A couple more weeks and it’s 2025. Can you believe it?
I know that I can’t! But now it’s the perfect time for us to take a look back at 2024 and talk about the very best 2024 Japanese books, dramas and films. Can you recognise all these titles?
As much as possible, I tried to choose one title per month โ so here’s a list of 12 Japanese dramas, books, and films that you should definitely know about!
2024 Japanese Books
In the past few years, we have seen more Japanese books taking over the bookshelves at our local bookstores. Beautifully illustrated covers with cats and cosy coffee shops as well as new translations of old classics (Juliet Winters Carpenter’s new version of Dazai’s No Longer Human!) have brought the West closer to Japanese literature. According to Nielsen BookData, “as of the end of August [2024], eleven translated fiction titles have sold over 20k copies in print, up from five a year ago. Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi topped the chart in 2023, and while the novel is tracking ahead of its sales from this point last year, itโs been bumped to third for 2024, behind fellow Japanese import Butter by Asako Yuzuki and Norwegian thriller Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo.“
So, shall we take a look at the year together?
February
If you’re looking for a thrilling and thought-provoking exploration of misogyny and food (yes, you can put these two together in a story)โฆ
Butter
by Yuzuki Asako | Translated by Polly Barton
[Butter has been named the Waterstones Book of the Year!]
Left: Book cover of Yuzuki Asako’s Butter (Credit: HarperCollins Publishers)
March
If you’re looking for a brand-new translation of a classic masterpiece of Japanese Literatureโฆ
No Longer Human
by Dazai Osamu | Translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter
[According to Tony’s Reading List, “this translation also features smoother, longer sentences, perhaps eliminating some repetition from the original and joining ideas where possible.“]
Right: Book cover of Dazai Osamu’s No Longer Human (Credit: Tuttle Publishing)
May
If you’re looking for four interconnected short stories that explore love, life, and griefโฆ
The God of Nishi-Yuigahama Station
by Murase Takeshi | Translated by Giuseppe di Martino
Left: Book cover of Murase Takeshi’s The God of Nishi-Yuigahama Station (Credit: Little, Brown & Company)
June
If you’re looking for a classic murder mystery from one of Japan’s greatest mystery novelistsโฆ
The Little Sparrow Murders
by Yokomizo Seishi | Translated by Bryan Karetnyk
[This is the sixth Detective Kindaichi novel to be published in English]
Right: Book cover of Yokomizo Seishi’s The Little Sparrow Murders (Credit: Pushkin Press)
July
If you missed the little Morisaki Bookshop and are looking for a tale of love, communication, and human connectionsโฆ
More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop
by Yagisawa Satoshi | Translated by Eric Ozawa
[You can watch our full review here]
Left: Book cover of Yagisawa Satoshi’s More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Credit: Bonnier Books Ltd)
If you’re looking for a truly contemporary “love letter to language and to connection” (according to The Conversation)โฆ
Spontaneous Acts
by Tawada Yoko | Translated by Susan Bernofsky
Right: Book cover of Tawada Yoko’s Spontaneous Acts (Credit: Dialogue)
August
If you’re looking for a whimsical yet poignant exploration of identity and memory through the curious lenses of childhoodโฆ
Mina’s Matchbox
by Ogawa Yoko | Translated by Stephen Snyder
Left: Book cover of Ogawa Yoko’s Mina’s Matchbox (Credit: Vintage Publishing)
If you’re looking for a “healing fiction” book that addresses some fairly intense issues in a moving tale of hopeโฆ
The Lantern of Lost Memories
by Hiiragi Sanaka | Translated by Jesse Kirkwood
Right: Book cover of Hiiragi Sanada’s The Lantern of Lost Memories (Credit: Pan Macmillan)
September
If you’re looking for another adventure at the Cafรฉ Funiculi Funicula that will remind you of the power of empathy and the ephemerality of lifeโฆ
Before We Forget Kindness
by Kawaguchi Toshikazu | Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot
Left: Book cover of Kawaguchi Toshikazu‘s Before We Forget Kindness (Credit: Pan Macmillan)
October
If you’re looking for a brutally honest portrayal of trauma and the complexity of the mother-daughter relationshipโฆ
Gifted
by Suzuki Suzumi | Translated by Allison Markin Powell
Right: Book cover of Suzuki Suzumi’s Gifted (Credit: Scribe Publications)
