Film magazine Kinema Junpo has published its annual Best Ten lists and awards for 2009. The highest ranked film was Miwa Nishikawa's "Dear Doctor," which has been a consistent favorite among critics. In addition to topping the list, it also picked up two awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actor.

Domestic films:

1. Dear Doctor (Miwa Nishikawa)
2. Viyon no Tsuma (Kichitaro Negishi)
3. Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki (Daisaku Kimura)
4. Ai no Mukidashi (Sion Sono)
5. Shizumanu Taiyo (Setsuro Wakamatsu)
6. Kuuki Ningyou (Hirokazu Koreeda)
7. Ultra Miracle Love Story (Satoko Yokohama)
8. Summer Wars (Mamoru Hosoda)
9. Daremo Mamotte Kurenai (Ryoichi Kimizuka)
10. Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru (Sumio Omori)

Foreign films:

1. Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood)
2. Mother (Bong Joon-ho)
3. Changeling (Clint Eastwood)
4. The Chaser (Na Hong-jin)
5. The Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky)
6. The Reader (Stephen Daldry)
7. Four Nights with Anna (Jerzy Skolimowski)
8. Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman) *tie
9. Slumdog Millionaire (Danny Boyle) *tie
10. Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Awards:

• Best Director: Daisaku Kimura (Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki)
• Best Screenplay: Miwa Nishikawa (Dear Doctor)
• Best Actor: Tsurube Shofukutei (Dear Doctor)
• Best Actress: Takako Matsu (Viyon no Tsuma)
• Best Supporting Actor: Tomokazu Miura (Shizumanu Taiyo)
• Best Supporting Actress: Hikari Mitsushima (Ai no Mukidashi, Pride, Kuhio Taisa)
• Best New Actor: Takahiro Nishijima (Ai no Mukidashi)
• Best New Actress: Mieko Kawakami (Pandora no Hako)
• Best Cultural Film: Chinmoku wo Yaburu (Toshikuni Doi)