Lost Paradise(Shitsurakuen)

Based on the best-selling novel by Watanabe Junichi, Morita Yoshimitsu’s erotic drama, about a passionate extramarital affair between a middle-aged salaryman and a calligraphy teacher, was a pop culture sensation across Asia during its initial release. A less morally restrained and more sexually explicit take on David Lean’s Brief Encounter, this beautifully tragic yet devastatingly romantic story of an all-consuming forbidden love bravely defied social mores of conservative Japanese society, elevating a story of transgressive desire into a sombre exploration of societal constraint and emotional isolation. Morita’s emotionally delicate approach, Yakusho Koji and Kuroki Hitomi’s fearless performances, Takase Hiroshi’s elegant wintry cinematography, and Oshima Michiru’s stirring score made this mature romance a masterpiece of contemporary Japanese cinema.

Kinema Junpo Awards: Best Actor

Blue Ribbon Awards: Best Actor