Top Japanese Art Animation DVDs of the Decade

For fans of art animation and experimental film, the ‘naughties’ have been an exceptional decade in terms of the wider availability of both individual films and collections. Previously, such films were only available to a lucky few privileged enough to have an animation festival, art house cinema, or cinémathèque in their community. The life story of an animated short usually went follows:

1. the artist labours intensively for months in a studio
2. the artist presents the film locally to great acclaim
3. the film gets picked up by international festivals
4. after a year of touring, the film fades into obscurity
5. if the filmmaker is lucky, the film gets featured periodically in retrospectives at animation festivals

In the past decade, however, art animation and experimental film has become much more widely available and via video-streaming sites many filmmakers have picked up new fans who previously would not have been likely to encounter their work. Thanks to the efforts of companies like Geneon Universal and Image Forum, not to mention collectives like Anido, the complete works of significant animators have become available on DVD. Younger artists like Tomoyasu Murata, Naoyuki Tsuji, and Yasuhiro Yoshiura have worked hard to promote themselves either through self-incorporation (Murata) or coordination with other production companies. Some of the more farseeing entrepreneurs of the contemporary art animation scene like Yoshiura and Kato Kunio, have allowed their work to be made available on video streaming and downloading sites like Yahoo Japan and crunchyroll.

The order of the DVDs listed below is not a true ranking. There are too many variables to consider for such a thing. To be included in this list, the DVD merely had to contain content that I believe is of important cultural and historical content. I haven’t been able to view the recently released complete works of Takashi Ito yet, but as the other Image Forum DVDs are of such a high quality I presume that it is equally as good. Clicking on most of the images below will take you to the DVD’s listing at cdjapan.co.jp. Most of films do not require subtitles for enjoyment (exceptions: Okamoto, Kawamoto, Tezuka). Some more farseeing organizations like Ufer! do think about the international appeal of their artists (ie Tabaimo) and provide subtitles. Others, like Geneon, should really make more of an effort in this area. Some artists like Kawamoto and Tezuka can be found on DVD in English speaking countries. The exception to this is Naoyuki Tsuji, whose Facets DVD should be avoided (read why here) – his work does not require subtitles to be enjoyed.

I am looking forward to the 2010s and hoping that even more animation gems will make their way onto DVD or another digital format soon. To read about which ones, see my earlier piece here.

Complete Works of Tadanari Okamoto (Boxset, Geneon, 2009)


Winter Days (Kihachiro Kawamoto et al., Kinokuniya Shoten, 2003)


Thinking and Drawing: Japanese Art of the New Millennium (Image Forum, 2005)


Tokyo Loop (Taku Furukawa et al., Image Forum, 2006)


Murata Tomoyasu Selection – Ore no Michi (Tomoyasu Murata Company, 2004)


Book of the Dead (Kihachirō Kawamoto, Geneon, 2007)


The Complete Works of Kihachirō Kawamoto (Geneon, 2007)


The Complete Works of Yōji Kuri (Geneon, 2007)


Atama Yama – The Complete Works of Kōji Yamamura (Geneon, 2006)


Tanaamism Boxset (Keiichi Tanaami, Broadway, 2003)


Trilogy About Clouds (Naoyuki Tsuji, Columbia, 2005)

Available at cdjapan








Scrap Diary + Animactions! (Keiichi Tanaami & Aihara Nobuhiro, 2004)


amazon lists this DVD as being out of print, but Tsutaya claims they have it









hatsu-imo (Tabaimo & Yasushi Kishimoto, Ufer!, 2001)


available for purchase at Ufer!






Kinomaya / Maya Yonesho Abstract Animation Works (Anido, 2008)


availabe at anido





Yume ga Shagandeiru (Tomoyasu Murata, 2008)




available for purchase at tomoyasu.net





Pale Cocoon (Yasuhiro Yoshiura, Avex Trax, 2006)


The Complete Experimental Films of Osamu Tezuka (Geneon, 2007)


The Complete Works of Takashi Itō (Image Forum, 2009)


Available at cdjapan

© Catherine Munroe Hotes 2009

Murata Joint (村田関節)

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at puppet animation but didn't know where to start? Tomoyasu Murata (村田朋泰), one of Japan's most prolific independent animators, has recently introduced his own line of armatures. In puppet animation, the armature acts as the skeleton or frame upon which figures are built. Some animators make their own armature using simple tools such as wire and endnuts, as is shown in this demonstration video. Armature can also be bought at art supply shops. Murata is selling a complete set for a human figure online for ¥18,900. Pieces can also be bought individually for ¥2,000 per unit. To see Murata's own puppets in actions, check out the short trailers for his films on his website, or Mr. Children's music video for the song Hero. His films are also available on DVD. Learn more about him by reading the numerous reviews of his films on this blog or Midnight Eye.

Tomoyasu Murata Sakuhinshu - Ore no Michi

Shiro no Michi [w/ Picture Book, Limited Release]

Suiren no Hito

Merry Christmas

One of Keita Funamoto's animation students 'Izumi' put together this festive animation. Merry Christmas to you all. Thank you for your support throughout 2009.