Jun Ichikawa

Taking his camera and microphone to the heart of the megalopolis of Japan, the director combines scenes of the Tokyo with on-screen commentary and questions to articulate his vision of a city or to ask questions about it in spite of an audience which may think the questions are already answered and need not be asked or commented on.

Taking his camera and microphone to the heart of the megalopolis of Japan, the director combines scenes of the Tokyo with on-screen commentary and questions to articulate his vision of a city or to ask questions about it in spite of an audience which may think the questions are already answered and need not be asked or commented on.

Yuki travels to Tokyo in search of her missing brother, and searches the streets with an address on a postcard as her only lead.

Yuki travels to Tokyo in search of her missing brother, and searches the streets with an address on a postcard as her only lead.

Yuki travels to Tokyo in search of her missing brother, and searches the streets with an address on a postcard as her only lead.

Taking his camera and microphone to the heart of the megalopolis of Japan, the director combines scenes of the Tokyo with on-screen commentary and questions to articulate his vision of a city or to ask questions about it in spite of an audience which may think the questions are already answered and need not be asked or commented on.

Taking his camera and microphone to the heart of the megalopolis of Japan, the director combines scenes of the Tokyo with on-screen commentary and questions to articulate his vision of a city or to ask questions about it in spite of an audience which may think the questions are already answered and need not be asked or commented on.

Yuki travels to Tokyo in search of her missing brother, and searches the streets with an address on a postcard as her only lead.

오오시마 주리는 초등학교부터 별 문제를 일으키지 않고 부모의 말을 잘 듣는 아이였다. 주리는 만약 자신이 모든 아이들에게 인기 있는 카나코였다면 어땠을까? 하지만 왕따를 당하는 입장도 아닌 자신이 그저 그런 존재로 느껴진다. 중학교 입시 시험 때문에 학교를 일주일 동안 빠진 뒤 돌아온 주리는 갑자기 카나코가 왕따로 바뀐 현실에 놀란다. 졸업식 날 둘은 텅빈 교실에 앉아 처음으로 이야기를 나누는데, 카나코는 인기인에서 왕따로 역할을 바꾼 것일 뿐이라고 말한다. 그리고 주리는 자신의 어떤 역할을 맡고 있는지 고민하기 시작한다. 둘은 같은 중학교에 갔으나 여전히 왕따를 당하는 카나코에게 주리는 친구라고 말하지 못한다. 한편, 주리의 부모는 잦은 부부싸움 끝에 이혼하게 주리는 어머니와 단둘이 살게된다. 고등학생이 된 주리는 문예반에 들어간다. 왕따를 당하다 시골로 전학간 카나코에게 메일을 보내기 시작한다. 실명이 아닌 ‘코토리’라는 가명으로, 카나코 또한 ‘히나’라는 가명으로 새로운 연락을 시작한다. 코토리와 히나의 이러한 비밀 이야기는 핸드폰 메일을 통해서만 전달된다. 주리의 도움으로 히나가 된 카나코는 새로운 학교에서 인기인이 되는데…

Mortality and death seen through the eyes of a lonely student who has an morbid and albeit naive fascination with death. His teacher, Koichi is also grappling with the issue of mortality as he deals with the impending death of his ailing father, who has decided to spend his final days in the family home. As the story progresses, Koichi finds unexpected solace from his grief by letting his troubled student visit and meet with his father in the hopes that he will understand the meaning of life and death.

Mortality and death seen through the eyes of a lonely student who has an morbid and albeit naive fascination with death. His teacher, Koichi is also grappling with the issue of mortality as he deals with the impending death of his ailing father, who has decided to spend his final days in the family home. As the story progresses, Koichi finds unexpected solace from his grief by letting his troubled student visit and meet with his father in the hopes that he will understand the meaning of life and death.

