are presented annually since 1991. As with the

New York Film Critics Circle The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: Academic criticism by film scho ...

Awards and

Los Angeles Film Critics Association The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is an American film critic organization founded in 1975. Background Its membership comprises film critics from Los Angeles–based print and electronic media. In December of each year, the organi ...

Awards, the selection committee consists of film critics.

Award winners

1990s

1991 (1st Japanese Movie Critics Awards) * Best Picture: ''

My Sons is a 1991 Japanese film directed by Yōji Yamada. It was chosen as Best Film at the Japan Academy Prize ceremony. Synopsis The children of old-fashioned patriarch of a family in Iwate Province gather to observe the first anniversary of their m ...

'' (Director:

Yoji Yamada is a Japanese film director best known for his ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series of films and his Samurai Trilogy ('' The Twilight Samurai'', '' The Hidden Blade'' and '' Love and Honor''). Biography Yamada was born in Osaka, but due to his father' ...

) * Best Director:

Naoto Takenaka is a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director from Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, affiliated with From First Production. He is married to idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi. He is also known as the voice of Samuel L. ...

* Best Actor:

Rentarō Mikuni was a Japanese actor, writer and director, who starred in films of Keisuke Kinoshita, Mikio Naruse, Tadashi Imai, Shōhei Imamura, Tomu Uchida and many others. He received numerous prizes for his performances and was awarded the Jury Prize at t ...

* Best Actress: Yuki Kudō * Best Newcomer:

Shinsuke Shimada is a Japanese comedian and television presenter. He first became popular as part of a manzai duo formed with his on-stage partner Matsumoto Ryusuke. The duo was active between 1976 and 1985. In 1991 he directed the film ''Kaze, Slow Down''. ...

* Special Award: * Platinum Award:

Keisuke Kinoshita was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Ronald Berganbr>"A satirical eye on Japan: Keisuke Kinoshita" ''The Guardian'', 5 January 1999. While lesser-known internationally than contemporaries such as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and ...

1992 * Best Picture: '' Seishun Dendekeke Desdeke'' * Best Director:

Kaneto Shindo was a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film producer, and writer, who directed 48 films and wrote scripts for 238. His best known films as a director include '' Children of Hiroshima'', '' The Naked Island'', '' Onibaba'', '' Kuroneko'' a ...

* Best Actor:

Takehiro Murata Takehiro (written: , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese actor *Takehiro Honda (born 1945), Japanese jazz pianist *, Jap ...

* Best Actress:

Yoshiko Mita (born October 8, 1941) is a Japanese actress. Born in the city of Osaka, she graduated from Joshibi High School of Art and Design in Suginami, Tokyo. In 1960, she was hired by Toei and made her acting debut. She remained with Toei until 1967, t ...

1993 * Best Picture: '' To Die at the Hospital'' * Best Director: Kōichi Saitō * Best Actor: Ken Tanaka * Best Actress:

Kyōko Kagawa is a Japanese actress. During her career spanning 70 years, she has worked with directors like Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse, appearing in films such as ''Tokyo Story'', ''Sansho the Bailiff'', '' The Bad Sleep W ...

Emi Wakui is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy Awards: the 1994 Best Actress award for her performance in ''Rainbow Bridge (Niji no Hashi)'', and the 1992 awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Newcomer for her performance as Sei ...

Junko Ikeuchi , known professionally as , was a Japanese actress. She joined the film studio Shintoho after being recruited from Mitsukoshi's Nihonbashi store, and subsequently starred in films and television series like ''Super Giant'' (1957), '' The Ghost of ...

1994 * Best Picture: ''

A Dedicated Life is a 1994 Japanese documentary and docudrama film directed by Kazuo Hara about writer Mitsuharu Inoue. It shows the last four years of Inoue's life while fighting cancer, and tries to capture his character and the influence he had on the people ...

'' * Best Director:

Tatsumi Kumashiro Tatsumi Kumashiro (; 24 April 1927 – 24 February 1995) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter known for his critically acclaimed, award-winning '' Roman Porno'' films. Kumashiro was the most highly acclaimed director of the early Nikk ...

Ryūichi Hiroki is a Japanese film director. He won critical acclaim for '' 800 Two Lap Runners''. Film critic and researcher Alexander Jacoby has described Hiroki as "one of the modern Japanese cinema's most intelligent students of character". Biography ''Pink ...

* Best Actor:

Eiji Okuda is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in '' Sen no Rikyu''. He won the award for best actor at the 37th Blue Ribbon Awar ...

* Best Actress:

Tomoko Yamaguchi is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Tochigi. She is the lead actress for the classic dorama series Long Vacation, starring alongside Takuya Kimura. Filmography Television *Asadora ''Jun-chan no ōenka'' (1988–89), Junko On ...

1995 * Best Picture: ''

A Last Note is a 1995 Japanese comedy-drama film directed by Kaneto Shindō. It was the last film of actresses Haruko Sugimura and Nobuko Otowa. Plot Yoko, an aged but still active widowed actress, takes a rest from rehearsals and the hot temperature i ...

'' * Best Director:

Makoto Shīna is a unisex Japanese name although it is more commonly used by males. As a noun, Makoto means "sincerity" (誠) or "truth" (真, 眞). People Given name * Makoto (musician) (born 1977), drum and bass artist *Makoto (Sharan Q) ( まこと), d ...

