1. The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し)
Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.
It has an average vote of 7.1 on TMDB.
2. From Up on Poppy Hill (コクリコ坂から)
Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.
It has an average vote of 7.526 on TMDB.
3. Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ)
In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.
It has an average vote of 7.358 on TMDB.
4. The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ)
14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.
It has an average vote of 7.656 on TMDB.
5. Ocean Waves (海がきこえる)
At Kichijōji Station, Tokyo, Taku Morisaki glimpses a familiar woman on the platform opposite boarding a train. Later, her photo falls from a shelf as he exits his apartment before flying to Kōchi Prefecture. Picking it up, he looks at it briefly before leaving. As the aeroplane takes off, he narrates the events that brought her into his life...
It has an average vote of 6.396 on TMDB.
6. Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫)
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
It has an average vote of 8.339 on TMDB.
7. Porco Rosso (紅の豚)
In Italy in the 1930s, sky pirates in biplanes terrorize wealthy cruise ships as they sail the Adriatic Sea. The only pilot brave enough to stop the scourge is the mysterious Porco Rosso, a former World War I flying ace who was somehow turned into a pig during the war. As he prepares to battle the pirate crew's American ace, Porco Rosso enlists the help of spunky girl mechanic Fio Piccolo and his longtime friend Madame Gina.
It has an average vote of 7.794 on TMDB.
8. My Neighbors the Yamadas (ホーホケキョ となりの山田くん)
The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.
It has an average vote of 6.978 on TMDB.
9. The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ)
A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.
It has an average vote of 7.788 on TMDB.
10. Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便)
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
It has an average vote of 7.828 on TMDB.
11. Tales from Earthsea (ゲド戦記)
Something bizarre has come over the land. The kingdom is deteriorating. People are beginning to act strange... What's even more strange is that people are beginning to see dragons, which shouldn't enter the world of humans. Due to all these bizarre events, Ged, a wandering wizard, is investigating the cause. During his journey, he meets Prince Arren, a young distraught teenage boy. While Arren may look like a shy young teen, he has a severe dark side, which grants him strength, hatred, ruthlessness and has no mercy, especially when it comes to protecting Teru. For the witch Kumo this is a perfect opportunity. She can use the boy's "fears" against the very one who would help him, Ged.
It has an average vote of 6.53 on TMDB.
12. When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー)
Upon being sent to live with relatives in the countryside due to an illness, an emotionally distant adolescent girl becomes obsessed with an abandoned mansion and infatuated with a girl who lives there - a girl who may or may not be real.
It has an average vote of 7.945 on TMDB.
13. Second Life (선희와 슬기)
Seon-hee is a high school girl who used to tell lies to get her friends attention. She leaves Seoul guilt-ridden when her friend Jung-mi kills herself because of Seon-hee's lies. In the countryside where no one knows her, Seon-hee begins a new life as Seul-ki.
It has an average vote of 7.2 on TMDB.
14. Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ)
The Raccoons of the Tama Hills are being forced from their homes by the rapid development of houses and shopping malls. As it becomes harder to find food and shelter, they decide to band together and fight back. The Raccoons practice and perfect the ancient art of transformation until they are even able to appear as humans in hilarious circumstances.
It has an average vote of 7.167 on TMDB.
15. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語)
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
It has an average vote of 8.1 on TMDB.
16. Wolf Children (おおかみこどもの雨と雪)
After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.
It has an average vote of 8.233 on TMDB.
17. My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ)
Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.
It has an average vote of 8.069 on TMDB.
18. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女)
When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to, quite literally, "leap" backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.
It has an average vote of 7.78 on TMDB.
19. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ)
After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.
It has an average vote of 7.938 on TMDB.
20. 5 Centimeters per Second (秒速5センチメートル)
Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city.
It has an average vote of 7.31 on TMDB.