Best Japanese musical movies

Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for work with departures of a more permanent nature – as an undertaker’s assistant.

The Katakuri family has just opened their guest house in the mountains. Unfortunately their first guest commits suicide and in order to avoid trouble they decide to bury him in the backyard. Things get way more complicated when their second guest, a famous sumo wrestler, dies while having sex with his underage girlfriend and the grave behind the house starts to fill up more and more.

While combing through the belongings of his recently deceased aunt, Matsuko, nephew Sho pieces together the crucial events that sank Matsuko's life into a despairing tragedy.

A cursed dancer and a blind musician — both ostracized by society — become business partners and inseparable friends as their larger-than-life concerts propel them to stardom in 14th century Japan.

In an alternate Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. The simmering tension between them is about to boil over into all-out war.

Satomi is fine being alone until an AI named Shion joins her class with a song and a promise to make her happy. While Shion’s musical numbers and princess gowns don’t quite pass as human, her antics bring Satomi closer to four other classmates. Together, they make memories worth saving, but even our most precious data can be erased.

Suzuki Shizuka is an office lady at a conglomerate who is hypnotized at a local amusement park and left under the spell. Now she is compelled to sing and dance whenever she hears any melody whatsoever. She heads back to the hypnotist for relief, but he is nowhere to be found. So Shizuka sets off on a journey around Japan to find him and break the spell.

The stage emulates life and compresses it, setting free skills learned over lifetimes in brief but dazzling displays for the amusement and judgment of others. For the performers, it is the ultimate risk, and some will rise while others must fall. Nowhere is this truer than at the Seisho Music Academy, where music, dance and real weapons all come into play in the creation of the next great Star. Karen and Hikari’s destinies have been linked since a childhood promise, but their journeys here have taken very different paths. Now, after Hikari leaves, Karen must discover who she is without her opposite, while Hikari must rediscover her own course. Nor are they the only girls who must reassess and change if they want to achieve their dreams, as the dance, magic, and swordplay continue!

Ichika is a high school musician who can enter a mysterious place called “SEKAI,” where she and her friends express their innermost emotions through music alongside Hatsune Miku. One day after giving a live performance, Ichika meets a new Miku that she has never seen before. No matter how hard this new Miku tries to sing, she struggles connecting with the hearts of her listeners. Miku must rely on the help of others to find a way to sing again.

A group of friends from high school days reunite for once more time before one of them dies from cancer.

35-year-old Asuka works in a lakeside fish factory. She’s about to be married to her boss, Taki, but one day, she encounters a kappa – a water sprite found in Japanese folklore – and learns that the creature is in fact the reborn form of Aoki, an old crush who’d drowned when they were 17.

An adventurous young boy named Jack climbs a giant beanstalk to a magical kingdom governed by a greedy, tyrannical giant.

A high school student who comes across a supernatural notebook, realizing it holds within it a great power; if the owner inscribes someone’s name into it while picturing their face, he or she will die.

Usagi has come to the airport to see Mamoru off as he heads to the US to study abroad, but someone shatters Mamoru's body to pieces. In shock, Usagi loses her memory and collapses, but a member of the super idol group the Three Lights is there to catch her. That day, the Three Lights were to star in a music festival. Usagi and friends were planning to perform as well, but a new enemy arrives. Calling themselves "Shadow Galactica," these enemies are Sailor Guardians aiming to steal Sailor Crystals! At the same time, a mysterious young girl named Chibi Chibi and new Sailor Guardians, the Sailor Starlights, also appear, and a battle on an unprecedented scale begins. Sailor Guardians vs. Sailor Guardians! Fittingly the Sailor Moon "final battle" has the future of the galaxy at stake and it starts now!!

The story begins with a regular day with Takumi, Mari and Keitaro, which suddenly turns into a musical number thanks to a mysterious new boom box created by Smart Brain. As it turns out, Yuji, Yuka and Naoya have the same boom box and are greeted by a rapping Smart Lady who reveals that it's part of a new plan by Smart Brain to invoke people into singing all over Japan. The reason: To get the three Rider Belts back!

A special live event celebrating 30 years of Sailor Moon musicals.

In November 2008, a live concert of Macross Frontier's music was performed by May'n, Megumi Nakajima, and Yoko Kanno.

The critically acclaimed all-woman Japanese acting revue Takarazuka brings Rurouni Kenshin to life, creating a new twist on a globally loved story.

The date: 2015 AD. The Angels’ assaults on Tokyo-3 have increased in its ferocity. In this city, three young girls upload their latest song onto Nico Nico Douga.

The older boys are graduating school and recount their memories together. The next day everyone defends the graduation ceremony against Zundar and Dadacha's Second-Button Monster, but Yumoto struggles using his love power.

A musical theater show based on the manga "Revolutionary Girl Utena"

A spider attempts to lure a ladybug into his web. When she manages to escape and hide in a tulip, a storm comes that batters the spider, while the ladybug remains safe.

