Japanese films that will make you cry
The top 3 according to 0 votes from people: Grave of the Fireflies (1988) · Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World (2004) · Departures (2008). (Updated Sep 28, 2026.)
Keep a handkerchief handy: the Japanese tearjerkers ranked highest in Mynavi News's survey, my-best and U-WATCH.
Automatically translated (original in 日本語). See the original
Top 13
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1
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
The clear number one in the survey: two siblings in wartime.
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2
Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World (2004)
A man remembers the high-school sweetheart he lost.
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3
Departures (2008)
A cellist who becomes an encoffiner; Oscar for foreign-language film.
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4
Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (2017)
Days with a classmate who has little time left.
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5
The Eternal Zero (2013)
The truth about a grandfather who was a kamikaze pilot.
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6
Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005)
A Tokyo neighbourhood in 1958, as Tokyo Tower rises.
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7
The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
Ken Takakura's ex-convict heads home.
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8
Rebirth (2011)
A woman who raised a kidnapped child, and the child herself.
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9
Be with You (2004)
A dead wife returns in the rainy season.
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10
Poppoya (1999)
Ken Takakura as a Hokkaido stationmaster who never left his post.
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11
Hachiko Monogatari (1987)
The Akita who kept waiting for his master.
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12
Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad (2007)
Lily Franky's story of a mother and son.
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13
The Last 10 Years (2022)
A woman's last ten years with an incurable illness.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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