List of foreign films and TV series set in Japan
The following is a list of foreign films and television series set in Japan. Japan has provided an exotic and cosmopolitan backdrop to many international films set partially, mostly or entirely in Japan. A common theme of western films set in Japan is the differences between Japanese and Western culture and how the characters cope with their new surroundings.
Film
Pre-1940
The Secret Game — directed by William C. de Mille, starring Sessue Hayakawa The Sea Wolf — directed by Alfred Santell, starring Milton SillsYoshiwara — directed by Max Ophüls1940–1949
Bombardier — directed by Richard Wallace, starring Pat O'BrienJack London — directed by Alfred Santell, starring Michael O'SheaDestination Tokyo — directed by Delmer Daves, starring Cary Grant and John GarfieldThirty Seconds Over Tokyo — directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Van Johnson and Robert WalkerBlood on the Sun — directed by Frank Lloyd, starring James Cagney and Sylvia SidneySands of Iwo Jima — directed by Allan Dwan, starring John Wayne and John AgarTokyo Joe — directed by Stuart Heisler, starring Humphrey Bogart and Alexander Knox1950–1959
Tokyo File 212 — directed by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart E. McGowanOriental Evil — directed by George P. BreakstonGeisha Girl — directed by George Breakston and C. Ray Stahl, starring Steve ForrestBack at the Front — directed by George Sherman, starring Tom Ewell and Harvey LembeckHouse of Bamboo — directed by Samuel Fuller, starring Robert Ryan and Robert StackAround the World in Eighty Days — directed by Michael Anderson, starring David Niven and CantinflasNavy Wife — directed by Edward BerndsThe Teahouse of the August Moon — directed by Daniel Mann, starring Marlon Brando and Glenn FordEscapade in Japan — directed by Arthur Lubin, starring Cameron Mitchell and Jon ProvostStopover Tokyo — directed by Richard L. Breen, starring Robert Wagner and Joan CollinsSayonara — directed by Joshua Logan, starring Marlon Brando and Miiko TakaTyphoon Over Nagasaki — directed by Yves Ciampi, starring Jean Marais and Danielle DarrieuxJoe Butterfly — directed by Jesse Hibbs, starring Audie Murphy and Burgess MeredithThe Barbarian and the Geisha — directed by John Huston, starring John Wayne and Eiko AndoThe Geisha Boy — directed by Frank Tashlin, starring Jerry Lewis and Marie McDonaldHiroshima mon amour — directed by Alain Resnais, starring Emmanuelle Riva and Eiji Okada1960–1969
My Geisha — directed by Jack Cardiff, starring Shirley MacLaine and Yves MontandAtout coeur à Tokyo pour OSS 117 — directed by Michel Boisrond, starring Frederick Stafford and Marina VladyLove in Tokyo — directed by Pramod Chakravorty, starring Joy Mukherjee and Asha ParekhWalk Don't Run — directed by Charles Walters, starring Cary Grant, Samantha Eggar, Jim HuttonYou Only Live Twice — directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Sean Connery and Akiko WakabayashiNobody's Perfect — directed by Alan Rafkin1970–1979
Tora! Tora! Tora! — directed by Richard Fleischer and Kinji Fukasaku, starring Martin Balsam and Soh YamamuraThe Yakuza — directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Robert Mitchum and Ken TakakuraMastermind — directed by Alex March, starring Zero Mostel and Keiko KishiSeven Nights in Japan — directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Michael York and Hidemi AokiThe Bad News Bears Go to Japan — directed by John Berry, starring Tony Curtis and Jackie Earle Haley1980–1989
Bushido Blade — directed by Shusei Kotani, starring Timothy Patrick Murphy and Frank ConverseThe Challenge — directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Scott Glenn and Toshirō MifuneJapanil Kalyanaraman — directed by S.P. Muthuraman, starring Kamal Haasan and RadhaMishima: A Life in Four Chapters — directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ken Ogata and Masayuki ShionoyaThe Karate Kid 2 — directed by John Avildsen, starring Ralph Macchio and Pat MoritaGung Ho — directed by Ron Howard, starring Michael KeatonTokyo Pop — directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui, starring Carrie Hamilton and Diamond YukaiKinjite: Forbidden Subjects — directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Charles Bronson and Perry LopezBlack Rain — directed by Ridley Scott, starring Michael Douglas and Ken Takakura1990–1999
