Movies Like Only Yesterday

If you liked Only Yesterday (1991), a animation and drama movie directed by Isao Takahata, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Little Forest: Summer/Autumn (2014)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
Fleeing heartbreak in the big city, Ichiko returns to Komori, her rural hometown. She battles summer's rain and humidity, bakes her own bread, grows hothouse tomatoes and tills the fields. During autumn, the time for…
2
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
★ 7.8/10Also animation and drama
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't…
3
Summer Ghost (2021)
★ 7.3/10Also animation and drama
An urban legend says that lighting fireworks at an abandoned airfield will beckon the "summer ghost," a spirit that can answer any question. Three teenagers, Tomoya, Aoi, and Ryo, each have their own reason to show up…
4
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
★ 8.1/10Also animation and drama
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she…
5
Little Forest: Winter/Spring (2015)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
Ichiko bakes a cake for an end-of-year party with her friends. In the depths of winter, making mochi and curry keeps the people of Komori warm. Later, spring brings thoughts of her absent mother as well as rice…
6
When Marnie Was There (2014)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and drama
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may…
7
Mai Mai Miracle (2009)
★ 7.1/10Also animation and drama
Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
8
The Colors Within (2024)
★ 6.9/10Also animation and drama
Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the…
9
Child of Kamiari Month (2021)
★ 6.5/10Also animation and drama
A year after losing her mother, a young girl learns that she must journey across Japan to the annual gathering of gods in the sacred land of Izumo.
10
Perfect Days (2023)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on…
11
Epic (2013)
★ 6.6/10Also animation
A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their…
12
Mirai (2018)
★ 7.2/10Also animation and drama
Four-year-old Kun struggles with jealousy after his newborn sister, Mirai, begins receiving most of his family’s attention. Retreating to the garden, he encounters Mirai as a teenager from the future and embarks on…
13
The Greening of Whitney Brown (2011)
★ 5.9/10Also drama
Whitney, a spoiled pre-teen from Philadelphia, is forced to move to the country when her parents feel the squeeze of economic hard times. A fish out of water, far from her comfort zone, she befriends an amazing horse…
14
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
★ 7.9/10Also animation and drama
Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa."
15
Steins;Gate: The Movie - Load Region of Déjà Vu (2013)
★ 7.6/10Also animation and drama
One year after the events of the anime, Rintarou begins to feel the repercussions of extensive time travel, and eventually completely fades from reality. Kurisu, being the only companion to remember him, now must find…
16
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
★ 7.5/10Also animation and drama
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off…
17
Here (2024)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
An odyssey through time and memory, centered on a place in New Jersey where—from wilderness, and then, later, from a home—love, loss, struggle, hope and legacy play out between couples and families over generations.
18
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)
★ 8.1/10Also animation
Iroha's life gets knocked off its orbit when Kaguya, a carefree runaway from the Moon, moves in and convinces her to perform in a virtual world together.
19
Love Life (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
Taeko and her husband, Jirō, are living a peaceful existence with her young son, Keita, when a tragic accident brings the boy's long-lost father, Park, back into her life. To cope with the pain and guilt, Taeko throws…
20
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
★ 5.9/10Also animation
A version of Shakespeare's play, set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes. Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud…