Imprint

An American journalist travels across 19th century Japan in search of the prostitute he once loved, hoping to reconnect with a relationship that has lingered in memory. His pursuit leads him through foggy streets, dim teahouses, and the margins of a country shifting from shogunate to modern forms. What begins as a personal hunt gradually exposes a darker truth about the woman and the world that shaped her life after he left. Symbols and visions mingle with the landscape as the man's assumptions are tested by the brutal realities surrounding her life after he left. The story becomes a probe into grief, guilt, and the weight of abandonment. Haunting imagery, ceremonial spaces, and fog enmesh the protagonist with a landscape.

Directed by Takashi Miike, Imprint is a television horror project developed by Daisuke Tengan and Shimako Iwai. It aired in 2006 as a standalone thriller for the small screen, combining Miike's appetite for discomfort with a period sensibility. Its production design reflects Japanese urban growth of the era.

As a TV movie, Imprint did not have a traditional theatrical box office. The production relied on broadcast licensing and international sales to streaming platforms; numbers were not publicly released, and earnings were modest by industry standards. The project was released under broadcast licenses with limited streaming, aligning with Miike's prolific output in late career.

Among fans of Miike, Imprint is discussed for its stark visuals and the way it reimagines a historical setting through horror. It has circulated on genre circles as a tight compact example of mood over spectacle, with some appreciating the quiet intensity. Viewers have noted the film's restraint contrasts with Miike's more graphic works, making it a notable detour in his filmography.

Critical response highlighted how the film fuses historical atmosphere with horror to probe responsibility, memory and the damage left by desertion. Reviewers praise Miike's restrained pacing, the interplay of light and shadow, and the way the score underlines unease without becoming loud. The themes linger after the screen fades, inviting discussion about colonial gaze and the price of leaving behind those who rely on us.