on RioRio, a young singer in Tokyo as she tries to maintain her status and deal with loyal, and sometimes, obsessive fans.

Since debuting at the Sundance Film Festival, Tokyo Idols has gone on to be praised for  providing insight into Japanese music culture among younger generations.

Tokyo Story (1953)

Although it only partly takes place in the Japanese capital – the characters also travel to Onomichi, Atami, and Osaka – this acclaimed film captures a vibrant snapshot of Tokyo in the 1950s.

To k yo Story is a classic drama which follows an ageing couple who travel to the capital to visit their grown children, but find that they may no longer fit into their busy kids’ lives.

Often cited by critics as one of the greatest Japanese films ever made, Tokyo Story is also widely regarded as influential director Yasujirō Ozu’s masterpiece.

Tampopo (1985)

Described as a Japanese ‘ramen western’, Tampopo is a satirical Japanese comedy about a truck driver who decides to stick around a roadside ramen noodle shop to help the owner improve her recipes.

The film was so influential in Japan that you can still find a large number of ramen shops in the country named Tampopo, after the female protagonist.

Tampopo expertly expresses the importance of food in Japanese culture in a comedic way, and will definitely leave you hungry for a bowl of noodles by the end.

Your Name (2016)

Although a live-action remake of Your Name set in the United States is already in production, fans of Japanese anime will definitely want to see the original first.

An animated romantic fantasy , Your Name is the story of two Japanese high-schoolers, Mitsuha and Taki, who inexplicably start to swap bodies.

A huge commercial success in Japan, the film was praised for both its animation and emotional story , and Shinkai had another hit wih Weathering with You , released in 2019.

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The 20 Best Japanese Movies of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb

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When it comes to media, Japan is one of the greatest exporters of creative content. Whether it's Japanese film, video games, anime, or novels, the country consistently delivers quality storytelling combined with its own unique sense of style.

In the realm of film, Japan has an abundance of great movies. Whether it's animated films that commentate on the triumphs and failures of humanity, or sweeping epics set in feudal times, the country is host to a legion of talented filmmakers. While there are more fantastic Japanese movies than one list can cover, it's easy to see the best Japanese movies according to IMDb. Japan's contribution to the IMDb Top 250 should be considered essential viewing for fans , not just of Asian cinema, but of film in general.

20 'Throne of Blood' (1957)

Imdb score: 8.0/10.

A feudal Japan set take on Macbeth , Throne of Blood follows Washizu ( Toshiro Mifune ), a samurai who assassinates his sovereign at the behest of his wife. As Washizu becomes the new lord, he struggles with his guilt and the growing paranoia that his treachery is soon to be discovered.

Another samurai classic by Akira Kurosawa , Throne of Blood is one of the best adaptations of William Shakespeare's legendary tale and one of the top Japanese movies. The feudal Japan setting does wonders to elevate the themes of the story, with honor and loyalty to their liege often the most important traits of a samurai.

Throne of Blood

Not available

19 'Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion' (1997)

Imdb score: 8.1/10.

Pitched as an alternate ending to the original popular anime series , Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion follows Shinji, Rei, and Asuka as they continue to fight their enemies using mechas named Evangelions.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most acclaimed anime series of all time, with its theatrical counterpart earning a place on the list of Japanese best movies. The best of the Neon Genesis movies, The End of Evangelion serves as a fitting end to the original series as it showcases the power of animation to tell dark, adult stories.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion

Watch on Netflix

18 'A Silent Voice' (2016)

Adapted from the manga of the same name, A Silent Voice follows Shoya Ishida, a former grade school bully who sets out to make amends with those he hurt. Top of his list is Shoko Nishimiya, a shy girl who was born deaf and who moved schools as a result of Shoya's bullying. As the pair reconnect, they learn more about each other and themselves.

Far removed from the fantasy and action that tends to dominate anime, A Silent Voice is a sweet story about two social outcasts finding a genuine connection with each other . While it may not be the best Japanese movie in everyone's eyes due to its low-key nature, it is still a lovely human story worth spending time with.

A Silent Voice (2016)

Rent on Apple TV

17 'Tokyo Story' (1953)

When an elderly couple decides to move from their small village to the bustling city of Tokyo, they plan to spend time with their adult children. But when they discover their kids are too busy with their own lives to entertain them, they instead find themselves being kept company by Noriko, the widow of their son who passed away.

An essential film by Yasujirō Ozu , Tokyo Story is a movie that could have easily been built on melodrama, but it is a subdued movie, operating quietly as it explores the dynamics of this family unit. It also gives a voice to elderly people, those who have been dismissed by their grown children as being merely nothing more than a nuisance to be ignored. The end result is the ultimate movie about a multigenerational family.

Tokyo Story (1953)

Watch on Criterion

16 'My Neighbour Totoro' (1988)

After their mother is hospitalized, young sisters Mei and Satsuki move to a new home in the countryside with their father. As the siblings spend their days playing in the nearby woods, they soon befriend Totoro, a giant friendly creature who is a forest spirit. Together they go on joyous adventures.

One of the best Studio Ghibli movies , My Neighbour Totoro is pure joy. It is a Japan movie that is full of minimal conflict and maximum cuteness, creating the ultimate comfort movie. Its impact can be seen in how much its characters have appeared in popular culture, with Totoro plushies available for purchase all over the world.

My Neighbor Totoro

15 'ugetsu' (1953), imdb score: 8.2/10.

One of the directors who came out of the Japanese golden age of cinema is Kenji Mizoguchi , best known for his mis-ec-scène and decadent long takes. Ugetsu is one of his films that received international recognition as it created an impalpable atmosphere that invites viewers to empathize with the character’s struggles.

Ugetsu follows the story of two couples who are struggling and whose lives are being torn apart by the civil war. While the men strive to lift themselves from indigence, they soon find themselves intertwined with supernatural entities, leading to catastrophic results. The movie holds up a mirror to human desires and ambition in times of desperation , while also showing the harsh realities of war. There’s no doubt of Ugetsu’s lasting effect on cinema as it has obviously influenced modern Japanese movies , as well as renowned filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa and Martin Scorsese .

Watch on Max

14 'Late Spring' (1949)

Imdb score: 8.2/10.

Directed by Yasujirō Oju, Late Spring is a drama movie that explores the relationship between an adult woman and her father. In the movie, Noriko ( Setsuko Hara ) feels the societal pressure to get married. However, she’s reluctant to leave her father due to their deep bond and her incredible desire to serve her family. It’s a poignant movie that highlights the complex realities of duty and sacrifice.

Ozu’s direction truly shines in Late Spring , as his storytelling allows viewers to fully connect with Noriko’s internal struggles. Static camera shots are partnered with pillow shots of mundane objects in Ugetsu in order to add a meditative atmosphere to the film. Despite the movie’s peaceful and minimalist visuals, there’s a lot to take away from its message of personal sacrifice and filial love.

13 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train' (2020)

The sequel to the first season of the highly popular anime, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train moves the action to the big screen. As Tanjiro Kamado and his friends continue their journey to slay demons, they board the Mugen Train as it charges straight ahead into a fateful battle.

A juggernaut at the box office, Mugen Train earned a place as one of the most famous Japanese movies of all time as it topped the worldwide box office in 2020. This honor was more than earned as the film is a masterful combination of thrilling action, gorgeous animation, and a captivating plot that pulls at the heartstrings.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train

Watch on Crunchyroll

12 'Yojimbo' (1961)

When a nameless ronin arrives in a village consumed by a conflict between two powerful men, he finds himself in the middle of their turf war. As the ronin convinces both men to hire him as their personal bodyguard, he begins to play them against each other and causes a full-scale war to break out in the town.

One of the most influential samurai movies of all time , Yojimbo also proved to be an influence on the Western genre . The famous spaghetti Western A Fistful of Dollars is a remake of Yojimbo, and retains the classic mix of action and comedy that makes Yojimbo such a revered classic.

11 'Rashomon' (1950)

After a samurai is murdered and his wife is assaulted, four witnesses are summoned to recall what they saw. With each witness providing a different series of events, finding the truth proves to be complicated. As the witnesses all embellish certain parts of the story to paint themselves in a favorable light, they each reveal how they wish to be seen.

A unique samurai movie, Rashomon focuses less on sword fighting and more on character study . Every character featured in the twisted narrative is performed to perfection, and the captivating narrative structure draws audiences in straight away as they seek to learn the truth of the incident.

10 'Ran' (1985)

Released towards the end of his career, Ran holds a place as one of Akira Kurosawa's finest films , as well as standing among the greatest movies ever made. Influenced by Shakespeare's King Lear , the story follows an aging warlord who attempts to pass his kingdom to his three sons.

The final epic of his career, Ran is a culmination of all the themes and techniques Kurosawa expressed throughout his filmography . Its sweeping landscapes, elaborate large-scale sequences, and profound story are all recognizable trademarks. The film earned him his only nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director.

Watch on Amazon Prime

9 'Howl's Moving Castle' (2004)

Another classic from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki , Howl's Moving Castle is set in a fictional kingdom where magic exists. When a young girl is transformed into an old woman by a witch, she finds herself befriending a wizard named Howl and travels with him aboard his titular moving castle in an effort to break the spell.

