Japan has never disappointed when it comes to entertainment and technology. Japanese anime is the work of geniuses and there is another genre that takes the Japanese movie industry to the higher ranks. The genre is horror, and Japan has delivered to its promises. Some of these movies stand in the top horror movies of the whole world. In this section, we will share the best Japanese horror movies on Netflix. If you live in Japan, you can easily watch these movies by simply opening your Netflix account and searching for these movies. But if you live anywhere else, you may not be able to find these movies on Netflix due to geo-restrictions. In that case, please follow these quick steps to watch Japanese horror movies on Netflix from anywhere in the world:
- Subscribe to a VPN (ExpressVPN Recommended)
- Download the VPN application.
- Open your VPN and login.
- Change the location to Japan and connect.
- Open your Netflix account.
- Search for the movie of your choice.
- Click the relevant result and watch.
10 Best Japanese Horror Movies on Netflix in 2023
Let’s get into the list of the top ten Japanese horror movies on Netflix.
Please note that these Japanese horror movies on Netflix are ranked from worst to best based on their IMDb rating.
10: Howling Village (2020)

Howling Village was directed by Takashi Shimizu and was released in 2020. The movie is written by Daisuke Hosaka and Takashi Shimizu. The main cast of the movie contains Ayaka Miyoshi, Tsuyoshi Furukawa, Reiko Takashima, Ryôta Bandô, Renji Ishibashi, Hina Miyano, Takamasa Suga, and Megumi Okina.
In this movie, a psychologist goes to the Howling Village to look for her brother. A house in the village is cursed for being haunted. She visits the house to unlock the mysteries behind it and rides a scary rollercoaster. During her search, she finds out about her family’s past and its relation to the case of her missing brother.
The IMDb rating of Howling Village is 4.9/10. The movie has a Critic Score of 50% and an Audience Score of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. To watch the trailer of Howling Village (2020), please click on the link below:
9: The Inerasable (2015)

This movie is directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura and was released in 2015. The Inerasable is written by Kenichi Suzuki and Fuyumi Ono. The main cast of the movie contains Mansaku Fuwa, Ryô Narita, Ai Hashimoto, Kentarô Sakaguchi, Yuko Takeuchi, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Ken’ichi Takitô, and Koichi Ueda.
In this movie, a writer of novels who writes in the theme of mystery helps a student investigate murders and suicides happening in her apartments regarding people who lived there in the past. She finds out that the mysteries have a dark and a scary history. This movie keeps the viewers biting their nails till the end with the horror and the mystery. The movie is a must watch for Japanese horror movie lovers.
The IMDb rating of The Inerasable is 6.0/10. The movie has an incredible Critic Score of 100% and an Audience Score of 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. To watch the trailer of The Inerasable (2015), please click on the link below:
8: One Missed Call (2003)

The movie was released in 2003 and was directed by Takashi Miike. The movie is written by Minako Daira and Yasushi Akimoto. The main cast of the movie contains Kou Shibasaki, Kazue Fukiishi, Shin’ichi Tsutsumi, Anna Nagata, Mariko Tsutsui, Kumiko Imai, Atsushi Ida, and Keiko Tomita.
One Missed Call shows a scenario where people get a call from an unknown number and their future self tells them on call about how they die. They also tell them about the date and time of their death. When they find out about their dying date and time, people try to save themselves by altering their destiny. This movie is full of thrill, suspense, and horror. And millions of horror movie lovers all around the world have found this movie to be satisfying.
The IMDb rating of One Missed Call is 6.2/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an Audience Score of 29%. To watch the trailer of One Missed Call (2003), please click on the link below:
7: Liverleaf (2018)

Liverleaf is directed by Eisuke Naitô and was released in 2018. It is written by Rensuke Oshikiri, Miako Tadano. The main cast of the movie contains Anna Yamada, Hiroya Shimizu, Rinka Ôtani, Rena Ôtsuka, Kenshin Endô, Masato Endô, and Reiko Kataoka.
The main character of this movie is Haruka. Haruka starts studying in a new school and she gets bullied by everyone except one nice soul. Her friend’s name is Mitsusu who supports her while everyone else is against her. Haruka’s life changes when her house gets on fire and her family is killed. Haruka then goes on a mission to find the people responsible and get her revenge.
The IMDb rating of Liverleaf is 6.2/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a Critic Score of 60% and an Audience Score of 80%. To watch the trailer of Liverleaf (2018), please click on the link below:
6: The Forest of Love (2019)