* Best Actor:

* Best Actress:

Kumiko Akiyoshi (born July 29, 1954), better known as , is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 1st Hochi Film Award for ''Banka'', ''Saraba natsuno hikariyo'' and ''Brother and Sister''. Filmography Films * '' Tabi no omosa'' (1972 ...

1996 * Best Picture: ''

Village of Dreams is a 1996 Japanese drama film directed by Yōichi Higashi. It is the story of two Japanese twin brothers growing up in post-war rural Japan. The film won the Silver Bear for an outstanding single achievement at the 46th Berlin International Film ...

'' * Best Director:

Yoshimitsu Morita was a Japanese film director. He was known for his versatility, having directed satires, melodramas, crime thrillers, and pinku films. His most acclaimed films include The Family Game (1983), Sorekara (1985), Haru (1996), and Lost Parad ...

* Best Actor:

Kōji Yakusho , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is known internationally for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), '' 13 Assassins'' (2010), '' The Third Murder'' (2017), '' The Blood of Wolves'' (2018), '' Und ...

* Best Actress:

Mieko Harada is a Japanese actress. She has played various roles in many films and Japanese television drama series since 1974. Career Harada most notably portrayed Lady Kaede in Akira Kurosawa's 1985 film '' Ran'', and further collaborated with him in h ...

* Best Newcomer:

Masanobu Andō is a Japanese actor. Ando has appeared in films such as Takeshi Kitano's '' Kids Return'' (1996), Kinji Fukasaku's '' Battle Royale'' (2000), Takashi Miike's '' Sukiyaki Western Django'' (2007), and Chen Kaige's '' Forever Enthralled'' (2008). ...

1997 * Best Picture: ''

Moonlight Serenade "Moonlight Serenade" is an American swing ballad composed by Glenn Miller with subsequent lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was an immediate phenomenon when released in May 1939 as an instrumental arrangement, though it had been adopted and perfo ...

'' * Best Director:

Masahiro Shinoda was a Japanese film director, whose career spanned over four decades and covered a wide range of genres and styles. He was one of the central figures of the Japanese New Wave during the 1960s and 1970s. He directed films for Shochiku Studio fro ...

* Best Actor:

Akira Emoto is a Japanese actor. Career In 1999, he won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' Dr. Akagi''. He also won the award for best supporting actor at the 7th Hochi Film Award for '' Dotonbori River'' and '' Hearts an ...

* Best Actress:

Kyōka Suzuki is a Japanese actress. Life and career Suzuki appeared in Shinji Aoyama's '' Mike Yokohama: A Forest with No Name'' and Yōichi Sai's ''Blood and Bones''. She won the Best Actress award at the 1998 Yokohama Film Festival for her role in '' Wel ...

1998 * Best Picture: '' Kizuna'' * Best Director:

Takeshi Kitano , also known as in Japan, is a Japanese comedian, actor, and filmmaker. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. During hi ...

* Best Actor:

Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in ''The Last Samurai'', for which he was nominated for the Academy Awa ...

* Best Actress:

Takako Matsu (born on June 10, 1977) is a Japanese actress and pop singer. Personal life Matsu was born to a family of buyō and kabuki actors, including her father Matsumoto Hakuō II, her mother and businesswoman Noriko Fujima, her uncle, Nakamura ...

1999 * Best Picture: ''Coquille'' * Best Director:

Nagisa Oshima is a Japanese name, Japanese given name used by either sex and is occasionally used as a surname. Written forms Nagisa can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *渚, "beach, strand" *汀, "water's edge/shore" *凪砂, "lu ...

* Best Actor:

Tomokazu Miura is a Japanese actor. Life and career Miura attended Hino high school in Tokyo. He was originally a member of rock group RC Succession, but was asked to leave the group by their management when they signed a record contract. However, impressed b ...

* Best Actress:

Jun Fubuki is a Japanese actress. Career Jun Fubuki received a Japanese Academy Award Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role in '' Muno no Hito'', and won at the Hochi Film Awards. This role also won Fubuki the "Best Actress" award at the Yokoha ...

2000s

2000 * Best Picture: '' Zawazawa ShimoKitazawa'' * Best Director:

Kazuo Kuroki was a Japanese film director who was particularly known for his films on World War II and the question of personal guilt. Career While Kuroki was often listed as being born in Miyazaki Prefecture, he was actually born in Matsusaka, Mie. He att ...

* Best Actor:

Yoshio Harada was a Japanese actor and singer, known for his portrayals of rugged and complex antiheros. He received a variety of accolades, including a Japan Academy Film Prize, two Blue Ribbon Awards, two Hochi Film Awards, and five Kinema Junpo Award ...

* Best Actress:

Hitomi Kuroki Hitomi Kuroki (Japanese: ; Katakana: ''Kuroki Hitomi''; born October 5, 1960, in Kurogi-Machi, Yame District, Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese actress and film director. Her birth name is Shoko Ichiji ( ''Ichiji Shōko'') née Egami ( ''Egami Shō ...

2001 * Best Picture: '' Black Summer in Japan: False Charges'' * Best Director:

Isao Yukisada is a Japanese film director from Kumamoto. He served as assistant director on Shunji Iwai's ''Love Letter'', ''April Story'', and '' Swallowtail Butterfly''. Filmography Director * ''Open House'' (1998) * (Sunflower) (2000) * ''A Closing Day' ...

