The 40 most popular 1980s japanese movies, ranked. Click any film for ratings, reviews, trailers, and where to watch.


Vampire Princess Miyu
1988 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Its central characters are a vampire girl named Miyu and her demonic companion Larva. Miyu is the daughter of both a human and a shinma (demon) and as such she was awakened as the guardian whose destiny is to hunt down all stray shinma and send them back to the darkness.


Door
1988 · 1h 34m
country: Japan
Yasuko, a housewife, lives in an urban high-rise apartment with her husband Satoru and her son Takuto. Annoyed by spam calls and door-to-door salesmen, Yasuko slams the door on a salesman’s hand when he tries to squeeze a flyer through the apartment's chained front door. He leaves, but the next day, her nightmare starts.


Akira
1988 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.


My Neighbor Totoro
1988 · 1h 26m
country: Japan
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.


Nun in Rope Hell
1984 · 1h 9m
country: Japan
A woman gets caught by the wife of her lover which results in a stabbing. Feeling guilty she runs away and joins a nunnery. But she soon discovers that several nuns and a well known author have turned the place into their own personal S&M playground.


On the Beach
1985 · 1h 7m
country: Japan
In a summer in Shonan village, Sumiko is the daughter of an important upper-class Shikishima family, she loves to paint pictures, is going through a cooling-off of an arranged marriage that did not work out. However, she feels attraction for Nishina a rough and obscene man ... On the other hand, the younger sister, Naomi Sumiko is envious of her sister for her beauty. Naomi feels ugly since all men seem to like Sumiko. Both sisters then become embroiled in a major problem in discovering the real intentions of Nishina, a man who hides behind a mask to rape women.


Warriors of the Wind
1984 · 1h 35m
country: Japan
After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.


Kiki's Delivery Service
1989 · 1h 43m
country: Japan
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.


The Star of Cottonland
1984 · 1h 36m
country: Japan
After two-month-old kitten Chibi-neko is abandoned by her former owners, she is found by 18-year-old Tokio. Although his mother is allergic to cats and has a great fear of them, she agrees to let him keep the kitten because she fears he is becoming too withdrawn after failing his university entrance exams. Chibi-neko soon falls in love with Tokio. In her own mind, Chibi-neko is a small human who speaks in human words, although people only ever seem to hear her meow, and she believes that all humans were once kittens like her. A stray cat tells Chibi-neko of a paradise called Cottonland, where dreams can come true.


Ran
1985 · 2h 40m
country: Japan
Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.


Castle in the Sky
1986 · 2h 5m
country: Japan
A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.


Guinea Pig: Devil's Experiment
1985 · 43m
country: Japan
Masked thugs torture an innocent woman in increasingly brutal ways.


Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
1986 · 50m
country: Japan
The great King Gurumes is searching for the Dragon Balls in order to put a stop to his endless hunger. A young girl named Pansy who lives in the nearby village has had enough of the treachery and decides to seek Muten Rōshi for assistance. Can our heroes save the village and put a stop to the Gurumes Army?


Kagemusha
1980 · 3h
country: Japan
Akira Kurosawa's lauded feudal epic presents the tale of a petty thief who is recruited to impersonate Shingen, an aging warlord, in order to avoid attacks by competing clans. When Shingen dies, his generals reluctantly agree to have the impostor take over as the powerful ruler. He soon begins to appreciate life as Shingen, but his commitment to the role is tested when he must lead his troops into battle against the forces of a rival warlord.


Vampire Hunter D
1985 · 1h 20m
country: Japan
In a far-future time ruled by the supernatural, a young girl requests the help of a vampire hunter to kill the vampire who has bitten her and thus prevent her from becoming a vampire herself.


Urusei Yatsura: Remember My Love
1985 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
The third film finds Ataru transformed into a pink hippopotamus, which sends Lum chasing after the wicked magician responsible, with catastrophic results. With Lum gone, her friends decide that there is no reason to remain, and so Tomobiki slowly returns to normal. The highlight of the film is a high speed chase scene with an angry Lum flying after the mysterious Ruu through the city at night and into a hall of mirrors (and illusion ). Ataru's true feelings for Lum are probably more obvious in this film than any of the others.


Lucky Sky Diamond
1989 · 58m
country: Japan
At the clinic where her boyfriend Katayama, a young genius doctor, is the director, Yoko, a young girl who continues to suffer from eerie nightmares every day, is not getting better despite the care of her sister Sakurako and Katayama's treatment. Sakurako, the sister, is suspicious of Yoko's condition and confronts Katayama, who tells her that she suffers from a serious mental disorder and that the only way to cure it is to have brain surgery. Yoko, despite being persuaded by her sister and Katayama, agrees to the surgery, although she is skeptical...