토니 타키타니는 외로운 유년시절을 보냈다. 일찍이 어머니가 돌아가시고 아버지도 재즈 연주로 항상 집을 비우는 가운데 토니는 오히려 ‘혼자 있는 것’이 편하다는 것을 깨달았다. 그는 미술을 전공하면서 주변사람에게 항상 “너의 그림에는 감정이 결여되었다.”는 말을 들었지만 그에게 있어 ‘감정’이란 비논리적이고 미성숙한 것일 뿐이었다. 정교한 일러스트레이터로서 확실한 재능을 보인 그는 어느 날 아담한 체구에 단정하고 아름다운 미소를 지닌 에이코란 여성에게 불현듯 마음을 뺏겨 결혼에까지 이른다. 그의 삶은 변화했고, 난생 처음으로 생의 떨림을 맛보았으며 ‘다시 외로워진다는 것’을 두려워하게 되었다. 하지만 에이코에게는 유명 디자이너의 옷들을 구매하는 충동을 억누르지 못하는 한 가지 문제점이 있었다. 그녀의 쇼핑에 대한 집착은 점점 커져 스스로 감당하기 힘든 지경에 이르고, 토니는 걱정이 되어 그러한 충동을 억제해 보는 게 어떻겠냐고 넌지시 얘기해보았다. 하지만 그 결과는 비극적이었다. 다시 혼자가 된 토니는 멍하니 앉아 아내가 남긴 옷장을 멍하니 바라보다가 너무도 아름다운 옷들이 마치 그녀의 유령을 보는 듯 하여 괴로움에 빠진다. 토니는 결국 아내와 완벽히 일치하는 치수를 가진 여성을 모집한다는 신문 광고를 내게 되고 그의 광고를 보고 한 여인이 찾아오는데…

토니 타키타니는 외로운 유년시절을 보냈다. 일찍이 어머니가 돌아가시고 아버지도 재즈 연주로 항상 집을 비우는 가운데 토니는 오히려 ‘혼자 있는 것’이 편하다는 것을 깨달았다. 그는 미술을 전공하면서 주변사람에게 항상 “너의 그림에는 감정이 결여되었다.”는 말을 들었지만 그에게 있어 ‘감정’이란 비논리적이고 미성숙한 것일 뿐이었다. 정교한 일러스트레이터로서 확실한 재능을 보인 그는 어느 날 아담한 체구에 단정하고 아름다운 미소를 지닌 에이코란 여성에게 불현듯 마음을 뺏겨 결혼에까지 이른다. 그의 삶은 변화했고, 난생 처음으로 생의 떨림을 맛보았으며 ‘다시 외로워진다는 것’을 두려워하게 되었다. 하지만 에이코에게는 유명 디자이너의 옷들을 구매하는 충동을 억누르지 못하는 한 가지 문제점이 있었다. 그녀의 쇼핑에 대한 집착은 점점 커져 스스로 감당하기 힘든 지경에 이르고, 토니는 걱정이 되어 그러한 충동을 억제해 보는 게 어떻겠냐고 넌지시 얘기해보았다. 하지만 그 결과는 비극적이었다. 다시 혼자가 된 토니는 멍하니 앉아 아내가 남긴 옷장을 멍하니 바라보다가 너무도 아름다운 옷들이 마치 그녀의 유령을 보는 듯 하여 괴로움에 빠진다. 토니는 결국 아내와 완벽히 일치하는 치수를 가진 여성을 모집한다는 신문 광고를 내게 되고 그의 광고를 보고 한 여인이 찾아오는데…

Film about Sakamoto Ryōma. The focus is on Oryo, the maid who became Ryoma’s wife and lived with him for one year before his death.

Eriko – lonely, aimless and self-absorbed – falls for Tamura. Despite knowing that he is waiting for his girlfriend to return from overseas, she requests to enter into a relationship with him for just one year.

Eriko – lonely, aimless and self-absorbed – falls for Tamura. Despite knowing that he is waiting for his girlfriend to return from overseas, she requests to enter into a relationship with him for just one year.

Director Jun Ichikawa spins this affectionate portrait of the people who populate Shimokitazawa, a bohemian corner of Tokyo filled with small theater companies and smoky coffeehouses.

Director Jun Ichikawa spins this affectionate portrait of the people who populate Shimokitazawa, a bohemian corner of Tokyo filled with small theater companies and smoky coffeehouses.

Young Wakana is the daughter of a husband and wife comedy act, who have worked together for 20 years without any big success. Wakana’s parents quarrel constantly, and her mother often threatens to leave. When one day her father disappears, Wakana sets out to find him.

A film based on two short stories by Shiina Makoto. Tadon is the story of a cab-driver who spends his days listening to his passengers' conversations. Chikuwa is about a writer who faces a creativity bottleneck.

A film based on two short stories by Shiina Makoto. Tadon is the story of a cab-driver who spends his days listening to his passengers' conversations. Chikuwa is about a writer who faces a creativity bottleneck.

Hamanaka Koichi returns to his wife Hisako and family in a sadder, run-down section of eastern Tokyo after having run away from home years before. He gives no explanation of his absence and his family asks no questions. It is only through the questions that a young writer named Asakura, who is secretly in love with Hisako, poses of local shop owners, that we learn that Hamanaka's disappearance may be related to the fact that the woman everyone thought he would marry, Tami - who runs the cafe across the street from the Hamanaka electric store - had ended up tying the knot with another man who died soon thereafter.

