Departures on Amazon™

J.: Jackfruit | Japanese Movies | Jaron And The Long Road... | Jenny Packham |

Departures

Regular Price: $26.98 |

Dear visitor! This website has been designed to help you find THE BEST PRICE. When you are ready to buy, your payment will be processed through one of the most TRUSTED SUPPLIERS directly.
Thank you for shopping with us!

Not what you're looking for? Try smart custom search:

Customer Review

A Masterpiece
A lengthy review is not required for this film. It was simple, profound and beautiful.I consider myself to be a hard and somewhat jaded man, having survived war and traveling far in my life. This film awakened long-buried emotions.I wept.
Top to learn more

March 8, 2011 (Minnesota, USA) | Helpful Votes: 46 | Rating: 5

4 ½ + Stars: Yojiro Takita 's Film Explores A Dark Premise With Amazing Sensibilties
Japanese films have always had the remarkable reputation of turning the simplest premise into something so full of moving emotions and sensibilities. Yojiro Takita's multi-award winning film "DEPARTURES" (2008) is no different. There is a lot of excessive hype surrounding the film as it has almost nearly swept the Japanese Academy awards and has been awarded the Best Foreign film honor in the recent 2009 Oscars. No film can live up to the hype it has gotten, but I have to say it has earned each and every recognition; well deserving of the commercial success it had achieved in its native land.Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) is a cello player whose dream is shattered when the orchestra he is playing with goes broke. Left with no choice but to sell his prized cello, Daigo together with his wife Mika (beauteous Ryoko Hirosue) returns to his hometown to live in his mother's old house. In need of a new job, Daigo responds to an ad in the local paper for a job in "Departures",...
Top to learn more

November 27, 2009 (Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell) | Helpful Votes: 20 | Rating: 5

Can you make a beautiful (and sometime funny) movie about death? Yes, and in Japanese too!
Amazon has a limit of five stars in its rating system. If I could, this 2008 film - which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film - would get SIX. It is the perfect blend of story, visuals and music!You probably know already that this is the story of a "downsized" cello player who finds a job as an encofineer ( the men who add the makeup and garments to deceased persons before the are cremated.) I hope you don't know more, as it will really destroy the surprises in store for you as this beautiful film unfolds. I won't even give it a long review for that reason. The music all revolves around the cello and the score (which features 13 cells playing together over the end titles) is reminiscent of what Michael Nyman composed for the film "The Piano". The cinematography is gorgeous. There is no blood and no violence. Death comes naturally here and there is beauty in the dressing.The subtitles are in yellow below the image and easy to read. And the dialogue is never...
Top to learn more

January 8, 2010 (Phila, PA USA) | Helpful Votes: 13 | Rating: 5

Product Description

2009 Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film. When his orchestra disbands, Daigo Kobayashi moves back to his home town and takes a job preparing corpses for burial. Too embarrassed to admit his new career to his family, he keeps his profession a secret until... Top to learn more

Kaidan

Regular Price: $14.98 |

Customer Review

The Kasane ga Fuchi legend
At the very start, it is best to advise that "Kaidan" is not a typical entry in the genre that has become known as J-Horror. The expectation will be there, as director Nakata Hideo (, ) is someone whose name has become almost synonymous with the genre. He is the one who took Japan's long tradition of ghostly storytelling and brought it to the world, introducing Westerners for the first time to creatures like yurei and onryo. However, after a sojourn in the Hollywood system filming the English-language Ring Two, Nakata returned to his native country and directed a beautiful tribute to the horror legends that were the foundation of his success...
Top to learn more

