Updates the story of Japanese cinema for the 21st century. Contemporary Japanese Cinema Since Hana-Bi is the first study of the significant developments in Japanese genre filmmaking since the turn of the new millennium.This book explores the key films, filmmakers, themes and genres in post-1997 Japanese cinema, during fifteen years in which productivity in the Japanese film industry has reached a higher peak than at any time since the 1950s and a dialogue with earlier traditions of Japanese cinema has been firmly established. Key Features: * Considers films and filmmakers that have yet to feature predominantly in western discourse on Japanese cinema * Analyses in detail the dialogue that can be seen between new Japanese cinema and the significant trends and practices of past generations * Includes a discussion of the modern state of the Japanese documentary feature, based on interviews with some of its leading practitioners * Includes a review of Japanese-language criticism and a consideration of how the country's cinema has been perceived within Japan