The 100 links in this post represent seven years’ worth of freelance writing from a cinephile and Japanophile’s perspective. Here, you’ll find Japan-related film analysis and film-related travel writing that I’ve done for /Film, Inverse, Dread Central, Explore, and GaijinPot, including my Lost in Translation and Anthony Bourdain sightseeing guides, which respectively ranked as the #1 and #7 top-performing articles by organic search on the GaijinPot Blog the year they posted.
If you like movies and you’re interested in Japan, the links here offer a comprehensive guide to movie locations in Tokyo and elsewhere across the country. They also serve as the portfolio of a writer with press-accredited coverage of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The very last section at the bottom is devoted to places inside and outside Japan, including America and other parts of Asia. All my other (non-movie-centric) travel writing can be found in this portfolio. Anyone who enjoys both jidaigeki and Jedi films is encouraged to peruse my Star Wars coverage, which features an extensive archive of “Star Wars in Japan” articles.
Movie & TV-Inspired Travel
A Night Alone in the ‘Ringu’ Cabin (Dread Central Article)
This Popular Mountain Is One of the Most Filmed Locations in Asia (Explore Article)
Mount Fuji.
Street Art and a Ghibli Exhibition on Tennozu Isle
Photo Highlight: Warner Bros. Sunset
Why This Popular City Was One of Anthony Bourdain's Favorite Places to Visit (Explore Article)
Tokyo.
Where to Find the Real-Life Landmarks Demolished by Godzilla Onscreen (Explore Article)
Photo Highlight: Gamera in Chofu
Comparing the Ghibli Museum with Ghibli Park
Ghibli Park and the Ghibli Museum (Photo Gallery)
Ghibli Park Review and Photo Tour: A Nature-Friendly Hayao Miyazaki Fan's Paradise (/Film Article)
How to Build a Gundam (Inverse Article)
Gundam Factory Yokohama (Photo Gallery)
Japan’s Life-Sized Gundam, Through the Years
The Anthony Bourdain Tour of Namba, Osaka
Inside the Stranger Things Cafe Where Hawkins Comes to Life (/Film Article)
Down the Well: The Real Ghost Story That Inspired ‘Ringu’ (GaijinPot Article)
Anime Fans Save Studio Ghibli Museum With Massive Crowdfunding Initiative (/Film Article)
What It’s Like to Stay in the Hotel Where ‘Lost in Translation’ Was Filmed
5 of the Coolest Studio Ghibli Movie Locations You Can Visit in Japan (GaijinPot Article)
Remembering Anthony Bourdain Through His Travels in Japan (GaijinPot Article)
5 Cool James Bond Movie Locations You Can Visit in Japan (GaijinPot Article)
8 of the Coolest Movie Locations You Can Visit in Japan (GaijinPot Article)
A Guide to the Best 'Lost in Translation’ Spots in Tokyo (GaijinPot Article)
The Shinjuku Shrine That Inspired the Face of Baymax in 'Big Hero 6'
Universal Studios Japan
5 More Things Unique to Universal Studios Japan
You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Lens for USJ’s Jaws Ride
5 Things to Know Before You Go to Universal Studios Japan (GaijinPot Article)
Mario’s Revenge: A Daytime Photo Tour of Super Nintendo World
Super Nintendo World (Photo Gallery)
Japan on Film
Oppenheimer’s Most Effective Scene Puts Kyoto in the Room
Tom Cruise’s Historical War Epic Remains Controversial — and Underrated (Inverse Article)
In The Last Samurai, Japan's march toward modernization was also Hollywood's.
Anatomy of a Controversy: Revisiting the Japanese Wife Scenes in ‘Licorice Pizza’
The Daily Stream: Woman in the Dunes Finds Grains of Truth in a World of Sand (/Film Article)
‘Drive My Car’ Cruises With Slow Purpose Through a Landscape of Things Left Unsaid
Tokyo Vice Trailer: Michael Mann Heads to HBO Max for His First Streaming Series (/Film Article)
‘Yojimbo’ at 60: Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai Classic Still Packs a Masterful Punch (/Film Article)
5 Japanese Films to Put You in the Oscars Mood (GaijinPot Article)
Shoplifters, Mirai, Departures, Hana-bi, and Tokyo Story.