September 16, 2009 (Seattle, WA, USA) | Helpful Votes: 9 | Rating: 5

Suprised this doesn't have more reviews here...
A won't waste your time writing hyped up fluff with words you hear for just about every other movie that gets 5 stars on here...All I'll say is that this is a movie well worth your time to watch if your into Asian cinema. Meaning that if you don't mind watching a film that has subtitles and isn't in spoken English than you will find yourself indulged into a great story.Kaidan is about a woman obsessed with a man so much so that she stalks him still from beyond the grave. You honestly can't help but feel pity for the main character as he tries to move on with his life only to have every good attempt taken from him by the spirit of the woman who loved him.Their relationship starts out with good intentions. A young man falls in love with an older woman who honestly hasn't had much luck in the subject of love. She comes with a whole lot of insecurities and baggage that she brings along with her. Also on top of that is her prestigious position in the...
Top to learn more

September 12, 2010 | Helpful Votes: 3 | Rating: 5

Product Description

From the legendary director of RINGU and THE RING TWO comes this eerie tale of ghostly vengeance. The unwitting victim of a terrible curse, a young man accidentally injures his wife, a jealous teacher who soon dies from her wound. Running away with one of her students, he fails to heed the dead woman's warning that if he remarries, she'll haunt him to the grave. And now for an unfaithful husband, the real terror is about to begin. Top to learn more

A Traditional Japanese Romance-HORROR Film About Obsession and RUIN
Certain familiar elements have plagued Japanese-horror the past few years, formulaic approaches, some cheap scares, and the usual haunting music. KAIDAN-Ghost Story (2007) is however a breath of fresh air in the genre of J-horror; the film is a homage to classic romantic ghost stories. The film is directed by Hideo Nakata, the same director responsible for "Ringu" and "Dark Water". Forget cursed objects, haunted technology and long-haired ghosts, the film while not as engaging as Kobayashi's 1960`s classic "Kwaidan" is a welcome change for those viewers very familiar with modern J-horror such as "Ju-On", "Ringu" and "Kairo". Lionsgate entertainment has invested in this Japanese horror film and thankfully they are releasing the region-1 release in June.250 years ago, Soetsu, a kindly moneylender is murdered by a samurai named Fukami and his lifeless body disposed of in the Kasanegafuchi (Kasane's plunge), the pool of water that snakes around and legend has it that those who...
Top to learn more

May 6, 2009 (Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell) | Helpful Votes: 21 | Rating: 4

BUY Kaidan

A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn

Regular Price: $21.99 |

Customer Review

Geez... This is masterpiece!
Who can expect the story about a young widow who lets her father-in-low milk her is such a great!? The storyline is prety weied and some of you guys might think it is a kind of bad joke. BUT it is not. the story goes into their serious relationship including forbidden love. The father-in-low is senile, and he can't recognize his favorite cow is already dead. The daughter feel pity of the father, and she really loves him, so she pretends a cow every morning...What an odd idea! But the director did really fine job. Goto has truly cinematic sense. I want to emphasize this is not comedy but pure, touching, surprising and overwhelming love story.
Top to learn more

September 29, 2009 (Los Angeles CA USA) | Helpful Votes: 13 | Rating: 5

Product Description

A young widow, Noriko, lives with her senile father-in-law, Shukichi, on a farm. He believes his favorite cow, long gone, is still alive. Noriko pretends to be the cow and lets him milk her - a satisfying arrangement for them both. Shukichi's daughter dis Top to learn more

Bizarre, Sad and Engaging Japanese Pink Film
Genuine Japanese Pink films are the type of films that effectively blends eroticism and a powerful narrative. It is easy to dismiss these films as "dressed up softcore" because of the strong sequences of graphic sex and nudity, if you do, then you would miss the message it is trying to convey. Hailed as Daisuke Goto's (Zero Woman) best film, "A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn" is a movie about love, lust and loneliness. It portrays a very odd relationship between a woman named Noriko and a senile old man named Shukichi, that borders on being disturbing but at the same time compassionate.A 29 year old widow named Noriko (Ryoko Asagi) lives with her senile father in law, Shukichi (Horyu Nakamura) on his farm. Shukichi believes that his favorite cow, recently deceased is still alive. Trying to keep him from further heartache, Noriko pretends to be his cow and lets him milk her--a satisfying arrangement for the both of them. However, Shukichi's daughter Mitsuko (Yumeka Sasaki)...
Top to learn more

