10 Japanese Movies Featuring Summer as a Character

Japanese cinema has a distinctive style that has been consistent since the days of silent film, when directors where drawing from classic kabuki theater to inform their burgeoning filming style. That is not to say that there’s anything limiting about a cultural pattern in Japanese cinema, seeing as they have given the film world anime, jidaigeki, yakuza, cyberpunk and multiple other notable sub-genres.

One recognizable aspect of Japanese cinema is the use of seasons in certain films: winters are biting and cold, and summer is presented as a passionate backdrop, or an oppressive force of nature. Regardless, the summer season is utilized in Japanese cinema in a way unlike any other. Following is a list of ten movies in which summer plays a major role.

1. Japanese Summer: Double Suicide (1967) – Nagisa Oshima

What do you get when you cross a nymphet, a suicidal AWOL soldier, and a group of ragtag gangsters? This opening culmination sounds like the preamble to a bad joke, but it’s actually the set up to one of maverick directors Nagisa Oshima’s many great films, called Japanese Summer: Double Suicide.

Although one character is suicidal, the film has very little to do with suicide. It has more to do with the wayward, dissatisfied generation who are drunk on the disillusioned postwar years and their own loss of identity in face of their ever-changing national image. Events play out with great tension as tempers flare and rise with the same mercurial rate as the heat that permeates the entirety of this film.

Oshima was never one to shy away from taboo subjects, such as homoeroticism (Goohato, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence), capital punishment (Death by Hanging), and the sexually explicit In the Realm of the Senses, which is still a subject of debate to this day for its frank depiction of the subject. But Double Suicide: Japanese Summer unfurls with the feverish lucidity that one would expect to see from a stage play directed by August Strindberg or Hal Hartley. Oshima imbues it with his trademark hallucinatory irreverence, while the summer heat gives none of us (even the viewers) any respite.

2. The Taste of Tea (2004) – Katsuhito Ishii

It can be hard to describe Katsuhito Ishii’s The Taste of Tea. On the one hand, it’s a simple yarn about a family relocating to the rural area of Tochigi Prefecture, but on the other hand the film is anything but simple. This is precisely the reason why it is so special.

Among the colorful Haruno family, there’s nine-year old Sachiko who is haunted by a giant doppelganger of herself, while her older brother is navigating his way through puberty, their father is a hypnotherapist, mom is working on a new anime, grandpa is working on starting a pop group, and their record producer uncle is visiting. The subtle character whose presence anchors this misfit mosaic is the summer season, the bright green Tochigi Prefecture. Its chirping birds and humming insects create an atmosphere of ease that permeates throughout the film.

The Taste of Tea is frequently hailed as a hallucinatory revision of Yaujiro Ozu’s reserved family dramas, and this is an accurate assessment since the film is a fun compliment to a summer day. The movie would really work any time, though, as it has no shortage of dynamic visuals and imagination.

3. Early Summer (1951) – Yasujiro Ozu

Yasujiro Ozu is known as the most “Japanese ” of Japan’s greatest directors because of his quiet, solemn style that is a combination of themes, including among them the nation’s identity against domestic dramas. His later career consists of titles known as his “Seasonal family dramas”; titles like Late Spring, The End of Summer, Late Autumn, An Autumn Afternoon, and Early Summer. It’s evident that seasons play a strong part in Ozu’s cinema, and Early Summer is known as one of his most dynamic works.

The film is centered on the Mamiya family and their daughter Noriko (played by Ozu regular Setsuko Hara), whose family is seeking a husband for her. Ozu’s signature style is that of restraint, structure and detail, but his most effective directorial technique is staring the viewer in the face. The seasons are often the narrative habitat of his films, and the presence of the season is always a supplement to the films’ delicate sensibility. The outdoor scenes are filled with with wafting breezes, and characters seem like they’re almost at odds with the weather. But the climate seems comfortable, which underscores the titular season. Yasujiro Ozu is known for his seasonal dramas, and Early Summer is one of his best representations.

4. Rashomon (1950) – Akira Kurosawa

Rashomon is frequently cited as the staple Kurosawa film, since he broke down narrative structure and introduced his name as a director to the western world, alongside his enigmatic leading actor Toshiro Mifune. One of the driving forces of Rashomon, behind its many other major characteristics (striking use of narrative dissection, powerful performances, and radical composition) is the oppressive heat that seems to be responsible for some of the madness that we see in the characters’ actions.