5 Innovative Genre Filmmakers from Japan (GaijinPot Article)
Hideaki Anno, Takeshi Kitano, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Miike, and Isao Takahata.
Akira Kurosawa: 5 Essential Movies From Japan’s Greatest Filmmaker (GaijinPot Article)
Rashomon, Ikiru, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, and Ran. As mentioned in the article, these were the five Kurosawa films on the IMDb Top 250 at the time of writing.
Living ‘Lost in Translation’ and Examining the Film’s Global Legacy, 15 Years Later (/Film Article)
Godzilla
Akira Takarada, Star of the Original 1954 Godzilla Movie, Has Died at 87 (/Film Article)
‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Spoiler Review: A Chip Off the Old Blockbuster (/Film Article)
J-Horror
In Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘Cure’, Stress Relief Means Murder (Dread Central Article)
Junji Ito’s Spiral of Manga Horror
The Western Influences Behind Junji Ito’s Manga Work (GaijinPot Article)
These next few links cover J-horror movies that I wrote about for /Film. Some of them redirect to list-oriented articles where only certain sections are about Japanese films:
Anime
The Daily Stream: Mobile Suit Gundam Is the Grandaddy of Giant Robots (/Film Article)
Ghost in the Shell Ending Explained: The Next Stage of Post-Human Evolution (/Film Article)
Princess Mononoke Ending Explained: Death and Rebirth in the Forest (/Film Article)
Spirited Away Ending Explained: On Earth as It Is in Ghibli (/Film Article)
Akira's Motorcycles Came Straight Out of Another Sci-Fi Classic (/Film Article)
Spirited Away Is Brought to Life in Delightful Images From New Stage Show (/Film Article)
‘Pacific Rim: The Black’ Un-Cancels the Apocalypse, for Better or Worse (/Film Article)
‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ and the New Religion of 21st-Century Fandom (/Film Article)
A Complete Guide to the Films of Hayao Miyazaki (GaijinPot Article)
‘Akira’ Turns 30 and It Remains Essential Sci-Fi and Gateway Anime (/Film Article)
The Tokyo International Film Festival
Some of my festival coverage from 2018 onward can be found above in the “Godzilla” and “Japan on Film” sections. This includes movies like Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018), Earthquake Bird (2019), and Godzilla: Minus One (2023).
Tokyo International Film Festival: 2017–2018 (Photo Gallery)
3 Things to Know About the Blockbuster Japanese Movie ‘One Cut of the Dead’ (2018 GaijinPot Article)
6 Reasons to Visit the Tokyo International Film Festival (2018 GaijinPot Article)
An Inconvenient Time to Talk About 'An Inconvenient Truth' and Its Sequel [TIFF-JP 2017]
Tommy Lee Jones on Film Festivals [TIFF-JP 2017]
In ‘Gutland,’ The Vibes Are Bad in the Good Land [TIFF-JP 2017]
Steven Soderbergh Explains How the ‘Ocean’s’ Trilogy Is His Superhero Series (2017 /Film Article)
Tommy Lee Jones Is Big in Japan and Boss Coffee Is His Lifeblood (2017 /Film Article)
The Tokyo International Film Festival: 2015–2016 Photo Tour
Inside and Outside Japan
The Biggest, Most Popular Harry Potter Attractions Aren't Where You'd Expect (Explore Article)
Unless you’d expect them to be outside Universal on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
From Amityville to Ringu: The Evil Eyes of Three Houses and One Cabin
Spend the Night in These Spooky Movie Hotels and Cabins (If You Dare) [Explore Article]
Hotels in Los Angeles, Oregon, Colorado, Texas, and Tokyo.
These Luxury Hotels Will Put You Right in Your Favorite Movie Setting (Explore Article)
Hotels in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Singapore, and Tokyo.
7 Movies Where Hong Kong's Capsized Floating Restaurant Did (And Didn't) Appear (/Film Article)
Airplane Book Recommendation: ‘The Spy Across the Table’ by Barry Lancet