12 Japanese independent films you must watch

From a story about the strange appearance of green lights in a field to a focus on temple builder Nishioka Tsunekazu, the JFF+ Independent Cinema 2023 lineup warrants interest and attention

Independent mini theatres, film critics, and film festival directors worked together to finalise a worthy lineup for this year’s JFF+ Independent Cinema. From August 1 to October 31, 2023, the Japanese Film Foundation in Manila curated a showcase of 12 independent Japanese films available to stream for free at the JFF+ website.

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The participating independent mini theatres hold integral roles within the Japanese cinema community, from Cinema Iris in Hokkaido to the Sakurazaka Theater in Okinawa. The program aims to shed light on the independent mini theatres that support the cinema culture of Japan, and together these will introduce the current state of cinema culture and regional culture from multiple angles.

Check out the films that made the cut below:

1. Lonely Glory (2022)

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Directed by Sakon Keitaro, Lonely Glory is about a young and well-recognised female entrepreneur named Haruka who was forced to retire from her company after a power harassment incident because of her personality. She, however, will do whatever it takes to achieve her goals.

2. And Your Bird Can Sing (2018)

Above ©HAKODATE CINEMA IRIS [Selected by CINEMA IRIS]

©HAKODATE CINEMA IRIS [Selected by CINEMA IRIS]

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Miyake Sho’s And Your Bird Can Sing focuses on a love triangle that captures all the magic and melancholy of a summer, concentrating on the fleeting moments and encounters experienced by the three protagonists.

3. An Artisan’s Legacy, Tsunekazu Nishioka (2012)

Above ©An Artisan’s Legacy [Selected by fukaya cinema]

©An Artisan’s Legacy [Selected by fukaya cinema]

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An Artisan’s Legacy, Tsunekazu Nishioka by Yamazaki Yuji is an in-depth look at the twilight years spent training apprentices of temple builder Nishioka Tsunekazu, who was called the “devil” as he devoted his life to temple architecture.

4. Follow the Light (2021)

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Directed by Narita Yoichi, this film follows the story of Akira Nakajima, who transferred to Tokyo with his father, who made a U-turn from Tokyo and witnesses a mysterious light in the sky. Following the light, a crop circle is formed in Hideo Sato’s rice field, and Akira meets a beautiful girl, Maki, who lies there.

5. Hey! Our dear Don-chan (2022)

Above ©Shuichi Okita [Selected by Ueda Eigeki]

©Shuichi Okita [Selected by Ueda Eigeki]

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Hey! Our dear Don-chan by Okita Shuichi is a drama and comedy revolving around three struggling actors Michio, Gunji, and Enoken, who share a house together. One day, they find a baby girl left with a letter from Michio’s ex-girlfriend. They name the child Don-chan and embark on the journey of raising her.

6. A Muse Never Drowns (2022)

Above ©cubfilm [Selected by Motomachi Movie Theater]

©cubfilm [Selected by Motomachi Movie Theater]

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Asao Nozomi’s A Muse Never Drowns is a fresh coming-of-age film that depicts the diversity of ways of living through scrap-and-build.

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7. Hanagatami (2017)

Above ©Karatsu Film Partners/PSC2017 [Selected by THEATER ENYA]

©Karatsu Film Partners/PSC2017 [Selected by THEATER ENYA]

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Hangatami, literally translated as Flower Basket, is a film directed by Obayashi Nobuhiko. It follows the story of a teenager who returns to the coastal town of Karatsu from Amsterdam to stay with his aunt, where he and the neighbourhood kids are absorbed into the chaos of the times.

8. Tenzo (2019)

Above ©Kuzoku Inc. [Selected by jig theater]

©Kuzoku Inc. [Selected by jig theater]

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In the film Tenzo, Chiken, a Buddhist monk, throws himself into various tasks such as a suicide helpline in his temple in Yamanashi to address the social crisis.

9. Techno Brothers (2023)

Above ©FOOLISH PIGGIES FILMS [Selected by Mark Schilling]

©FOOLISH PIGGIES FILMS [Selected by Mark Schilling]

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Directed by Watanabe Hirobumi, the musical comedy Techno Brothers is about a band in the film pronounced as a trio of geniuses on par with Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, The Beatles, Miles Davis and Bob Dylan, according to their agent. They perform long electronic numbers in the most unlikely of places.

10. A Girl in My Room (2022)

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A Girl in My Room by Takahashi Natsuki is about a ghost of a girl named Aisuke suddenly appearing in the room of Yohei, the main character, who was dumped by his lover.

11. Bon-Uta, A Song from Home (2019)

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Directed by Nakae Yuji, Bon-Uta, A Song from Home reveals the permanent scars left on the hearts of the survivors of the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan’s Töhoku region.

12. Bachiranun (2021)

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Bachiranun is a docufiction by director Higashimori Aika. It is a tribute to her birthplace island of Yonaguni, located just over 100km from Taiwan as Japan’s westernmost point.

JFF+ Independent Cinema is organized by the Japan Foundation and will run until October 31, 2023. For more information and updates, follow Japan Foundation, Manila on Facebook and Instagram.

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Topics

JFF+ Independent Cinema 2023 Japan Foundation Manila Film Festival

Angela Nicole Guiral

Digital Editor, Tatler Philippines

Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.