Shinichiro Okano

The director of a large Tokyo trading company is kidnapped and held for ransom. A young but experienced detective is put on the case while being at the centre of a nationwide television sensation.

On August 9, 1945, the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. This film, based on a story by Mitsukaru Inoue, describes the daily life of people in Nagasaki the day before that fateful event. It presents the human drama of people's lives, and their feelings of joy and sadness. These include a newlywed couple, an expectant mother, and lovers who must say farewell because the boy is called to serve in the army. Each of these people, like others in the city, hoped to live with their dreams for ‘tomorrow’. But tomorrow never comes for them, as their lives are brought to an abrupt and unexpected end. Knowing how the story ends, in this case, doesn't detract from it at all; rather, it enhances the emotional impact, which is further heightened by the poignant musical score from Teizo Matsumura. 'Ashita' is the first film in Kazuo Kuroki's 'War Requiem Trilogy,' which also includes 'Utsukushii Natsu Kirishima' (2002) and 'Chichi to Kuraseba' (2004).

When Hank meets a Madagascar hissing cockroach, an unconventional love blooms.

In Jimpachi Kodera's household, young samurai Keishiro Kanie arrives, captivating Jimpachi's wife, Shoko, despite his initially arrogant demeanor. Keishiro introduces himself while Shoko is cleaning, and she recalls her husband mentioning a visitor, reluctantly preparing a meal for him. Frustrated by Jimpachi's silence about Keishiro, Shoko confronts him, but he remains tight-lipped, further irritating her. As Keishiro addresses Shoko as "Okami" (landlady) and speaks informally with Jimpachi, his innocent and unpretentious nature gradually wins Shoko over. Despite initial irritation, Shoko is drawn to Keishiro's kindness and dependability as they spend more time together.

A brilliant collection of beautifully animated episodes based on selected masterpieces of Japanese modern literature. The aim of this series is to appeal to the viewer at large and to give him or her some idea of the variety and individuality which Japanese literature has developed over the last hundred years. The authors range from Higuchi Ichiyou (Takekurabe), Mori Ougai (The Dancing Girl) and Natsume Souseki (Botchan) to Kawabata Yasunari (The Izu Dancer), Nobel laureate of 1968, and Mishima Yukio (The Sound of Waves).