November
If you (like me) love stationery shops and are looking for a gentle collection of heartwarming storiesโฆ
Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop
by Ueda Kenji | Translated by Emily Balistrieri
Left: Book cover of Ueda Kenji‘s Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop (Credit: Bonnier Books Ltd)
If you’re looking for the return of Murakami’s spellbinding storytellingโฆ
The City and Its Uncertain Walls
by Murakami Haruki | Translated by Philip Gabriel
Right: Book cover of Murakami Haruki‘s The City and Its Uncertain Walls (Credit: Vintage Publishing)
We are looking forward to…
Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon & How to Hold Someone in Your Heart
by Tsujimura Mizuki | Translated by Tejima Yuki
Coming out on April 3rd, 2025 and July 3rd, 2025, respectively
The Healing Hippo Of Hinode Park
by Aoyama Michiko | Translated by TBC
Coming out on August 14th, 2025
The Man Who Died Seven Times
by Nishizawa Yasuhiko | Translated by Jesse Kirkwood
Coming out on August 18th, 2025
2024 Japanese Films
January
If you’re looking for a great historical adventure manga adaptation…
Golden Kamuy
Available on Netflix
Based on Noda Satoru’s manga of the same name, Golden Kamuy was directed by Kubo Shigeaki (High&Low series) and written by Kuroiwa Tsutomu (Kingdom series). Noda himself supervised the scripting process to make sure that its cinematic adaptation was as faithful to the source material as possible. Released on January 19th, 2024, Golden Kamuy is led by Yamazaki Kento, alongside Yamada Anna, Maeda Gordon, and Yamoto Yuma.
January also saw the release of another manga adaptation, Let’s Go Karaoke!, led by Ayano Go and Saito Jun. Let’s Go Karaoke! is a story of friendship and self-discovery that was very well-received too. We’re still waiting for news of official international distribution.
February
If you’re looking for a short yet exciting animated sports film…
Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle
Available on Crunchyroll and Netflix
February was a month full of adaptations and franchises: ลmuro-ke: Dear Sisters, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba โ To the Hashira Training, Ultraman Blazar the Movie: Tokyo Kaiju Showdown, and Kamen Rider 555 20th: Paradise Regained. But it was Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle on February 16th, 2024 that stole the spotlight.
Written and directed by Susumu Mitsunaka, Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle ranked as the second highest-grossing Japanese film in the country this year and was well-received by both fans and critics.
Netflix also released Fujii Michihito’s first film of the year, The Parades, on February 29th. You can read our full review here.
March was a quieter month, in which most releases didn’t really live up to expectations (The Floor Plan, Lovesick Ellie, April Come She Will). Even the 43rd Doraemon film, Doraemon: Nobita’s Earth Symphony, had a bit of a lukewarm reception.
April
If you’re looking for a mysterious, philosophical, haunting tale of the natural cycles of life, a movie that offers several questions but no answers…
Evil Does Not Exist
Available on MUBI and AppleTV
Evil Does Not Exist was released on the festival circuit last year but only reached Japanese cinemas on April 26th, 2024. Written and directed by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, the film counts on a cast of non-professional actors who deliver incredibly nuanced performances. Evil Does Not Exist won the Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice International Film Festival and Best Film at the 2023 BFI London Film Festival. You can watch our review here.
April also saw the release of Netflix’s adaptation of City Hunter, the family drama Amalock, and another Yamazaki Kento-led adaptation of The Yin Yang Master Zero.
May
If you’re looking for a heartbreaking, painfully realistic portrayal of the despair of a mother looking for her child…
Missing
Available on Netflix
Written and directed by Yoshida Keisuke, Missing came out on May 17th, 2024. Featuring a performance by Ishihara Satomi that is worth a thousand awards, Missing is a heavy, sombre watch. The cast also counts on Aoki Munetaka and Nakamura Tomoya.
In May, we also had Fujii Michihito’s second release of the year, a Japan-Taiwan co-production called 18ร2 Beyond Youthful Days (now on Netflix too). Other important titles were Happiness, Teasing Master Takagi-san Movie, and Confession.
