Japanese culture as seen in film is a world of arranged marriages and loyalty beyond death a world where suicide is an heroic act. Or a world where lifes sadness can be echoed in the falling petals of cherry blossoms. It is a world simultaneously exotic but also universal in appeal. From Souls on the Road to Tampopo this book is a filmbyfilm look at more than 80 of Japans best and most important movies. The entries in chronological order present the classics in many actors and directors careers and point out the hallmarks of their style while offering a history of the Japanese film industry. Japans unique characteristics and historical background which may be unfamiliar to Western audiences are also explained in the entries thus adding to the readers enjoyment and understanding of these films.