Japan Synopsis
Roughly chronological, from 3/96 to 11/96, with a coda in spring of 1997: inside compounds of Aum Shinrikyo, a Buddhist sect led by Shoko Asahara. (Members confessed to a murderous sarin attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995.) We see what they eat, where they sleep, and how they respond to media scrutiny, on-going trials, the shrinking of their fortunes, and the criticism of society. Central focus is placed on Hiroshi Araki, a young man who finds himself elevated to chief spokesman for Aum after its leaders are arrested. Araki faces extreme hostility from the Japanese public, who find it hard to believe that most followers of the cult had no idea of the attacks and even harder to understand why these followers remain devoted to the religion, if not the violence.
The 1997–1999 Japan Window
In the crowded 1997-1999 Japan release window, A sits at #115 of 162. The leaderboard below contextualises its neighbours.
The 1990s Japan Landscape
1998 was the decade’s peak output year for Japan — 62 titles released, including A. Bars below show how the 1990s stacked up year by year (447 total).
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 61 other Japan films in 1998.
The 1173rd Japan title from Japan we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1899).
Our Japan catalog contains 4,579 titles in total (2,908 films).
Audience Engagement
46 audience reviews — more than 62% of Japan films in our index.
Review volume (62th percentile) outruns trending popularity (14th) — a durable title with sustained audience attention.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #3,447 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (25th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -0.6 points below the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Documentary productions specifically: #43 of 50 (top 86%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | 'A' Production Committee |
| Runtime | 2h 16m |
| Release Date | September 9, 1998 |
| IMDb | tt0241146 |