June
If you’re looking for a gentle and stunning coming-of-age tale that pays homage to artists everywhere…
Look Back
Available on Amazon Prime Video
Many have called it the best anime of the year โ which it could very well be considering its 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes so I couldn’t help myself. I had to highlight it as the movie of June 2024. Released on June 28th, 2024, Look Back was written and directed by Oshiyama Kiyotaka as an adaptation of Fujimoto Tatsuki’s web manga of the same name. I haven’t managed to watch it yet but it’s at the very top of my watchlist.
Other films that came out in June and are on my watchlist are the family drama Dear Family and slice-of-life dramas Worlds Apart and Tomorrow in the Finder. If you’re a Netflix watcher, you might remember the bittersweet youth drama Drawing Closer, which came out on June 27th, 2024.
July
If you’re looking for a touching family tale…
Great Absence & To Mom, With Love
July saw some crazy tales (What If Tokugawa Ieyasu Became Prime Minister?) and some adorable animated features (Ghost Cat Anzu) reach the big screen in Japan.
In the realm of moving family dramas, Japan also saw the release of both Great Absence and To Mom, With Love on July 12th, 2024. Written and directed by Chikaura Kei, Great Absence is a considerably more melancholic and introspective choice. Based on a true story, the film hangs on Moriyama Mirai and Fuji Tatsuya’s intense performances.
On the other hand, To Mom, With Love, written and directed by Hashiguchi Ryosuke, is cheekier and has a very clear sense of humour. The film, which was adapted from a stage play of the same name, counts on Eguchi Noriko, Uchida Chika, and Furokawa Kotone as the leading sisters.
Neither Great Absence nor To Mom, With Love have received official international distribution outside the festival circuit yet.
August
If you’re looking for a captivating time-travel samurai tale…
A Samurai in Time
August saw the release of the live-action adaptation of Blue Period and We Don’t Know Love Yet, and Yamada Naoko’s first feature since Liz and the Blue Bird, The Colors Within.
But the sleeping hit of August certainly was Yasuda Junichi’s A Samurai in Time, a low-budget film that opened at a single theatre on August 17th, 2024 to break into the box office top 10 two months later. A time-travelling dramedy that pays tribute to the jidaigeki genre, A Samurai in Time stars Yamaguchi Makiya and Fuke Norimasa in a wittily produced feature.
A Samurai in Time hasn’t received official international distribution outside the festival circuit yet.
If you (like me) love Unnatural and MIU 404 and are begging for new adventures with the team…
Last Mile
Unnatural and MIU 404 were huge hits for TBS โ for very good reason: they are superbly written shows with a group of extremely charismatic characters (you can catch them on Netflix if you haven’t done yourself this massive favour yet).
Fans all over the world were thrilled to find out that the Unnatural-MIU 404 shared universe expanded with the release of Last Mile on August 23rd, a crime drama feature led by Mitsushima Hikari and Okada Masaki. Directed by Tsukahara Ayuko and written by Nogi Akiko, the all-female creative team behind the original series, Last Mile brings the UDI and MIU team back to solve a brand-new mystery.
The idea paid off: Last Mile was the fifth highest-grossing Japanese film in cinemas this year. We’re still waiting to hear about official international distribution.
September
If you’re looking for…
Cloud
We obviously had to highlight Japan’s submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards, right?
Written and directed by Kurosawa Kiyoshi, Cloud was well-received at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and at the 29th Busan International Film Festival, where Kurosawa received the Asian Filmmaker of the Year award. It reached Japanese cinemas on September 27th, 2024. Dark, tense, and morally complex, Cloud counts on another extraordinary performance from Suda Masaki as the protagonist.
In September, Japanese big screens also saw the release of My Sunshine and Desert of Namibia, two films that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. A September film that I’m particularly looking forward to watching is Living in Two Worlds. A family drama based on an autobiographical essay by Igarashi Dai, who is played by Yoshizawa Ryo, Living in Two Worlds was also released at the BFI London Film Festival this year.
Cloud hasn’t received official international distribution outside the festival circuit yet.
