Skip to content
MovieCove

Kôichi Kawakami

Cinematographer · Born October 3, 1946 (80) · Tokyo, Japan

Cinematographer.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 3, 1946 (80)
From
Tokyo, Japan
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
9 on MovieCove · 33 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 11% in 30 days

What are Kôichi Kawakami's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
30%
Self
23%
Power
15%
Morality
13%
Survival
11%
Society
5%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 4

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 3

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 4 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 4 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
6
Tense
3
Romantic
3
Contemplative
2
Bittersweet
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Bittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Kôichi Kawakami's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 1 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Subscription and free streaming for Kôichi Kawakami's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

33 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Stars and Moon Are Holes in the Sky(2025)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • A Spoiling Rain(2023)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • It Feels So Good(2019)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sakurada Gate Incident (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Cinematographer

  • Tombstone of the Fireflies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Cinematographer

  • The Blossoming of Etsuko Kamiya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Cinematographer

  • Portrait of the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Cinematographer

  • Translucent Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Cinematographer

  • Three... Extremes(2004)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Oriume (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Cinematographer

  • Body and Soul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Cinematographer

  • The Tokyo Siblings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Cinematographer

  • Many Happy Returns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer

  • Midnight Run Main Store 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Cinematographer

  • The River with No Bridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Cinematographer

  • My Soul Is Slashed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Cinematographer

  • Tsugumi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Cinematographer

  • A Tale of Happiness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Cinematographer

  • Eien no 1/2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Cinematographer

  • Bedtime Eyes(1987)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Metamorphosis(1986)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Hitohira no yuki(1985)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Wangan Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Cinematographer

  • The Second Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Cinematographer

  • Jealousy Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Cinematographer

  • The Rape(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Manon(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Love Letter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • Four Seasons: Natsuko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Cinematographer

  • No More Easy Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • My Town, My Youth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Third Base (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Cinematographer

  • Filmmaking and the Way to the Village (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 30 titles from 1973 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Three... Extremes (2004)

$517K worldwide

Highest rated

Three... Extremes (2004)

Midcredits 79th

Most popular right now

It Feels So Good (2019)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography30 of 30: 30 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score66th

By decade

1970s4 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s7 · crew2000s6 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Kôichi Kawakami's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 58th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 62nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 9 titles are Mixed.

  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · cinematographer

Bedtime Eyes (1987)

79th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Stars and Moon Are Holes in the Sky (2025)

Midcredits 82nd · 75% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Kôichi Kawakami work with?

People who share at least 2 of Kôichi Kawakami's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Haruhiko Arai shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Editors

Producers