Which films would Japanese recommend to foreigners?
As part of their 113th Ranking Research, DIMSDRIVE Research asked their online panel what Japanese movies would they recommend to foreigners.
Demographics
5,537 members of their monitor panel successfully completed the questionnaire. 55.0% of the sample was female.
“It’s Hard Being a Man” (Otoko ha Tsurai yo) series seems a rather strange choice, as from what I can gather the plots (or is it plot singular?) are based around such Japanese values that they would be rather difficult to translate, and even with a good translation the cultural cues would be lost on the average viewer. I suspect it might be like recommending the Carry On series to the Japanese as a means of understanding the UK!
Ranking results
Q: Which Japanese film would you most recommend to a foreigner to watch? (Sample size=5,537, free answer)
Rank 日本語 English title Votes 1 男はつらいよ（シリーズ） It’s Hard Being a Man (Series) 272 2 七人の侍 Seven Samurai 197 3 となりのトトロ My Neighbour Totoro 151 4 武士の一分 Love and Honour 131 5 火垂るの墓 Grave of the Fireflies 81 6= ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日 Always - Sunset in the Third Street 77 6= 風の谷のナウシカ Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind 77 8 硫黄島からの手紙 Letters from Iwojima 76 9 どろろ Dororo 66 10 DEATH NOTE Death Note 64 Q: Which Japanese film would you most recommend to a foreigner to watch? (Sample size=5,537, by sex, free answer)
Rank 日本語 English title Male Votes
N=2,492日本語 English title Female Votes
N=3,0451 男はつらいよ（シリーズ） It’s Hard Being a Man (Series) 162 男はつらいよ（シリーズ） It’s Hard Being a Man (Series) 110 2 七人の侍 Seven Samurai 144 となりのトトロ My Neighbour Totoro 107 3 武士の一分 Love and Honour 62 武士の一分 Love and Honour 69 4 となりのトトロ My Neighbour Totoro 44 火垂るの墓 Grave of the Fireflies 58 5 硫黄島からの手紙 Letters from Iwojima 41 七人の侍 Seven Samurai 53 6 風の谷のナウシカ Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind 31 ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日 Always - Sunset in the Third Street 47 7 ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日 Always - Sunset in the Third Street 30 風の谷のナウシカ Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind 46 8 男たちの大和/YAMATO Yamato 30 どろろ Dororo 42 9 羅生門 Rashomon 30 千と千尋の神隠し Spirited Away 40 10 幸福の黄色いハンカチ The Yellow Handkerchief 28 DEATH NOTE Death Note 39 It is perhaps interesting to note that even in the detailed breakdown by age group
Hayao Miyazaki was the only animation director to merit having his movies listedGhibli was the only animation studio to merit having their movies listed. Thanks Klaus. Also, thanks to YTSL for the English title of Bushi no Ichibun.
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The top films Japanese think foreigners should watch » Japan Probe said,
April 19, 2007 @ 15:27
[…] See the full list here! […]
Sakumi said,
April 19, 2007 @ 21:40
Hi Ken! I’m italian and I love Japan! I found your site very useful! Thanks, see you soon!
Klaus said,
April 20, 2007 @ 03:36
“It is perhaps interesting to note that even in the detailed breakdown by age group Hayao Miyazaki was the only animation director to merit having his movies listed.”
actually that’s not really true, as Grave of the Fireflies is directed by Isao Takahata… although it is of course a Ghibli film.
Ken Y-N said,
April 20, 2007 @ 07:46
Hi Klaus,
Oops, thanks for pointing that out - I associate Ghibli only with Miyazaki, so I didn’t bother checking my facts before publishing!
Klaus said,
April 20, 2007 @ 14:23
no problem!
i find it quite amazing that Letters from Iwo Jima is considered a Japanese film by many Japanese! I believe that is a much greater honor for Eastwood than any Oscar award could have been…
YTSL said,
April 20, 2007 @ 15:20
Out of curiosity, does anyone know how many films in the top ten list are available with English subtitles? Also, I’d love to see a breakdown based on age, not just gender, as it’s surprising to see such a high percentage of 21st century releases — and no Mizoguchi, etc. — on all three posted lists.