October
If you’re looking for a slightly dystopian, unnerving drama…
Happyend
Japan was blessed with several festival-recognised features this year โ and that includes Neo Sora’s Happyend. Written and directed by Sora, Happyend is a Japan-US co-production with a fairly unknown cast that was warmly received by both the audience and critics.
Released on October 4th, 2024 in Japan, Happyend hasn’t received official international distribution outside the festival circuit yet.
Moving on to November, the month started with Shiraishi Kazuya’s violent samurai tale 11 Rebels, stopped by Yokobori Mitsunori’s high-school manga adaptation of You Are Mine! and ended with Fujii Michihito’s third 2024 feature, Faceless (Shotai).
December
If you’re looking for an offbeat adventure film…
Cells at Work!
If you’ve been following Amazon Prime’s adaptation of Oshi no Ko, I’m sure you’ll remember December as the month of the theatrical release of Oshi no Ko: The Final Act. La Grande Maison fans are counting down the days until La Grande Maison Paris comes out on December 30th.
But there’s nothing more weirdly unique than the live-action adaptation of Cells at Work!, written by Tokunaga Yuichi and directed by Takeuchi Hideki. Coming to the cinemas on December 13th, Cells at Work! gets extra cookie points for reuniting Nagano Mei and Satoh Takeru six years after the end of NHK’s Hanbun, Aoi.
2024 Japanese Dramas
Japanese television organises most of their releases in a “kลซru” system (so three-month seasons: winter, spring, summer, autumn). That’s why I’m not making a list according to the month but according to the quarter. Let’s see how many of these you’ve watched!
Winter: January-March
2024 started with TV Asahi’s Ossan’s Love Returns, the latest instalment of the beloved Ossan’s Love series. Just as chaotic, charming, and endearing as the previous season (and film), Ossan’s Love Returns is available on Viki and Amazon Prime Video.
Other adorable romances that gained a second season in the Winter of 2024 were NHK’s Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna Season 2, Fuji TV’s Tsuki to Cake Season 2, and the far-from-perfect adaptation of Ao Haru Ride Season 2.
We then had Nagano Mei and Yamada Yuki in the most bittersweet, tear-jerking melodrama, Fuji TV’s The Gift of Your Heart. Nagano and Yamada made for an impeccable couple, which led to a big fan following in Japan. The show is now available on Viki.
But what really took Japan by storm in the first month of the year was TBS’s rom-com Eye Love You (available on Viki and Netflix), which ignited a brand-new K-wave in the country. Chae Jong-hyeop was the heartthrob of the season and people all over Japan took up Korean lessons. We also reviewed the drama here.
Eye Love You was far from being TBS’s only hit in January, however. Audiences and critics alike fell head over heels in love with Extremely Inappropriate! (available on Netflix). Refreshingly brash, creatively made, and weirdly thought-provoking, Extremely Inappropriate! was one of the year’s most popular shows in Japan. You can read our review here too.
In February, NHK released the excellent Owakare Hospital with the endlessly talented Kishii Yukino and an alternative version of The Great Passage. Named Fune wo Amu: Watashi, Jisho Tsukurimasu, the show retold Majime’s (RADWIMPS’s Noda Yojiro) tale through Kishibe’s (Ikeda Elaiza) eyes.
Internationally, audiences were drawn to Netflix’s House of Ninjas, which came out on February 15th. But the real obsession was over FX/Disney+’s Shogun, which became the very first Japanese-language series to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. The show won a total of 18 awards at the Emmys this year and has just been nominated for a Golden Globe too.
March was a quieter month but with another TBS success: the live-action adaptation of Teasing Master Takagi-san (available on Netflix), with Tsukishima Rui and Kurokawa Souya leading the show.
Spring: April-June
Spring 2024 wasn’t as full of hits as winter.
Fuji TV’s Blue Moment (available on Viki) was a very well-produced show with a quiet reception. TBS’s Anti-Hero (available on Netflix) was generally well-received but not extraordinarily popular. Meanwhile, TV Asahi’s Destiny, with Ishihara Satomi and Kamenashi Kazuya, didn’t resonate with audiences in the way that we’d expected (also on Netflix and you can read our review here).
However, 2024’s hidden gem was released on April 1st on NHK. The Tiger and Her Wings, the 2024 asadora led by Ito Sairi, counted on extraordinary performances and a sharp narrative. NHK also succeeded in bringing Fujisawa Shizuki’s manga Yuzuki-san Chi no Yon Kyoudai. to the small screen in May.
