Movies like Utsukushii hito saba? (2018)
The best movies like Utsukushii hito saba? (2018) are Tokyo Family (2013), Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017) and Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA (2017). If Utsukushii hito saba? hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedStray Dog (1949)7.6/10 from 385 votes
- NewestMarigold Shining Attack 2026 ~ Day 4 (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseTokyo Family (2013)Also in Japanese
Tokyo Family (2013)
An elderly couple journey to Tokyo to visit their grown children, only to find them preoccupied and self-involved.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCase Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017)
Bombing case at Nichiuri TV in autumn. The Satsuki Cup, which crowns the winner of Japan's Hyakunin Isshu, is currently being filmed inside the facility. The incident results in a big commotion and, while the building is burning to ashes, the only people left inside are Hattori and Toyama Kazuha. They get rescued just in time by Conan , who rushes to the scene. Both the identity and purposes of the bomber are unknown.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRyuichi Sakamoto: CODA (2017)
Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto weaves man-made and natural sounds together in his works. His anti-nuclear activism grew after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, and his career only paused after a 2014 cancer diagnosis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAdrift in Tokyo (2007)
A thug offers to pay a law student's gambling debt if the student will accompany him on a trip across Tokyo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisReincarnation (2005)
A Japanese actress begins having strange visions and experiences after landing a role in a horror film about a real-life murder spree that took place over forty years ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGamera: The Guardian of the Universe (1995)
A ship runs aground on a mysterious atoll leading to an investigation by insurance representative Kusanagi, who discovers an ancient bead that he gives to his daughter Asagi. Meanwhile, ornithologist Nagamine investigates reports of a new species of large bird named Gyaos. As the Gyaos begin to attack, an ancient guardian with a bond to Asagi emerges.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAsako I & II (2018)
Asako lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRailroad Man (1999)
A railway stationmaster at a dying end-of-the-line village in Hokkaido is haunted by memories of his dead wife and daughter. When the railroad line is scheduled to be closed, he is offered a job at a hotel, but he is emotionally unable to part with his career as a railroader. His life takes a turn when he meets a young woman with an interest in trains who resembles his daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCafé Lumière (2004)
In a distinctly contemporary Tokyo that looks backwards to the city’s disappearing past, Yoko is a writer investigating the life of a modernist composer of the 1930s. She is pregnant by a man she does not want to marry and has found a kindred spirit in a used bookstore owner who aids her research.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStray Dog (1949)
A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami’s own dark side.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFukushima 50 (2020)
Workers at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan risk their lives and stay at the nuclear power plant to prevent total destruction after the region is devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Blood of Wolves (2018)
Set in 1988 in Hiroshima, Japan, prior to the enactment of the anti-organized crime law. A rumor exists that Detective Shogo Ogami has ties with the yakuza. He is partnered with Detective Shuichi Hioka and they investigate a missing person case involving a financial company employee. Conflicts between opposing yakuza groups become more serious.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHouse of Bamboo (1955)
Eddie Kenner is given a special assignment by the Army to get the inside story on Sandy Dawson, a former GI who has formed a gang of fellow servicemen and Japanese locals.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKikujiro (1999)
Brash, loudmouthed and opportunistic, Kikujiro is the unlikely companion for Masao who is determined to see the mother he has never met. The two begin a series of adventures which soon turns out to be a whimsical journey of laughter and tears with a wide array of surprises and unique characters along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Castle of Sand (1974)
Two detectives are tasked to investigate the murder of an old man, found bludgeoned to death in a Tokyo rail yard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013)
Follows the behind-the-scenes work of Studio Ghibli, focusing on the notable figures Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword (2009)
The Mystery Inc. gang takes a trip to Japan and finds themselves circling Asia and the Pacific in a treasure hunt, racing against the vengeful Black Samurai and his Ninja warriors to find the legendary Sword of Fate, an ancientblade fabled to possess extraordinary supernaturalpowers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJu-on: The Beginning of the End (2014)
