15 Romantic Japanese Movies To Watch With Your Partner

Japanese romance movies do something that Hollywood just can't match. Those slow-burning feelings, the sideways glances that say everything without a word, and those gorgeously awkward moments that feel so real you can't help but smile – they've got magic all their own. And if you're curious about learning Japanese? These films are your perfect excuse to start.

Skip the endless scrolling tonight. We've lined up 15 Japanese romantic films that'll make your heart skip a beat and maybe teach you a thing or two about love (and Japanese!) along the way.

Oh and if you'll stick around – we'll even show you how to turn these swoon-worthy stories into your personal Japanese tutor with our favorite language app. Let's get started!

Romantic Japanese Movies

Your Name

Original title: 君の名は Kimi no Na wa
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Year: 2016

This mind-bending romance follows two teens who mysteriously swap bodies, turning their ordinary lives into an extraordinary love story across time and space. Beyond its stunning animation and heart-tugging plot, Your Name is perfect for picking up everyday Japanese phrases – especially casual teen slang and the different ways Japanese speakers address each other.

I Give My First Love to You

Original title: 僕の初恋をキミに捧ぐ Boku no Hatsukoi o Kimi ni Sasagu
Director: Takehiko Shinjo
Year: 2009

Get your tissues ready – this tender story about childhood friends Takuma and Mayu will teach you about love's bittersweet timing. When Mayu learns that Takuma has a heart condition that might cut his life short, their innocent romance takes on new meaning.

While you're trying not to ugly-cry, you'll pick up beautiful Japanese expressions about young love, including sweet ways to make promises (約束 yakusoku) and confess feelings. The school setting is also perfect for learning everyday teen conversations and those heart-melting Japanese phrases you'll never find in textbooks!

From Me to You

Original title: 君に届け Kimi ni Todoke
Director: Naoto Kumazawa
Year: 2010

Meet Sawako, nicknamed "Sadako" because she looks like the girl from The Ring (awkward!). Despite her spooky appearance, she's actually super sweet – and watching her slowly bloom as she falls for the most popular guy in school is pure joy.

This charming high school romance is a goldmine for learning how Japanese teens really talk, especially when it comes to navigating those tricky social situations. You'll pick up everything from classroom Japanese to the way friends give each other nicknames, plus those adorably awkward phrases people use when they're crushing hard.

Be with You

Original title: いま、会いにゆきます Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu
Director: Nobuhiro Doi
Year: 2004

When Takumi's late wife mysteriously returns during the rainy season with no memory of her past, their young son is overjoyed – but there's a bittersweet catch. While the story unfolds, you'll learn beautiful Japanese expressions about family bonds, weather (perfect for small talk!), and those untranslatable words that capture complex emotions.

Crying Out Love, In the Center Of The World

Original title: 世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ Sekai no Chūshin de, Ai o Sakebu
Director: Isao Yukisada
Year: 2004

Through a box of old cassette tapes, Sakutaro relives the intense emotions of his first love with Aki, his high school girlfriend who left this world too soon. Jumping between past and present, we experience their pure teenage romance and the way it still echoes in his adult life – it's the kind of story that reminds you how first loves never really leave us.

Beyond the tearjerker moments, you'll catch yourself learning Japanese expressions about love, loss, and memories, plus the fascinating way the language shifts between past and present narratives.

The 100th Love with You

Original title: 君と100回目の恋 Kimi to 100-kaime no Koi
Director: Sho Tsukikawa
Year: 2017

When Aoi realizes he can rewind time every time he plays music, he keeps reliving the same day to save his crush from a tragic accident. But get this – each reset comes with its own emotional punch to the gut!

While you're watching Aoi try to beat fate, you'll pick up cool Japanese slang about time, music (hello, musician vocabulary!), and those perfectly untranslatable words about destiny.

We Made a Beautiful Bouquet

Original title: 花束みたいな恋をした Hanataba Mitaina Koi o Shita
Director: Nobuhiro Doi
Year: 2021

This slice-of-life romance hits differently because it feels so real – following five years in the lives of two young people who meet by chance at a train station. No dramatic plot twists or supernatural elements here, just the raw, honest story of a relationship growing, changing, and facing real-world challenges.

While you're getting invested in their journey, you'll catch modern Japanese expressions about dating, work life, and those everyday moments that make up a relationship. The natural dialogue is perfect for learning how young Japanese couples actually talk to each other – from those first awkward exchanges to the comfortable conversations that come with time.

We Couldn't Become Adults

Original title: 僕たちは大人になれなかった Boku-tachi wa Otona ni Narenakatta
Director: Yoshihiro Mori
Year: 2021

When a social media friend request sends Makoto tumbling down memory lane, we're pulled into a bittersweet journey through his past, centered on his lost love from the 1990s and all those dreams that never quite happened.

The film's mix of modern social media Japanese and 90s expressions creates a perfect language learning cocktail – catch everything from how people chat online to those deep, late-night conversations about life's "what-ifs." Plus, you'll pick up authentic Japanese words and phrases about work life, relationships, and the way Japanese people express those complicated feelings about paths not taken!