American Samurai — directed by Sam Firstenberg, starring David Bradley and Mark DacascosMr. Baseball — directed by Fred Schepisi, starring Tom Selleck and Ken TakakuraTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III — directed by Stuart Gillard, starring Elias Koteas and Paige Turco3 Ninjas: Kick Back — directed by Charles T. Ganganis, starring Victor Wong and Max Elliot SladeThe Hunted — directed by J.F. Lawton, starring Christopher LambertCold Fever — directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson, starring Masatoshi Nagase and Lili TaylorMadame Butterfly — directed by Frédéric Mitterrand, starring Ying Huang and Richard TroxellTokyo Eyes — directed by Jean-Pierre Limosin, starring Shinji Takeda and Hinano YoshikawaEnlightenment Guaranteed — directed by Doris Dörrie, starring Uwe Ochsenknecht2000–2009
Okinawa Rendez-vous — directed by Gordon ChanEnlightenment Guaranteed — directed by Doris Dörrie, starring Uwe Ochsenknecht and Gustav-Peter WöhlerPearl Harbor — directed by Michael Bay, starring Ben Affleck and Josh HartnettWasabi — directed by Gérard Krawczyk, starring Jean Reno and Ryōko HirosueAustin Powers in Goldmember — directed by Jay Roach, starring Mike Myers and Beyoncé Knowles2009: Lost Memories — directed by Lee Si-myung, starring Jang Dong-gun and Tōru NakamuraFear and Trembling — directed by Alain Corneau, starring Sylvie Testud and Kaori TsujiThe Last Samurai — directed by Edward Zwick, starring Tom Cruise and Ken WatanabeKill Bill vol. 1 — directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Uma Thurman and Lucy LiuThe Animatrix — directed by Yoshiaki KawajiriLost in Translation — directed by Sofia Coppola, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett JohanssonCafé Lumière – directed by Hou Hsiao-hsienStratosphere Girl — directed by Matthias X. Oberg, starring Chloé WinkelThe Grudge — directed by Takashi Shimizu, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jason BehrMemoirs of a Geisha — directed by Rob Marshall, starring Zhang Ziyi and Gong LiInto the Sun — directed by Christopher Morrison, starring Steven Seagal and Matt DavisInitial D — directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, starring Jay ChouBabel — directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Gael García BernalFlags of Our Fathers — directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Ryan Phillippe and Jesse BradfordLetters from Iwo Jima — directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Ken Watanabe and Kazunari NinomiyaThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift — directed by Justin Lin, starring Lucas Black and Bow Wow Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo Hellboy: Sword of Storms — directed by Phil Weinstein, starring Ron Perlman and Selma BlairSilk — directed by François Girard, starring Michael Pitt and Keira KnightleyMonster — directed by Eric Forsberg, starring Sarah Lieving and Erin EvansTokyo! — directed by Michel Gondry, starring Leos Carax and Bong Joon-hoiGo to Japan — directed by Steve Hoefer, starring Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdyBlood: The Last Vampire — directed by Chris Nahon, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Allison MillerThe Ramen Girl — directed by Robert Allan Ackerman, starring Brittany Murphy and Sohee ParkEnter the Void — directed by Gaspar Noé, starring Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la HuertaScooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword — directed by Christopher Berkeley2010–2019
Resident Evil: Afterlife — directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, starring Milla JovovichCars 2 — directed by John Lasseter, starring Owen WilsonTatsumi — directed by Eric Khoo, starring Tetsuya Bessho and Yoshihiro TatsumiEmperor — directed by Peter Webber, starring Matthew Fox and Tommy Lee JonesSkyfall — directed by Sam Mendes, starring Daniel Craig and Javier BardemKarakara — directed by Claude Gagnon, starring Gabriel Arcand and Youki KudohLike Someone in Love — directed by Abbas Kiarostami, starring Rin TakanashiDick Figures: The Movie — directed by Ed Skudder and Zack KellerThe Wolverine — directed by James Mangold, starring Hugh Jackman and Hiroyuki SanadaPacific Rim — directed by Guillermo del Toro, starring Charlie Hunnam and Idris ElbaRush — directed by Ron Howard, starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel BrühlFast & Furious 6 — directed by Justin Lin, starring Vin Diesel and Paul Walker47 Ronin — directed by Carl Rinsch, starring Keanu Reeves and Hiroyuki SanadaGodzilla — directed by Gareth Edwards, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Ken WatanabeBig Hero 6 — directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, starring Scott Adsit and Ryan PotterUnbroken — directed by Angelina Jolie, starring Jack O'Connell and Domhnall GleesonTokyo