A school teacher visits the home of a boy who's been absent from school for a long period of time, unaware of the horrific tragedy which occurred in the boy's household many years ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDetective Conan: Crossroad in the Ancient Capital (2003)
Mouri Kogoro is called to a special case in the ancient capital of Kyoto. There, Conan meets Heiji and they team up once again to solve the case, recover the stolen Healing Buddha statue, and even discover the identity of Heiji's first love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrescent Moon and Cats (2024)
Akari, who evacuated with a cat when earthquake struck, meets Kanoko, who also took her cat with her at the evacuation site. Jin, who lived in the same apartment, also loves big cats, and the three become close to each other through cats and eventually live together.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Aki no Kanade (2015)
Aki Miyagawa moved to Tokyo to pursue her dream to be a taiko drummer, but had a hard time balancing her strict training regimen with her part-time job. Now, after 15 years, she's returning to coach others for a taiko festival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Yowamushi Pedal: The Movie (2015)
After winning the fierce Inter High race, Sakamichi and the other Souhoku team members receive an invitation to compete in the Kumamoto Hi Province Mountain Range Race towards the end of summer. The top-tier teams from around the country compete in this race, including Souhoku's rivals Hakone Academy (which yearns to take down Souhoku), Kyoto Fushimi, and Hiroshima Kureminami - as well as Kumamoto Daiichi High School's team led by Shin Yoshimoto.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Deeper Than Blue (1973)
About a girl who marries in the middle of the Pacific War, is widowed at 18, and her unflagging struggle to survive during and after the war with her son.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Stardom GW Tour 2026 in Kumamoto (2026)
GW Tour 2026 in Kumamoto was a professional wrestling event promoted by World Wonder Ring Stardom, held on May 4, 2026 at Kumamoto-jō Hall in Kumamoto, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Marigold Shining Attack 2026 ~ Day 4 (2026)
Marigold Shining Attack 2026 ~ Day 4 was a professional wrestling event promoted by Dream Star★Fighting Marigold, held on May 8, 2026 at Kumamoto Shintoshin Plaza Hall in Kumamoto, Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Gift of Memory (2016)
A college student works a part time job at a bookstore, and meets an older patron wearing a long coat who tells her that "the young are beautiful, but the old moreso". Shortly afterwards, a friend tells her of a suspicious person who has been following her mother. When she gets home, she finds her mother watching a high school film from decades ago, featuring her mother and father, as well as another boy they both seemed to get along with. On the path to find her mother's stalker, our heroine arrives at a second floor detective's office with her friend. Together, they tail the suspect in a car, but...
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Heat Wave (1991)
Rin Jyoshima lost her father to death-by-gambling; years later, she's grown up in the Kosugi household and has fallen victim to gambling herself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Eagle of Decotora 5: Kumamoto Burning Express (2008)
After hearing that his estranged father is in Kumamoto, Washichiro heads to Kyushu. Along the way, he picks up a runaway girl and his friend Kinta, who is also on a pre-marital trip to Kumamoto. Despite getting caught up in various disturbances, Washichiro manages to gather information about his father in Kumamoto. Set against the backdrop of Kumamoto and Aso, Washichiro makes a final, intense run! This final installment of the series features a glamorous cast, including the heroine Miu Nakamura, regular member Shingo Yanagisawa, as well as Tatsuo Umemiya, Kiyoko Suizenji, Jun Nagasawa, Okada Masuda, and others, who help make the conclusion spectacular!
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Kumamoto Stories (2002)
Jidai-geki period / folklore type stories that were comissioned by the Kumamoto prefacture of Kyushu island in 1996 and filmed over a period of three years. Kumamoto Monogatari is a 2002 omnibus which includes the three short films: Zuiketsu Genso: Tonkararin Yume Densetsu, Kikuchi-jo Monogatari: Sakimori-tachi no Uta, Onna Kunishuu Ikki.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Like Utsukushii hito saba? and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Utsukushii hito saba??
The closest matches to Utsukushii hito saba? are Tokyo Family (2013), Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017) and Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Utsukushii hito saba??
Start with Tokyo Family (2013), the closest match to Utsukushii hito saba?.
What is the highest-rated movie like Utsukushii hito saba??
Stray Dog (1949), rated 7.6/10 by 385 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Utsukushii hito saba??
Marigold Shining Attack 2026 ~ Day 4 (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Utsukushii hito saba??
Yes: Tokyo Family (2013), Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017) and Ryuichi Sakamoto: CODA (2017).
How are movies similar to Utsukushii hito saba? chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Utsukushii hito saba?, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.