Hamanaka Koichi returns to his wife Hisako and family in a sadder, run-down section of eastern Tokyo after having run away from home years before. He gives no explanation of his absence and his family asks no questions. It is only through the questions that a young writer named Asakura, who is secretly in love with Hisako, poses of local shop owners, that we learn that Hamanaka's disappearance may be related to the fact that the woman everyone thought he would marry, Tami - who runs the cafe across the street from the Hamanaka electric store - had ended up tying the knot with another man who died soon thereafter.

There still stands a famous apartment building where such prominent manga artists as Tezuka Osamu, Shotaro Ishinomori and Fujio Akatsuka once lived, worked, and shared experiences.

There still stands a famous apartment building where such prominent manga artists as Tezuka Osamu, Shotaro Ishinomori and Fujio Akatsuka once lived, worked, and shared experiences.

Living in an old Tokyo district, Kenichi works at a second-hand bookshop to support his sister, Yoko, a high school student. When Yoko graduates, she starts work at a photo shop. By the time, Kenichi's girlfriend has decided to marry someone else as she is tired of waiting for him. When Yoko starts dating Kenichi's best friend, Makoto , he is strangely resentful, but when Makoto is involved in a fatal accident, brother and sister resume their routine life.

Based on the story of the same name by Shizuka Ijûin. Ran as a double feature with Chibusa (1993).

Based on the story of the same name by Shizuka Ijûin. Ran as a double feature with Chibusa (1993).

Filmed in a documentary style six patients in six wards of different ages and circumstances await death at a hospital in Japan. The sterile and dismal environment is contrasted against the emotional being of the patients, their visitors and relatives and the outside world, which they will never again survey.

Filmed in a documentary style six patients in six wards of different ages and circumstances await death at a hospital in Japan. The sterile and dismal environment is contrasted against the emotional being of the patients, their visitors and relatives and the outside world, which they will never again survey.

Kin chan no Cinema Jack is an anthology film starring Yuen Biao and produced by Jackie Chan

An anthology exploring the meaning of the Japanese greeting goaisatsu.

An anthology exploring the meaning of the Japanese greeting goaisatsu.

A story after 100 years from now. A man, Komori who could not receive education and lived by the flow of life came to attend a funeral in a small town that is remote. So, by chance I meet Uchida who is a childhood friend. He is growing up as an intelligent man with a realistic ambition of "conquering the universe."

A story after 100 years from now. A man, Komori who could not receive education and lived by the flow of life came to attend a funeral in a small town that is remote. So, by chance I meet Uchida who is a childhood friend. He is growing up as an intelligent man with a realistic ambition of "conquering the universe."

야마모토가 여관에서 주인공 츠구미와 친구인 마이아의 관점으로 바라보는 청춘영화. 소녀에서 여자로 탈바꿈하는 시기에 세 주인공, 츠구미와 요코와 마리아가 바닷가 마을에서 함께 보내는 마지막 여름. 거기에서 타카하시 교이치라는 남자를 만난 츠구미는 사랑에 빠진다.

야마모토가 여관에서 주인공 츠구미와 친구인 마이아의 관점으로 바라보는 청춘영화. 소녀에서 여자로 탈바꿈하는 시기에 세 주인공, 츠구미와 요코와 마리아가 바닷가 마을에서 함께 보내는 마지막 여름. 거기에서 타카하시 교이치라는 남자를 만난 츠구미는 사랑에 빠진다.

Via the New York Times: "The solemn, intent faces of the Japanese schoolboys playing video games in Jun Ichikawa's "No Life King" bespeak a new type of modern horror. Addicted to their favorite new game (from which the film takes its title), these children have become seriously estranged from the real world. The film's constant emphasis is on the ways in which this has been allowed to happen, and on how emblematic it is of larger attitudes in a technological society. When a young boy trying to converse with his mother must compete with a home computer for her attention, it's not hard to see why the boy has retreated into his own computer-dominated world."

A hard-working section chief, fast approaching retirement and beset by stress from all directions, joins a jazz band and reignites his youthful passion for the music, giving him a chance to set things right in his life.

A hard-working section chief, fast approaching retirement and beset by stress from all directions, joins a jazz band and reignites his youthful passion for the music, giving him a chance to set things right in his life.

Mugiko, an 18-year-old attempts to escape her unhappiness with village life by going to Tokyo to live and work in the geisha house run by her aunt. The daughter of a once great geisha, Mugiko is entitled by blood to train in the geishas ancient art of classical Japanese song and dance.

Music video telling the story of idol Yuki Saito who has fled Japan and headed for Hong Kong...

Music video telling the story of idol Yuki Saito who has fled Japan and headed for Hong Kong...