* Best Actor:

Yōsuke Kubozuka is a Japanese actor and musician. Career Yosuke Kubozuka has been a model for many magazines and TV commercials before starting out his acting career where he debuted in a 1995 TV crime drama ''Kindaichi Case Files''. In 1998, he starred in the ...

* Best Actress:

Yui Natsukawa is a Japanese actress. She co-starred with Hiroshi Abe in the 2006 Japanese drama '' Kekkon Dekinai Otoko'' and in Hirokazu Kore-eda's 2008 film '' Still Walking''. Filmography Film * ''Sora ga Konnani Aoi Wake ga Nai'' (1993) - Kaoru Aoki * ' ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Tarō Yamamoto is a Japanese politician and former actor, who is the founder and current leader of the anti-establishment political party Reiwa Shinsengumi. Yamamoto currently serves in the House of Councillors representing Tokyo, and previously served in the ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Mitsuko Baisho is a Japanese actress whose most internationally known work has been for director Shohei Imamura, from 1979 up to the director's final film in 2010. Baisho has also appeared in films directed by Akira Kurosawa. She won awards for best actress at ...

, Sayoko Ninomiya 2002 * Best Picture: '' KT'' * Best Director:

Yoichi Sai was a Korean film director who worked in Japan. He was the president of the Directors Guild of Japan. Life and career Sai was born on 6 July 1949 in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. His mother was Japanese and his father was Zainichi Korean. Sai won ...

* Best Actor: Kōichi Satō,

Masaya Kato is a Japanese actor from Nara in the Kansai region. Life and career He is currently attached to Burning Production. He stands at 183 centimeters. He practices martial arts and performs his own stunts in movies. Filmography Films *1988: ''Shir ...

* Best Actress:

Rie Miyazawa is a Japanese actress and former idol singer. She is regarded as one of Japan's top actresses, and her accolades include six Japan Academy Film Prizes and three Kinema Junpo Awards. Miyazawa began her career as a child model, seeing wide ex ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Ryo Ishibashi is a Japanese actor and lead singer of the Japanese rock band ARB. He is known around the world for his roles in the Japanese horror films '' Suicide Club'' and '' Audition.'' He is also recognized in America for his role as Nakagawa in '' Th ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

2003 * Best Picture: ''Lord of the Warabi'' * Best Director: Toyohisa Araki * Best Actor:

Masahiko Tsugawa , born Masahiko Katō (加藤雅彦 ''Katō Masahiko''; January 2, 1940 – August 4, 2018) was a Japanese actor and director. Career Tsugawa was born January 2, 1940, in Kyoto, Japan. After acting as a child, he made his major debut at 16 in t ...

* Best Actress:

Shinobu Terajima is a Japanese actress. Her feature films include '' Akame 48 Waterfalls'' (2003) and '' Vibrator'' (2003). For her role in ''Caterpillar'' (2010), Terajima won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 60th Berlin Film Festival while her perform ...

Yūko Takeuchi was a Japanese actress. She is known for her roles in television series ''Asuka'' (1999), ''Pride'' (2004), ''FlashForward'' (2009), and ''Miss Sherlock'' (2018) as well as films such as ''Ring'' (1998), ''Yomigaeri'' (2003), and ''Dog in a Sid ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Teruyuki Kagawa is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor (as ), and boxing commentator. Unlike most other Kabuki actors in his family (such as his father Ichikawa En'ō II and his cousin Ichikawa Ennosuke IV) who play both male and female roles, he is a ''tachiyaku' ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Hitomi Nakahara Hitomi may refer to:. People * Hitomi (given name), a feminine Japanese given name * Hitomi (voice actress) (born 1967), Japanese voice actress * Hitomi (singer) (born 1976, as Hitomi Furuya), Japanese singer and songwriter * Hitomi Nabatame (b ...

2004 * Best Picture: ''

Swing Girls is a Japanese 2004 teen comedy film directed and co-written by Shinobu Yaguchi. The plot follows a group of inept high school girls who form a big band. The cast includes Juri Ueno, Yuta Hiraoka, Shihori Kanjiya, Yuika Motokariya and Yukari ...

'' * Best Director:

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese film director, director, screenwriter and film editing, editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream m ...

* Best Actor:

Ken Matsudaira is a Japanese actor and musician from Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan. His real name is . Career In 1974, he joined Shintaro Katsu's production company and made his debut with the television series Zatoichi as a guest. For a quarter of a century, h ...

* Best Actress:

* Best Supporting Actor:

Masaya Takahashi Masaya Takahashi (高橋匡哉 ''Takahashi Masaya'', born October 14, 1986) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to Big Japan Pro Wrestling in the deathmatch division. He is a former two-time BJW Deathmatch Heavyweight Champion ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Anna Tsuchiya is a Japanese singer, actress and semi-retired model. Since 2005, she is primarily known as a singer.Oricon p ...

* Rookie of the Year: Kamiki Ryunosuke 2005 * Best Picture: ''

Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...

'' * Best Director:

Mitsuo Kurotsuchi Mitsuo Kurotsuchi (, 3 March 1947 – 25 March 2023) was a Japanese director and screenwriter. Life and career Born in Kumamoto, after graduating from the Faculty of Law at Rikkyo University, Kurotsuchi started his career as an assistant dire ...

* Best Actor:

Kataoka Ainosuke VI is a Japanese actor, kabuki actor and TV host. His ''yagō'' is ''matsushimaya''. His ''mon'' is the ''Oikake Go-mai Ichō''. His current stage name is Ainosuke Kataoka. He is a renowned ''tachiyaku'', specializing in both the ''aragoto , or ...