The Boss' Wife
1988 · 1h 41m
country: Japan
The widow of a murdered yakuza boss serves jail time for attacking the man she believes killed her husband. After her release, as she is shadowed by a hitman, she returns to thoughts of revenge.


Urusei Yatsura: Lum the Forever
1986 · 1h 33m
country: Japan
While performing in a student film, Ataru cuts down Tarozakura, a large, ancient cherry tree. Strange things begin to happen all across Tomobiki: a mountain appears out of nowhere, spring changes to winter, and Lum loses her powers, while those around her act as if she doesn't exist.


Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
1983 · 2h 4m
country: Japan
Island of Java, 1942, during World War II. British Major Jack Celliers arrives at a Japanese prison camp, run by the strict Captain Yonoi. Colonel John Lawrence, who has a profound knowledge of Japanese culture, and Sergeant Hara, brutal and simpleton, will witness the struggle of wills between two men from very different backgrounds who are tragically destined to clash.


Irezumi
1982 · 1h 42m
country: Japan
To satisfy her lover's fetish for tattooed women, Akane agrees to have her body covered in eloborate tattoos by Kyogoro, an old craftsman. Kyogoro has developed a special technique, by which his assistant, Harutsune, keeps Katsuko's mind off the pain while Kyogoro does his work. After the work is done, Harutsune makes the shocking discovery of how Kyogoro mastered his technique.


Guinea Pig: Mermaid in the Manhole
1988 · 58m
country: Japan
An artist dealing with the grief of his wife leaving him finds solace in painting the squalor of the sewer. He discovers a trapped mermaid, whom he brings home to heal. Her condition worsens, and she asks the artist to paint her before she dies.


Angel's Egg
1985 · 1h 11m
country: Japan
In the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms. She bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.


Cyborg 009: Legend of the Super Galaxy
1980 · 2h 10m
country: Japan
An anime film for the second Cyborg 009 anime TV series.


Hakui chokyo
1986 · 1h 1m
country: Japan
Night. Mayumi Kurioka is a nurse. Today is the night shift. As she is patrolling the hallway after the lights are turned off, a man in black stockings suddenly appears, abducts Mayumi, and takes her away in a car...! When she comes to, she is tackled by two men...


Morning Moon Is Cruel
1981 · 1h 38m
country: Japan
A small-time gofer gets his dream car while running hush money for his boss's counterfeit empire, picks up a jilted singer at the airport along the way, and ends up the last man standing in everyone's love life but his own.


Night on the Galactic Railroad
1985 · 1h 48m
country: Japan
Lonely and awkward, Giovanni struggles with his sick mother, absent father, and an afterschool job that isolates him from his peers. But on the night of the Festival of Stars, he is magically transported onto a celestial train with his only friend, Campanella. Together, they embark on an extraordinary journey through the galaxy, encountering mysterious characters and grappling with life's deepest questions.


Elder Sister's Diary
1984 · 1h 6m
country: Japan
Hayashi Taro is still a high school student, but lives in Tokyo with Yuko, who works at a no-pan coffee shop. Shigeya Yoshida, an architectural designer in Yokohama, likes June and goes to hotels. Yoshida's wife, Hideyo, notices the existence of June and is very jealous. In addition, Hideyo had a younger brother named Kiyoshi, who had feelings similar to love for his sister. When June and Shigeya were dating Shonan at night, Hayashi Taro attacked Shigeya....


Godzilla vs. Biollante
1989 · 1h 45m
country: Japan
After the previous Godzilla attack, a miniature arms race ensues to collect his cells. Concerned over Godzilla's possible return, the Japanese government uses the cells to create a new bio-weapon, ANEB (Anti-Nuclear Energy Bacteria). They seeks the aid of geneticist Genshiro Shiragami, who's experiments result in a new mutation.


Lupin the Third: The Legend of the Gold of Babylon
1985 · 1h 40m
country: Japan
Lupin squares off with two criminal families and Inspector Zenigata's new female patrol to track down a hoard of biblical-era treasure.


Bondage: Whip and Rope
1984 · 1h 4m
country: Japan
Ryoichi, a fugitive, stays at Cape Hotel. Two women were at the hotel. That night, a woman's sudden scream is heard. Looking out, he sees a naked woman bound with ropes, tied to a wheelchair, passing right before his eyes. SM bondage lesbian scenes unfold in the hotel night.


