The best known of them, the piercingly melancholic 2004 relationship drama ¡°Tony Takitani,¡± has now been restored in 4K. Based on a short story by Haruki Murakami, it is said to be the author¡¯s favorite screen adaptation of his work.

The Murakami connection made ¡°Tony Takitani¡± a standout in Ichikawa¡¯s oeuvre. But it was also a quietly devastating and deftly experimental expression of the director¡¯s own style and concerns.

A fan of Yasujiro Ozu, Ichikawa made films that were Ozuesque even in their titles: ¡°The Tokyo Siblings¡± (1995), ¡°Tokyo Lullaby¡± (1997) and ¡°Osaka Story¡± (1999). But he was also no mere Ozu imitator, making the dark comedy ¡°Tadon to Chikuwa¡± (1998), with its bizarre CGI imagery.