The 49th Japan Academy Film Prize ceremony was held on March 13, 2026, at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa’s International Convention Center Pamir in Tokyo, Japan. The night’s biggest winner was National Treasure, which earned 10 awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor.
Major Winners
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Film | Kokuho | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Director | Lee Sang-il | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Actor | Ryo Yoshizawa | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Actress | Chieko Baisho | Tokyo Taxi |
| Best Supporting Actor | Ryusei Yokohama | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Yu Aoi | Tokyo Taxi |
| Best Screenplay | Satoko Okudera | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Animation Film | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle | — |
Kokuho (National Treasure) Dominates the Awards
Kokuho dominated the 49th Japan Academy Film Prize by winning ten awards, out of a total of seventeen nominations, including the top honors of Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor.
Its success was reinforced by some of Japan’s most celebrated screen talents. Led by Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama, and supported by acclaimed performers such as Ken Watanabe, Min Tanaka, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima and Nana Mori.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Best Film | Kokuho |
| Best Director | Lee Sang-il |
| Best Screenplay | Satoko Okudera |
| Best Actor | Ryo Yoshizawa |
| Best Music | Marihiko Hara |
| Best Cinematography | Sofian El Fani |
| Best Lighting Direction | Yuki Nakamura |
| Best Art Direction | Yohei Taneda & Nao Shimoyama |
| Best Sound Recording | Mitsugu Shiratori |
| Best Film Editing | Tsuyoshi Imai |
Newcomer of the Year Winners
Actors and actresses at the beginning of their careers or who had a breakthrough role during the year. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the person’s first film.
| Winner | Film |
|---|---|
| Ai Mikami | Kokuho |
| Yamato Kochi | Exit 8 |
| Runa Nakashima | Tokyo Taxi |
| Noa Shiroyama | 5 Centimeters per Second |
| Ryota Bando | Suzuki Bakudan |
| Takaya Matsutani | One Last Throw |
| Misato Morita | Night Flower |
Films Reviewed here That Won Japan Academy Awards
Here you will find reviews of award-winning Japanese films and my impressions of Japanese culture as portrayed in these films.
Suzuki = Bakudan (Crime/Mystery)
A mysterious detainee claims he can foresee terrorist attacks. As bombs begin exploding across Tokyo, a veteran detective is forced into a dangerous battle of wits to uncover the truth.
Kokuho (Drama)
Bound by brotherhood and rivalry, two aspiring kabuki actors devote decades to their craft, each striving to become a living national treasure of Japanese theater.
Driven by desperation and bound by an unlikely friendship, two women navigate Tokyo’s criminal underworld as a single tragic death threatens to destroy everything they’ve built.
Tokyo Taxi (Drama)
As an elderly woman takes one final journey through the streets of Tokyo, a weary taxi driver becomes the witness to a lifetime of love, loss, and resilience in this moving tale of human connection.
Actors Featured here Who Won Awards
Here you will find other reviewed Japanese films that the winning actors of the 49th Japan Academy Film Prize participated in.
| Category | Winner | Film |
|---|---|---|
| Best Actor | Ryo Yoshizawa | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Actress | Chieko Baisho | Tokyo Taxi |
| Best Supporting Actor | Jiro Sato | Suzuki = Bakudan |
| Best Supporting Actress | Mitsuki Takahata | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Yu Aoi | Tokyo Taxi |
| Best Supporting Actress | Shinobu Terajima | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Nana Mori | National Treasure (Kokuho) |
| Best Supporting Actress | Misato Morita | Night Flower |
Obs: at the Japan Academy Film Prize, this Supporting Actress category doesn’t just have a single winner — it can have multiple actresses awarded as “Best Supporting Actress (Excellence Awards)”, and then one of them is chosen as “Most Outstanding”, depending on the edition.