The best way to find Japanese films in the Ohio State University Libraries’ collections is through the library’s catalog. I found 563 Japanese films! using the advanced search, limiting to Video Recording and Language = Japanese. The titles I found include TV shows and educational films in addition to movies.

Books on Japanese cinema in the library have the subject: Motion pictures — Japan

There are many databases on Japanese film, including these:

  • International Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/country/j
  • Japanese Movie Database 日本映画データベースhttp://www.jmdb.ne.jp Note: To browse, use the Ichiran (一覧) tab — http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/index.cgi?IndexPage
  • Database of Eiren or the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (includes: SHOCHIKU CO., LTD.,TOHO CO.,LTD., TOEI COMPANY LTD. and KADOKAWA PICTURES, INC.) –Covers 1933 to present http://db.eiren.org/
  • MovieWalker – Kinema Junpo (Covers movies released in Japan 1945- ) Search box at top right. http://movie.walkerplus.com/
  • Eibunren database (Japan Association of Audiovisual Producers)
    http://www.eibunren.or.jp/database/

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    Updated version of a post originally published June 17, 2009