Miyazaki has claimed that Howl's is his favorite creation , and he made it as a way to express his disdain for America's invasion of Iraq. Howl's Moving Castle also touches on feminism and ageism, offering thoughtful messages beyond its stunning visuals.

Howl's Moving Castle

8 'ikiru' (1952), imdb score: 8.3/10.

Kurosawa's 13th film, Ikiru provides one of his most understated stories. When an aged man nearing retirement discovers he is terminally ill, he attempts to make the most of his final days. Despite a strained relationship with his son, he vows to make a mark on the world through the happiness he can leave with others.

Commentating on the purpose of life and the acceptance of death, Ikiru is a must-see existentialist movie that explores themes that everyone will find relatable. The film is also Kurosawa's examination of what he considered to be a period where Japanese family life was falling apart.

7 'Princess Mononoke' (1997)

The fourth creature-filled film from Studio Ghibli , Princess Mononoke helped establish both of their names internationally. The film follows a young prince who finds himself in a war between the spirits of a forest and the humans harvesting it for resources.

A portrayal of humanity's negative effect on the environment, Princess Mononoke refuses to paint a clear villain. Both the gods of the forest and the humans have understandable reasons for their side of the conflict, and Princess Mononoke presents the ideal solution as a middle ground between mankind and nature.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

6 'high and low' (1963), imdb score: 8.4/10.

Wealthy Gondo ( Toshiro Mifune ) is a company executive, who is secretly attempting to stage a company buyout. However, when he receives a call claiming his son has been kidnapped, and he needs to pay a ransom to see him again, Gondo finds himself in a precarious situation.

What begins as a tense drama soon turns into a police procedural, as detectives become involved in the search for the perpetrator. High and Low mostly serves as an examination of Gondo's character , as he is forced to balance his desire to achieve success with that of being a good person.

High and Low

5 'your name' (2016).

Worthy of a spot among the top 10 Japanese movies, Your Name is a romantic body swap anime film that tells the story of two teenagers living in modern Japan . The pair begin to swap bodies and are forced to live each other's lives for periods of time. In an effort to solve their dilemma, the teens decide to meet for the first time.

The film was a major success at release and was praised by critics, becoming one of the most popular Japan movies overseas. Your Name is beautifully animated, and the story does a fine job of portraying the earnestness of young love and the awkwardness of trying to navigate your teenage years.

Your Name (2016)

4 'grave of the fireflies' (1988), imdb score: 8.5/10.

Easily the most depressing film on this list, Grave of the Fireflies tells the story of a teenage boy and his younger sister. Set during the final months of World War II, the film follows the sibling's desperate attempt to survive as the war finds its way to their home.

Animated by Studio Ghibli, the film is as beautiful as it is haunting. Grave of the Fireflies does not shy away from the harsh realities of war and its impact on civilians. Grave of the Fireflies is one of the greatest war films of all time and a milestone in Japanese movie history.

Grave of the Fireflies

Buy on Amazon

3 'Harakiri' (1962)

Imdb score: 8.6/10.

One of the best samurai films of all time, if not the best, Harakiri begins with an elder samurai arriving at the estate of a feudal lord. The samurai asks the lord if he may commit seppuku within his manor, causing the samurai to explain the events that led him here.

An anti-samurai film, Harakiri criticizes the failings the samurai code held for its followers . When wars had been won and peace enveloped the land, samurai often found themselves without purpose, choosing to take their own lives by performing "harakiri," resulting in a tragic waste of life.

Harakiri (1962)

2 'seven samurai' (1954).

Seen by many as Kurosawa's magnum opus, Seven Samurai tells the tale of seven samurai who band together to protect a village from the bandits who threaten it . Each of the samurai comes from a different background, but they all find meaning in protecting those who cannot protect themselves.

Often cited among the most influential and best Japanese movies of all time, Seven Samurai was adapted in America and released as The Magnificent Seven , placing it in a Western setting. The movie's storyline and concept of "getting a team together" can be felt in media everywhere, with the film's influence being felt in The Dirty Dozen , Saving Private Ryan , and even Avengers: Endgame .

Seven Samurai

1 'spirited away' (2001).

Animation house Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki possess a filmography that rivals anyone, but Spirited Away stands as their masterpiece (and continues to be the best Japanese movie). When ten-year-old Chihiro witnesses her parents being turned into pigs by a witch, she must work in the witch's bathhouse to earn her parents' freedom.

What follows is an amazing display of animation and imagination as Chihiro finds herself in a wondrous world parallel to our own, full of quirky characters and bizarre creations. Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, making it the first, and only, non-English language film to do so.

Spirited Away (2001)

NEXT: The Best Anime Films That Aren't From Studio Ghibli

The Best Japanese Movies of All Time – A Guide to Japanese Cinema

2. A Page of Madness

3. Crossroads

4. I Was Born, But...

5. Japanese Girls at the Harbor

6. Tonari no Yae-chan

7. Sazen Tange and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo

8. Wife! Be Like a Rose!

9. Mr. Thank You

10. The Only Son

11. Osaka Elegy

12. Sisters of the Gion

13. Humanity and Paper Balloons

14. Hana chirinu

15. The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum

16. Ornamental Hairpin

17. There Was a Father

18. Record of a Tenement Gentleman

19. Snow Trail

20. Children of the Beehive

21. Drunken Angel

22. A Hen in the Wind

23. Women of the Night

24. Late Spring

25. Stray Dog

More to explore, recently viewed.

25 Best Time Travel Anime Series & Movies

Here’s a question: what’s your favorite time travel anime? Is this type of science fiction even full of good books?

Time travel anime is one of the more popularly used story hooks in modern anime and it can take unique shapes!

It doesn’t have a lot of great titles every season like isekai does, but it’s not hard to find some good ones.

From tradition time travel anime stories ( Steins;Gate ) to ones that use “time reset” ( Re:Zero) , there is no shortage of creativity at play.

Check out my list below if you’re in the mood for some twists and turns that will blow your mind (or even small bits of time travel in an otherwise normal anime).

And fair warning: (in some cases) there will be surprises ahead. Some of these books are about time travel, and it’s a big part of the plot or a big surprise.

If you don’t want to know more, just skim the names and pick one that sounds interesting.

Here are some popular time travel anime that fans should watch.

Table of Contents

25. Natsu-iro no Sunadokei (Sandglass of Summer Colors)

This anime is quite old. Really old, like.

But even though its character designs, animations, and general quality haven’t held up over time, it’s still a good show with more time travel than Nobunaga Concerto.

Sandglass of Summer Colors is based on a Princess Soft computer game called a “visual novel” (VN) that came out in 2002.

Also, there are only two episodes because it is an OVA . Still, the show is interesting.

Yes, it’s about a teen boy again. This time, his name is Kotaro Makimura.

But in this case, Kotaro travels through time by waking up in the next school year and then going back and forth to different days of his summer break.

He finds out some very strange things about his girlfriend, Kaho Serizawa, as a result. It gets deep.

24. Buddy Complex

Sunrise launched a mecha game with a lot of action in 2014, but it wasn’t another part of their long-running Gundam series.

It’s called Buddy Complex, and its appealing trio, interesting story, and solid execution set it apart from other games in the same genre.

At the beginning of Buddy Complex, the main character , Aoba Watase, is almost killed by a huge robot from the future.

Hina Yumihara saves him and takes him 70 years into the future so he can learn about beating robots and maybe stop himself from dying.

Can he return to his real past? Or is he stuck in a future where armed forces fight each other?

23. Doraemon

Yes, Doraemon is a time-traveling anime, and it’s a pretty good one.

Some people say that the time travel is just a trick. But I really love what they did with it in the anime.

The story isn’t about someone trying to save a bleak future by going back to the past.

No, it’s about Sewashi Nobi from the 22nd century sending his grandpa Nobita Nobi a cat robot to make his life better, which is great.

Doraemon has shown that this style can be good for kids with 1,700 episodes.

Also, who wouldn’t want a four-dimensional pouch that can pull out different sized gadgets?

22. Punch Line

After Garo: The Animation and Zankyou no Terror, Punch Line was the third original anime made by MAPPA. Zankyou no Terror is one of my all-time faves.

No, I didn’t think Punch Line was at all a modern classic .

It didn’t have the same level of seriousness or ambition as those other shows.

But Punch Line took a creative risk that should be praised and even reevaluated by anime fans.

I know it’s silly, but I don’t care.

How stupid! It has to do with ghosts, nosebleeds, and poop shots.

Also, as a spirit traveling through time, the OP can’t look at underwear. If not, a rock would kill all life on Earth right away. That’s cool.

21. InuYasha

I have another piece from Sunrise Studio to show you.

Before Naruto , Bleach , and Fairy Tail came along, InuYasha was one of the most popular shounen books, and it does have time travel.

The story of Kagome Higurashi takes place in old Japan, hundreds of years ago. The only change is that instead of a general, he meets a man with white hair and dog ears.

Also, it’s not hard for either Kagome or Inuyasha to go between current Japan and feudal Japan.

