In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumoured to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.

For kids around the world, music is often the only salvation when the pain and anxiety of teenage life becomes too much to bear. Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) is in the 8th grade and he worships Lily Chou-Chou, a Bjork-like chanteuse whose epic music is lush and transcendent. Yuichi only lives for Lily Chou-Chou's big Tokyo concert, where the lies and violence can be washed away by the presence of his goddess and her powerful music. But fate has yet another obstacle in store for Lily's devoted fan.

The tale of an eccentric band of culinary ronin who guide the widow of a noodle-shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe, this rapturous “ramen western” by Japanese director Juzo Itami is an entertaining, genre-bending adventure underpinned by a deft satire of the way social conventions distort the most natural of human urges—our appetites. Interspersing the efforts of Tampopo (Nobuko Miyamoto) and friends to make her café a success with the erotic exploits of a gastronome gangster and glimpses of food culture both high and low, the sweet, sexy, and surreal Tampopo is a lavishly inclusive paean to the sensual joys of nourishment, and one of the most mouthwatering examples of food on film ever made.

Tickets Are Only Available via BFI London Film Festival Website from Tuesday 17 September 2026 10:00am: Click Here To Book

The sequel to Takashi Yamazaki’s acclaimed 2023 film is a true cinematic spectacle that’s sure to grip fans of Godzilla, as well as newcomers to the franchise.

Japan, 1949. Pilot Kōichi, his wife Noriko and adoptive daughter Akiko are attempting from recover from Godzilla’s recent attacks. But just as everything seems settled, a new danger emerges. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the sea, something is stirring. The first Japanese film to be shot for IMAX, Godzilla Minus Zero combines high-octane thrills with more than a little heart.

Japanese Language with English subtitles

Still censored in its own country, In the Realm of the Senses (Ai no corrida), by Japanese director Nagisa Oshima, remains one of the most controversial films of all time. A graphic portrayal of insatiable sexual desire, Oshima’s film, set in 1936 and based on a true incident, depicts a man and a woman (Tatsuya Fuji and Eiko Matsuda) consumed by a transcendent, destructive love while living in an era of ever-escalating imperialism and governmental control. Less a work of pornography than of politics, In the Realm of the Senses is a brave, taboo-breaking milestone.

Content Warning: This film contains scenes of graphic sex and violence. Further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.

With an arresting mix of eroticism and horror, Oshima plunges the viewer into a nightmarish tale of guilt and retribution in Empire of Passion (Ai no borei). Set in a Japanese village at the end of the nineteenth century, the film details the emotional and physical downfall of a married woman and her younger lover following their decision to murder her husband and dump his body in a well. Empire of Passion was Oshima's only true kaidan (Japanese ghost story), and the film, a savage, unrelenting experience, earned him the best director award at the Cannes Film Festival.

A detective starts spiraling out of control when a wave of gruesome murders with seemingly similar bizarre circumstances are sweeping Tokyo.

Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world.

Set in a POW camp in Japanese-occupied Java circa 1942, the film explores the relationship between British prisoners and their captors. Lt. Col. John Lawrence (Tom Conti), the lone Japanese speaker among the interned British, tries to negotiate an uneasy equilibrium within the camp, which is overseen by the vicious Capt. Yanoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto). An ardent follower of the Bushido moral code, his eye is unexpectedly caught by the arrival Maj. Jack “Strafer” Celliers (David Bowie), an insolent and rabble-rousing new prisoner. Could Yanoi’s fascination with Celliers change everything? Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence has endured as a deeply moving anti-war statement, as well as a thoughtful exploration of national and sexual identity.

Set in feudal Japan, this film presents an intriguing tale of violent crime in the woods, told from the perspective of four different characters -- a bandit, a woman, her husband and a woodcutter. Only two things about the incident seem to be clear -- the woman was raped and her husband is now dead. However, the other elements radically differ as the four participants and/or witnesses relate their own stories (with the dead man, eerily enough, speaking through a medium). As each account is revealed, what seemed black-and-white turns to various hues of gray, leading to surprising -- and confounding -- revelations.