April 10, 2009 (Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell) | Helpful Votes: 74 | Rating: 4

wonderfully erotic sequences
A most unusually themed `pink' wherein, Ryoko Asagi puts in a great performance as she successfully convinces us that she covers for her father-in-law's long lost cow. There are wonderfully erotic sequences and some wry humour but essentially this is a movie centred around the increasing senility of the ageing small holding owner, whose son has died and his wife played by Ryoko, has hung on in there. There is some fine cinematography, illuminating the rural scenes but this is never seeming to end gloriously and indeed in the end there is much pathos and a real sense of loss and generosity of spirit. Mind you if you are looking for fleshy sex, there is plenty here, so don't be put of by the serious side. One more film that surely could only have been made in Japan.
Top to learn more

July 8, 2009 (Greenwich, England) | Helpful Votes: 31 | Rating: 4

BUY A Lonely Cow Weeps at Dawn

The Taste of Tea

Regular Price: $24.92 |

Customer Review

Amazing and delightful -- a touching and lovely film from Japan
The Harunos are not your typical family. The father is a hypnotist, whose method is to enable people to dream alternate worlds; the mother aspires to draw anime; the grandfather is also an artist, who takes great delight in his unconventional ways; the daughter is troubled by a giant version of herself who follows her around and stares unhappily at what she does; the son, perhaps the most ordinary, is a shy but intelligent boy who has fallen in love. The film is gorgeous, full of visual surprises and laugh out loud moments. I had no idea what a nice surprise was waiting for me when I rented this on a whim; I will definitely buy this dvd since it is one that could definitely live up to repeat viewings and I can't wait to introduce it to other friends and lovers of cinema. I can't believe I'd never heard of this beautiful and charming film about family and love and obsession and work and friendship and above all, imagination. It may seem slow, since its aim is not so much to move...
Top to learn more

August 9, 2007 (Florida) | Helpful Votes: 39 | Rating: 5

a well made cup of tea
I bought this movie on a whim and I was very pleasantly surprised. The story and characters are quirky yet endearing on many levels - the grandfather in particular is priceless. It is a modern tale of an artistic family living in a suburb of Tokyo - very pastoral scenery, but very urban neuroses. It is an artistic rendering of everyday situations that make you want to laugh and cry. It is also a kaleidoscope of Yakuza thugs, hypnosis therapy, artistic integrity, letting go of a relationship, mixing music in a studio, surviving your in-laws, and more! It is all done with a light touch the neither judges nor tries to reduce to some trite formula.If you enjoy art films and different cultures, this is a must see.
Top to learn more

December 17, 2007 (29.48 N , 98.51 W) | Helpful Votes: 20 | Rating: 5

I Love This Movie
I saw this movie in the theater in New York City. It is the best movie I have seen in a long time. I was laughing until I was crying at some points, and at other moments utterly moved by the genuine sentiment and lyricism.What a beautiful film...
Top to learn more

May 16, 2007 (brooklyn, new york) | Helpful Votes: 16 | Rating: 5

Product Description

Meet the Harunos, a rather unconventional, but happy and loving family nonetheless. They live in a small town in the mountains just out of Tokyo where life is good and quiet - but that doesn't mean they don't have their own little problems.

As 8-year old Sachiko (Maya Banno) tries to get rid of a giant version of herself who seems to pop up everywhere, her older brother Hajime (Takahiro Sato), privately wrestles with his love-struck heart. Meanwhile, their mother Yoshiko (Satomi Tezuka) is working hard, coming out of retirement as an animator, as her husband and professional hypnotist Nobuo (Tomokazu Miura) watches on with slight apprehension. Yoshiko's brother, Ayano (Tadanobu Asano) is just visiting his hometown and staying with the family, but also has ashidden agenda; he needs to come to terms with a romance that ended years ago. Even Nobuo's brother and successful manga artist Todoroki has his problems. It's his birthday soon and he wants to give himself something special. And lastly there's Grandpa, the most bizarre and perhaps the most perceptive of all, who continues to search for a better way to live life to the full.