And I recommend InuYasha because it is one of the best shounen shows ever. Can you go back in time?

20. Irozuku Sekai no Ashita kara (Iroduku: The World in Colors)

Original anime is one of my favorite things. To keep going with a story you’re not sure will work takes a lot of guts.

It isn’t based on a comic, light novel, or video game, so it doesn’t already have fans.

Iroduku: The World in Colors wasn’t just an original anime, though.

It was a visually creative and beautifully drawn show, and it was clear that P.A. Works put a lot of effort into it.

It’s a mix of science fiction, magic , and school drama .

A grandma sends her emotionally distant granddaughter 60 years back in time, but she doesn’t say why.

And now that she’s back in 2018, Hitomi Tsukishiro, a young girl, has a lot to learn about self-discovery and how to connect with other people. Go see it.

19. Charlotte

Look, I get it — Angel Beats was a great anime series.

All of the kids on that show became my favorites in just 13 episodes.

Also, I’m sure that most people will never forget how it ends.

Since then, people have been begging Jun Maeda to do something similar.

So Charlotte joined the competition, but it wasn’t as good as Angel Beats or Clannad .

Still, Charlotte is a school drama with time travel and other skills that has its moments.

Also, this is a new anime, and I think the best parts make up for the story and pacing problems by the end.

18. Natsu no Arashi (Summer Storm!)

It’s interesting that I didn’t see this until last year, even though it came out ten years ago.

But hey, this is a great example of the saying “better late than never” because it is a great mix of time travel and comedy .

Again, Natsu no Arashi is about a young boy who meets a pretty girl.

But Sayoko Arashiyama isn’t like other teenagers at all.

Hajime Yasaka gets a picture of her when she was in her 60s. This means she might not even be a teenager.

What’s happening? And why does Sayoko still look young?

You should look at Natsu no Arashi. Since it was made by Shaft, you can expect it to look good.

17. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

We’re getting closer to the top spot, so let’s be extra careful. I did say there might be spoilers, so be ready.

When They Cry tricks its viewers into thinking that it is just another generic anime with a guy as the opening theme and a bunch of cute girls .

It turned out to be a murder riddle with a time loop on top of that.

Also, it might be the only anime that is both scary and goes back in time.

One minute, you see a bunch of happy kids playing together. The next thing you know, they’re covered in blood and have angry looks on their faces.

I hate what happened to the anime version here, even though the animation quality and consistency of the movie Orange: Future was much better.

I read the book, and there were parts in it that could have made the anime a classic.

But the anime didn’t live up to or go beyond what was expected.

Orange wasn’t much better than normal. But it is still good enough to be here.

If you liked the anime and how it made you cry and laugh, you might also like the manga, which is much more beautiful and emotional.

15. Kimi no Na wa. (Your Name.)

Yes, this is a very big surprise.

I’m sure you’ve already seen the highly acclaimed movie or read the book with the same name, which broke records all over the world.

People gasped in the middle of the movie because it was about time travel. Kimi no Na wa seems to be about just two people who live in different places… But people didn’t know that they lived in different times as well.

I can still remember how shocked everyone was in the theater, where I saw this movie twice.

There is nothing quite like seeing a Makoto Shinkai movie in a theater, where you can hear and see everything at once. And if you’ve seen Five Centimeters Per Second, you’ll love how it ends.

14. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (The Tatami Galaxy)

Devilman Crybaby got great reviews from fans and reviewers all over the world, in part because it was on Netflix .

But I was a big fan of Yuasa’s directing skills even before that.

He is a very skilled man who makes sure that both content and style are way ahead of the rest.

Since it’s about a young man’s life (and love life), there’s a lot going on in The Tatami Galaxy. If you like subtitles like me, you’ll have to read quickly.

See him go through something like Groundhog Day, but in a much more magical and artsy way.

I promise you that it will be a rewarding journey across space, time, and tatami.

13. Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

At this point, I don’t know which of my top choices has a big turning point that involves time travel.

In the second part of this series, there is one episode that makes it go from being a good show to being one of the best anime of all time.

You might not agree that it is a “deconstruction” of the magical girl type. But it’s clear proof that Gen Urobuchi could change the game if he had the right team.

Also, this original anime is stunning to look at.

It’s scary, exciting, and full of ideas.

Shaft had a chance to make a classic, and they didn’t waste it.

12. Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya was one of Kyoto Animation’s first big hits. In 2006, when the anime community was still small, it took the world by storm.

It was funny, had great characters, a catchy opening song that went viral, and shows that didn’t go in order.

Still, the order of events didn’t make the story any less interesting.

The story’s nonlinear framework gave us a new way to look at how the characters interact with each other. And it made it more fun to watch again in the right order.

You can enjoy The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya after you’ve seen the series (and God bless you if you’ve seen the Endless Eight arc).

If you haven’t heard of Zipang, I don’t blame you.

Even though Zipang came out two years after Naruto, it looks more like something from the past.

The military and historical setting, on the other hand, makes it a good pick.

Simply put, it’s about a Japanese warship called Mirai, which is a missile cruiser. Mirai gets caught in a storm, but it’s not just any storm.

Once Mirai is out of the storm, the crew learns that they have all gone back in time to 1942, which is during the Second World War.

Isn’t that cool?

The most interesting part is that they have to do their best not to change history. But can the team stay in the background when everyone around them is dying?

10. Noein: To Your Other Self

Studio:  Satelight

Episodes:  24

Quick pitch:  In the future, a violent war between two dimensions threatens the existence of space-time. A group called the Dragon Calvary is dispatched to search for the Dragon’s Torque, which is said to be the only thing to stop the war.

9. Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary)

Studio:  Asread

Episodes:  26 + 1 OVA

Quick pitch:  Yukiteru Amano spends his days writing a diary on his cell phone and talking to two imaginary friends, Deus Ex Machina and Murmur.

Deus reveals himself as a god of space and time, and grants Yukiteru a “ Random Diary .” This device shows descriptive future events to Yukiteru and he must use it to survive a deadly battle royale against 11 other people with similar diaries.

8. Thermae Romae

Studio:  DLE

Episodes:  6

Quick pitch:  Lucius is a Roman architect who has trouble coming up with ideas. One day, he discovers a tunnel underneath a spa that leads him to a modern Japanese bath house. Inspired this discovery, he creates a spa based on modern ideas from Japan.

7. Nobunaga Concerto

I’ll start with Nobunaga Concerto, which is an anime about time travel that is also more of an isekai.

Because of this, I’ve put it on my list, but it’s not the best. So what’s going on?

As you might have guessed, it has to do with Oda Nobunaga. Possibly one of the most well-known people in Japanese history.

He was a cruel boss, but he was also smart and a big part of how Japan got back together.

Nobunaga isn’t the OP, though. In Nobunaga Concerto, he meets Saburou, a man from the 21st century who strangely travels back in time to meet him. Saburou looks just like him.

Saburou was just a regular high school student, but now he has to take over for Nobunaga, who wants to take it easy in his last years.

6. Occult Academy

Studio:  A-1 Pictures

Episodes:  13

Quick pitch:  In 2012, the world is invaded by aliens. To stop this from happening, Fumiaki Uchida is sent back to 1999 to prevent the apocalypse from occurring by destroying the Nostradamus Key. In order to find the key, he forms a partnership with Maya Kumashiro, who is a girl with a strong hatred for the occult .

5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Studio:  Shaft

Episodes:  12 + 3 (kind of remakes / sequel) movies

Quick pitch:  Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki are friends who live normal middle old school lives, but everything changes after they meet a cat-alien named Kyuubey and a transfer student named Homura Akemi.

Kyuubey offers to grant them a wish in exchange of becoming magical girls, but Homura urges the duo to decline or they will enter a world of despair.

4. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Mamoru Hosoda is one of the best anime directors working today, along with Masaaki Yuasa and Makoto Shinkai.

He has also made many other great movies, like Summer Wars, Wolf Children, and The Boy and the Beast, to name just a few.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time works so well because it’s not just a story about time travel.

It thought about how to shape the character and the story as a whole, making the second part more tense and emotional.

Also, I think a lot of us can understand Makoto Shonno. You’re in your last year of high school, and you know that things are about to change, but you don’t know what will happen to you.

It’s scary, funny, and has a heart at its center.

3. Boku dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Putting this so high on my list, am I making a risky choice?

Actually, no.

Sure, not everyone liked how it was changed. I’ll admit that the tension thriller part was a bit too much.

But, like how I feel about Zankyou no Terror, the high points in ERASED are so good that they easily make up for the bad points.

I think it’s a classic, even though it has flaws.

The first episode was a 10/10 because it was easy to keep my attention by the end, when the aspect ratio changed to show how much time had changed. It’s very interesting.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation makes a great opening theme for ERASED, and I still think that Kayo’s birthday scene is one of the most heartbreaking and moving moments in anime.

Also, I don’t like that some people think the show was bad just because the guy didn’t end up with the girl he saved (and tried to save again and again) in the past.

Look, just because you saved someone’s life doesn’t mean you can marry them. You help someone because you should, not because you want something in return.

2. Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World

Re:Zero is a good isekai and time travel show, in my opinion.