The Forest of Love is written and directed by Sion Sono. The cast of the movie contains Kippei Shiina, Eri Kamataki, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Natsuki Kawamura, Young Dais,Kyoko Hinami, and Yuzuka Nakaya.
In this movie, there is an elderly man named Futoshi Matsunaga who tries to manipulate some students. He also tries to manipulate a shy girl. The students study filmmaking but they don’t know the reality of this elderly man. He is a serial killer who has tortured and killed people in the past. This movie is full of horror, drama, and a lot of thrills.
The IMDb rating of this movie is 6.3/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a Critic Score of 100% and an Audience Score of 61%. To watch the trailer of The Forest of Love (2019), please click on the link below:
5: As the Gods Will (2014)

As the Gods Will is directed by Takashi Miike and was released in 2014. The movie is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, Akeji Fujimura, and Muneyuki Kaneshiro. The main cast of the movie contains Sôta Fukushi, Ryunosuke Kamiki,Hirona Yamazaki, Jingi Irie, Mio Yûki, Nao Omori,Shôta Sometani, and Lily Franky.
The main character of the movie is Shun Takahata. He feels bored with his regular school days and wishes for something exciting to happen in his life. Lesser he knows about what the destiny waits for him. He finds himself in a deadly situation on a day where he is forced to play for his life against scary creatures.
The IMDb rating of As the Gods Will is 6.4/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a Critic Score of 57% and an Audience Score of 55%. To watch the trailer of As the Gods Will (2014), please click on the link below:
4: Lesson of the Evil (2012)

Lesson of the Evil is directed by Takashi Miike. The movie is written by Takashi Miike, and Yûsuke Kishi. The main cast of the movie contains Hideaki Ito, Shôta Sometani, Takayuki Yamada, Ruth Sundell, Kento Hayashi, Fumi Nikaidou, Howard Harris, and Erina Mizuno.
The movie shows a high school where bullying is at its peak. Things go out of control and a teacher must stand up to stop these mischievous acts. The students don’t realize that they must face something worse than them. The teacher goes to extremes which no teacher should ever go to.
The IMDb rating of Lesson of the Evil is 6.6/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has an Audience Score of 58%. To watch the trailer of Lesson of the Evil (2012), please click on the link below:
3: Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)

The Grudge is written and directed by Takashi Shimizu. The main cast of the movie contains Megumi Okina, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa, Misaki Ito, Kanji Tsuda, Yoji Tanaka,Kayoko Shibata, and Yoshiyuki Morishita.
The movie shows the story of a haunted house which makes people’s lives hell. The house is haunted as a family was brutally killed in it in the past. The spirits are not leaving the house and they turn people living or visiting the house into a nightmare. The Grudge is considered as one of the best horror movies in the world till date.
The IMDb rating of Ju-On: The Grudge is 6.7/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a Critic Score of 80% and an Audience Score of 63%. To watch the trailer of Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), please click on the link below:
2: I am a Hero (2015)

I am a Hero is directed by Shinsuke Sato. The movie is written by Akiko Nogi, and Kengo Hanazawa. The cast of the movie contains Yo Oizumi, Miho Suzuki, Kasumi Arimura,Masami Nagasawa, Nana Katase, Hisashi Yoshizawa, Yoshinori Okada, and Makita Sports.
The main character of the movie is Hideo. Hideo gets back from work on a fine day where he sees a man gets into an accident but suddenly gets up. Hideo then realizes that there is a big danger ahead of him and his family. Hideo finds himself in a zombie apocalypse and must save his family at all costs.
The IMDb rating of I am a Hero is 6.8/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a Critic Score of 91% and an Audience Score of 73%. To watch the trailer of I am a Hero (2015), please click on the link below:
1: Ringu (1998)

Ringu or The Ring is directed by Hideo Nakata. The movie is written by Hiroshi Takahashi, and Kôji Suzuki. The cast of the movie contains Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, Miki Nakatani, Yuko Takeuchi, Hitomi Sato, and Yoichi Numata.
The main character of the movie is Reiko who is investigating a strange mysterious case. There is a tape in this movie and whoever watches the tape dies. This tape has a horror mystery behind it and Reiko must seek the truth. The rumor spreads across the city when people start to die watching this mysterious tape. Ringu is considered as one of the scariest movies till date in the whole world. And it is strongly recommended by us if you are a Japanese horror movie lover.
The IMDb rating of Ringu is 7.2/10. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a Critic Score of 98% and an Audience Score of 81%. To watch the trailer of Ringu (1998), please click on the link below:
Conclusion
The Japanese Horror movies have been loved by people of all races and colors. Japan has been providing excellent horror movies for quite some time now. Some of these movies even make it to the best horror movies of the world. We have shared the top ten Japanese Horror movies on Netflix based on their IMDb rating. If you live in Japan, you can easily search for these movies on Netflix and watch them. If you live out of Japan, please use a VPN, and change your location to Japan to access Japanese Netflix. You will then be able to watch these movies easily.