Movies Like Bojô no kawa

If you liked Bojô no kawa (1957), a movie directed by Kōji Shima, 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
The Colors Within (2024)
★ 6.9/10
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…
2
Gauche the Cellist (1982)
★ 7.3/10
Gauche is a diligent but mediocre cellist who plays for a small town orchestra and the local cinema in the early 20th century. He struggles during rehearsals and is often berated by his conductor during preparations…
3
Departures (2008)
★ 7.9/10
Daigo, a cellist, is laid off from his orchestra and moves with his wife back to his small hometown where the living is cheaper. Thinking he’s applying for a job at a travel agency he finds he’s being interviewed for…
4
Cadillac Records (2008)
★ 7.1/10
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta…
5
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1957)
★ 6.2/10
In post-WWII Japan, an American captain is brought in to help build a school, but the locals want a teahouse instead.
6
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
★ 7.2/10
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
7
Inu-Oh (2022)
★ 7.5/10
A cursed dancer and a blind musician — both ostracized by society — become business partners and inseparable friends as their larger-than-life concerts propel them to stardom in 14th century Japan.
8
Perfect Days (2023)
★ 7.8/10
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…
9
Blue Giant (2023)
★ 7.8/10
High school student Dai Miyamoto has his life is turned upside down the day he discovers jazz. Picking up a saxophone and leaving his sleepy hometown for the bustling nightclubs of Tokyo, Dai will find that the life of…
10
Yojimbo (1961)
★ 8.1/10
A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin…
11
Love Live! The School Idol Movie (2015)
★ 7.6/10
Although μ's, the defending champions of the school idol tournament, plans to dissolve their group after the graduation of their senior members, they receive news that leads them to holding a concert event! The 9 girls…
12
Love Letter (1953)
★ 7.2/10
Five years after the end of the Second World War, Reikichi, a repatriated veteran, translates love letters for Japanese women to American GIs, while searching for his lost love, Michiko.
13
Reincarnation (2005)
★ 6.1/10
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.
14
The Liar and His Lover (2013)
★ 7.6/10
Set within music field, this film depicts a love story between a 25-year-old sound engineer and 16-year-old high school student Riko, who posessess a gifted voice. 25-year-old sound engineer Aki is a member of popular…
15
COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can't Sing (2025)
★ 8.2/10
Ichika is a high school musician who can enter a mysterious place called “SEKAI,” where she and her friends express their innermost emotions through music alongside Hatsune Miku. One day after giving a live…
16
Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956)
★ 7.2/10
A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful…
17
Tokyo Tribe (2014)
★ 6.5/10
In an alternate Japan, territorial street gangs form opposing factions collectively known as the Tokyo Tribes. Merra, leader of the Wu-Ronz tribe of Bukuro, joins forces with heavy-hitting gangster Buppa of Buppa Town…
18
Uzumaki (2000)
★ 6/10
The inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.
19
Gung Ho (1986)
★ 6.1/10
When a western Pennsylvania auto plant is acquired by a Japanese company, brokering auto worker Hunt Stevenson faces the tricky challenge of mediating the assimilation of two clashing corporate cultures. At one end is…
20
The Piano Forest (2007)
★ 7.1/10
Shuhei Amamiya transfers to Moriwaki Elementary filled with hope and ambition. But it doesn't take long before he gets picked on by the class bullies, and gets involved in a dare to play the mysterious piano in the…