Koji Yakusho

“[Translated] This is Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard. It's a long film, over three hours, but it's truly a beautiful film. It's a wonderful story about a doctor who helps the poor, and a young doctor who admires him and grows as a doctor. It's a wonderful film.”

“[Translated] This is also Akira Kurosawa, Ikiru. When I was a child, my older brother came home from seeing this movie and told me the whole story while we were in bed. When I grew up and went to see it, the story unfolded exactly as my brother had told it. I was impressed by how well he remembered it.”

“[Translated] This is Harakiri, the Japanese title is Seppuku. It's a film by Masaki Kobayashi. The lead actor, Tatsuya Nakadai, was my teacher when I became an actor. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here today.”

“[Translated] The Japanese title is Ososhiki. It's the directorial debut of the late Juzo Itami. It was a wonderful film. It depicts a funeral, something every Japanese person has experienced, with such humor. It's truly a masterpiece. A wonderful film.”

“[Translated] A masterpiece of Japanese cinema, Cure. I'm in this one. It's scary. It taps into human psychology in a way that makes your skin crawl. You can hear this strange noise throughout, which is really frightening. It's a scary story about how a person without stress can become a monster. I highly recommend it.”

“[Translated] You all love this one, right? In Japanese, it's called Machi no Hi. Words have power in films, of course, but the power of visual storytelling without words is unique to cinema. No matter how many times I watch it, it's a wonderful film.”

“[Translated] I recently worked with this director on a film called Perfect Days. The first time I learned about him was through this film, Paris, Texas. It was so cool. Ry Cooder's music... And come to think of it, the protagonist hardly speaks at all. I didn't speak much in Perfect Days either. It's a truly beautiful film.”