Miyuki Matsuda

Seven years after the death of his wife, company executive Aoyama is invited to sit in on auditions for an actress. Leafing through the resumés in advance, his eye is caught by Yamazaki Asami, a striking young woman with ballet training. On the day of the audition, she's the last person they see. Aoyama is hooked. He notes her number from her file, calls her and takes her to dinner. He hesitates to call again, worried that he'll seem too eager... (imdb)

A man abandons modern civilization and lives in a secluded cabin on a snowy mountain, sending mail bombs to corporate CEOs. One day, a mysterious creature appears before him... The latest feature from acclaimed filmmaker Toshiaki Toyoda (Blue Spring, Nine Souls) is a film about spiritual survival and the restoration of humanity amidst an oppressive society. (tiff.net)

his collection of shocking, unpredictable stories feature the first screen adaptation of the number one young author of his generation, Otsuichi. Working with five different directors, ZOO features five stories (four live-action, one animated) of fear, sadness and pain. (imdb)

On the subtropical Japanese island of Amami, traditions about nature remain eternal. During the full-moon night of traditional dances in August, 16-year-old Kaito discovers a dead body floating in the sea. His girlfriend Kyoko will attempt to help him understand this mysterious discovery. Together, Kaito and Kyoko will learn to become adults by experiencing the interwoven cycles of life, death and love. (imdb)

Kosuke Kindaichi is a popular detective found in Seishi Yokomizo's novels, and this is one of several movies that have been made based on his character. Yokomizo's plots have more twists and turns than Japanese calligraphy and loudly invite parody. This film is not an RSVP to that invitation. Director Nobuhiko Obayashi has not parodied Yokomizo's style so much as imitated it. (nytimes.com)

The famous TV singing contest, "Nodo-Jiman", is coming to town! Enka singer Reiko Akagi enters the contest despite objections from her manager. Aspiring mobile yakitori shopowner Keisuke finds that his license examination clashes with the preliminary round. Schoolgirl Rika Takahashi is caught between her worried mother and her rebellious sister. "Nodo-Jiman" brings these colorful people together in a heartwarming way. (imdb)

A 15-year-old boy named Kakeru in frigid Wakkanai, Hokkaido is trying to figure out where he belongs. One day, he meets a transfer student named Mizuho. He finds an old guitar and starts a band with Mizuho, whom he’s decided reminds him of the character Little My from the Moomin storybook and cartoon series.

Yuta, an absent-minded 5th-grader, is sent to spend the summer with his grandfather, whom Yuta's parents think is becoming senile and could benefit from Yuta's companionship. At first, Yuta thinks Gramps is a bit addled, too, but as he gets to know the old man better, he finds that his grandfather sees things quite differently from other people. The special bond that ...