Why Japanese movies today suck

The larger scale problem for Japan is that culturally, the nail that stands out gets hammered back in.

Because of this, there is conceptually a problem in catering to the every day consumer, by marketing being prioritized, to the point where things like fashion, music and films are made based on how an investor believes that product sells to the public, and not on the creative process.

In essence, the tail wags the dog, because the public and thru it, the money men, do not have the keen sense of awareness nor the appreciation of artistic value, and that is the ingredient missing in all creative fields. The truest of talents in Japan, are closer to being homeless than supported to do their work with integrity. These types may have special talents, but are driven back into the floor board, because they do stand out as different.

What results is hiring of lackey types that lack the artistic depth and drive to keep true to themselves, and for anyone who creates things, that is the death of great work.

For people with artistic integrity, they are thought of as either too difficult or selfish and hard to work with, which may be true, if false harmony is the goal over substance.

The creator has to guide the masses by originality and vision, they cannot be controlled by the consumer, who is not only prioritized in Japan, but isn't all that savvy. It's marketing and the very reason why really poor 'talents' rise, here. The public consumer has poor taste and is ignorant. That they essentially control the creative process, thru corporate catering is ludicrous, and is a major flaw in Japan, as original expression and art really does matter in human life. To stifle artistic expression is just the dumbest thing, on such a basic level, but Japan doesn't get that, because the nail cannot stand out.

Kurosawa fought this. He, of such fame, was living with such a forced minimal life style, an American producer who met him at his home in Japan was shocked how such a great man was not living in luxury, rather was a monetarily poor man. Kurosawa had integrity, but he was not appreciated for this enough. In Japan, some dumb false title or recognition or rank on a piece of paper signed by some 'authority' is more important than the truth. That's silly, and has led to money going to dumb marketing to just make money, and not on the all important factor of creating great things for the human spirit.