Ride Or Die

Original title: 彼女 Kanojo
Director: Ryuichi Hiroki
Year: 2021.

This intense, unconventional love story isn't your typical Japanese romance – it follows Rei, who kills her friend's abusive husband, leading to a passionate and dangerous road trip with complex feelings at every turn. Fair warning: it's definitely not a light date night pick (think violence, mature themes, and raw emotions)!

Here, you'll learn how Japanese expresses everything from intense loyalty to complex sexuality, plus lots of casual, unfiltered conversation between close friends.

The Garden Of Words

Original title: 言の葉の庭 Kotonoha no Niwa
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Year: 2013

This visually stunning film proves that sometimes the most powerful romance blooms in the quietest moments – like two strangers meeting in a garden during rainy mornings. The story follows a 15-year-old shoe designer and a mysterious older woman who skip their daily responsibilities to share peaceful moments in a Tokyo park.

Beyond the breathtaking animation, you'll learn beautiful Japanese expressions about rain (so many words for different types!), along with the delicate art of indirect communication. Pay attention to how the characters use formal and informal speech – it's a perfect example of how Japanese people navigate age differences and growing intimacy through language!

My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday

Original title: ぼくは明日、昨日のきみとデートする Boku wa Ashita, Kinō no Kimi to Dētosuru
Director: Takahiro Miki
Year: 2016

Here's a time-bending romance that'll make your head spin (in a good way!) – Takatoshi falls for Emi, but there's a wild catch: she's living her life backwards while he's moving forward in time.

In terms of learning Japanese, this film is packed with sweet everyday Japanese phrases about dating, time, and those little moments that make up a relationship. You'll learn how Japanese people express confusion (you'll need it with this plot!), make plans for dates, and share those butterflies-in-stomach feelings.

Heavenly Forest

Original title: ただ、君を愛してる Tada, Kimi o Aishiteru
Director: Takehiko Shinjo
Year: 2006

This tender story follows Makoto, a shy photography student, and his free-spirited classmate Shizuru, whose relationship unfolds through a collection of cherished photos. While you're getting caught up in their gentle romance, you'll pick up natural Japanese conversations about college life, photography (hello, camera vocabulary!), and those awkward-sweet moments between friends who might be something more.

The Liar and His Lover

Original title: カノジョは嘘を愛しすぎてる Kanojo wa Uso o Aishisugiteru
Director: Norihiro Koizumi
Year: 2013

A famous music producer hiding his identity meets a high school student with an amazing voice – cue the music and the complications! When Aki falls for Ryo without knowing he's actually a renowned songwriter, we get a sweet story about trust, music, and finding your authentic self.

In the language learning front, you'll pick up tons of music-related Japanese vocabulary and those specific phrases musicians use when talking about their craft.

A Whisker Away

Original title: 泣きたい私は猫をかぶる Nakitai Watashi wa Neko o Kaburu
Director: Junichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama
Year: 2020

This charming anime puts a magical spin on young love – when Miyo discovers she can transform into a cat to get closer to her crush, what could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler: lots!) While watching her navigate love in both human and feline form, you'll catch delightful Japanese expressions about pets, school life, and those embarrassing moments we all face when crushing hard.

Fun fact: the title itself is a play on a Japanese idiom about wearing a cat mask to hide your emotions – how's that for a language lesson disguised as a cute romance?

Drawing Closer

Original title: 余命一年の僕が、余命半年の君と出会った話 Yomei Ichinen no Boku ga, Yomei Hantoshi no Kimi to Deatta Hanashi
Director: Takahiro Miki
Year: 2024

This tender film follows the romance between a man with one year left and a woman with six months, as they navigate the delicate balance between living fully and loving deeply despite their circumstances. While your heart might ache, you'll learn powerful Japanese expressions about time, mortality, and those deep emotions that are hard to put into words in any language.

Japanese Words Related To Romance

Ready to sprinkle some Japanese romance into your movie-watching experience? Japanese has an incredibly rich vocabulary for expressing different types of love and romantic feelings. From the butterflies-in-your-stomach 恋 (koi) to the deeper, more mature 愛 (ai), each word captures a unique shade of love.

Want to try making your own romantic Japanese sentence? Here's an easy template to practice with: "[Person's name]は私の[word]です。" (... wa watashi no ... desu) which means "[Person] is my [word]."

For example, you could say "Takuya wa watashi no koibito desu" (Takuya is my lover) or "Sakura wa watashi no hatsukoi desu" (Sakura is my first love). Just plug in different words from the list, and you're speaking romantic Japanese!

Learn Japanese With Romance Movies

In this article, we saw 15 Japanese romantic movies, with their plot summaries, directors and release date, and at the end some words and phrases related to love in Japanese. But, there's one last thing I want to tell you, and that's about a useful app and site where you can watch your favorite romantic TV shows and movies while learning love-related phrases and vocabulary in Japanese.

Of course, I'm talking about Lingopie!

Lingopie offers an authentic language learning experience by offering real TV shows and movies in Japanese - not just to watch but to actually learn from! You can literally learn words and phrases from what's said in the scenes you love. The best part? You can review your learned words with games and flashcards!

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up, start your free trial today, and enjoy!