Naruse Uta is a "unique" 13 year old child. She possessed the talent to read sheet music even before she could speak, but has now come to the point where she hates playing the piano. Her father was also a piano virtuoso, but mysteriously disappeared from her life at a young age. Because of her father's disappearance Uta's mother had to move out of their posh home and into a far modest working class neighborhood. In this working class neighborhood there is a local grocer. The grocer's son Kikuna Oto happens to be a budding musician, but lacks the drive to truly succeed. That is until Uta Naruse comes into his life...

Starring Yellow Magic Orchestra and David Brooks Palmer, YMO Propaganda is 1984 Musical film directed by Shin Saito. Originally premiered theatrically throughout Japan in 1984 and is considered by some to be the best visual work from 'Y.M.O.'

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon - La Reconquista was one of the most recent Sera Myu musicals. The musical ran from September 13, 2013 to September 23, 2013 at the AiiA Theater Tokyo in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

A gender-swapped re-envisioning of the YoRHa Boys Ver1.0 play from 2018, it tells the story of a group of female androids that undertake an experimental mission in Tokyo, Japan.

The 50 years old long-running legendary stageplay comes to big screen in 29 March 2019. Produced by Johnny Kitagawa himself, starring future stars Jesse, Kyomoto Taiga, Kouchi Yugo, Matsumura Hokuto, Morimoto Shintaro, Tanaka Juri (of group SixTONES), and more than hundred of Johnny's Juniors.

A group of friends try to find success in corporate Japan.

Ruriko's father is a well known scientist who's involved in secret research that even his family doesn't know about. Ever since he moved up to the research laboratory in Hokkaido, Ruriko hasn't heard from him. The only thing that reminded her of his warmth was the green music box that he’d left behind for her. She longed to reunite with her father. The little box played music that lifted her spirits, to a place where everything was perfect.

In this animated musical short, a traveling donkey becomes upset at minor inconveniences, each of which his chipper young master is only too happy to accommodate.

Musical featuring members of Nogizaka46 as characters from the Sailor Moon manga and anime franchise. 2019 featured new members playing the lead roles.

The Advent of Princess Kakyuu (Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin) was the revision of the previous musical, but it also followed the Sailor Stars arc of the manga.

Last Dracul Final Chapter (Last Dracul Saishuu Shou) was the final chapter of the Dracul Arc. It also included the Super Revue Musical Show.

Princess of Darkness Black Lady (Revision) was the revision to the previous Black Lady musical, featuring some plot and character changes from the original.

Legend of Kaguya Island (Kaguya Shima Densetsu) was the second musical starring Fumina Hara as Sailor Moon and the first musical with an original plot.

The Last Day performance of The Eternal Legend Revision (Eien Densetsu Kaiteiban) musical.

Decisive Battle / Transylvania's Forest (Kessen / Transylvania no Mori) was the revision of the musical Transylvania no Mori.

Sailor Moon - Decisive Battle / Transylvania's Forest (Kessen / Transylvania no Mori) was the second installment of the Dracul Musical Arc.

Usagi and friends are enjoying summer vacation, until Queen Beryl and the Shitennou are revived. The musical was recorded on August 12, 1993 at the Gotanda U-Port Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The 4th Sailor Moon musical (and the 2nd to get a physical release.) While Usagi Tsukino and her friends are enjoying their summer vacation and planning on making their dreams for the future come true, they must deal with the Death Busters and two new Sailor Senshi who are on the hunt for the Talismans, as well as the arrival of Chibiusa.

Gangsters smuggle diamonds through customs by embedding them in The Spiders' tambourine, then go on a cross-country chase of the rock-and-roll band in order to get them back. Another gang is searching for something The Spiders have, too, and now the two gangs are willing to kill to get it, with the boys caught in the middle!

It’s been five years since her husband had passed away. Fuyuko lives in the quiet suburbs, in a small but loving home with her three beautiful daughters. Haruko, the eldest, is the lead vocalist in a band. Natsuko is the conscientious type, who spends her days in ballet classes beautifying herself. The youngest of the three, Akiko is a bookworm who found her niche in philosophy. Although the sisters may appear to have nothing in common, there is one thing they all agree on; "Mom needs a new husband".

Japanese comedy directed by Noriaki Yuasa.

A young boy named Chomatsu (Misora Hibari) lives with an old man Denbei near the grounds of Asakusa temple as bell ringers. In their house is an Echigo lion mask, a memento of Chomatsu's deceased father. After several incidents of Echigo lion masks being destroyed in the area, a local kingpin Saheiji shows up at Denbei's demanded he hand over the mask, a request Denbei rejects out of pity for Chomatsu. However, after it is accidentally revealed that the mask contains an important map, Saheiji plots to steal the mask. Chomatsu gets involved after his mother makes a sudden reappearance that sends the boy on a roundabout journey that will reveal the truth about his family.

Recorded live at Open Theater East, Tokyo, Japan on July 25, 1993. Keith Jarrett piano - Gary Peacock bass - Jack De Johnette drums /// 1. In Your Own Sweet Way 2. Butch And Butch 3. Basin Street Blues 4. Solar 5. Ex-tension 6. If I Were A Bell 7. I Fall In Love Too Easily 8. Oleo 9. Bye Bye Blackbird 10. The Cure 11. I Thought About You