Kinema Junpo Announces 97th Best 10 (2023)

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Prestigious cinema magazine Kinema Junpo has released its always anticipated “Best 10” list for films released in 2023, the 97th edition. Junji Sakamoto’s Okiku and the World takes the top spot, while the director also picks up a screenplay award though Best Director went to Wim Wenders for Perfect Days.

Best 10

1. Okiku and the World (せかいのおきく, Junji Sakamoto)

A samurai’s daughter falls for a lowly manure man in a city on the brink of change in Junji Sakamoto’s touching Edo-era dramedy. Review.

2. Perfect Days (Wim Wenders)

Tokyo-set drama from Wim Wenders following the simple life of a middle-aged man who cleans toilets for a living.

3. Shadow of Fire (ほかげ, Shinya Tsukamoto)

Haunting drama from Shinya Tsukamoto following a young boy who finds himself surrounded by the ghosts and shadows of the post-war era.

4. September 1923 (福田村事件, Tatsuya Mori)

Drama depicting the pogroms against Koreans which took place after the 1923 Kanto earthquake directed by Tatsuya Mori who is best known for his documentary work such as A1 and A2 which focussed on the everyday lives of members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult.

5. The Moon (月, Yuya Ishii)

Controversial drama from Yuya Ishii loosely inspired by the 2016 Sagamihara knife attack starring Rie Miyazawa as a formerly successful writer who begins working at a care facility for the severely disabled.

6. A Spoiling Rain (花腐し, Haruhiko Arai)

Literary adaptation from Haruhiko Arai following a failed pink film director who is forced by his landlord to inform a neighbour, a similarly troubled screenwriter, that he’s being evicted only to sit and have a few drinks with him during which they share tales of romantic disappointment.

7. Monster (怪物, Hirokazu Koreeda)

Latest film from Hirokazu Koreeda starring Sakura Ando as a mother who confronts a teacher after noticing changes in her son’s behaviour.

8. Godzilla Minus One (ゴジラ-1.0, Takashi Yamazaki)

Bombastic and hugely entertaining entry into the long-running series from Takashi Yamazaki set in the immediate post-war era which has however courted controversy thanks to its nationalistic overtones.

9. The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか, Hayao Miyazaki)

A young man reeling from grief amid the firebombing of Tokyo enters a strange fantasy world after moving to the country in a surreal adventure from Hayao Miyazaki. Review.

10. Picture of Spring (春画先生, Akihiko Shiota)

Warmhearted comedy from Akihiko Shiota in which a young waitress develops a fascination with an eccentric middle-aged man who researches shunga, or pornographic artwork from the Edo era.

Best 10 International

  1. Tar
  2. Killers of the Flower Moon
  3. Fallen Leaves
  4. Eo
  5. The Fabelmans
  6. The Banshees of Inisherin
  7. Decision to Leave
  8. Empire of Light
  9. Everything Everywhere All at Once
  10. Women Talking

Best 10 Documentaries

1. Men with Movie Cameras – Shooting the Great Kanto Earthquake (キャメラを持った男たち ―関東大震災を撮る―, Minoru Inoue)

2. Ikiru: Okawa Shogakko Tsunami Saiban wo Tatakatta Hitotachi (「生きる」大川小学校 津波裁判を闘った人たち, Kazuhiro Terada)

3.* Hama no Don (ハマのドン, Fumie Matsubara)

3.* Maruki Iri, Maruki Toshi: Okinawa Sen no Zu Zen 14 Bu (丸木位里・丸木俊 沖縄戦の図 全14部, Atsunori Kawamura)

5. Maelstrom (マエルストロム, Mizuko Yamaoka)

6. Woodblock-and-Stencil Sarasa: The Textile Art of Suzuta Shigeto (木版摺更紗－鈴田滋人のわざ－)

7. With Each Passing Breath (絶唱浪曲ストーリー, Atiqa Kawakami)

8. The Day of the State Funeral (国葬の日, Arata Oshima)

9. Care wo Tsumuide (ケアを紡いで, Koichi Omiya)

10. Shunga (春の画 ＳＨＵＮＧＡ, Junko Hirata)

*Third place is a tie.

Individual Awards

Best Director: Wim Wenders (Perfect Days)

Best Screenplay: Junji Sakamoto (Okiku and the World)

Best Director (international): Todd Field (Tar)

Best Actress: Shuri (Shadow of Fire)

Best Actor: Koji Yakusho (Perfect Days, Familia, Father of the Milky Way Railroad)

Best Supporting Actress: Fumi Nikaido (The Moon)

Best Supporting Actor: Hayato Isomura (The Moon, (Ab)Normal Desire, The Dry Spell, Hard Days, Ripples, Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween – Destiny, Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween – Decisive Battle)

Best Newcomer (actress): Aina The End (Kyrie)

Best Newcomer (actor): Oga Tsukao (Shadow of Fire)

Readers’ Choice Best Director: Toichiro Ruto (G-Men)

Readers’ Choice Best Director (international): Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon)

Readers’ Choice Award: Saburo Kawamoto (Eiga wo Mireba Wakaru Koto)

Source: Kinema Junpo official website.