Written, directed and edited by Katsuhito ISHII, The Taste of Tea is a unique and gentle family portrait tackling the universal themes of time, people and their lives. Top to learn more

Like Ozu's Tokyo Story, The Taste of Tea takes the long view of a Japanese family, though the eccentric Harunos are unconcerned with the moral quandaries Ozu's characters typically face. Director Katsuhito Ishii, known in America for his animated sequence in Kill Bill Pt. 2, gives the viewer a comedic slice of life in this artistic family's rural village. With a mother reentering the animation business, a musical grandfather conceptually akin to Yoko Ono, and a hypnotist father, siblings Hajime (Takahiro Sato) and Sachiko (Maya Banno) have the mental freedom to roam deep into imagined worlds that comprise the film's core. Hajime's infatuation with a girl at school becomes an obsession that bears fruit due to his commitment to meeting her. Sachiko's giant ghost follows her, leading her to believe that if she can master a back flip on the gym bars that she will scare the ghost away. The Taste of Tea relies upon odd, awkward moments of reflection or confusion. Hajime isn't sure what to make of his Uncle Ayano's (Tadanobu Asano) story involving a chicken egg in the forest. Similarly, Sachiko runs for her life when a man emerges out of the mud next to her. The absurdity in the narrative is underscored by visual impossibilities, for example a train rushing out of Hajime's head, and other bizarre live-action animation. Interestingly, each character's dilemma is based on external forces. Tensions between family members are non-existent in The Taste of Tea, reinforcing the idea that artistic minds must stick together in an increasingly unpredictable world. --Trinie Dalton Top to learn more

BUY The Taste of Tea

ICHI: The Movie

Regular Price: $19.98 |

Customer Review

Product Description

Haruka Ayase, Shido Nakamura, Y+Ýsuke Kubozuka, Takao Osawa. Wandering from village to village in search of the blind swordsman who taught her to kill, a beautiful female samurai warrior puts a whole new spin on the legendary tale. In Japanese with English audio & subtitles. 2008/color/120 min/R/widescreen. Top to learn more

This visually stunning Japanese swordplay drama is an attempt at revising the venerable and exciting Zatoichi films and television series, which concern a blind masseur whose lowbrow nature concealed his deadly prowess with a blade. Here, the sightless hero is a woman (Ayase Haruka) in search of another blind man (the original Zatoichi, it is assumed) who taught her to defend herself before disappearing from her life. Unfortunately, the gender switch is the only real deviation from the tried and true Zatoichi format, which star and occasional director Shintaro Katsu perfected in 26 films and a television series between 1962 and 1989. Takeshi Kitano starred in and directed a more adventurous update in 2003 (complete with a musical number), so while Ichi is largely superfluous, it does feature a fine performance by Haruka, some lovely photography, and muscular and bloody combat choreographed by Kuze Hiroshi, who worked on several films for Akira Kurosawa. The DVD includes only a trailer for supplemental features. --Paul Gaita Top to learn more

Razor sharp and cutting edge
Historical samurai dramas are the Japanese equivalent of the Western except that they still maintain their credibility. This is a reworking of the popular Zatoichi the blinds swordsman series, with a blind female musician trying to track down the person who may or may not be Zatoichi and who may or may not be her father.I like the structure as more and more is revealed about the two main characters over the course of the film through the use of flashbacks which can, early on, sometimes be misleading. Toma, the samurai whom Ichi protects, at first appears to be nothing more than a coward but he is more than that and there are resonances which I don't want to spoil. The two leads are absolutely fine in their roles, the cute kid who helps Ichi is bearable, but the villains tend to be over the top. In particular the chief bad guy comes over like a psycho samurai Quentin Tarantino, whom he rather resembles.It's attractively photographed with several striking snow...
Top to learn more