After all the talk about Sword Art Online , it could have been like any other isekai. But it made its own mark on the past.

Re:Zero makes you think that the main character is just another guy who goes to a dream world. But the time loop takes the series to a whole new level of fear and hopelessness for Subaru.

It’s not just a way to flee to a better world with waifu characters like Emilia and Rem; the show as a whole is very interesting. I can’t wait for the second season.

1. Steins;Gate

Is there even another show that could be No. 1?

If you ask most anime fans what the best time travel anime is, this is the first show that comes to mind. And with good cause.

Also, Steins;Gate isn’t just praised for being the best time travel show ever.

It’s also in the running for the best anime of all time, usually against FMA: Brotherhood.

Steins;Gate is a great show to watch if you’re new to anime, but it also gets better the more anime you watch.

Some people say it’s overrated, but one thing is for sure: it set the bar for how brilliant and entertaining a time travel anime could be.

Don’t Forget to share it with your fellow otaku’s and bookmark MOW.

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About the Author

Garima Singh

Moshi Moshi everyone! I'm Garima, an anime enthusiast with a passion for sharing my love of anime with others. I've watched over 1000 anime, and I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting shows to watch.

I love everything about anime, from the stories and characters to the animation and music. I'm also a big fan of anime culture, and I love to learn about Japanese culture and history through anime.

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Article: Top 10 Japanese Dramas That Explore Time Travel

While science fiction dramas can be downright mind-boggling, there are some aspects of the genre that allow you to just enjoy the content without putting too much thought into it. One such aspect is Time Travel, which, if done right, can entertain the viewer without confusing them. Even though some intricately crafted time travel dramas lean too much into the science aspect of it, many light-hearted dramas focus on the comedy aspect. The utter chaos of the time travel journey, followed by witty situations as the time traveler adjusts to their vastly different time periods, is side-splitting to behold. Take a look at the top Japanese dramas that focus on time travel!

1. Suteki Na Sen Taxi (Time Taxi)

Penned by writers Bakarhythm and Ohkura, Suteki na Sen Taxi is a comedy science fiction drama. Eda is the driver of Sen Taxi, a mysterious vehicle that has the power to transport its passengers back into the past. Passengers are hauled back to a past moment they regret the most and wish they could do something different about that particular moment. While the plot sounds straightforward, some fun ensues when the whole “time-travel” aspect doesn’t go according to plan. The writing of the drama is clever and keeps the audience hooked with twists and turns.

2. Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love)

Also known by its English name, Operation Love, Proposal Daisakusen is a blend of romance and time-travel genres. The story has a bittersweet aura surrounding the series, and the main focus is on second chances and love. Our protagonist, Ken Iwase, played by Yamashita Tomohisa, has an epiphany on his best friend Rei’s wedding day that he loves her. As Ken prepares to watch the love of his life marry another man, a fairy appears and sends him back in time so that he has another shot at love. Operation Love is a fun, romance-filled drama with sci-fi elements.

3. The Girl Who Lept Through The Time

While The Girl Who Lept Through Time has a drama version as well, it’s the movie version that is superior. Originally a science fiction novel penned by Yasutaka Tsutsui, The Girl Who Lept Through Time has undergone over three adaptations in anime, movie, and drama forms. The plot revolves around a brilliant pharmaceutical researcher who is left unconscious after a car accident. She asks her daughter Akari to travel back in time using a formula she made to convey a message to her first love. Akari gets a little side-tracked as she uses her stay in the past for her benefit, but playing with time can have grave consequences.

4. Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song is a 2021 animated series created by Tappei Nagatsuki and Eiji Umehara and directed by Shinpei Ezaki. The series tackles the dark subject of AIs taking over humans. The world’s first autonomous AI, “Diva,” was created with the singular mission to make people content via her songs. The singer AI’s only mission was well thought out, as humans believe that AI can only be functional if they have a singular objective. As Diva prepares to headline her first music show, it gets halted when a cryptic AI Matsumoto, who is from 100 years into the future, crashes her show. Matsumoto tells Diva about future AI’s mission to wipe out humanity and seeks her help to prevent it.

5. Nobunaga No Chef

Nobunaga was a feudal lord back in Japan’s Sengoku period. He was a revered figure back then and now, too, as exemplified by the constant presence of characters based on him in modern visual media. Several Japanese dramas feature Nobunaga as a character, the 2020 drama Nobunaga No Chef being one such drama. The series is about the personal chef of Nobunaga. Modern-day chef Ken finds himself transported back in the past to 16 th -century Japan, right in the middle of a war. Chaos ensues as Ken deigns himself to life in a new era.

6. JK kara Yarinaosu Silver Plan

Also known as Silver Plan to Redo from JK, this drama is about a young, arrogant woman who has everything money can buy. Affluent and well-bred, Sayuri Ninoyama enjoys comfort owing to her family’s endless wealth. She is very showy and spendthrift in nature. Until one day everything comes crashing down when her family loses all their wealth due to Japan’s poor economic condition. Sayuri loses everything in one fell swoop and starts living as a homeless person. One day, she is attacked by delinquents and mysteriously finds herself in her high school self’s body. Given a second chance to prevent her family’s eventual downfall, Sayuri hatches a “silver plan.”

7. Bushi-Stant Aisakakun

Bushi-Stant Aisakakun is a short Japanese drama consisting of ten episodes. This comedy is full of light-hearted sexual innuendos. In 1761, Japan, during the Edo period, revered samurai Sojiro Aiskas moonlights as a shunga painter. Shunga painting is a form of erotic art and was often seen as an art form that would morally corrupt the public. Sojiro is banned from making shunga paintings and is ordered to be executed. Just before his execution, Sojiro timeslips to the present day. Wowed by the modern-day art form of “manga” and the abundance of erotic arts in modern times, he decides to work as an apprentice for a manga artist Miyagami. Past and present eras collide as Sojiro and Miyagami fall in love.

8. Seishun Cinderella

29-year-old beauty consultant Hagino Shion leads a perfectly content life. Despite the absence of a boyfriend and love in her life, she manages just fine. On a whim, she signs herself up for a blind date party. However, Shion gets overwhelmed by the traumatic memories of her past, when she was rejected by her crush because of her looks. Staggered by the memories, she travels back in time and finds herself in her 17-year-old self’s body. Armed with extensive knowledge about makeup from the future, Shion vows to turn around her high school self’s life.

9. Edomoiselle

Edomoiselle is a modern-day time-travel comedy about a courtesan who time-travels to the present. The drama opens with the male lead, Kuraji Shunsuke, who works as a part-timer in his uncle’s café. He is shocked to find an Oiren (high-ranking courtesan in historic Japan) in his uncle’s home. With no way of returning to the past, the lady, who calls herself Senka, starts working alongside Shunsuke at the café. A love story develops as Senka becomes attached to her newfound home.

Jin draws inspiration from the manga of the same name, written by Motoka Murakami. Neurosurgeon Jin Minakata leads a life of turmoil as his fiancée lies in a coma after a procedure he performed on her.  Following a scuffle with a patient, Jin time warps into the Edo period. The narrative unfolds as he finds a temporary job and finds a way to get back to the present.

Bushi-Stant Aisakakun Edomoiselle Jk Kara Yarinaosu Silver Plan Nobunaga No Chef Proposal Daisakusen (operation Love) Seishun Cinderella Suteki Na Sen Taxi (time Taxi) The Girl Who Lept Through The Time Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song

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7 Absolutely Fun Time Travel Asian Dramas You Should Watch

Time travel stories are universally loved around the world! Hollywood is overflowing with them: the famed Back to the Future series, sci-fi films like Star Trek and X-Men , or rom-coms such as Hugh Jackman’s Kate & Leopold . Time travel Asian dramas have also grown popular.

My favorite aspect of these time-bending tales is the fish-out-of-water fun ensuing when a person deals with the inevitable time-shock from visiting the past or the future.

RELATED: The Scribe of Siena – Outlander Fans Will Enjoy this Time Travel Romance

Time travel stories are especially perfect for the romance genre. After all, it brings out the angsty and heart-rending idea that time is literally opposing two people from being together. Over the years I’ve seen many Korean/Chinese variations of time-travel romances – so now I can share seven exciting, crazy and fun time travel Asian dramas!

Update: We updated streaming availability in July 2019.

7 Fun and Romantic Time Travel Asian Dramas

(in alphabetical order), 1. bu bu jing xin.

Other Titles: Scarlet Heart, Startling by Each Step

Country: China

Synopsis: Zhang Xiao didn’t ask to be transported back to the Xing Dynasty. But after a terrible accident, she awakens in the body of a girl named Ruo Xi.

Set during the 18 th century of Emperor Kangxi’s reign, Ruo Xi becomes entangled in a battle for the throne amongst Kangxi’s many sons. Will Ruo Xi fall for the kind, quiet 8 th prince destined to die early or the enigmatic, intense 4 th Prince who will take his father’s throne no matter the cost?

Why You Should Check It Out: This extremely popular Chinese time travel drama is gorgeously filmed, subtly acted, and epically dramatic.