Uniform Virgin Pain
1981 · 1h 3m
country: Japan
After school two virginal high school girls, Mari and Emi, decide to visit a disco club in the red light district. While Mari is dancing to the beat Emi is picked up by two men and sexually assaulted. The next day the two men try to force Emi into prostitution. When Mari finds out what happened to her best friend she burns with revenge… and conceals a razor.


Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
1989 · 41m
country: Japan
In order to wish for immortality and avenge his father, Garlic Jr. collects the dragon balls, kidnapping Goku's son Gohan in the process. Goku, Kami, Piccolo, and Krillin unite to rescue Gohan and save the world from being sucked into a dead zone.


The Ballad of Narayama
1983 · 2h 10m
country: Japan
In a small village in a valley everyone who reaches the age of 70 must leave the village and go to a certain mountain top to die. If anyone should refuse they would disgrace their family. Old Orin is 69. This winter it is her turn to go to the mountain. But first she must make sure that her eldest son Tatsuhei finds a wife.


A 10th Rider Appears! Kamen Rider - All Riders Assemble!
1984 · 45m
country: Japan
The Badan Empire killed Ryo Murasame's older sister, and he had been cybernetically remodeled into ZX. However, he regained himself after an accident and stood up fearlessly.


Tomorrow's Joe 2: The Movie
1981 · 1h 52m
country: Japan
It has been six months since the tragic accident in Joe and Rikiishi's fight. Joe believes he has overcome Rikiishi's death and decides to make a comeback. Joe does make a successful comeback by scoring 5 KO's by body blows. Joe is then given a shot at the national title as a means by the boxing commission to put him down. The champion, Tiger Ozaki makes use of Joe's habits and ends up making Joe's corner throw in the towel. Joe is afraid to throw punches at the face because of what happened to Rikiishi. Youko, Joe's love interest and the owner of the gym where Rikiishi trained at recruits a world ranked boxer from Venezuela, Carlos Rivera, to get Joe back on his feet and pursue his boxing career to the regional and world ranks.


Tetsuo: The Iron Man
1989 · 1h 7m
country: Japan
A "metal fetishist", driven mad by the maggots wriggling in the wound he's made to embed metal into his flesh, runs out into the night and is accidentally run down by a Japanese businessman and his girlfriend. The pair dispose of the corpse in hopes of quietly moving on with their lives. However, the businessman soon finds that he is now plagued by a vicious curse that transforms his flesh into iron.


One Pound Gospel
1988 · 50m
country: Japan
Hatanaka Kosaku is a young boxer who has a major flaw, he can't stop eating. That weakness puts him into into heavier weight classes that put him against stronger boxers and even worse, he's prone to throw up when he gets a body blow, which drives potential opponents away. His coach is at his wit's end as he struggles to get this idiot to show some discipline in his training. The matter is complicated when a young nun feeds the "starving" boy after she finds him fainted on the streets during his enforced fast. She learns of her mistake and she tries to help him get ready for a fight, but his weakness for food and the odd relationship they share don't makes things easy.


Kôkô kyôshi: Shisshin!
1985 · 55m
country: Japan
A female teacher Kumi Yamamoto was raped by a man who attempted suicide. During Kumi's class, a woman in a miniskirt suddenly entered the classroom and shouted, "Is Yuichi Kobayashi's son here?" Yuichi Kobayashi was the name of the man who raped her. The woman in the miniskirt was Maria, a debt collector, and she had come to find out where Yuichi was, calling for his son, Kotaro. Kumi learns that Yuichi is on the run from his debts. Yuichi tries to have sex with Kumi again, but she vehemently rejects him. The next day, as Kumi is comforting Kotaro, the biology teacher, Saiki, enters the classroom and makes advances on her. Kumi calls Yuichi and demands sex from him. Meanwhile, Kotaro succumbs to Maria's temptation and becomes addicted to sex.


Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle
1987 · 45m
country: Japan
Goku and Kuririn are given an assignment by Kame-Sen'nin: "Retrieve the sleeping princess from Lucifer and I will take you as my students." But the mission proves to be more perilous than originally thought.
The 1980s codified the blockbuster — high concept, wide release, heavy merchandising — while home video quietly built a second life for films that flopped in theaters. Practical effects hit their peak just before CGI arrived.
Japanese cinema gave the world Kurosawa's samurai epics, Ozu's domestic dramas, Godzilla and the kaiju film, and the J-horror wave that Hollywood spent the 2000s remaking. It also sustains the most developed animation industry on earth.