October 21, 2009 (Sunderland, UK) | Helpful Votes: 39 | Rating: 4

Quite Solid in its Presentation
Ichi is one of those films that I've been meaning to tackle for some time. The look, the feel, the mood, and the mythological elements are all of undeniable Asian influence. Yes there are undefeatable principles at play within that span beyond the swordplay and action elements in the foreground. Before we look at the excellent philosophical tones of the picture, let's get the hard facts out of the way.Coming in at a 120-minute runtime, Ichi consists of the full-length feature film on a single disc housed within a standard clamshell DVD case. The show wears an appropriate if not slightly conservative Restricted ® rating due to violent imagery, swordplay, digital gore and a healthy dose of character-driven drama.Language options are typical sub & dub meaning both the original Japanese vocal track is present as well the choice of an English dub (either presented in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound) with the option of running English subtitles available with either vocal...
Top to learn more

December 22, 2009 (Buffalo, NY) | Helpful Votes: 30 | Rating: 3

Haruka Ayase Rules as the FEMALE ZATOICHI!!
ICHI THE BLIND SWORDSWOMAN (2009) is a redux of Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman; the classic Jidai Geki TV series. Directed by Fumihiko Sori, (Vexille, "Ping Pong"), with screenplay by Shimosawa Kan; this film switches the gender of the lead character, has significant improvements but it also lacks some of the original's strengths. "Ichi" stars beautiful Japanese bikini model/actress Ayase Haruka, and this is her follow up role to "Cyborg She" (which I will review later). The film is a departure from the stylistic style of Kitamura's "AZUMI" and is a welcome return for director Sori to his action roots after the fun-filled "Ping Pong".Ichi (Haruka Ayase) is a beautiful, blind musician who travels this Edo period Japan with her traditional Japanese guitar and a walking stick--well, a walking stick at first impression, but inside, she hides a razor sharp katana. Ichi may be blind, but she is also a skilled swordswoman. In her quest to find the man who helped bring her up, she...
Top to learn more

December 11, 2009 (Where Dark Asian Knights Dwell) | Helpful Votes: 15 | Rating: 4

BUY ICHI: The Movie

Nobody Knows

Price with discount: $2.99 |

Customer Review

Koreeda's 'Nobody' is a somber masterpiece
"Nobody Knows," a profoundly moving film from the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda, proves that the greatest movies don't need flashy action or CGI effects to achieve significant emotional impact. Despite its immediate appearance of stripped-down starkness, it is a film of technical virtuosity and carefully orchestrated sequences. But the true heart of the film -- which is loosely based on the true story of four children abandoned by their mother in Japan in 1988 and discovered six months later -- lies in its shocking realism."Nobody Knows" begins when Keiko (played by the Japanese pop star You) deserts her young children in a run-down apartment in a nameless Japanese city with barely enough money to pay the bills. Her oldest son Akira (Yuya Yagira) must fend for himself and protect his younger brother Shigeru (Hiei Kimura) and his sisters Kyoko (Ayu Kitaura) and Yuki (Momoko Shimizu). Akira tries his best to be a parent, borrowing money from dishonest family...
Top to learn more

February 25, 2005 (New York, NY) | Helpful Votes: 62 | Rating: 5

The Best Movie I Ever Rented On a Whim
I hadn't heard of this movie before, and only rented it on a whim because the cover blurb interested me. I didn't expect it to be so emotionally draining-- I watched it yesterday, but I still feel like I might cry just thinking about it!-- but this is definitely one I'll watch again, and one I would like to own.This seems at first the story of a loving, if selfish and immature mother. . . sure, she raises her family in an unconventional way, but they seem to be a close-knit, generally happy bunch. They even seem fine at first when she leaves them alone with nothing but a note and an envelope of money, but the money starts to run out, and Akira is forced to borrow from his siblings' fathers to keep afloat. When their mother does return, there seems to be a hint of resentment, especially from the older children.Then we find out just how selfish she can be, as their mother leaves her job and children outright to be with a man. She doesn't even tell them what...
Top to learn more

