Three must-watch Japanese films

Please excuse today's randomness-
apparently, I've lost my blogging mojo and I need to get my mind off beauty-related stuff!

Three utterly amazing japanese films are the reason behind this impromtu post. I recently saw them all and -if it's any worth- I now classify them among the few best films I've ever watched. Highly, HIGHLY recommend you to watch these, if you appreciate world cinema!

Each storyline is not that unique, though they're certainly captivating and will have you glued in the screen to see what happens next. All three films are real, in the sense that they deal with the profound meaning of life, so it's inevitable for them not to have a deep impact on how you view all aspects of living such as love, pain and death.
Moving factor of all 3: very high- be prepared!

1 .    S T I L L    W A L K I N G    ( 2 0 0 8 )
A family gets together once a year to commemorate the accidental death of their eldest son, who drowned when he tried to save a boy's life. This time, the younger son brings with him his new wife, who is a widow and has a boy from her previous marriage.

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2 .    D E P A R T U R E S    ( 2 0 0 8 )
A cellist loses his job after the band he was taking part is fallen apart. He returns to his hometown to live with his wife in the house he grew up, and settles upon one of the most bizarre professions: preparing the dead before they're cremated. [Surprisignly, this film is not as heavy and gloomy as it sounds!]

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3 .    C H E R R Y    B L O S S O M S    ( 2 0 0 8 )
A german-japanese film, actually... It's about a middle-aged couple who have a loving relationship and live in a small Bavarian village, after their children moved out to seek their own future. The wife (who is Japanese) has always wanted to visit Japan's sacred mountain Fuji, but something happens along the way that changes everything. [I'd advise you to skip the trailer below, as it actually reveals the film's turn of story]

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If you're mostly accustomed with the Hollywood movies' fast pace, you don't need to worry: I can assure you there's no Angelopulian fixed plans that last half an hour in these films! If you happen to have watched any of them, let me know of your opinions and thoughs ;)

There, it feels good sharing your very best "discoveries" to the world!
Do leave me a comment if you know of other japanese films that are worth watching ;)

Evi   xx