Whether through deeply personal narratives, social and cultural reflections, or lighthearted depictions of everyday life, female-led films help challenge conventional portrayals of women on screen. Although women have long been underrepresented in filmmaking, recently, the 21st century has brought an era when more women are stepping behind the camera as directors and screenwriters. In Japan, women have carved out a space for art films, animated movies, documentaries and other visual works that present fresh perspectives on Japanese lifestyle and culture. In the following sections, we take a lo…