Top 5 Japanese shows on Netflix that you should check out

Despite the heavy blows dealt to the global entertainment scene by the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan's anime industry has shown remarkable resilience. "Even in pandemic times, still the anime market thrived," Kana Koido, a partner at Japanese indie distributor The Klockworx, told The Hollywood Reporter.

At the peak of pandemic lockdowns across the country in 2020, total US box office sales were down by 80%, while Japan's total anime industry only shrunk by a mere 3.5%, according to consultancy Parrot Analytics.

More recently, it's been made clear that it's not just about anime. A growing attention is being paid to the other genres of Japanese entertainment, including dramas and films.

As Netflix grows its collection of foreign content, more Non-English films and TV shows are being introduced to a global audience — there's also a heightening interest in Korean entertainment.

With more Japanese shows being brought to Netflix, it has given them a chance to shine internationally.

Here are the top five Japanese films and series on Netflix that have made it to the platform's Global Top 10 Non-English charts.

Upon its release on February 14, the film made its way to fourth place on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English Films chart, with over six million hours viewed in the first week.

Inspired by the manga "Body Search", "Re/Member" puts a twist on classic Japanese horror by weaving in elements of the supernatural, time loops, as well as puzzle-solving.

The story follows a group of six classmates that are haunted by a vengeful spirit demanding them to search and retrieve its body parts. If they were to fail, they would face a horrible death. The day resets until they complete the body search.

Centered on a former sex worker named Chihiro, played by Kasumi Arimura, the story brings us along on her experiences. She starts anew in a small seaside town, serving bentos and advice to her customers, while learning how to deal with her feelings of loneliness.

With the protagonist's bright and outspoken personality, the compelling story of "Call Me Chihiro" has garnered positive responses from viewers, reaching third place on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English films within the first week of its release on February 23.

Brimming with stories of humanity and loneliness, it is a film that seeks to reach the hearts of everyday people.

Inspired by famous Japanese-American pop singer Hikaru Utada's two songs "First Love" and "Hatsukoi", the Japanese drama series depicts a soul-stirring, cross-generational romance between two people who were each other's first loves.

At its peak, "First Love" reached fifth place on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV chart with over 12 million hours viewed.

Fans adore the series for capturing the feeling of young love and nostalgia through its captivating storytelling and cinematography.

Based on the video game "Cyberpunk 2077," the anime series is an action-packed dystopian sci-fi story set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe.

It follows two young people who are displaced from a body modification-obsessed society. Through a series of heart-wrenching trauma and violence, the pair struggle to survive in a world that wants nothing to do with them.

Released on September 13 last year, the series made its way onto the Netflix Global Top 10 Non-English TV chart and stayed there for four consecutive weeks.

Based on a manga of the same name, this mindblowing series is often compared to the Korean blockbuster "Squid Game", but the Japanese Battle Royale-esque story offers an entirely different type of thrilling experience.

"Alice in Borderland" has two parts to the story, both of which celebrated huge success internationally. Upon release on December 22 last year, the second season topped Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English TV chart, while the first season, which was released on December 10 in 2022, was simultaneously bumped to second place on the chart.

The survivor thriller depicts a young jobless gamer Ryohei Arisu, played by Kento Yamazaki, as he gets thrown into a deserted other-worldly Tokyo. He and other equally-confused citizens have to get through rounds and rounds of grueling and mind-boggling games in order to stay alive.