Ruo Xi is a likable heroine and her struggles feel relatable as she strives to fit in the harsh royal palace. This is definitely more of an angsty drama with a gray storyline that refuses to define any characters as merely good or bad.

The rain scene with Ruo Xi kneeling outside and 4 th prince covering her with his cloak is one of many striking scenes in the drama and my favorite. What’s not to love in this reverse harem drama?

Where You Can Find It: Viki, DVD.

Other Titles: The Great Doctor

Country: Korea

Synopsis: When Queen Noguk is gravely wounded, King Gongmin sends his best warrior, Choi Young, through a mysterious portal into what they believe is “heaven” in search of a heavenly doctor.

Choi Young finds Dr. Yoo Eun-Soo a plastic surgeon and takes her back to the past. Yoo Eun-Soo becomes trapped in the past until the portal opens again. But with a hunky warrior love interest and deadly political enemies after her, will she be able to return?

Why You Should Check It Out: Faith is a super fun, exciting romp set during the 14 th century of Korea with sword fights, intense political intrigue, poisoning baddies, and more.

I loved both of the romantic love stories with spunky Eun-Soo and stoic Choi Young and between the arranged marriage of Queen Noguk and King Gongmin.

I love the acting choices and feel like each actor suited his/her role. My biggest fault with this drama was the baddies could’ve been more menacing. And a few anticlimactic fight scenes left me wanting more.

However, I love the characters and romance in this drama and have re-watched my favorite scenes more times than I will admit!

Where You Can Find It: Viki. You can also buy on Amazon Video or DVD.

3. Jade Palace Lock Heart

Synopsis: Luo Qingchuan is a sweet, history-loving girl who accidentally gets transported in time to the 18 th century during Emperor Kangxi’s reign. She gets caught in a love triangle between the 4 th and 8 th prince. Will she choose the man with all the power or the prince who won’t survive for long?

Why You Should Check It Out: Okay, so yes this is almost the exact same story as Bu Bu Jing Xin. Only Palace feels like night and day difference as it’s a much zanier, light-hearted fare.

This version, though, is pretty manic and exaggerated. And worse there aren’t as many princes who fall for Quingchan! Honestly, I watched this drama for Feng Shaofeng who is adorable even as he plays the often self-centered 8 th Prince.

This one definitely has more laughs and cheerful moments than Bu Bu Jing Xin . And amazingly enough, it does end happily. Now, how did they pull that off?

Where You Can Find It : Currently Unavailable

4. Queen In-Hyun’s Man

Synopsis: Kim Boong-Do is a young nobleman in the 17th century, protecting the deposed Queen In-Hyun. A friend gives Boong-Do a protection charm and Boong-Do is magically transported to modern Korea anytime he’s in life-threatening danger.

There he meets Choi Hee-Jin, a struggling actress, and a relationship starts to blossom. Can they truly be together, though? Or will fate intervene?

Why You Should Check It Out: Oh my goodness, this is probably my number one choice for an entertaining, romantic time travel drama!!

Queen In-Hyun’s Man is a wonderful blend of intense historical drama and light, breezy rom-com. The story bounces back and forth between the 17 th century with the scholar Kim Boong-Do and in modern times with adorable, spunky actress Choi Hee-Jin, yet never feels unbalanced.

The romantic chemistry is absolutely crackling in this drama and leaves us with a PERFECT couple.

Where You Can Find It: DVD

5. Rooftop Prince

Synopsis: The Crown Prince of Joseon desperately searches for his wife’s killer along with three loyal servants and gets transported into the future. He meets Park Ha and ends up staying at her apartment with his three servants.

Things complicate when the Crown Prince is mistaken for a rich business heir and he finds a girl who may be the reincarnation of his wife. Will he be able to untangle this mystery? And before he falls in love with Park Ha?

Why You Should Check It Out: This is a hilarious, off-beat time travel drama that totally won me over with its cute and crazy fish-out-of-water story.

The Crown Prince and his three buddies are absolutely golden, reacting to modern-day wonders such as zippers on jackets and TV.

Sadly, the show turned more melodramatic in the second half almost transforming into an office drama. The super-cute romance between Park Ha and the Crown Prince kept me around even with all the reincarnations going on which left viewers with some ambiguous moments near the end.

I’ve re-watched Episode Two a handful of times and it doesn’t fail to put a smile on my face.

Where You Can Find It: Viki, DVD

6. Splash Splash Love

Other Titles: Splish Splash Love

Synopsis: Dan Bi has been prepping for her college aptitude test but stress forces her to not show up for the test. She ends up slipping through time to the 15 th century where a young King Sejong rules.

She helps the king who has an unquestionable thirst for science and it’s not long before serious romantic feelings start brewing. But Dan Bi has to return to her home and her mom who’s waiting for her…

Why You Should Check It Out: With only two episodes, Splash Splash Love is more like a delightful 2-hour movie. Hilarious, emotional and unabashedly romantic, this drama blew past my expectations and left me with a lot of happy feels.

Dan Bi and the king bring together a fun if not adorable romance. Everything came together perfectly, including the secondary characters. This is a K-drama at its sweetest and finest.

Where You Can Find It: Viki

7. Time Slip Dr. Jin

Other Titles: Dr. Jin

Synopsis: Jin Hyuk is an extremely skilled doctor with a pretty girlfriend. But life takes a turn when his girlfriend gets in an accident and Jin Hyuk gets transported to the 19 th century.

There he associates with a nobleman who turns out to be the future Royal Prince Regent and an idealist girl who might be the reincarnation of his girlfriend. This doctor has his hands full of plagues, sicknesses, rudimentary medical tools and war brewing in the air.

Why You Should Check It Out: The pros of this time travel drama – a look at a fascinating time during the Joseon dynasty in the late 1800s with the 1871 Battle of Ganghwa with American forces, early persecution of Catholics, and the rise of the Prince Regent Heungseon into power.

However, the drama itself is manic and confusing with really no resolution by the end. The main leads are boring and difficult to empathize with. But the supporting cast fascinates with the clever, multi-layered Prince Regent, the charming lady Gisaeng (similar to a geisha), the angsty, tortured police captain and his best friend who’s secretly a rebellion leader.

Sadly, the ridiculous and unbelievable overshadows much of the good in this drama. But overall, it’s still a fun watch.

Where You Can Find It : Tubi

Do any of these Asian time travel dramas interest you? Have you seen another time travel drama you loved or hated? I’d love to hear about it!

ARE YOU A ROMANCE FAN? FOLLOW THE SILVER PETTICOAT REVIEW:

MORE TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE:

Go Back Spouses K-drama Review – A Fun Heartfelt Time Travel Story

Faith has always enjoyed movies and TV shows from swoon-worthy period dramas to heart-stopping action-adventure flicks. Her love of Korean dramas started a few years ago when she binge-watched a 62 episode period K-drama and fell in love. She also has a passion for writing stories. Even as a young teenager she entertained her sisters with episodic superhero adventures. Now she spends her time working, blogging, sewing, juggling several novels, and watching her favorite shows, mainly K-dramas. You can visit her blog at: www.justwaytooboss.blogspot.com

More posts by this author.

12 thoughts on “7 Absolutely Fun Time Travel Asian Dramas You Should Watch”

Thanks for this lovely list! I’m watching Bu Bu Jing Xin, even though I’m not good at handling unhappy endings, because my friend told me it doesn’t end there. Apparently in the sequel, Bu Bu Jing Qing (scarlet heart 2), things look up for our main couple. It’s also cute that the leads are a couple in real life (Nicky Wu and Cecilia Liu)! I plan to watch Queen In-Hyun’s Man soon! And one day, Rooftop Prince too.

You’re welcome! Yes, that’s true – I’d forgotten about that but Scarlet Heart 2 came out in 2014 so there is hope for the main couple! And it is adorable that they became a real life couple after doing two dramas together. 😀 I’m certain you’ll love Queen In-Hyun’s Man and Rooftop Prince is super funny!

The unnecessary unhappy ending of Rooftop Prince spoiled it for me

Can you give me a recommendation about historical drama?

Absolutely! For period dramas, my personal favorite is A Tree With Deep Roots . The story is riveting with assassins of a secret organization trying to stop the king from creating a Korean alphabet (and thus changing society by allowing everyone a chance to read). The main hero is out for revenge against the king as well. This drama is intense and addictive from beginning to the end. It’s only 24 episodes, so not too long.

Queen Seondeok would be my second favorite. This one is 62 episodes, so its extremely long, but its an epic story of a girl becoming a queen without a husband. Plus she’s surrounded by handsome loyal bodyguards (who make up the supporting characters). 😀

Other recommendations: Arang and the Magistrate (fantasy/historical. It really feels like a fairy tale.) The Princess’ Man (fantastic quality, super intense but great acting) Three Musketeers (wonderful balance of drama, humor, adventure and danger) Empress Ki (51 episodes but Ha Ji-Won is a wonderful actress and really sells the story of a young woman who becomes the queen of a foreign country) I’m also currently watching Jackpot (also known as Daebak) which is a beautifully shot drama. I’m loving the bromance between the main hero and the young prince.

