There are not many Japanese found-footage horror movies, and of those that are listed many are written and directed by the same man, Koji Shiraishi, putting him at the forefront of the genre. While there isn't an abundance of found-footage-style horror movies coming out of Japan like there is in the U.S, the quality and originality that goes into these Japanese horror movies more than makes up for their small numbers.
Their originality and ability to scare is essential when they are usually being made with such a low budget, trading expensive CGI for dark corridors and believable dialogue, all of which actually elevates the movie and usually results in something that will be watched through cracked fingers and will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll.
Shirome (2010) - 4.7
Shirome follows a filmmaker who sets out to film a television show where celebrities investigate haunted locations, one of which contains a shrine to Shirome, a wish-granting spirit. Shirome will grant anyone's wish as long as the wish-maker is both sincere and believes in them, but if they do not, Shirome will take revenge on them.
This horror movie was made on a low budget and features almost no special effects, but the eerie atmosphere created by the believable performances and superb supernatural storytelling makes this movie a fantastic example of just how good found-footage can be when done right.
Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night (2010) - 5.1
This independent horror movie is based on the 2007 American movie Paranormal Activity and is set just after the events of the American horror, following a Japanese exchange student as she returns from her stay in America, during which she was involved in a car accident.
While adopting some of the same methods of tension as its American inspiration, Paranormal Activity 2: Tokyo Night also succeeds in making the story its own, using Shinto priests and their cleansing ceremonies to pull the viewer into the Japanese setting and thus the story itself, resulting in a fantastic movie that stands on its own and is worth watching even if one has seen the American movies.
Cult (2013) - 5.4
2013's Cult follows a team of celebrities as they investigate the haunting and eventual exorcism of a Japanese family, setting up cameras in the family home and interviewing them in an attempt to understand the reason behind the paranormal incidents.
Using similar camera set-ups as Paranormal Activity, such as fixed cameras and night-vision, Cult contains some truly disturbing shots of the family, done in a way that makes the viewer feel as though they should not be watching something so private and sinister. The depictions of the ghosts and spirits are also utterly unsettling, making Cult a terrifying experience from start to finish.
POV: A Cursed Film (2012) - 5.8
While running a segment on ghosts and the paranormal, TV presenters begin to experience strange and supernatural occurrences. Presented in both professional and handheld, point-of-view camera styles, POV: A Cursed Film is genuinely believable and contains some of the creepiest visuals and sound design in the found-footage genre.
Although there are faults, mainly down to some of the acting, this movie uses what little budget it has and is filmed in a way that is deeply disturbing, resulting in a horror movie that has the ability to make the viewer forget that what they're watching is actually fiction.
A Record Of Sweet Murder (2014) - 6.3
This horror-thriller follows a journalist and his cameraman, played by director and writer Koji Shiraishi, as they visit an abandoned house after receiving a mysterious invitation to do so. Upon investigating the home they find a videotape that shows a murder perpetrated by a wanted criminal who believes he is able to bring the dead back to life.
Focusing less on the supernatural and more on real-life terror, A Record Of Sweet Murder swaps scares for disturbing, unsettling scenarios and bloody gore, making it both a fine addition to the genre but also a new and exciting take on it.
Occult (2009) - 6.5
Occult begins with a strange, gruesome, and seemingly unprovoked attack on those staying at a Japanese resort, killing two and injuring one. Years after the event, a film crew sets out to investigate both the incident itself and the lives of those affected by it. While interviewing the man who survived the attack, it is revealed that the attacked had carved a strange symbol into his back. While still being paranormal, Occult decides to focus on more than the standard ghost story, delving into U.F.O's, religion, and Lovecraftian beings.
While this movie's low budget hinders some of the special effects, the strange and intricate story paired with a wholly believable method of filming makes Occult one of the finest found-footage horror movies and is sure to please fans of the horror genre in general.
Noroi: The Curse (2005) - 7.0
Believed by many fans of the genre to be the best, Noroi: The Curse is a truly mind-bending, strange, and utterly terrifying addition to the genre. After the death of a paranormal investigator, Noroi: The Curse shows the viewer his videotapes from years earlier in an attempt to piece together why it was that he met his demise.
This movie manages to present a complex story, including curses, demons, aliens, ghosts, and even possessions, all while maintaining razor-sharp dialogue and deeply unsettling cinematography. Noroi: The Curse is just under two hours long, and while slow in parts, the build-up on tension and the eventual pay-off will have any fan of horror revisiting this horror masterpiece again and again.
One Cut Of The Dead (2017) - 7.7
Written, directed, and edited by an independent filmmaker, One Cut Of The Dead is a horror-comedy that follows a team of filmmakers as they attempt to shoot a zombie movie in a single take for live television. While filming, the cast and crew quickly become infected themselves, turning into zombies and causing sheer chaos.
Praised by critics for its originality and its ability to be both a horror and an oftentimes laugh out loud comedy, One Cut Of The Dead takes the found-footage style and turns it into something completely new and inventive.