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Japan boasts one of the most robust and oldest film industries in the world, with historian Yomota Inuhiko dating its origins as far back as 1896. With visionary filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki among the industry's most recognizable names, Japan has produced some truly extraordinary films. Beyond sweeping historical epics and fantasy fare sharing the country's extensive folklore, Japan has produced a growing number of dramas that have stood the test of time.

From slice-of-life portraits across Japanese history to biting commentaries on society, Japanese dramas widely feature precision in storytelling and deliberate pacing to meditate on its themes. For decades, cinema has become a place for Japanese artists to question and subvert cultural norms directly while exploring and pondering existential themes. With that all in mind, here are the 15 best Japanese drama movies, from avant-garde pieces to animated films that delve into more humanist subject matter, showcasing different...

“Whisper of the Heart”, the favorite, coming-of-age Studio Ghibli film, was released in the distant 1995. Based on the homotitled manga by Aoi Hiiragi, it stands as the first movie of the Japanese Dream Factory that is not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. Behind its success lies Yoshifumi Kondo, the director who worked on plenty of masterpieces, such as “Princess Mononoke“, “Grave of the Fireflies”, and “Kiki’s Delivery Service“. By examining the difficult path that leads one to discover who he truly wants to be, by narrating the stressful and clumsy process of entering adulthood and personal maturation, it unfolds a world full of realism, imagination, and strong emotions. But, let’s take a closer look!

The story revolves around Shizuku Tsukishima, a teenage girl who is in the last grade of high school, and, instead of studying for her exams, prefers to read literary books and …follow stray cats.

Whisper Of The Heart

Stars: Ashley Tisdale, David Gallagher, James Sikking, Youko Honna, Kazuo Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana | Written by Hayao Miyazaki | Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô

Yet another release from the prolific and highly-regarded Studio Ghibli, Whisper of the Heart, originally released in 1995, is written by animation master Hayao Miyazaki and directed by his protégé Yoshifumi Kondo. It tells the tale of a young girl named Suzuku who finds that all the books she chooses in the library have been previously checked out by the same boy. She later meets Seji, an infuriating, yet disarmingly charming, young boy who may or may not be her “friend” from the library, and whose grandfather owns an antique shop. When Seji gets the chance to build violins in Italy it inspires Suzuku to follow her dreams of becoming a writer, and she pens a story about the “Baron”, the cat statue in Seji’s grandfathers shop,...