These sound fun, especially Splash, Splash Love 🙂

Splash Splash Love is definitely a favorite of mine!

The list is incomplete without the KDrama “Nine: Nine Times Time Travel”. Please do not miss out on it ^^

I was looking for that!

Thank you :))

This list seriously needs the drama Go Princess Go I recommend it to everyone who <3 comedy romance time travel period dramas

I saw a Chinese tv series but only what could catch in episodes. female thief tries on empress dress and female bounty hunter shows tries capture her and they fight over a jade headrest go back in time . thief disguises herself as guy and bounty is mistaken for some rebels dead wife. I do not the name of the show.. but odd dramedy. spoiler alert , thief and her male lover return present time , he on top tourist bus and she at forbidden city . bounty hunter remains back in time with her love .

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The 15 Best Japanese Romance Movies You Need To Watch

Japanese romance movies are an excellent watch for days you want to relive your high school romantic escapades underneath cherry blossoms. Or maybe you just want to have a good cry watching a heart-warming (or heart-wrenching) drama. We’ve compiled the best Japanese romance movies of all time for you to enjoy. This list has something for everyone, so take your time and enjoy reading! 

15. The Black Devil and the White Prince [黒崎くんの言いなりになんてならない] (2016)

Having read the original manga adaptation, I had high expectations for  The Black Devil and the White Prince , and thankfully I’m not disappointed. Before watching the D/s romance of Haruto Kurosaki and Yū Akabane, you’ll have first to watch the two-episode special drama  Defying Kurosaki-kun . The movie continues where the drama left off. 

Based on the title  The Black Devil and the White Prince  alone,   you already get an idea of the entire plot; two boys fighting over one girl. The Black Devil, Kurosaki, is rash and violent, while the White Prince, Shirakawa, is gentle and caring. Yū Akabane finds herself stuck between the romantic advances of both boys. Who does she end up with? Will she choose the Black Devil who endlessly bullies her or the White Prince who treats her like a princess? 

It’s best to watch the film with a grain of salt. Some viewers might find the misogynist and dominating character of Kuro over the top, while the submissive behavior of Yū unrealistic. But, if this doesn’t bother you, you’ll enjoy the swoon-worthy interactions of Yū with the two princes. 

You can find the Japanese edition Blu-ray here on Amazon: The Black Devil and the White Prince (First Press Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] JAPANESE EDITION

14. The 100th Love With You [君と100回目の恋] (2017)

The 100th Love With You  is a time-travel romance movie about bandmates Aoi Hinata and Riku Hasegawa, stuck in a time loop. 

The movie’s heroine, Aoi Hinata, is a university student who can’t escape her dire fate-accident-induced death. She first realizes her unique ability after getting hit by a truck and waking up in a class she already attended a few days back. Disoriented, she relives the day again. Aoi soon finds out that her bandmate and love interest Riku has also been time traveling, and for a lot longer than she has. 

Riku then confesses his love to Aoi and tells her that he’s been time traveling back and forth with one goal – to save Aoi. While the two try to figure out the stakes of their ability, they spend the time they have left living their life to the fullest. Will Riku be able to save Aoi? Or, will she relive her death for the 100th time? 

If you can understand Japanese, you can find the Japanese Edition Blu-ray on Amazon here: Movie “You and the 100th Love” (First Press Limited Edition) [Blu-ray] JAPANESE EDITION

13. I Give My First Love To You [僕の初恋をキミに捧ぐ] (2009)

For childhood friends Mayu Taneda and Takuma Kakinouchi, their love story doesn’t revolve around joyous memories but rather on the grim reality of Takuma’s failing heart that won’t live past 20 years. 

I Give My First Love To You  may sound like your average “protagonist has a few years left to live” type of movie, but it goes beyond that. What I loved about the film was its build-up. It shows the journey and hardships Mayu and Takuma faced when they met at eight years old until they reached their early twenties. Mayu first met Takuma when they were kids at the hospital when her father was treating him. From then onwards, the two’s friendship grew and turned to romance. 

Knowing that his days are limited, Takuma tries to thwart Mayu’s feelings. He is tired of hurting her and seeing her cry. But is that enough to keep the steadfast love of Mayu away from the dying Takuma? Heartbreak, betrayal, pure selfless love –  I Give My First Love To You  is a must-watch for days you want to cry your heart out. 

Check out the DVD with English subtitles here on Amazon: I Give My First Love To You (2009) Wonderful Japanese Romance (Eng Subs) DVD

12. Kimi Ni Todoke [君に届け] (2010) 

Simple, innocent, sweet love – these are the words I’d use to describe the romance between the heroine Sawako Kuronuma and Shōta Kazehaya. I’m a big fan of the anime and manga of Kimi Ni Todoke and can say that the movie adaptation did a great job of capturing the innocent romance between the main leads.

Shy and introverted, Sawako is shunned by her peers because her outward appearance, demeanor, and name resemble the main character (Sadako) in the horror film “ Ring .” Despite all her classmates’ prejudices, Sawako still tries to make friends with her classmates whenever an opportunity arises. 

Cue in the popular boy Kazehaya. Friends surround him, always seen smiling, and overall just a perfect guy. What happens when someone like Kazehaya becomes interested in Sawako, his polar opposite? Well, you’ll have to watch  Kimi Ni Todoke  to find out. 

Despite having a popular high school romance trope, the movie is a gem that you’ll keep coming back to for that good ol’ fluffy romance fix. And, if you enjoy the film, make sure to check out the anime as well! It will be worth every minute. 

You can find the DVD with English subtitles on Amazon: Kimi Ni Todoke, The Movie, in Japanese with English Subtitles

11. Hana and Alice [花とアリス] (2004)

Shunji Iwai, director of the hit film  Love Letter , impresses viewers with a plot that turns the central theme of romance into a beautiful storytelling tool. This coming of age film is about inseparable friends Hana and Alice. 

On the outside, Hana and Alice look like two ordinary high school girls who like ballet. However, as the film progresses, we see more layers of the girls’ characters unravel.  Hana and Alice  focus on the love triangle between Hana, Alice, and Masashi Miyamoto, a shy classmate from their school’s acting club. 

After seeing Masashi on a train reading a book, Hana becomes infatuated with him. Hana stalks Masashi on his way home and sees him bump his head and fall to the ground. Seizing the opportunity, Hana rushes to Masashi’s side and waits for him to regain consciousness. Masashi sees Hana and asks her who she is. Do you know what she said? Hana lies and tells Masashi that she is his girlfriend and suffers amnesia. 

Alice joins the make-up life of Hana and Masashi as Masashi’s supposed to be ex-girlfriend. Again, Masashi is fooled into believing the ludicrous stories. Things get complicated when Alice and Masashi develop genuine feelings for one another. 

Will liking the same boy get in the way of the girls’ friendship? Hana and Alice is a great movie to watch for days you’re craving for dreamy cinematography mixed with an unusual plot. 

Check out the DVD on Amazon here: Hana & Alice (Widescreen)

10. Koizora [恋空] (2007) 

The 2007  Koizora  film was based on a cellphone novel that took the Internet by storm in Japan. Readers were hooked to the tragic love story of Mika Tahara and Hiroki Sakurai, two high school kids who experienced the tragedies of life in unimaginable ways.

Mika first meets Hiro virtually after Hiro finds Mika’s lost phone. The two communicate throughout the summer, with Hiro only being the one aware of Mika’s identity; Mika had no idea who this mysterious boy she shared her secrets with was. 

The two agree to meet, and Mika is shocked to see that the identity of her secret friend is the delinquent Hiro. At first, Mika is scared and wants to cut contact with Hiro, but she can’t. Mika and Hiro deepened their bond emotionally and physically, becoming one in all aspects. 

It’s easy to see why some critics might argue that Koizora’s overdramatic plot filled with serious topics like assault and rape make it unplausible and not worth watching.  Koizora  is not your average cute, innocent high school romance; it’s the total opposite. The movie depicts teenage pregnancies, abortion, gang rape in a light that was not favorable to some viewers. I think what the film lacked was a punishment for these severe actions.

Past this, though, the fact that it was based on a true story made  Koizora’s  story more gripping. You’ll end up sympathizing with the characters and sharing the pain they felt along their journey of tragic love. If you’re looking for a fluffy romance movie, this is not the one. However, if you’re looking for a tearjerker, more mature film, then  Koizora  is for you. 

You can the DVD on Amazon here: Koizora / Sky of Love Japanese Movie DVD – NTSC all region with English subtitle (Adapted from Best selling mobile novel)

9. His (2020)

To this day, the topic of same-sex relationships is still not widely accepted in Japan. That’s why when the BL film  His  premiered in 2020, it immediately caught the attention of many viewers. The story follows the life of Shun Igawa and Nagisa Hibino, college sweethearts who part ways and reunite many years later. 

After the impulsive Nagisa breaks the heart of the wallflower Shun, Shun leaves the city to live as a farmer in a small remote town in the middle of nowhere. Many years later, Nagisa shows up at Shun’s doorstep and asks to live with him. Not only that, Nagisa has a 6-year-old daughter who he’s currently fighting a custody court case against his soon-to-be ex-wife. 