Fiancée — directed by Stefan Liberski, starring Pauline Étienne and Taichi InoueKumiko, the Treasure Hunter — directed by David Zellner, starring Rinko KikuchiThe Sea of Trees — directed by Gus Van Sant, starring Matthew McConaughey and Ken WatanabeMr. Holmes — directed by Bill Condon, starring Ian McKellen and Laura LinneySilence — directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Andrew Garfield and Adam DriverHacksaw Ridge — directed by Mel Gibson, starring Andrew Garfield and Sam WorthingtonThe Handmaiden — directed by Park Chan-wook, starring Kim Min-hee and Kim Tae-riThe Last Princess — directed by Hur Jin-ho, starring Son Ye-jin and Park Hae-ilThe Great Sommer — directed by Stefan Jäger, starring Mathias Gnädinger and Loïc ShoKubo and the Two Strings — directed by Travis Knight, starring Charlize Theron and Art ParkinsonThe Lego Ninjago Movie — directed by Charlie Bean, starring Dave Franco and Michael PeñaKita Kita — directed by Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, starring Alessandra De Rossi and Empoy MarquezManhunt — directed by John Woo, starring Zhang Hanyu and Masaharu FukuyamaOh Lucy! — directed by Atsuko Hirayanagi, starring Shinobu Terajima and Kaho MinamiFat Buddies — directed by Bao Bei'er, starring Bao Bei'er and Wen ZhangThe Outsider — directed by Martin Zandvliet, starring Jared Leto and Tadanobu AsanoPacific Rim Uprising — directed by Steven S. DeKnight, starring John Boyega and Scott EastwoodDeadpool 2 — directed by David Leitch, starring Ryan Reynolds and Josh BrolinBatman Ninja — directed by Junpei Mizusaki, starring Kōichi YamaderaIsle of Dogs — directed by Wes Anderson, starring Bryan Cranston and Edward NortonTomb Raider — directed by Roar Uthaug, starring Alicia Vikander and Dominic WestEarthquake Bird — directed by Wash Westmoreland, starring Alicia Vikander and Riley KeoughSpies in Disguise — directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, starring Will Smith and Tom HollandFamily Romance, LLC — directed by Werner Herzog, starring Yuichi IshiiMoonlit Winter — directed by Lim Dae-hyung, starring Kim Hee-ae and Yūko Nakamura2020-2029
Fukuoka — directed by Zhang Lü, starring Yoon Je-moon and Park So-damMinamata — directed by Andrew Levitas, starring Johnny Depp and Hiroyuki SanadaLost Girls & Love Hotels — directed by William Olsson, starring Alexandra Daddario and Takehiro HiraDetective Chinatown 3 — directed by Chen Sicheng, starring Wang Baoqiang and Turbo LiuEnter the Fat Dragon — directed by Kenji Tanigaki and Aman Chang, starring Donnie YenMortal Kombat — directed by Simon McQuoid, starring Lewis Tan and Jessica McNameeSnake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins — directed by Robert Schwentke, starring Henry Golding and Andrew KojiKate — directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Woody HarrelsonThe Matrix Resurrections — directed by Lana Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne MossPeople Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan — directed by Jack Clough, starring Alan Mustafa and Hugo ChegwinPaws of Fury: The Legend of Hank — directed by Rob Minkoff, starring Michael Cera and Ricky GervaisHunt — directed by Lee Jung-jae, starring Lee Jung-jae and Jung Woo-sungUmami — directed by Slony Sow, starring Gérard Depardieu and Sandrine BonnaireBullet Train — directed by David Leitch, starring Brad PittJohn Wick: Chapter 4 — directed by Chad Stahelski, starring Keanu Reeves and Donnie YenPerfect Days — directed by Wim Wenders, starring Koji Yakusho and Tokio EmotoTokyo Cowboy — directed by Marc Marriott, starring Arata Iura and Robin WeigertWhen I Met You in Tokyo — directed by Rado Peru and Rommel Penesa, starring Vilma Santos and Christopher de LeonUltraman: Rising — directed by Shannon Tindle and John Aoshima, starring Christopher SeanBatman Ninja vs. Yakuza League — directed by Junpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi, starring Kōichi YamaderaPredator: Killer of Killers — directed by Dan Trachtenberg, starring Lindsay LaVanchy and Louis OzawaRental Family — directed by Hikari, starring Brendan Fraser and Takehiro HiraLittle Amélie or the Character of Rain — directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho HanTelevision
Shōgun, miniseriesThe Ginger Tree, miniseriesSamurai Jack Kappa Mikey The Pacific, miniseriesNinjago The Man in the High Castle Tokyo Trial, miniseriesWestworld Giri/Haji Star Wars: Visions Volume I Hit-Monkey Invasion Pachinko Tokyo Vice Ninjago: Dragons Rising Drops of God Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Blue Eye Samurai Shōgun Like a Dragon: Yakuza Sunny- ''Neuromancer''