The heat is what leads Mifune’s Bandit character to drink from the waterfall which makes him sick, and it’s the breeze that awakens him to the sight of his victims as he states: “If it hadn’t been for that wind, I wouldn’t have killed them.” The beads of sweat seem to roll off of everybody’s heads throughout the film. Of course, it’s really the tension of layering deception, but the summer heat is also a contributing factor.

Rashomon is an unrivaled masterpiece by one of cinema’s foremost important filmmakers. The very title is used in our everyday language.

5. A Snake of June (2002) – Shinya Tsukamoto

One seasonal feature that we don’t see utilized enough in cinema is Japan’s rainy season. Taking place in the titular month, A Snake of June is an erotic rain-soaked yarn that carries a level of lyricism that one wouldn’t expect in a film about a woman exploring her latent sexuality through extortion and blackmail.

Tsukamoto proved he was more than a cult item by writing, producing, editing, directing, and starring as a terminally ill photographer (Iguchi) who, in desperation, seeks counsel from a sheepish and reserved suicide prevention operator named Rinko. Later on, Rinko finds that Iguchi has some lurid photos of her that reveal her repressed sexuality, and the two engage in an erotic gambit of voyeurism and blackmail that evolves beyond anything the characters (as well as the viewer) could expect.

Tsukamoto’s cobalt-toned cinematography (another credit to his list) accentuates the constant rainfall with a dreamlike level of artistry. The story might sound trashy, but Tsukamoto’s execution dictates otherwise, not to mention three brilliant performances by the director, the beautiful Asuka Kurosawa, and Yuji Kohtari.

The film’s cast is mostly made up of these three characters, but the rainy season is a character in itself, and makes A Snake of June such a unique venture.

 6. Stray Dog (1949) – Akira Kurosawa

With a filmography as expansive as Kurosawa, this list could be comprised entirely of his movies, but where is the fun in that? Kurosawa‘s sun-bathed Samurai films are revered as definitive classics, but some of his best titles deviate from the jidai geki genre. His sweaty-noir feature Stray Dog might be the master in one his many finest hours.

Stray Dog is a relatively straightforward story of a rookie cop who takes to the streets to recover his lost service weapon. It becomes more and expansive and diverse as the narrative evolves from progressive thriller to pointed social commentary, with more substance than many of the noir films it draws influence from. The story (of course) takes place in the summer, and the films aesthetic design is closer to that of the neo-realist movement in Italy that followed the war. However, Italy wasn’t the only country scarred by the war, and Stray Dog casts the shadow of Japan’s war-torn urban landscape.

Kurosawa’s assistant, (who would later find fame directing the original Godzilla film) Ishiro Honda, shot much of the exterior/location scenes. The utilization of Tokyo’s tattered streets contribute to the gravity of the film’s power. In each scene, the characters aren’t solely at odds with each other but also with the weather. Characters are constantly wiping their brows, fanning themselves, and staying hydrated with fruit, popsicles, and water. Also, of course, the panting dog over the opening credits asserts that the summer heat won’t be an easy contender.

7. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) – Isao Takahata

Known as one of the most heartbreaking films ever, Grave of the Fireflies extends beyond the anime genre and has a life of its own as a fully realized feature film. One of the most popular films from Studio Ghibli (that wasn’t directed by Hayao Mayazaki), Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies chronicles the true story of Akiyuki Nosaka and his life with his sister after a bombing towards the end of World War II.

The film opens with the narration of the main character Seita declaring the date of his death September 21st, 1945. Following this, he recounts the start of both his and his sister’s (Setsuko) troubles after a fire bombing in Kobe, where their mother is mortally wounded and the two young children are left on their own. Left to their own devices, their slow descent or hardships and starvation aren’t hard to watch, but it is grueling and utterly heartbreaking. Ultimately, it serves as an exemplary portrait of the horrors of war.

The eerily realized unwinding of the protagonists’ lives unfurl before us, and the oppressive heat alongside the madness of war and starvation only add to the protagonists’ unyielding struggle against death. The Grave of the Firelfies may have a reputation as being a depressing film, but it’s also an important film that explores a side of the war we don’t frequently see – the struggle of those who aren’t in uniforms but are victims of environment and circumstance.

