Tokyo is one of the most celebrated cities in the world, and it has been the backdrop for countless pop culture moments, being consistently referenced in movies, songs, and poems. The city is viewed as a buzzing metropolis that is full of excitement and mystery.
We have seen Tokyo become the main city for many huge films not only in Japanese cinema, but in western cinema as well. One of the most famous would be the Godzillamovie franchise, which boasts a collection of dozens of movies. From Godzilla to Lost in Translation, here are are the best films set in Tokyo, ranked.
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7 The Outsider
Linson Entertainment / Waypoint Entertainment
The Outsider was released in 2018 and features a performance from Jared Leto in the leading role as Nick Lowell, a former US Marine captain who has left after suspicion of war crimes. He falls in with Tokyo gangsters, which results in his imprisonment. After he is released, he becomes part of the Yakuza, who find a role for him that eventually leads to his rise in becoming the gang’s leader. The Outsiders is visually impressive, but falls short to achieving what other films set in the city have achieved.
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6 Adrift in Tokyo
Netflix
Adrift in Tokyo was directed by Satoshi Miki and is a quirky comedy that enlists the talents of Jo Odagiri as a college student who has amassed huge amounts of debt from gambling and is overwhelmed at the prospect of paying it back. He is offered a solution by a loan shark, and he develops a strange friendship with him as they venture around Tokyo.
5 Enter the Void
Fidélité Films / Wild Bunch
Enter the Void was released in 2009 and is an experimental art film that was written and directed by Gaspar Noé. The film is set in the neon club scene of Tokyo and follows Oscar (Nathaniel Brown), a drug dealer living in Tokyo with his sister. After Oscar is killed, the film follows his outer body experience, resulting is a psychadelic tour of the beautiful Japanese city.
4 Kill Bill Vol 1.
Miramax
Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movies illustrate The Bride (Uma Thurman) on her quest for vengeance against an order of assassins. In Kill Bill Vol. 1, we see her come to Tokyo and face off against the Yakuza boss, O-Ren Ishii (played by Lucy Liu) and her team of assassins known as the Crazy 88. O-Ren and The Bride face off in an unforgettable showdown, which has gone down in cinema history as one of the best action sequences ever, featuring beautiful backdrops of Tokyo.
3 Godzilla
Toho Co., Ltd.
Godzilla is a film franchise that has been historically linked to Tokyo and is likely one of the first films that would spring to mind when considering the backdrop of Tokyo in cinema. The original film was released in 1954, directed by Ishirō Honda. The film first introduced us to the iconic monster that would wreak havoc on Tokyo. This panics the government who fear a nuclear war after the monster was awakened by nuclear activity. Godzilla represented the beginning of what would be a huge franchise that is still ongoing today, and is synonymous with Tokyo as a geographical location in film. In fact, the newest upcoming film in the franchise, Godzilla vs Kong 2, is reported to feature a new monster.
2 Tokyo Sonata
Tokyo Sonata was directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa and tells the story of the demise of a family in the modern age. The film concerns the downfall of everyday people, depicting a man leaving his house in a suit every day to look for work, never letting on to his family about his whereabouts, duping them into thinking that he is at work. Tokyo Sonata depicts the city in a different light to other films on the list, often showing empty spaces that have been neglected due to financial crisis. It’s a beautifully shot film that is well worth a watch.
1 Lost in Translation
Focus Features
Another instantly recognizable film when considering Tokyo is Sofia Coppola’s Lost In Translation. The film features Scarlett Johansson as a college graduate who arrives in Tokyo with her photographer husband. Meanwhile, Billy Murray also stars as an actor who has come to Tokyo to shoot a whiskey advert. They explore the city together and create a strong bond. The setting is not a key factor in Lost in Translation, as it feels like it could be set anywhere, but the visuals are stunning and depict the beauty of Tokyo.