Ichikawa Somegorō VII may refer to: Places *Ichikawa, Chiba, a city in Chiba, Japan **Ichikawa Gakuen (Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School), a large private boys and girls school in Moto-kita-kata, Ichikawa, Chiba * Ichikawa, Hyogo, a town in Hyōgo, Japan *Ichikawa ...

* Best Actress:

Yūko Tanaka is a Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture, Japan. She has won several acting awards during a long career working in both film and television, after she graduated from Meiji University. Life and career Early career At the beginning of her care ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Takashi Sasano is a Japanese actor. Career Sasano has appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films '' Bright Future'' (2003) and '' Before We Vanish'' (2017). He also appeared in Amir Naderi's 2011 film ''Cut''. Filmography Film * '' Tora-san's Island Encounter'' ( ...

Sansei Shiomi is a Japanese actor. Career Born in Kyoto Prefecture, Shiomi went to Doshisha University. He joined the theater troupe En in 1978 and soon also began appearing in film and television, mostly as a character actor. He won a Japan Movie Critics Awa ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Haruka Igawa is a Japanese actress and a former gravure idol. Career Igawa appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2008 film ''Tokyo Sonata'' and Shinji Aoyama's 2011 film ''Tokyo Park''. Personal life On November 26, 2006, she announced through a press conference t ...

2006 * Best Picture: '' The Professor's Beloved Equation'' * Best Director:

* Best Actor:

Kenji Sawada is a Japanese singer, composer, lyricist and actor, best known for being the vocalist for the Japanese rock band The Tigers. Nicknamed because of his self-professed adoration of Julie Andrews, he was born in Tsunoi, Iwami (now part of Totto ...

* Best Actress:

Eri Fukatsu is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 18th Yokohama Film Festival for '' Haru'' and the best actress award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival for her performance in ''Villain''. She also received acclaim for her r ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Tsuyoshi Ihara is a Japanese actor, martial artist, and writer of Korean descent. Biography Ihara, a third-generation Zainichi Korean by birth, was born on November 6, 1963, in Kitakyūshū as Yun Yu-gu () to second-generation Zainichi Koreans and grew up i ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Kirin Kiki was a Japanese actress for Japanese cinema and television. Biography Kiki was born on January 15, 1943, in Kanda, Tokyo. Her father was a master of the ''biwa'' lute and a former police officer. Her mother owned a cafe in Jinbōchō, Tokyo an ...

Hula Girls is a Japanese film, directed by Sang-il Lee and co-written by Lee and Daisuke Habara, and first released across Japanese theaters on September 23, 2006. Starring Yū Aoi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, Shizuyo Yamazaki, Ittoku Kishibe, ...

2007 * Best Picture: ''

Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms is a one-volume manga written and illustrated by Fumiyo Kōno. The two connected stories were first published in Japan by Futabasha in ''Weekly Manga Action'' in 2003 and 2004, then collected in a single ''tankōbon'' volume in 2004. The ...

'' * Best Director:

Kichitaro Negishi is a Japanese film director. Although his films are admired by critics in Japan for their intelligence, Negishi has received little international recognition for his work. He has not been credited with a distinctive style but he has been called a ...

* Best Actor:

Shun Oguri is a Japanese people, Japanese actor and Voice acting in Japan, voice actor, son of stage director Tetsuya Oguri, and the youngest of 3 siblings, including older brother Ryo, who is also an actor. He started in small roles as extra in the works ...

* Best Actress:

* Best Supporting Actor: Kyosuke Yabe * Best Supporting Actress:

Hiromi Nagasaku is a Japanese actress and singer. She was a member of the J-pop group Ribbon. Mark Schilling of ''The Japan Times'' described her as "the best comic actress working in Japan today". Career Nagasaku appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2003 film '' ...

Keiko Takahashi is a Japanese actress. Prior to marrying director Banmei Takahashi in 1982, she went by her maiden name . She debuted in the 1970 film ''High School Student Blues''. Her second film, ''おさな妻'', earned her the Golden Arrow Award for Newco ...

2008 * Best Picture: ''

United Red Army The (URA) was a militant organization that operated in Japan between July 1971 and March 1972. The URA was formed as the result of a merger that began on 13 July 1971 between two extremist groups, the Marxist–Leninist–Maoist , led in 1971 ...

'' * Best Director:

Yōjirō Takita Yōjirō Takita (滝田洋二郎 ''Takita Yōjirō'', born December 4, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker. Takita received an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for his 2008 drama '' Departures''. It marked the first time a Japanese film won the aw ...

* Best Actor:

Noriyuki Higashiyama is a Japanese businessman, former singer, actor, and member of the idol group Shonentai. He is married to actress Yoshino Kimura. In September 2023 Higashiyama became the president and CEO of Johnny & Associates (currently Smile-Up), until his re ...

* Best Actress:

Eiko Koike is a Japanese actress. Biography Koike starred in Kunitoshi Manda's film '' The Kiss''. She appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2012 television drama ''Penance,'' and co-starred in Junji Sakamoto's ''A Chorus of Angels'' with Sayuri Yoshinaga. She ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Ittoku Kishibe , born , is a Japanese actor and musician. Career He originally entered show business as the bassist for the Japanese rock bands, The Tigers and Pyg, but later switched to acting. The veteran of over 115 films, he won the Best Actor Japanese ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Maki Sakai (born 17 May 1970 in Taito, Tokyo) is a Japanese actress. Filmography Film *''Time Leap'' (1997) *''United Red Army'' (2007), Mieko Tōyama *''Kano'' (2014) *'' Too Young to Die!'' (2016), Yoshie *''My Friend "A"'' (2018) *'' 108: Revenge an ...

