Arguably the most significant event in history, World War II had a huge impact on cinema around the world. These effects are perhaps most apparent in Japanese cinema, as the country was heavily affected by the war. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the subsequent capitulation of Japan changed the morals and psyche of its people, leaving a great mark on Japanese culture, which is quite evident when watching the films made in the country during the post-war period. The war changed every genre of Japanese cinema, introducing new themes and tones quite rare before the war and during the war. The political situation in Japan changed completely after the war. After Japan's defeat, it was occupied by American forces and now ruled by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, with the aim of transforming the Japanese. SCAP brought many changes to Japan, including building new universities and changing the constitution (Bordwell and Thompson 2002). SCAP also censored the Japanese film industry to adapt it to the new view of Japanese society and would not allow certain themes and subjects. Japan's vertically integrated studio system, one of the oldest of its kind, predating Hollywood and European studios, managed to survive the war intact, with the films being used as war propaganda during World War II. Once the war ended, studio films were subjected to extensive censorship before being released to the public. Samurai dramas and most war-related films were banned because they had themes of nobility and self-sacrifice. Additionally, films dealing directly with the war only began to be released after the occupation ended and censorship was lifted. Considered the middle of the paper, it is all the more effective in criticizing both sides of this conflict, while maintaining a certain impartiality. When examining Japanese films of the era, there is no doubt that the World War II had a very significant and lasting impact on the country and its film industry with the themes of war, devastation and suffering continued to occupy a central place in Japanese stories for decades and is not uncommon even today. Books: Bordwell and Thompson 2002. Film History and introduction. 2nd ed. Wisconsin: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 393Bowyer, J, 2004. The cinema of Japan and Korea. 1st ed. UK: Wallflower.Desser, DM, 1995. Hiroshima: A Retrospective. 1st ed. University of Illinois: ACDIS. Davidson, J. F, 1954. Memory of Defeat in Japan: A Reappraisal of “Rashomon.” The Antioch Review, 492-501. Yoshimoto, M, 2000. Kurosawa. 1st ed. United States: Duke University Press.