BTW, “Bushi no Ichibun” should be more familiar to English-speakers as “Love and Honour” (Yoji Yamada’s final film in his samurai trilogy).
Ken Y-N said,
April 20, 2007 @ 22:57
Hi YTSL,
Thanks for the correction!
By age, men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and women older than 40 selected Otoko ha Tsuri yo, and all the other age groups had it second or third choice.
I suppose with all these things people choose what’s fresh in their minds, though, rather than thinking too deeply about it.
YTSL said,
April 21, 2007 @ 09:21
Hi Ken –
You’re welcome re the correction. Also, thanks for linking to my blog on your post (even if — any correction coming?
— I’m YTSL, not YSTL…)
Thanks some more for the age information. Very interesting and I guess you’re right in that people choose what’s fresh in their minds. Think what results is a disservice of sorts to the old masters but what also seems clear is that Yoyi Yamada and Studio Ghibli really have struck a chord with the Japanese public.
Seven Samurai seconded by the Japanese :.: Akira Kurosawa News and Information said,
April 21, 2007 @ 22:28
[…] a nod should also be made for WhatJapanThinks.com, which is where I stumbled upon this rather interesting set of […]
Steve said,
April 22, 2007 @ 04:04
I have all the “great” DVDs on this list, wondering what movies Japanese people would say one should not see. Criterian has some wonderful prints of worthy DVDs, well worth the cost as there are normally interviews in the package. I would add to the list, The Funeral, as it shows the background of a family coming to terms with the unknown and awkward traditional steps in death.
[edit:sorry, not gratuitous advertising in messages, please!]
Klaus said,
April 22, 2007 @ 05:34
I think the reason why so many movies of recent years are in the list is simply that hardly anybody nows about the old masters anymore, except maybe the classical Kurosawa-movies like “Seven Samurai” and “Rashomon”. I talked to some Japanese and according to them, there is hardly ever a Mizoguchi or Naruse shown on TV, maybe an Ozu or Kurosawa every now and then, but that’s about it.
And isn’t it the same in the US or Europe?
Mauno Joukamaa said,
April 27, 2007 @ 19:08
While the Studio Ghibli animations are the only ones to make it to the list, I find it interesting and a little bit amusing that there are three live-action movies based on manga on the list (Dororo, Death Note and Always - Sunset in the Third Street). While this of course reflects the current popularity trend of live-action adaptations of successful manga titles in Japan, I also see it - along with the trend itself of course - as a yet another sign of the overwhelming pervasiveness of manga n the Japanese culture.
Princess Haiku said,
April 29, 2007 @ 01:36
This is an interesting list. I have watched several of these films but will add some to my “to be seen” list. Thanks for the cultural exchange.
TsukuBlog » Japanese People Recommend Japanese Movies said,
June 28, 2007 @ 06:46
[…] The What Japan Thinks site translated a poll by DIMSDRIVE Research in which Japanese people were asked what Japanese movies they would rec…. […]
aaron said,
October 14, 2007 @ 23:10
can you tell me if the new saiyuki(live action) movie 2007 is coming out on dvd with english dubbing or subtitles.i love the orginal monkey series and this new one looks good with all the effects.
Dave Oshel said,
January 21, 2008 @ 16:09
Grave of the Fireflies? Hmmm… Point taken, but I forgive myself because I wasn’t involved. What about the top 10 films Japanese want to see themselves, which might be far more interesting?
I don’t have 10 top movies of any provenance, but might mention Blade Runner, Forbidden Planet, Juliet of the Spirits, Beautiful Dreamer (Urusei Yatura), Return of the Pink Panther, Spirited Away, Slaughterhouse Five, The Quiet Earth, Tenchi Muyo (or the even more absurd Gunsmith Cats), The Gods Must Be Crazy, and The Cheap Detective. Cultural treasures, all.