251.	View Larger Image	Maborosi Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
		From Amazon.com Hirokazu Kore-eda's haunting, graceful Japanese film features a concentrated and powerfully reserved performance by Makiko Esumi as Yumiko, a young woman whose life is defined by the death and disappearance of her loved ones. As a child, she witnessed her grandmother's walking away from her family; as an adult, she must face the fact that her husband has committed suicide. ... more Buy from Amazon

252.	View Larger Image	Samurai Spy - Criterion Collection Director: Masahiro Shinoda
		From Description Years of warfare end in a Japan unified under the Tokugawa shogunate, and samurai spy Sasuke Sarutobi, tired of conflict, longs for peace. When a high-ranking spy named Koriyama defects from the shogun to a rival clan, however, the world of swordsmen is thrown into turmoil ... more Buy from Amazon

253.	View Larger Image	Wrath of the Ninja: The Yotoden Movie Directors: Toshiyuki Sakurai, Osamu Yamazaki
		From Description From the director of Gestalt and the produce of Ninja Scroll. The year is 1580 and the unholy armies of Lord Nobunaga Oda steadily spread across Japan. Now, three ninjas must unite their mystical weapons and skills to fulfill "The Prophecy of the Enchanted Swords" or die trying! "simply brilliant." – Gamers’ Republic ... more Buy from Amazon

254.	View Larger Image	Yokai Monsters - Spook Warfare (Vol. 1) Director: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
		From Description While storming the ruins of Babylonia, thieves unearth the ancient tomb of the wicked vampire demon Daimon. The demon flees to Japan, where he takes possession of Lord Isobe's soul and begins to feed on innocent townspeople. An astute villager suspects local patriarch Isobe has become a bloodthirsty demon and seeks help from friendly Yokai (Spirit Monsters) to uncover the truth. ... more Buy from Amazon

255.	View Larger Image	Rhapsody in August Actors: Sachiko Murase, Richard Gere Director: Akira Kurosawa
		From Amazon.com The final film released in the U.S. by Japanese master Akira Kurosawa looks at the atomic blast at Nagasaki from a distance of more than 40 years, through the eyes of a woman who survived it--and the grandchildren who are spending the summer with her. Though she tries not to think about it, the memory of the bombing is with her every ... more Buy from Amazon

256.		Sword of the Beast - Criterion Collection Director: Hideo Gosha
		From Description Legendary swordplay filmmaker Hideo Gosha Sword of the Beast chronicles the flight of Gennosuke, who kills one of his clan's ministers as part of a reform plot. He is pursued by his former comrades, and the betrayal so shakes his sense of honor that he decides to live in the wild, like an animal ... more Buy from Amazon

257.	View Larger Image	Sky High Actor: Yumiko Shaku
		From Description Sky High, based on the manga by Tsutomu Takahashi (Alive), follows detective Kanzaki Kohei’s vengeful search for the killer who stole his wife’s heartafter cutting it out on their wedding night. The deceased Mina finds hersel fin LIMBO outside the gates of Heaven and Hell where she is greeted by Izuko, a sworded female guardian who explains she must choose among ... more Buy from Amazon

258.	View Larger Image	Sin: The Movie Director: Yasunori Urata
		From Amazon.com Set in 2070, this videogame-based, U.S.-Japanese co-production focuses on Col. John Blade: part cyborg, part human, and all cop. When Blade and his team from the law enforcement agency Hardcorps pursue a kidnapper through the city of Freeport, they suddenly find themselves confronting a mutant monster. This first battle introduces a standard, if slipshod story involving a sinister mega-corporation, illegal human ... more Buy from Amazon

259.	View Larger Image	Brother Actors: Takeshi Kitano, Kuroudo Maki Director: Takeshi Kitano
		From Amazon.com It's hard to describe the hypnotic authority of director and actor Takeshi Kitano. In his first American venture, Brother, Kitano plays a yakuza who's been exiled from Japan after the death of his boss. In Los Angeles, he discovers that his half-brother has become a small-time hood. Kitano quickly takes over, casually setting in motion gang wars and killing sprees. But ... more Buy from Amazon

260.	View Larger Image	Zero Woman: Dangerous Game Director: Hidekazu Takahara
		From Description A woman with no past or identity, Rei is a gorgeous undercover agent for the Zero Department, a deadly shadow division of the police force. When terror stalks the streets of Tokyo, slaughtering nameless victims for the medical black market, Rei is sent to take down the brutal killer. But her only lead is the mistress of a notorious crime boss. ... more Buy from Amazon