The history of Japanese films at Cannes Film Festival

From more than a century ago when the theater hired benshi – The movie talker descends from the verbal storyteller – The narrative silent film, Japanese films have been pushing the boundaries of art. Directors from this country Akira BlacksawYasujiro Ozu and Hirokazu Koreeda Through revolutionary narrative structures, profound minimalism and emotional nuances have had a lasting impact on the landscape of global cinema.

Therefore, it is no surprise that the country also has an outstanding history at the Cannes Film Festival, which is widely regarded as the most prestigious film celebration in the world. From Nagisa Oshima’s The Empire of PassionIn 1978, he won the Palme d’Or-d’Or-d’Or-d’Or-d’Or-d’Or-d’Mise enScène eel In 1997, Japan achieved a series of historical achievements at music festivals over the past few decades.

This year, writer and director Chie Hayakawa Renova, The only Japanese movie that competes for Palme d’Or. In view of the premiere of the film and Open letter Opposing Donald Trump’s tariffs on films made overseas, it seems more appropriate than ever to celebrate the cultural diversity in films through retrospective lenses.

Provided by standard collection

Gate of Hell: Teinosuke kinugasa

Directed by Teinosuke Kinugasa, Gate of Hell It is the first Japanese film to win at the Cannes Film Festival. At the time, the highest honor, known as the International Grand Prix International Film, was actually born at the end of the festival in 1954. This movie is also very popular Academy Awardswon the honorary award for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design. The first major color movie to be released outside Japan, Gate of Hell It has a huge influence in the history of Japanese films.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfzcij4lr40

It centers on the samurai Endo Morito, who in the rebellion was his mission to protect Kesa who awaited the lady. He developed a passion and obsessive love for Kesa, who remains committed to her husband. Next is a story of desire and destruction.

Provided by standard collection

The Empire of Passion: Nagisa Oshima

The Empire of PassionDirected by Oshima, he was awarded the 1978 Best Director Award (De la Mise enScène). He is the only Japanese champion in this category. Oshima is one of the key figures in the Japanese New Wave, known for her provocative and politically fraught work. The Empire of Passion Often described as a more explicit partner for a hugely controversial sex In the sensory field.

Based on the novel by Itoko Nakamura, the pornographic horror classic revolves around the murder of passion and its consequences. In 1895, in a rural village, a married woman and her young lover murdered her husband, an old man. When his ghosts haunt guilty couples, stories of desire, mortality and retribution follow. The film is known for its supernatural and distinctive realism and a superb fusion of textured images.

Provided by standard collection

Kagemusha: Kurosawa Akira

Set during the Sengoku period, Kagemusha It’s an epic story of a thief who is asked to imitate the big Takeda big after his death. The thief who was originally reluctant gradually embodies Takeda’s role Kagemusha (Political Bait) While struggling to cope with the shadow of the big size and your growing ambitions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvn3giwyztg

Kagemusha is a classic samurai film that was awarded Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. Historical epics are praised for their meticulous reconstruction of feudal Japan and their profound description of the transient nature of power. This also illustrates Kurosawa’s long-term obsession with the boundaries between hallucinations and reality.

Courtesy of Trigon Movies

Narayama’s folk ballad: shohei imamura

Narayama’s folk songPalme d’Or, who brought home in 1983, is a recap of the book Narayama Bushiko Author: Fukaze Island. This is a vivid and firm portrayal of the grim reality of survival in a remote 19th-century Japanese mountain village. This story depicts tradition UbasuteThis is a diagnostic practice in which older people are taken to the top of Mount Naraya and died at the age of 70 to save the younger generation of scarce resources. The film follows a 69-year-old woman, Orin, to prepare for her journey to Narayama in the last year of her life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkmdf0saw6s

Imamura takes a primitive documentary-like approach to achieving deep traditions, using a naturalistic style to avoid melodrama. At the same time, he combined elements of folk literature and rituals to make the realization of the story truly fabulous. The landscape depicted is amazing and unwelcome, emphasizing the instability of human life. Ultimately, the film appears in its universality, involving themes of community, resilience and family.

Provided by Letterboxd

Eel: shohei imamura

When Ima Village wins another Palme d’Or eel In 1997, he became the only director in Japan to receive honors twice. Victory cemented his international reputation. In terms of style, eel Integrate naturalistic approaches with subtle surreal moments. When located next to it Narayama’s folk songthe film is more intimate and driven, focusing on the struggle between individuals and inner gui, atonement and reintegration of society.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5nth4iq0ey

eel Around the salary of Takuro Yamashita, he angrily murdered his unfaithful wife. After eight years in prison, the haunted Yamashita was released on parole with the pet eel, who became his companion during his imprisonment. When he meets a suicide woman similar to his late wife, the two are forced to face their own trauma and navigate the complexity of trust and redemption.

Provided by Letterboxd

Shoplifters: Hirokazu Koreeda

Shoplipper It’s a story about an unconventional temporary family in Tokyo who relies on small theft to make ends meet. When the group took over a abandoned young girl, her appearance gradually exposed the secrets and vulnerabilities in her unit. The film questions the concept of traditional as a composition of a family, and people will do their best to connect and survive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9382RWOMIRC

Shoplipper“Palme d’Or Triumph waved in Japan in 2018, as it has been more than a decade since Imumura won this honor. The award emphasizes Koreeda’s powerful storytelling, subtle character portrayals, and poignant exploration of social marginalization and human connection. Shoplipper He was also nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars and Golden Globes.

©Renoir – Loading Movies

Japan competitors this year

Renoir: Xichuan

RenoirThis is the latest film by Japanese writer and director Chie Hayakawa, which will premiere worldwide on May 17 at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. It’s the run of Palme d’Or, the highest award for the best feature film director in the festival competition section. Haichuan travels to Cannes Film Festival for the second time after her dystopian science fiction movie Plan 75won a special mention of the camera in 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzik65jiwma

In 1987, in the suburbs of Tokyo, Renoir It is an adult drama about puberty and family struggles. The film comes after 11-year-old Fuki, whose father Keiji is fighting a terminal illness. Her mother, Utako, was constantly stressed to take care of Keiji while working full-time. Fuki is alone, fascinated by telepathy and trapped in his own fantasy world. Hayakawa explores the common question of whether we can truly empathize with the pain of others through a compassionate lens, thus portraying the emotional experiences of each family member.

Read more about the movie here.

©2025 Hills Film Partners’ faint scenery

Enjoy the views of the hills: Kei Ishikawa

Based on the book of the same name by the famous contemporary novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, Pale hills It is a drama written and directed by Kei Ishikawa. The film premiered on May 15 in a specific United Nations aspect, and the section investigates new film producers at World Cinemas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cspdnsaorpw

The story takes place between Japan in the 1950s and England in the 1980s, and revolves around an aspiring Japanese British writer who plans to write a book based on her mother Etsuko’s post-war experience in Nagasaki. Etsuko tells the story of her own life and the recent suicide of her eldest daughter Keiko. The themes of memory, loss and cultural identity are explored.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of every Japanese entries in Cannes history.

Related Articles