When Princess Mononoke released in 1997 in Japan, the anime film created such a sensation across that country that it became the very first animated feature film to win Best Picture in the 21st Japan Academy Prize. This win was a huge set point for animated films in the country, changing the way such content was consumed by the audience and critics.
While animated films from Hollywood, popularly Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, have enjoyed wide access with worldwide theatrical releases and a fanbase spread across the globe, online streaming platform Netflix now has an impressive collection of animated films made in Japan.
When discussing the list of award-winning Japanese anime films, the contribution of Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata and Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Tokyo, Japan, cannot be ignored. This studio has several highest grossers on its list, most of which find mention below.
Here’s a list that will help you acquaint yourself with some of the best animated feature films to have been made in Japan, a list that will open up a whole new world of fantasy, adventure and love.
My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
Incidentally, Totoro, the friendly, fluffy, giant forest spirit is Studio Ghibli's mascot. It is to say the least that this film has a cult following, especially among children. Sisters Satsuki and Mei move into an old house with their father while their mother is at the hospital undergoing treatment. On a sunny afternoon, playing in the garden near her house, Mei follows two rabbit-like creatures down a tunnel formed by creepers, to a large camphor tree. This is where Totoro naps, his giant body heaving with every breath. The film gets exciting from here, the appearance of Totoro - later on with the umbrella that he takes a particular liking to - adding more magic to the story. The film won two Kinema Junpo Awards in 1989 - Best Film of the Year and Readers' Choice Award – Best Japanese Film.
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
This film is an adaptation of Japanese children’s writer Eiko Kadono’s book of the same name. Also by Studio Ghibli, this film won the Mainichi Film Award for Best Animation Film. A coming-of-age drama, the film is about a young witch Kiki who leaves home with her black cat Jenji to make a living on her own. She flies a broom and runs a delivery service that turns out to be challenging...but what’s even more challenging is conquering her inner battles.
Kiki’s Delivery Service
Only Yesterday (1991)
“To be a butterfly, a caterpillar has to become a chrysalis first. Even if it never, for a moment, wanted to become one. Was I remembering those days so clearly because I need to become a chrysalis again? Certainly things felt different from when I started work. At work and at play, we girls seems to have a lot more fun than the boys… We felt as if we had taken flight… But thinking about it now, maybe we were all in a trance, just flapping our wings… Perhaps my 5th grade self is trying to tell me to find a new way to fly.”
Often, animated films are considered to be content for children but Only Yesterday stands out with its deeply philosophical take on the lives of girls and women. Taeko, the protagonist, is in her late 20s. She is unmarried and has an unusual liking for the countryside. On her trip to a village, where she will be working with a family picking safflowers, Taeko is accompanied by an unexpected friend - 5th grade Taeko. Written and directed by Isao Takahata for Studio Ghibli, Only Yesterday is considered a classic.
Porco Rosso (1992)
This anime comedy is on the adventures of an Italian World War I veteran turned bounty hunter who is transformed into an anthropomorphic pig due to an unfortunate curse. Porco Rosso, Italian for 'Red Pig', was appreciated for its take on Italian fascism, layered with political subtext. It is based on a manga by Miyazaki called Hikōtei Jidai (The Age of the Flying Boat) and went on to become a box office success, also receiving critical acclaim along the way.
Porco Rosso
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Ashitaka, the last Emishi prince, is cursed while trying to protect his village from a god-turned-daemon. He now has to flee, never to return, with the looming threat of the curse that will eventually lead to his death. Ashitaka rides west on his elk in search of the cure for his curse. Along the way, he meets San aka Princess Mononoke who rides the wolf, the Forest Spirit Shishigami, Lady Eboshi who rules over Iron Town and more. This film has at its heart the conflict between humans and nature, and delivers a profound message on coexistence.
Spirited Away (2002)
While Alice tumbled into Wonderland, falling headfirst into the hole, Chihiro walks into what is at first considered an abandoned amusement park, unwillingly with her parents. As the sun sets, a bath house comes alive, shadows take shape and spirits in odd sizes are welcomed inside. How does Chihiro, who finds to her horror that her parents have been turned into pigs, escape Yubaba, the witch who controls the bath-house, rescue her parents and find her way back to the human world? Spirited Away received a phenomenal response, heaping up the awards. In addition to winning Best Picture at the 25th Japan Academy Prize, it also won the Golden Bear at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival and the Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards.
Spirited Away
In This Corner Of The World (2016)
The film, set in 1940s Japan, tells the story of a young woman caught in the deadly tentacles of World War 2. This heart-wrenching tale was most appreciated for its simple narrative. The film is about Suzu, a naive young woman with a passion for drawing and her resilience in the face of extreme adversities. The film won several awards including the 40th Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Animated Film.
Also watch:
Arrietty (2010)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
A Silent Voice (2016)
Big Fish and Begonia (2016)
Flavours of Youth (2018)