2009 * Best Picture: '' Feel the Wind'' * Best Director:

* Best Actor:

Akira Terao is a Japanese musician, singer and actor. As of 2012, he is the only male actor to have received both the Japan Record Award and the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role. Early life Terao was born in Yo ...

* Best Actress:

Hiroko Yakushimaru is a Japanese actress and singer. Biography After passing the audition for the film produced by Haruki Kadokawa, she began her acting career. Along with teen idols Tomoyo Harada and Noriko Watanabe who debuted from Kadokawa Haruki Corporation, ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Renji Ishibashi , born is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best supporting actor at the 15th Hochi Film Award The are film-specific prizes awarded by the '' Hochi Shimbun''. Categories *Best Picture *Best International Picture *Best Animated Picture ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Kaoru Yachigusa was a Japanese people, Japanese actress from Osaka Prefecture. From 1947 to 1957, she was a member of the Takarazuka Revue. After leaving the revue, she was active in film, television, and Dubbing (filmmaking), narration. She famously quit part ...

2010s

2010 * Best Picture: '' Haru's Journey'' * Best Director:

Yōichi Higashi is a Japanese film director. He began his career working on documentary, documentaries at Iwanami Productions but, after going independent, turned to fiction film. He won the Directors Guild of Japan New Directors Award for ''Yasashii Nipponjin' ...

* Best Actor:

Dai Watanabe Dai may refer to: Names * Dai (given name), a Welsh or Japanese masculine given name * Dai (surname) (戴), a Chinese surname * Bảo Đại (保大), Emperor of Vietnam from 1926 to 1945 Places and regimes * Dai Commandery, a commandery of the ...

Masatoshi Nagase is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known in the West for his roles in Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's ''Cold Fever'' and Jim Jarmusch's ''Mystery Train (film), Mystery Train''. Nagase was described by Todd Brown of Twitch Film as "one of t ...

* Best Actress:

Yuki Uchida (born November 16, 1975) is a Japanese actress and former idol singer. Following her debut in the drama '' Sono Toki, Heart wa Nusumareta'' (1992), she received her first lead role in the 1994 drama adaption of '' The Girl Who Leapt Through Tim ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Yūsuke Iseya is a Japanese actor, director, artist, and businessman. Career Iseya co-starred with Arata Iura, Yui Natsukawa, and Susumu Terajima in Hirokazu Koreeda's ''Distance (2001 film), Distance''. He appeared in Takashi Miike's ''13 Assassins (2010 fi ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Keiko Matsuzaka (born July 20, 1952) is a Japanese actress. Early life Born in Ōta, Tokyo, her father was a naturalized South Korean while her mother was Japanese. Career In the 1960s, Matsuzaka became a child actress. Matsuzaka grew into adulthood in fil ...

2011 * Best Picture: ''

Someday Someday or Some Day may refer to: Film and television * ''Someday'' (1935 film), a British film directed by Michael Powell * ''Someday'' (2011 film), a Japanese film directed by Junji Sakamoto * ''Someday'' (2021 film), an Indian Hindi-lang ...

'' * Best Director:

Izuru Narushima is a Japanese scriptwriter and film director from Yamanashi Prefecture. In 2011, his film ''Rebirth'' was awarded the Japanese Academy Prize for best picture. Filmography As director * ''The Hunter and the Hunted'' (2004) * ''Fly, Daddy, Fly'' ( ...

* Best Actor:

* Best Actress:

Shinobu Otake is a Japanese actress. She has won three Japanese Academy Awards: the 2000 Best Actress award for '' Railroad Man'', and the 1979 awards for both Best Actress for '' The Incident'', and Best Supporting Actress for ''Seishoku no ishibumi''. She ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

* Best Supporting Actress:

Nobuko Miyamoto is a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Juzo Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films. She has been nominated for eight Best Actress Japanese ...

2012 * Best Picture: ''

Key of Life is a 2012 Japanese comedy film directed by Kenji Uchida. The film opened in Japan on September 15, 2012. The movie's theme song was written and performed by Kazuya Yoshii. The movie was remade in Korean in 2016 as ''Luck Key''. Plot synopsis Th ...

'' * Best Director:

* Best Animation Feature Film: ''

Wolf Children is a 2012 Japanese animated fantasy drama film directed and co-written by Mamoru Hosoda. The second original feature film directed by Hosoda and the first work written by him, the film stars the voices of Aoi Miyazaki, Takao Osawa, and H ...

'' * Best Animation Director:

Hideaki Anno is a Anime, Japanese animator, filmmaker, Film producer, producer, and voice actor. His most celebrated creation, the Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise), ''Evangelion'' franchise, has had a significant influence on the anime television industr ...

* Best Actor:

Tori Matsuzaka is a Japanese actor and model. He debuted as Takeru Shiba/Shinken Red in '' Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.'' Since then, he has appeared in several television shows and films. Personal life On December 10, 2020, Matsuzaka married actress Erika Tod ...

