[themomohime]

1. Tampopo- the First Japanese Noodle Western... imagine if Clint Eastwood stopped in a Japanese small town to help a hopeless woman become the best ramen chef ever. Intermixed with many smaller stories, the movie is an instant classic, and one of Ken Watanabe's earliest movies!

2. Udon- in the same vein as Tampopo, Udon chronicles a man's journey back to hometown after failing to succeed as a comedian in New York City. While there, he takes a job at an advertising company and has a brilliant idea to market his town's udon as a soul food pilgrimage. A very cute movie!

3. Okuribito- Considered one of the more shameful jobs in Japan, undertakers are rarely given a look from their own side. This movie, a touching, sweet piece, follows one man's entrance into the field while trying to understand its deeper, profound values. A truly touching film.

4. Sanjuro- The sequel to Yojimbo, Sanjuro continues to follow the samurai through his trials, using many hallmark expressions of film making of the time. Showcasing the virtue, solidarity and aesthetic of the samurai, Sanjuro is one of the first Japanese films I'd ever watched, and I would happily watch it over and over again!

5. Linda Linda Linda- Feel good, high school drama about girls in a band... popular enough for most people to still sing the key song at karaoke in Japan to impress their non-foreign friends.