Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, and with the help of a powerful yokai called Madara, he embarks on a journey to return the names of yokai that were once controlled by his grandmother.
Mikage will get married to Youiti next year, she agrees to live with Youiti's parents. One day, Youiti's father disrobed Mikage's Kimono and raped her. To her astonishment, her fiancé Youiti whom Mikage considers true love has an affair with his young stepmother. Shocked and devastated, what will Mikage do?
When Yumi Fukuzawa entered the Lillian Girls' Academy, a prestigious all-girls Catholic school in Tokyo, she never imagined she would catch the eye of beautiful and demure Sachiko Ogasawara, one of the school's most popular students. Now Sachiko has offered to be Yumi's soeur, her "sister" and guide for all her years at the academy. The whole idea has Yumi completely flustered—after all, they hardly know each other! The entire campus is abuzz with rumors about the two of them, but Yumi is conflicted over accepting Sachiko's offer. While she admires Sachiko, being her soeur would also mean constantly being at the center of the entire school's attention!
Host Peter Barakan delves into various aspects of Japanese culture; exploring practices, history, and modern innovations in such areas as ramen, rice, sushi, geisha, bonsai, and so much more. Local experts discuss their passions at fascinating length, and American Japanophile Matt Alt experiences the food, practices, and cultures in each episode in depth. Viewers will finish each half hour episode with a new understanding of an area of Japanese life through demonstrative videos and explanations, all delivered respectfully and true to the Japanese way of life.
The spirit Hanako-kun and his human assistant, first-year student Nene Yashiro, keep the peace between supernatural forces and the students of Kamome Academy. When they’re not fighting to maintain balance between the living and spirit worlds, how do they spend their time? Join Hanako-kun and Nene on their adventures after school!
Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi follows the animated adventures of two Japanese teenage pop stars, Ami and Yumi, who travel the world on their music tour. Along the way, they encounter strange and surreal situations, all while dealing with the pressures of fame.
Journeys in Japan provides an eye-opening look at the many unique places to visit in Japan. English-speaking visitors travel the length of the country, exploring the culture, meeting the local people, visiting historic sites and offering travel hints rarely found in guidebooks.
Rising Sun is a crime thriller set in Los Angeles, where a murder of a prostitute leads a detective, a journalist, and a police department to unravel a web of corruption and corporate intrigue in the Japanese business community. As they dig deeper into the case, they confront issues of race relations, misogyny, and the clash of cultures. The investigation takes them through a series of twists and turns, revealing the darker side of power and money.
Alice is an independent woman, raised in a Japanese family; Mario is an immature guy of Italian origins. Two childhood friends from very distinct families, bond together by a complicity which spans generations. When Alice decides to live abroad, Mario begins to see in her more than just a friend. Now he will go out of his way to make this unlikely love story come to life in this romantic comedy tied by friendship.
Segawa Yuta is a freshman of a university. He lost his parents when he was small and was raised by his sister Yuri. Yuta has been living alone since Yuri got married to a middle aged man when Yuta was a junior high student. One day, Yuri visited Yuta's apartment and asked him to take care of her three daughters while Yuri and her husband were on a trip. He unwillingly accepted the job but the plane Yuri took went missing. In order to prevent the daughters from being adopted separately by relatives, Yuta decided to take in all three girls. A life of a strange family in a tiny apartment begins.
In 17th-century Japan, a poverty-stricken ronin seeks revenge against a corrupt shogunate by requesting an honorable death through seppuku (harakiri) in front of a feudal lord. As he narrates the tragic events leading up to his request, the true motivations and injustices of the shogunate are revealed.
During World War II, a British officer is captured and sent to a Japanese prison camp in Java. He must navigate the brutal conditions and conflicting loyalties as he forms unlikely alliances and confronts the cruelty of his captors.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is a biographical drama that explores the life and themes of Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. The film delves into Mishima's struggles with identity and patriotism, as well as his exploration of art and the role of the writer in society. It also touches on his personal life, including his homosexuality and his fascination with Zen philosophy. The movie depicts Mishima's complex personality and his ultimate tragic end.
Tokyo: where both tradition and the latest trends coexist. Join us on a journey to discover the real Tokyo as we dive into its historic old towns and encounter many fun surprises along the way.
When an American private detective learns that his friend's daughter has been kidnapped by the yakuza in Japan, he travels to Tokyo to rescue her. Along the way, he must navigate the dangerous world of the Japanese mafia and face his own past.
Little Forest: Summer/Autumn is a movie about a young woman named Ichiko who returns to her rural hometown after feeling disillusioned with city life. In the tranquil countryside, she rediscovers the joys of simple living, finding solace in the beauty of nature, agriculture, and the art of cooking. Through her experiences, she learns valuable lessons about self-sufficiency, the importance of community, and the power of reconnecting with one's roots.
After being abandoned by her mother, a young woman named Ichiko returns to her rural hometown in Japan. She rediscovers the beauty of nature and the joy of simple living as she spends a year in the countryside, learning about Japanese culture, cooking, and horticulture.
After a breakup, a young American woman named Abby is stranded in Tokyo and becomes fascinated with ramen. She finds herself in a ramen noodle restaurant where she asks for a job as an apprentice to the strict ramen master, Maezumi. As Abby immerses herself in the world of ramen, she faces challenges such as the language barrier, cultural differences, and her own self-doubt. With resilience and determination, Abby gradually becomes a skilled ramen chef, and in the process, finds love and self-discovery.
Inaho Jr. High's Boys Ping Pong Club has only 6 members, the club minimum. Takeda is your average nice guy. Kinoshita is good looking and popular with girls. Unfortunately, the rest are branded as losers. Tanabe is too foreign, while Tanaka is petite and perverse. Maena and Izawa are truly deviant, and their crazed antics have earned the team some powerful enemies. In spite of their differences, the team needs to work together to retain their practice room and club status.
The world-famous woodblock artist Hokusai (1760-1849), a widower in need of a steady income, lives with his daughter Oei in the house of his friend Bakin.