* Best Actress:

Sakura Ando is a Japanese actress. She is best known for appearing in critically-acclaimed films such as Sion Sono's ''Love Exposure'', Hirokazu Kore-eda's ''Shoplifters'' (2018) and ''Monster'' (2023), as well as Takashi Yamazaki's Academy Award–winni ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Takao Osawa is a Japanese actor. Career Osawa starred in the 2002 film ''Filament'' and the 2007 film '' Midnight Eagle''. He has also appeared in films such as Masayuki Suo's '' A Terminal Trust'' and Takashi Miike's '' Shield of Straw''. The Newport Beac ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Chieko Matsubara is a Japanese actress. She is best known for her roles in '' Tokyo Drifter'' (1966) and the ''Outlaw'' series. Matsubara was born in Nagoya. Spotted at a beauty contest sponsored by the Nikkatsu is a Japanese film studio located in Bunky� ...

2013 * Best Picture: ''

The Great Passage is a 2013 Japanese drama film directed by Yuya Ishii (director), Yuya Ishii, starring Ryuhei Matsuda as a dictionary editor. It is based on the best-selling novel by Shion Miura. The film won several awards, including the Japan Academy Prize for ...

'' * Best Director: Keisuke Yoshida * Best Animation Feature Film: '' The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'' * Best Animation Director:

Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture, Takahata joined Toei ...

* Best Actor:

Ryuhei Matsuda is a Japanese film and television actor. Matsuda's best known film roles include the young and desirable samurai Sōzaburō Kanō in ''Taboo'' and the rock star Ren Honjo in '' Nana''. Early life Matsuda was born on 9 May 1983 in Tokyo, to Yū ...

* Best Actress:

Kumiko Asō , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress. She is also a model and has participated in several commercials. Career In 1995, Asō made her film debut in ''Bad Guy Beach''. With her role in the 1998 film ''Dr. Akagi'', she received ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

Lily Franky , known professionally as , is a Japanese illustrator, writer, and actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films since 2001. Career In 2016, Lily Franky received the Cut Above Award for Outstanding Performance in Film at Japan Cuts: Festiv ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Ran Ito RAN may refer to: * Radio access network, a part of a mobile telecommunication system * Rainforest Action Network * Ran (gene) (RAs-related Nuclear protein), also known as GTP-binding nuclear protein Ran, a protein that in humans is encoded by t ...

2014 * Best Picture: '' 0.5 mm'' * Best Director:

Mipo O is a Japanese-born Korean film director, screenwriter, and commercial director. Her name is also romanized Mipo Oh. Career After graduating from the Osaka University of Arts Visual Concept Planning Department, O began working as a screenwriter ...

* Best Animation Feature Film: ''

Expelled from Paradise is a 2014 Japanese anime science fiction film. The film is directed by Seiji Mizushima, with a screenplay written by Gen Urobuchi. The film was produced by Toei Animation and animated by Graphinica, and was distributed by T-Joy. The film had it ...

'' * Best Animation Director:

Hiromasa Yonebayashi , nicknamed , is a Japanese animator and director, formerly for Studio Ghibli. After his directorial debut with Studio Ghibli ('' The Secret World of Arrietty''), he became the youngest director of a theatrical film produced by the studio. He was ...

* Best Actor:

Gō Ayano is a Japanese actor. Career Ayano was featured in several roles beginning in 2003. In 2009, he appeared in Takashi Miike's ''Crows Zero 2''. His role in the film was described by Mark Schilling of ''The Japan Times'' as "a tall, pale-faced, deli ...

* Best Actress:

* Best Supporting Actor:

Masaki Suda , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor and singer. He won the Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for the film ''Wilderness''. Personal life Suda was born in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture. Hi ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Chizuru Ikewaki is a Japanese actress. Career Ikewaki was given a Best New Talent award at the 2000 Yokohama Film Festival for her performance in ''Osaka Story''. She appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 2012 television drama ''Penance Penance is any act or a s ...

2015 * Best Picture: ''

Solomon's Perjury is a 2-part 2015 Japanese suspense mystery film directed by Izuru Narushima, based on the novel of the same title by Miyuki Miyabe. The first, , was released on March 7 and the second, , was released on April 11, 2015. Cast * Ryōko Fujino as R ...

'' * Best Director: Hitoshi Ōne * Best Animation Feature Film: ''

The Boy and the Beast is a 2015 Japanese animated adventure fantasy film written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda. The film stars the voices of Kōji Yakusho, Aoi Miyazaki, Shōta Sometani, Suzu Hirose, Kazuhiro Yamaji, Mamoru Miyano, Kappei Yamaguchi, Keishi Nag ...

'' * Best Animation Director: Masakazu Hashimoto * Best Actor:

Tadanobu Asano better known by his stage name is a Japanese actor, director, and musician, who has had an extensive career working in both Japanese and international cinema. He has been nominated for five Japan Academy Film Prizes, twice for Best Actor and ...

* Best Actress:

Mikako Tabe is a Japanese actress from Nishitokyo, Tokyo. Starting acting in her teens with a role in the Sailor Moon musicals, she has developed into a lead actress in film and television, playing the heroine in the Asadora ''Tsubasa'', starring in TV ...

* Best Supporting Actor: Atsushi Itō * Best Supporting Actress:

Hikari Mitsushima is a Japanese actress, singer and model. In 2017 she was the vocalist and dancer in Mondo Grosso's videos for "Labyrinth", which has garnered over 35 million views on YouTube as of February 2023, and "In this World". Career She is a graduate ...

