Family drama is the default setting of serious Japanese cinema. No matter what genre first brings Japanese directors fame or fortune, be it Sci Fi/fantasy, yakuza epics or horror, they often end up making a family drama, especially if they want to establish their auteurist credentials. The Western used to play a similar role in Hollywood as the basic, return-to-roots American film genre.
One recent case in point is Kiyoshi Kurosawa, who won a devoted fan following abroad for his original, deeply creepy horror films, beginning with his 1997 breakthrough "Cure." He has gotten his best reviews in years, though, as well as a coveted invitation to the Cannes Film Festival's Critics Week section, for "Tokyo Sonata," a drama about a dysfunctional family, that features no ghosts whatsoever.
Another is Hirokazu Kore'eda, whose first big international success was "Wonderful Life" (English title: "After Life") in 1999, a fantasy set in a way station for the recently dead. He also won numerous kudos here and abroad for 2004's "Dare mo Shiranai (Nobody Knows)," a harrowing drama about children trying to survive after being abandoned by their mother. A family drama of sorts, but not the type that Yasujiro Ozu — the ultimate Japanese master of the form — would have made.