Any good Japanese drama movies?

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on any good Japanese drama movies. I live in the U.S. and have been looking on ebay for some japanese movies to buy but i'm not sure what movies are good. If you have any suggestions on movie titles i'd appreciate it.
I'm more intersted in modern movies.
Thanks!

Hmmm. Well if you're into any J-rock (Gackt and Hyde. or even if you're not) I suggest Moonchild. I too live in America. You can get Moonchild fairly easily.

It's basically a vampire story, but not really. It doesn't revolve around vampire. Hmm... It's hard to explain, but it is the best Japanese movie I've seen so far. I highly suggest it. (but then again, maybe my opinion is a wee bit biased since I'm a big Gackt fan. It's still a good movie!)

Japanese films are funny. The tend to either be brilliant, plan silly fun, or horrible. I'm a huge fan of Japanese cinema and it seems to always be a 50/50 hit or miss. If your looking for Drama, here would be my recomendations.

Bright Future: I'm embarrassed that I forget the director's name, but this is a wonderful, semi cynical film about social misfits wondering through life, dreaming of a better future while breeding jellyfishes.

Audition: ALthough many consider this to be a horror film, and horrific it is, it's easily one of Japan's most important films ever made. Very intelligent and abstract film that deals with issues of Japan's changing gender roles and issues of equality. Beautiful and haunting, but very shocking.

Bounce Ko Gals: Very interesting little film on inja kosai/ child prostitution. Not nerely as dark or depressing as it sounds which makes it all the more interesting. ANother film on changing gender roles, protrays women not as victims but as intelligent and strong individuals who are completely able to manipulate men to get what they very. Very accurate protrayal of Tokyo and youth culture.

Vibrator: once again, sounds more explicit and outlandish than what it is. Very touching and raw romance about an artist on a roadtrip with a truck driver.

Suicide CLub: If you can stomach the ultra horrific violence, this film by one of Japan's most critically acclaimed poets is a masterpiece. I admit that some of the gore is gratuitious, but it's such a damn smart, trippy, mindf*** I don't care.

Ping Pong: Very cute and suprisingly somber film about national ping pong tornument.

Dolls: Master director, Taekshi Kitano's most beauitful and probably best film. Brilliant without all the ultra violence for once.

You should also check out some new wave Korean cinema as well. Old Boy, Memories of a Murder, and Friend are all breathtakingly good.

If you like action:
GUN CRAZY (not to be confused with the classic film GUN CRAZY with the same name). Is one good action film. Just make sure its the Japanese GUN CRAZY, not the classic american film GUN CRAZY which it has no relation.

For drama movies, I recommend:
Castle of Sand
Crying Out Love in the Center of the World
Red Beard
Ikiru

I reccomend
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
http://www.tbs.co.jp/iwgpark/00/index-j.html

Kisarazu Cat's Eye
http://www.tbs.co.jp/catseye/

I love Shall we Dansu (much better than the recent remake IMO) and Ganbatte Ikimasshoi (http://www.geocities.com/seriallain/Ganbatte/)

Mariko,
if you can get over your penchant for modern-day Japanese movies, most of the "gems" in Japanese live-action cinema come from the 1950s and 1960s. Two very noteworthy ones--Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo", "Hidden Fortress" and "Seven Samurai"--literally invented the spaghetti western style of cinema utilized by Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood in the 9160s and 70s (ex: "A Fistfull of Dollars", the first movie in Leone's famous Man With No Name series which includes "The Good, the Bad and The Ugly", is actually a remake of "Yojimbo", and "Hidden Fortress" was the primary inspiration for Star Wars' Episode IV storyline.)

Outside of some of the Golden Oldies, you might find a lot of rewarding Japanese cinema in the anime realm. Princess Mononoke, Metropolis, Akira and Spirited Away all achieved critical acclaim and mainstream success in the west, with the latter winning an Academy Award for best foreign film. There are dozens more that haven't really made it in the west, but are leagues better (and different) than the "crap" anime is often associated with, such as Dragonball Z, Sailor Moon and Gundam Wing--more fore kids than anything else.

Azumi & Battle Royal (two of my favorites)

Well...some of my favorites are Moon Child (If you like Gackt and Hyde), Battle Royale I & II ( If you are a Tatsuya Fujiwara Fan =D), Death Note (especially if you are an into anime ), also Last Quarter was good ( I was sad that Hyde didnt have much screen time though), I hope that this helped some!!!

Hmm.. I've seen the movie Tayo no uta, And that's a really sad movie. Nana (And Nana II) Are good drame movies to :P

ima,ai ni yukimasu (�¡�A‰ï‚¢‚É‚ä‚«‚Ü‚·�jthere's a tv version and a movie version, but personally i prefered the tv version.

Grave of the fireflies-live action and anime are both excellent movies.

I love A. Kurosawa too but since you are a female and looking for more modern works, how about Love Letters directed by Shunji Iwai, starring Miho Nakayama and the TV drama Majo no Jouken. Both were made several years back.

In Love Letters a girl decided to write a letter to her fiance who died in an accident. Surprisingly she received a reply - but from a girl sharing the same name as her fiance and discovered that the girl looked identical to herself... (may be a weird storyline but it's actually kind of a coming to terms kind of film). The scene towards the end has remained in many people's mind long after watching it (hint hint and sob sob: ogenki desu ka.... watashi wa genki desu).

In Majo no Jouken, a high school teacher and student discovered that they had fallen in love with each other. Problem is, the female lead here is the teacher and her student is a boy several years younger than her. It is very well executed and the problems that they had to face was totally convincing.

I recommend both as they are excellent and romantic and an excuse for me to take out the bucket.

I have a question: my friend recommended me a movie once, when I told her I really liked Tada kimi wo aishiteru and Koizora... but I forgot the title of the film! It was also a romantic one, from 2005 or 2006... and was pretty famous... does anyone have any tips of which one it could be? ^^

April Story is pretty good.
Or Tokyo eyes

www.mysoju.com is a great site to go to see a lot of movies! I love 1 litre of tears. It's based on a real story and very sad.

The late Juzo Itami is one of my personal favorite Japanese directors

'Tampopo' and 'The Funeral' are amazing movies. Quirky, funny, and touching. He captures a 'real' side of Japan, yet it is relevant in any cutlure.

'A Taxing Woman' is also good, but the other 2 are my favorites

Drama : One Liter of tears.
Very touching!

Or Hana Yori Dango

Drama? Koizora is definately a tearjerker.