2016 * Best Picture: ''

Her Love Boils Bathwater is a 2016 Japanese drama film directed by Ryōta Nakano. It was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. Plot Futaba (Rie Miyazawa) single-handedly raising her teenag ...

'' * Best Director:

Ryōta Nakano Ryota Nakano is a Japanese film director, most famous for his film " Her Love Boils Bathwater" Background Nakano was born in 1973 and grew up in Kyoto. Nakano's father died when he was 6 and he was brought up by his mother. After leaving uni ...

* Best Animation Feature Film: '' A Silent Voice'' * Best Animation Director:

Makoto Shinkai , known as , is a Japanese filmmaker and novelist. He is known for his anime feature films produced with CoMix Wave Films. Shinkai began his career as a video game animator with Nihon Falcom in 1996, and gained recognition as a filmmaker with ...

* Best Actor: Kaoru Kobayashi * Best Actress:

* Best Supporting Actor:

Masahiro Higashide is a Japanese actor and model. In 2012, he debuted as an actor in ''The Kirishima Thing.'' Early life Higashide was born on February 1, 1988, in Saitama Prefecture. He graduated from Saitama Prefectural Asaka High School. He has one older brot ...

* Best Supporting Actress:

Hana Sugisaki is a Japanese actress who was previously signed to Stardust Promotion. Her former stage name was Hana Kajiura. Biography Sugisaki debuted as a child actress with Stardust Promotion under the stage name . She withdrew from the industry for a pe ...

2017 * Best Picture: ''

The Third Murder is a 2017 Japanese legal thriller film written, directed and edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda. It was screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Plot Prologue At approximately 12:30 am on October 11, 201 ...

'' * Best Director:

* Best Animation Feature Film: ''

Night Is Short, Walk On Girl is a 2017 Japanese animated romantic comedy film directed by Masaaki Yuasa. The film is based on the 2006 novel ''The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl'' written by Tomihiko Morimi and illustrated by Yusuke Nakamura, who also served as the film's ...

'' * Best Animation Director: * Best Actor:

Takuya Kimura is a Japanese actor, singer, and radio personality. He is regarded as a Japanese icon after achieving success as an actor. He was also a popular member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia. In the media, he is known as a huge hea ...

* Best Actress:

* Best Supporting Actor:

* Best Supporting Actress:

Tae Kimura is a Japanese actress. She won the Best Actress award at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize for '' All Around Us''. Biography Kimura starred in Ryosuke Hashiguchi's '' All Around Us''. Her performance in the film was described by Jason Gray as "one ...

2018 * Best Picture: '' Yakiniku Doragon'' * Best Director:

Kazuya Shiraishi is a Japanese filmmaker. Works Film TV series References External links * Japanese film directors Japanese television directors Living people 1974 births People from Hokkaido People from Asahikawa {{Japan-film-director-st ...

* Best Animation Feature Film: ''

Okko's Inn is a series of Japanese children's novels, written by Hiroko Reijō and illustrated by Asami. Kodansha released twenty volumes between 2003 and 2013 under the Aoi Tori Bunko imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Eiko Ōuchi was serialized ...

'' * Best Animation Director: * Best Actor:

Tasuku Emoto is a Japanese actor represented by Alpha Agency. His father is actor Akira Emoto, his mother is actress Kazue Tsunogae, his brother is actor Tokio Emoto, and his wife is actress Sakura Ando. Biography Emoto was born in Tokyo in 1986. In 2001, h ...

* Best Actress:

Shizuka Ishibashi is a Japanese actress. She is represented by the talent agency Plage. Biography Ishibashi was born as the second of three daughters of actors Ryo Ishibashi and Mieko Harada. She began classical ballet at the age of four and in 2009 went abroad t ...

* Best Supporting Actor: Kanichiro * Best Supporting Actress: Tomochika 2019 * Best Picture: ''

Just Only Love is a 2018 Japanese romantic comedy-drama film directed by Rikiya Imaizumi. Based on the novel of the same name by Mitsuyo Kakuta, the film stars Yukino Kishii, Ryo Narita, Mai Fukagawa, and Ryuya Wakaba. The film premiered at the 2018 Tokyo In ...

'' * Best Director:

Haruhiko Arai is a Japanese screenwriter. He is also a publisher and an editor of the ''Eiga Geijutsu'' magazine and a professor of the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. Career Arai won the Mainichi Film Award for best screenplay for the film ''W's Tragedy ...

* Best Animation Feature Film: '' Sumikko Gurashi The Movie - The Pop-up Book and the Secret Child'' * Best Animation Director: * Best Actor:

Shotaro Mamiya is a Japanese actor. He is represented by Tristone Entertainment. Personal life On July 8, 2024, Mamiya announced his marriage to his non-celebrity partner, whom he has been dating for quite some time. Mamiya announced through his agency that ...

* Best Actress:

Erika Toda is a Japanese actress. Career Toda has starred in many Japanese television dramas, including '' Liar Game'', '' Code Blue'', '' Ryusei no Kizuna'', and ''Keizoku 2: SPEC''. She has also had supporting roles in many other popular TV dramas, suc ...

* Best Supporting Actor:

* Best Supporting Actress:

Sairi Ito is a Japanese actress. Career Ito made her debut in the 2003 television drama ''14-kagetsu: Tsuma ga Kodomo ni Kaette Iku'' with no acting experience, playing a female researcher whose body becomes that of a young girl. In February 2023, she w ...