Two other manga adaptations that stood out were TV Tokyo’s Hidamari ga Kikoeru with Nakazawa Motoki and Kobayashi Toranosuke and Fuji TV’s poignant Unmet: Aru Nogekai no Nikki with Sugisaki Hana. The romance of the quarter was TBS’s Kururi: Dare ga Watashi to Koi wo Shita? that, despite its charm, wasn’t nearly as successful as Eye Love You. Amazon Prime also tried their hand at a romantic J-drama with 1122 Ii Fuufu, a realistic series about the problems of marriage starring the now real-life couple Takahata Mitsuki and Okada Masaki.
Summer: July-September
Summer started with the return of the creative team behind Fuji TV’s incredibly successful Silent (2022). Screenwriter Ubukata Miku and directors Kazama Hiroki and Takano Mai came together once again to deliver The Beginning of the Sea (a.k.a Where The Sea Begins, available on Viki), with Meguro Ren leading a cast that also counted on Arimura Kasumi and the adorable Izutani Rana.
Disney+’s Tanabata no Kuni came out in July without much fanfare. Meanwhile, over on Netflix, the third quarter of 2024 saw the release of Tokyo Swindlers with Ayano Go, a compelling show that was warmly received. So was The Queen of Villains, a fun and emotionally resonant portrayal of the world of women’s professional wrestling. Chastity High wasn’t as popular but found its fans around the globe. Amazon Prime’s release of the quarter was the second season of No Activity with the return of the Toyokawa Etsushi-Nakamura Tomoya duo.
From the universe of the manga adaptations, we had yet another live-action version of Minami-kun no Koibito. Aired on TV Asahi, the show was led by Iinuma Ai and Yagi Yusei this time. MBS/TVK’s live-action adaptations of Ayaka-chan wa Hiroko-senpai ni Koishiteru and Smells Like Green Spirit quickly became fan favourites. Over on TV Tokyo, fans of the Baby Assassins series were happy to get a serialised continuation, Baby Assassins Everyday!, before the third film of the franchise came out in late September.
Some other releases that deserve mention are TV Asahi’s (considerably condensed) version of jTBC’s SKY Castle (available on Amazon Prime Video), Fuji TV’s geeky, entertaining, and intelligent women on Geeks: Keisatsusho no Henjintachi, and NTV’s sensitive and unique Go Home: Keishicho Mimoto Fumeinin Sodanshitsu.
Autumn: October-December
Autumn shows are still airing so we can’t really tell which shows can be crowned as the season’s best. However, we know for sure that we’ve had a fair share of strange premises (NTV’s 3 Nen C Gumi wa Furin Shitemasu.), classic J-drama romances (MBS/TVK’s Hello, Nice to Meet You. Let’s Get Divorced.), and second seasons (BS-TBS’s Tengu no Daidokoro or TV Asahi’s The Travel Nurse).
Over on streaming, Amazon Prime released Like a Dragon: Yakuza to mixed reviews in October and a live-action adaptation of the popular Oshi no Ko manga in November. AbemaTV and Netflix came together to deliver a J-drama version of jTBC’s Nevertheless, called Wakatteitemo: The Shapes of Love, which came out on December 9th. Both versions are adaptations of Jung Seo’s webtoon.
Netflix’s only original production this season was Beyond Goodbye, which we reviewed here. Overall, the show was praised for its performances and cinematography but the narrative was received with more mixed reviews.
The real stars of the season have been NHK’s marvellous Sora Wataru Kyoshitsu (available on Amazon Prime Video), TBS’s heartwarming Light of My Lion (available on Netflix โ Bando Ryota’s performance is an absolute must-watch), NTV’s charming After School Doctor (also on Netflix), TBS’s riveting Umi ni Nemuru Diamond, and YTV’s sharply written Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu.
What a year! Share in the comments your favourite 2024 Japanese books, dramas, and films โ anything in particular you’re looking forward to reading/watching next year?
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones โ if you celebrate it! If you don’t, enjoy your winter/summer wherever you are! May 2025 be a fantastic year for all of us!
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