Despite the many years apart, it’s evident that Shun still hasn’t moved on from his first love, Nagisa. Meanwhile, Nagisa lived his life repressing his sexual preference clouded by the perception that a normal life means ending up with a woman. 

His  is a masterpiece that depicts the hardships gay couples face in the eyes of society. It shows that forgiveness and acceptance will get you a long way in life. If you’re tired of all the high school romances, give this movie a try. 

You can watch this movie on Amazon with Dekkoo here: His – Movie

8. Let Me Eat Your Pancreas [君の膵臓をたべたい] (2017)

I’ll tell you now. This movie has no cannibalistic scenes of teenagers eating their classmates’ organs.  Let Me Eat Your Pancreas  is a coming-of-age film based on Yoru Sumino’s 2015 novel  I Want To Eat Your Pancreas. 

Like  A Silent Voice’s  protagonist Shoya Ishida,  Let Me Eat Your Pancreas’s  Haruki Shiga is an awkward loner with no friends. The movie begins with an adult Haruki reminiscing about his high school days with his classmate Sakura Yamauchi, a bubbly teenager diagnosed with a terminal pancreatic disease. By chance, Haruki stumbles upon Sakura’s journal and finds out about her situation. Sakura then asks Haruki to keep her illness a secret. 

The unlikely friendship between the two grows as Haruki accompanies Sakura on her bucket list. Despite the ending,  Let Me Eat Your Pancreas  beautifully shows the power of friendship and the fragility of one’s life. 

The phrase “Let Me Eat Your Pancreas” or “I Want To Eat Your Pancreas” has multiple meanings. It is believed that consuming a part of another person allows their spirit to live with you for all eternity. The other belief is that if you consume a healthy organ of another person, your failing organ will heal.

You can find this movie on Amazon here: Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (Japanese movie, NTSC All Region, English subtitles, From the Bestselling novel by Yoru Sumino)  

7. Heavenly Forest [ただ、君を愛してる] (2006)

Have you ever liked someone so much to the point that you want to do the same hobbies they love? Shizuru Satonaka, the heroine of  Heavenly Forest,  falls in love at first sight with the protagonist Makoto Segawa, a socially awkward and shy university student with a passion for photography. Equally socially inept in the art of socializing, Shizuru tries to get to know Makoto better. The two then bond over photography, mainly by taking pictures at a nearby secret forest Makoto found. 

Just as their friendship blossoms, Makoto becomes romantically interested in one of his peers, Miyuki Toyama, a refined young woman, a total opposite of Miyuki. Miyuki vows that she will change and become a woman fit for Makoto and suddenly disappears and travels abroad. 

A few years pass, and Makoto receives a letter from Shizuru asking him to visit her debut photography exhibit in New York. By this time, Makoto realizes that he did love Shizuru more than Miyuki and breaks up with her. But is Makoto too late to rekindle their love? Although cliche,  Heavenly Forest  is a beautiful film that will grip your heartstrings. 

You can find the Japanese Edition of this movie here on Amazon: ただ、君を愛してる スタンダード・エディション (Heavenly Forest) [DVD]

6. We Made a Beautiful Bouquet [花束みたいな恋をした] (2021)

With high school romances as the center of most Japanese romance movies,  We Made a Beautiful Bouquet  is a breath of fresh air in the romance genre. This movie focuses on the five-year relationship of Mugi Yamane and Kinu Hachiya.

After missing their last train home, the pair decides to spend the night at a bar. As they get to know each other more, they find out they like the same movies, manga, music, and even the same style of shoes. What first started as a chance meeting blossomed into a five-year relationship. But, just like in any relationship, you won’t always see eye-to-eye. As the two grow older and realize that having the same interests is not enough to sustain a relationship, personal goals and ambitions begin to clash. 

We Made a Beautiful Bouquet  is a realistic bittersweet romance that might hit too close to home for viewers who have had long-term relationships not ending well. When the excitement of the early stages wane, and you’re faced with serious decisions for your future and career, love turns into a daily choice that many people are not ready to face, like Mugi and Kinu. 

If you’re looking for a movie to relate to and maybe shed a few tears of heartbreak with, you’ll find your fix with this one. It’s bittersweet and will leave you either reevaluating your life decisions or being thankful for sticking it through. 

This movie can be difficult to find, but if you can understand Japanese you an find a copy with Chinese subtitles on Amazon: Japanese drama I Fell in Love Like A Flower Bouquet DVD Blu-ray Chinese Sub

5. Daytime Shooting Star [ひるなかの流星] (2017)

Daytime Shooting Star  tells the story of fifteen-year-old Yosano Suzume, who moves from the countryside to the bustling city of Tokyo. As soon as Suzume arrives in the city, she collapses from hunger after spending hours looking for her Uncle’s place. Luckily, a handsome young man, Shishio Satsuki, comes to her rescue. It turns out that Shishio is Suzume’s homeroom teacher, much to Suzume’s surprise, but not the viewers, of course. 

Suzume can’t help but fall for her kind-natured homeroom teacher. What she doesn’t know, though, is that her seatmate, Daiki Mamura, is secretly crushing on her. While the story sounds quite predictable, it’s surprisingly not. 

What made  Daytime Shooting Star  a formidable contender on this list is its superb storytelling of the heartbreak, acceptance, and growth that comes with first love.

Unfortunately, this movie can be hard to find. You can see it on Netflix Japan, or if you prefer, you can read the English manga or find the Japanese book version here: ひるなかの流星 映画ノベライズ みらい文庫版 (集英社みらい文庫)

4. Your Eyes Tell [きみの瞳（め）が問いかけている] (2020)

Your Eyes Tell,  a remake of the hit 2011 Korean film  Always,  tells the story of Rui Shinozaki, a kickboxer with a dark past, and Akari Kashiwagi, a partially blind woman. 

At the beginning of the movie, 24-year-old Rui is shown as a young man juggling multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet. He’s fresh out of prison after getting involved with underground organizations. After being mistaken for someone else, Rui befriends Akari, and the two start an unlikely connection. 

While watching the movie, I couldn’t help but compare the character of the main leads. You have one overflowing with brute force and the other as fragile as a flower. The contrast between the two leads helps build their character development. When Rui finds out that Akari’s blindness was connected to his past crimes, things start to take a turn for the worse. While Rui struggles with his dark past, Akari’s eye condition worsens.

Although the story started off as a bit of a slow burn, it picks up more as the movie progresses. Rui and Akari’s pure love for one another is the kind that you’d want to wrap up and store. How will it end? There’s only one way to find out.  

You can get the DVD on Amazon here: Your Eyes Tell – DVD

3. My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday [ぼくは明日、昨日のきみとデートする] (2016) 

When you’re faced with the irreversible truth that the time you spend with your loved one is numbered, what do you do? Unlike many tragic romance plots with the same premise,  My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday  does not rely on a terminal sickness to tear the protagonists apart but rather on supernatural concepts like time travel. 

My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday shares some similarities with the anime fantasy blockbuster, Your Name, based on a hit novel under the same name. However, the endings could not be any more different.  

The time travel element of the film focuses on the idea of parallel universes. Emi comes from a world where time runs backward. Everything Taki considers the future is Emi’s past and vice versa. The star-crossed lovers can only meet for 30 days every five years. To add to that, the pair can only have a relationship when they are 20, the only age they share in the entire cycle. In all other instances where their worlds collide, one is either too young or the other too old. Their romance can only last 30 days…that’s it. 

You can already imagine how painful each day they spend together in that window will be. While each memory they create is a first for Taki, it’s a last for Emi. The storytelling of  My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday  is beautifully written. You’ll be left with a fresh perspective on love and what quality time really is. When the memories fade, the truth still remains. Give this film a try; you won’t regret it. 

You can check out the Blu-ray of this Japanese movie here: My Tomorrow Your Yesterday [Blu-ray]

2. Love Letter (1995)

Don’t let  Love Letter’s  1995 premiere stop you from picking up this hidden gem. The box-office hit movie was directed by highly acclaimed director Shunji Iwai and starred Japanese singer Miho Nakayama. Through the well-thought cinematography and superb camera angles used in the film, viewers get a taste of life in the snow-covered city of Otaru in Hokkaido, Japan. 

Love Letter’s  plot is unlike a lot of modern-day Japanese romance films. The love story between Itsuki Fujii and Hiroko Watanabe is brought to life through flashbacks and memories that Hiroko shares with a woman in Otaru. This woman shares the same name as her deceased fiance (Itsuki Fujii).  

After Hiroko loses her fiance (Itsuki Fujii) in a climbing accident, she cannot move forward and forget her love. One day, Hiroko finds Itsuki’s yearbook and decides to write a letter to the address written under his name. To her horror and surprise, she receives a response. 

Hiroko then becomes pen-pals with the female Itsuki, who shares the same name as her late lover. The female Itsuki went to the same high school as Hiroko’s fiance Itsuki and thus began the correspondence between the two. 

The beauty of  Love Letter  lies in its impeccable storytelling and acting. Hiroko Watanabe and the female Itsuki Fujii were both played by Miho Nakayama. The sentimental film portrays the hardships of lost love and the pain and freedom of nostalgia.