2020 * Best Picture: '' Child of the Stars'' * Best Director:

Akiko Oku Akiko can refer to: * Akiko (comic book), ''Akiko'' (comic book), an American comic book * Akiko (film), ''Akiko'' (film), a 1961 Italian comedy film * Amiga custom chips#Akiko, Akiko (Amiga), a custom chip used in the Amiga CD32 games console * Ak ...

* Best Animation Feature Film: '' GON, THE LITTLE FOX -'' * Best Animation Director: * Best Actor:

Nakamura Baijaku II , better known as , is a Japanese actor, bassist, and composer. He graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Ogikubo High School and later graduated from Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music. Nakamura also has relatives who are kabuki actors. *Great-gra ...

Kanji Tsuda is a Japanese actor. Career Tsuda appeared in Kamen Rider Ryuki as Daisuke Okubo and Ju-On: The Grudge as Katsuya Tokunaga. Filmography Film * '' Sonatine'' (1993) * ''119'' (1994) * '' Kids Return'' (1996) * '' Hana-bi'' (1997) * '' Bays ...

* Best Actress:

Non Non, non or NON can refer to: * ''Non'', a negatory word in French, Italian and Latin People *Non (given name) *Non Boonjumnong (born 1982), Thai amateur boxer * Rena Nōnen (born 1993), Japanese actress who uses the stage name "Non" since July ...

* Best Supporting Actor: Shohei Uno * Best Supporting Actress:

Miyoko Asada is a Japanese actress. She is a former pop idol. Biography Miyoko Asada debuted as an idol in April 1973 with the single ''"Akai Fuusen"'' (The Red Balloon), which sold over 800,000 copies and peaked at #1 on the Japanese Oricon chart list ...

2021 * Best Actress:

(actress), Hold Me Back, Watashi wo kuitomete (original title) * Best Director: Akiko Ôku (director), Hold Me Back, Watashi wo kuitomete (original title) * Best New Director:

Hikari may refer to: Places * Hikari Station, a station on Sanyō Main Line in Hikari, Yamaguchi * Hikari, Chiba, a former town in Sousa District, Chiba, Japan * Hikari, Yamaguchi, a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan People * Hikari (name), people a ...

, 37 Seconds 2022 * Best Actor:

Arata Furuta is a Japanese theatre and film character actor. Biography Furata has a broad range that goes from playing serious salary men, to '' bushi'' in period drama roles, and even women. He works with the theatrical troupe called Otona Keikaku and of ...

, Intolerance, Kûhaku (original title) * Best Actress: Kumi Takiuchi, A Balance, Yûko no tenbin (original title) * Best Film: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, Gûzen to sôzô (original title), Ryûsuke Hamaguchi 2023 * Best Picture: Metamorphose no Engawa * Animation of the Year: The Tunnel to Summer * Best Director: Sho Miyake, ''Small, Slow But Steady'' * Best Director (Animation):

Masaaki Yuasa is a Japanese director, screenwriter, and animator affiliated with Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio which he co-founded with producer Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Yuasa previously served as president of Science SARU, but stepped down from th ...

, ''Inu-Oh'' * Best Actor:

Kiichi Nakai is a Japanese actor. His name was given by Yasujirō Ozu. His father, Keiji Sada, also a movie actor, died when Nakai was only two years old. Nakai started his acting career while he was still in university and was awarded the Rookie of the Ye ...

, ''Dreaming of the Meridian Arc'' * Best Actress:

Yuka Itaya is a Japanese actress and caster. She is represented with Amuse, Inc. Biography *Itaya graduated from Kyushu International University Comes High School and Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior College. *She worked as an exclusive model for ''PeeWee'' in 19 ...

, ''Yoake made bus tei de'' * Best Documentary: Yumemiru Sho Gakko (Directed by Vin Oota) 2024https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/621302 * Best Picture: Living in Two Worlds * Animation of the Year: Look Back * Best Director: Yu Irie, ''About An'' * Best Actor:

Ryo Yoshizawa is a Japanese actor. His breakthrough roles include Okita Sogo in the ''Gintama'' live-action films, King Eisei/Hyou in '' Kingdom'' and Sano Manjiro in the '' Tokyo Revengers (film).'' He is known for his expressive eyes and natural acting s ...

, ''Living in Two Worlds'' * Best Actress:

Yumi Kawai is a Japanese actress. Career In 2019, Kawai made her acting debut in the short film ''Yodominaku, Yamanai''. In 2022, she was given the Best Newcomer award at the 43rd Yokohama Film Festival for her roles in ''A Balance'' and '' It's a Summer ...

, ''About An'' * Best Supporting Actor: Ayano Go, ''Maru'' * Best Supporting Actress:

Akiko Oshitari Akiko can refer to: * ''Akiko'' (comic book), an American comic book * ''Akiko'' (film), a 1961 Italian comedy film * Akiko (Amiga), a custom chip used in the Amiga CD32 games console * Akiko (given name) is a feminine Japanese given name. Wr ...

, ''Living in Two Worlds'' * Best Documentary: The Big House (Directed by Ryo Takebayashi)''

References

External links

*
Official website (old)

{{Cinema of Japan Japanese film awards Awards established in 1991 1991 establishments in Japan Annual events in Japan Recurring events established in 1991