December 23, 2005 (USA) | Helpful Votes: 13 | Rating: 5

bleak, affecting, beautiful
Kore-eda's achievement in this film is startling. This is film art grounded in the minimalist traditions of the Ozu school of Japanese filmmaking; leisurely story development, very little camera movement, minimal dialogue, perfectly-pitched performances from the actors. It references much of the best of contemporary Japanese cinema; the abused outcast child seen in Village of Dreams, the rites-of-passage trials in Firefly Dreams, the pagan rituals exhibited in Swallowtail. And yet, added to these elements, is a devastating critique of the anomie afflicting contemporary Japanese society. In recent years we have heard stories of a child found dead in a box in a residential area, a young woman kidnapped and held in a house between the ages of nine and nineteen, children suffocating in a car while their parents play pachinko, and a mother and son who starved to death in the middle of Tokyo because they were too proud to ask for welfare. The film is based on one true story, but I was...
Top to learn more

January 23, 2006 (Yokohama, Japan) | Helpful Votes: 7 | Rating: 5

BUY Nobody Knows

Where Can I buy Japanese Movies

Anyways, the movie is about a family who lives in the city {I think it is L. A. } but have always wanted to move into the country and leave everything about the city life behind and live like the pioneers of old did. The Adventures of the Wilderness Family {1975} - Growing up we would watch this movie all the time.

I really like this girl who seems strange to me…. She’s really into Japanese cartoons, she’s extremely shy, and even works in an anime store. maybe a movie or take her to one of those anime conventions (i think she’ll like that) =] & when you do, you should tell her something along the lines of. ”we’ve known each other for about 3 years now. She wouldn’t look weird, but she would be as hot/cute/beautiful as an anime character and would act like one —. if you aren’t familiar with anime, she would love you to an extreme extent (run into your arms when you come home, cook you amazing... It’s basically about being on a skateboard, the characters kind of look like Japanese Cartoons. How can I let her know that I respect her, am interested in her, and want her to know that I like her just the way she is. Just tell her. Men: If you could marry a real-life anime (japanese cartoon) girl, would you. I don’t have it anymore – but the game was really cool it had music by like Radio-head & funky music. I want you to know that i think your something really special and unique and i love that about you. I watch a lot of romance movies. I know this is prolly coming off to you as a surprise and prolly weirding you out but its just something i had to get off my chest. Last weekend I made her a painting I did for her of an anime character she likes. I’ve known her for about 3 years now, and she’s always been like this.

If you buy the older versions (before the year 2011 models) you would need to buy a HyperSim (around $ 100) in order to use them, which this site will sell including it. I also heard it causes some problems also. The newer versions are unlocked and can be used with any carrier as long as it has a sim card.

Japanese Movies News

Disney Declines After Japanese Tsunami, Studio Flops Overshadow TV Gains

“The noisy elements, the studio and Japan, clearly were the problem and they are hard to predict,” said Matthew Harrigan, a Wunderlich Securities analyst in Denver who recommends investors buy Disney shares. “The good news is that the core of this
After 'Priest': 5 Manga Hollywood Should Adapt

But fans have been reading the comic series over several volumes from the publisher Tokyopop, a manga (Japanese comic) company. "Manga" has become a catch-all when describing the world of Asian comic books, and features characters as popular as
Friday The 13th Match-Up: A SERBIAN FILM Vs. TRUE LEGEND

Cine Asia picks up great, big name, contemporary HK, Japanese, and Korean films and gets them out to home video relatively fast. Many of the titles that Indomina is holding on to are already available on region free Blu-ray and DVD from Cine Asia,

14k White Gold Prong-Set Round Diamond Anniversary Band (1/4 cttw, H-I Color, I1-I2 Clarity), Size 8
Barker Manufacturing Company 31558 VIP 3500 24RV Power Jack

J.: Jaron And The Long Road To Love | Jenny Packham |