You can check out the Japanese edition Blu-ray on Amazon here: Love Letter BD

1. The 8 Year Engagement [8年越しの花嫁] (2017)

Based on a true-to-life story,  The 8 Year Engagement  is about a man’s dedication to fulfilling the lifelong promise of marriage to his fiance in a coma. If you were in the shoes of Hisashi, a shy, kindhearted young man, would you wait for your fiance to wake up from a coma that doctors have diagnosed as futile? 

The film’s plot is based on the real-life story of a young couple from Okayama. Highly acclaimed actors Takeru Satoh and Tao Tsuchiya brought to life the heartwrenching love story of Takeshi and Mai. There’s a reason why we chose this film as number one on our list; here’s why. 

Takeshi and Mai meet in their early 20’s and enter a whirlwind romance. Takeshi knew that Mai was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and asked Mai to marry him. A few months before their wedding day, Mai suffers brain damage and falls into a deep sleep that she’ll be in for years. Takeshi doesn’t stop visiting her at the hospital despite never knowing when her eyes would open again. After some time, Mai miraculously gains consciousness but does not recall who Takeshi is.  

Takeshi is not fazed by this fact and continues to shower Mai with affection. I won’t divulge all of the plot. What’s beautiful about  The 8 Year Engagement  is its portrayal of love. Can you claim that you love someone if you’re unwilling to go the extra mile for them? We can’t quantify love with words, but we can with our actions. 

Find the Blu-ray with English and traditional Chinese subtitles on Amazon here: The 8 Year Engagement (Region A Blu-ray) (English & Chinese Subtitled) 8年越しの花嫁

I hope this Japanese romance movie list was helpful in your search for a film to watch. Did we mention your favorite romance film? Comment down below your all-time favorite movie that got you squealing like a young girl or crying like it’s the end of the world. 

Kazuko Otsuka

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10 Movies to Watch Before Traveling to Japan

One way to experience the world of Japan at home is to watch movies. Through film, the dynamic and local atmosphere of a place that cannot be portrayed well in photographs or books can be seen and will really come to life.

In this article, we will introduce ten films about Japan that include not only anime and live-action films but also period dramas and movies that have won Academy Awards in the past, as well as various other films about Japan that will grant you visual access to the Land of the Rising Sun.

1. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

2. lost in translation, 3. spirited away, 4. your name, 5. our little sister, 6. seven samurai, 7. the great passage, 9. drive my car, 10. departures, other articles you might be interested in.

“Jiro Dreams of Sushi” is an acclaimed documentary that depicts Jiro Ono, owner of the famous Ginza restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro, and his passion for sushi . This film delicately explores a sushi restaurant so famous that it has been awarded three Michelin stars and the ups and downs of dedicating one’s life to the craft.

 The American director, greatly intrigued by Mr. Ono’s passion for sushi, closely followed him, and you get a deep understanding of the Japanese passion for workmanship. This film is highly recommended for those who want to take a closer look at the world of sushi in Japan and for sushi fans all around.

Official Website: Jiro Dreams of Sushi If you want to go to Sukiyabashi Jiro, make a reservation from here !

“Lost in Translation” is a rom-com movie set in Tokyo. The film stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson and is directed by Sofia Coppola. The film depicts a romance between a middle-aged Hollywood actor who feels lonely in Tokyo and an American woman who is looking for an ember of love in Tokyo, a city with an exotic and mysterious atmosphere. Coppola has stated that she has stayed in Japan in the past and that her experience is reflected in this film.

Famous as Ghibli’s biggest hit film, “Spirited Away” remained No. 1 at the Japanese box office until 2020, when the theatrical anime movie of “ Demon Slayer ” smashed the box-office record by miles. 

While on her way to a new town that her family is planning to move to, Chihiro suddenly gets lost and is separated from her parents. The town she ends up in is a hot-spring resort inhabited by spirits and deities and, most shockingly, is a place where humans are prohibited.

With the help of a boy named Haku, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her back to her parents and the world from which she came. Ghibli’s detailed movements and unique characters make this one of the most beloved films in Japan, and to this day, the film invokes nostalgia for many.

Official Website: Spirited Away

One of Makoto Shinkai’s most famous animated films is “Your Name.” The main character, Miyamizu Mitsuha, is a high school girl living in Itomori Town, Gifu Prefecture , who longs to live in the city of Tokyo. Tachibana Taki is a high school boy who lives in Tokyo with his father. These two high school students, who are completely unacquainted with each other, have a strange dream one day and suddenly switch bodies with each other. From there, an epic story begins of them exploring different sides of life and learning to appreciate their own upbringings.

In addition to the excellent story and characters, the background of the film is very beautiful with its detailed and careful depiction of nature, such as the sky and clouds, as well as the cityscape of Tokyo.

Official Website: Your Name

“Our Little Sister” is a story about the conflicts and bonds between four sisters set in Kamakura , a city with a strong religious history religion, and deeply rooted traditions upheld by shrines and temples . 

One hot summer morning, the three sisters living in Kamakura receive news of their father’s death. Before his death, he abandoned his family, and also the mother remarried and left. Since then, the three sisters have struggled to make ends meet. 

At their father’s funeral, the three sisters meet their half-sister, a junior high school student. Although she is a daughter of the father who abandoned three sisters in the past, the eldest sister unintentionally asks her to come live with them together because her mother has already passed away. From there, the lives of the four sisters began in Kamakura. They share their problems and joys and sometimes clash with each other, deepening their bond. But when their mother suddenly appears, the lives of the four sisters take an unexpected turn. 

The emotions of the sisters are intertwined with each other in the beautiful Kamakura setting, making this a film well worth watching.

Official Website: Our Little Sister

One of the most acclaimed films not only in Japan but around the world is “Seven Samurai,” a samurai film by master director Akira Kurosawa. 

At the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, the peasants were suffering from the robberies of their villages by the warriors who had turned into thieves. One day, a thief takes a child hostage and hides in the village house. One of the villagers, Rikichi, pleads for help from a samurai who was just passing by, and the samurai, with his quick wit, quickly rescues the child. 

Rikichi is so impressed with the samurai’s skill with a sword that he asks him to be the village guard. The samurai refuses at first, but Rikichi’s enthusiasm wins him over, and he decides to become a village guard in the end. This is a gem of a movie that covers cinematic themes such as the great spirit of righteousness, humanity, and “helping the weak”.

The book “Funa wo amu (The Great Passage)” by Shion Miura, released in 2011, is the story of a dictionary editorial department of a publishing company. Mitsuya Majime works for a publishing company and is recruited to the department that compiles dictionaries because of his outstanding sense of how to capture words. There, Majime immerses himself in the creation of dictionaries while growing together with the unique members of the editorial team around him. The story depicts a variety of human relationships through the creation of dictionaries. If you are interested in the Japanese language, this film is more enjoyable and gets you into the beautiful world of literature.

Official Website: The Great Passage

In “Tampopo”, two truck drivers stop by a deserted ramen shop owned by a beautiful shopkeeper, but the ramen she is selling is lukewarm and not very tasty. After hearing about the owner’s situation, they decide to turn her store into a thriving business and fight for her. The film’s content is sure to satisfy those who love Japanese cuisine, with delicious-looking Japanese dishes such as ramen and omelet rice, with detailed scenes showing how to make wonderful ramen.

Winner of the 2022 Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, “Drive My Car” is based on the novel written by Haruki Murakami . Kafuku, a stage actor and director, is happily married to his beloved wife, Oto, until suddenly she leaves him with a secret. 2 years later, Kafuku drives to a theater festival and meets Misaki, a personal driver with a secret past, which dramatically changes the course of the story. This is one of the masterpieces of Japanese cinema that successfully weaves together all the emotions of grief over the loss of the beloved, relationships with the people around them, and the difficulty of maintaining one’s faith.

Official Website: Drive My Car

The last movie introduced here is “Departures,” a humanistic film directed by Yojiro Takita. This film is also known for being the first Japanese film to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and has received many awards around the world. It is the story of a former cello player of an orchestra who loses his job and, through a chance encounter with an embalmer, who helps him confront life and death head-on with sincerity. The music of this film is composed by Joe Hisaishi, who is also famous for his work on Ghibli films. This film powerfully depicts the inevitable path of “life and death.”

Official Website: Departures

In this article, we have introduced ten movies that we feel captivate the essence of Japan but were there any movies that you would like to see? If you find a movie on this list that interests you, we highly recommend you give it a chance and watch it. You can also experience the atmosphere of Japan through Japanese movies and enjoy watching them with your friends and family. 

Follow us on  Instagram ,  Facebook , and  Twitter  for more travel inspiration. Or tag us to get featured!

Happy traveling!

Mao Goto is a Japanese freelancer who was born in Hayama, Kanagawa prefecture and raised in Tokyo. Since 2016 she lives in the Taito Ward, home to a lot of Japanese culture hotspots such as Asakusa, Akihabara, and Ueno. She has been interested in the field of English education in Japan and got her Master’s degree in March 2020. A lover of photography, travel, sweets, and cross-stitch. Contact her via  Facebook .

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