8. 9 Souls (2003) – Toshiaki Toyoda

Toshiaki Toyoda is one of Japan’s best kept secrets, as far as directors are concerned. He may have some recognition worldwide, but his films deserve to be seen by a wider audience. Of his films, 9 Souls merits more praise that it has received. 9 Souls blends aesthetics of prison break and the road movie sub-genres with a moody and ethereal execution.

The title refers to nine inmates that break out of prison. They make it on the lam by hitting the road in a red van across Japan during their short period of freedom during the summer. From the outset, we don’t know much about the prisoners aside from some captions reading their names, offences, and sentences. 9 Souls is a film about the journey, not the destination. But the fates of the individuals as well as their past lives unfold as we begin to find out more about the fugitives, their crimes, and their lives. Along the way, we begin to learn that they are more than just a band of outlaws, but human beings as well (or as the title implies, “souls”).

Toshiaki Toyoda directs a film about criminals without an air of commentary or answer to the nature of the penal system. But he does have a humanistic eye for characterization and a metaphysical approach to storytelling. The other expressive narrative conveyance is the use of the summer season, as the story couldn’t be told in any other part of the year.

9 Souls provides us with comedy and drama, and is filmed with hallucinatory surrealism rarely braved in cinema today.

 9. Kikujiro (1999) – Takeshi Kitano

Takeshi Kitano might owe a lot of his popularity to his revisionist yakuza films (Sonatine, Brother, or Outrage, to name a few), but the multi-faceted director doesn’t just dabble in one genre, seen in his road/coming of age tale Kikujiro. Kitano plays Kikujiro, a crotchety middle-aged man who becomes an unlikely chaperon to his neighbor’s nine-year-old son Masao when he decides to leave Tokyo in search of his estranged mother.

Kitano’s take on the “cranky old man befriends a kid” buddy picture theme is handled with his own brand of wit and imagination, while utilizing the summertime as a backdrop for the mismatched pair and their various exploits along the way. Once they start their journey, Kikujiro blows their traveling money gambling at the track. The two continue their journey, as Kitano’s character makes the trip using his “resources” in order to fulfill his end of the bargain.

During their travels, Kikujiro and Masao run across various outcasts and misfits, including a travelling poet, two unusual bikers, and some other colorful characters who Masao’s inept guardian either frustrates or bullies. What stands out is the director’s playful sense of humor; comedic scenarios play out with a hallucinatory still-life quality as the trip is recounted from Masao’s diary. The main character might be a curmedgeony bully, and the kid is a bit of a sad sack, but Kikujiro is entirely charming, funny and sad. It is a great compliment to a summer day.

10. Summer Wars (2009) – Mamoru Hosada

Mamoru Hosada is responsible for some of the most exciting and original anime films over the past few years, and the 2009 film Summer Wars is one of his best titles.  More than a titular coincidence in concert with this article’s theme, Summer Wars has a great seasonal flavor along with a mind rattling plot, in the best sense of the word.

The film opens with an introduction to the virtual world of “OZ”, which seems to be an evolved form of social networks we have today, a world that serves as a mass networking system that includes everything from communication to shopping, entertainment, business, and government finances. The world is literally a click away, and OZ is inhabited by its many users’ avatars in a vividly realized galaxy.

High Schooler Kenji, who happens to be a programmer for OZ, is invited to his friend Natsuki’s family estate for the weekend to celebrate her great-grandmother’s 90th birthday. When Kenji arrives at the Jinouchi estate, he not only learns that they are descendants of a great samurai clan, but also that he is unwittingly posing as Natsuki’s fiance. Shortly afterwards, Kenji’s avatar is hacked and OZ is taken over by a powerful virus that threatens to destroy the civilized world. After deciding to put petty differences aside, the family bands together with their newly acquainted guest to build a supercomputer. They literally save the real world by fighting evil in the virtual one.

Summer Wars engages the viewer on multiple levels by populating the narrative with familial drama, cyber-terrorism, and with an all-around relatable theme of good vs. evil. The story is bursting with imagination and brilliant ideas concerning our dependence on modern technology and the significance of family bonds.

Conclusion

Films from all regions of the world have seasonally themed films, but Japanese films seem to have a certain relationship with the summer, more so than other movies from around the world. It’s not as if someone is responsible for “inventing” this sub-genre, but it seems as if they have perfected it, and this list only scratches the surface of this theme.

This is a pretty broad theme, but what are some more Japanese films that take place in the summer?

(top image: Kikujiro – source: Sony Pictures Classics)