Mr. Kiarostami's most recent film, "Like Someone in Love" (2012), shot in Tokyo, will open in New York and Los Angeles on Feb. 15, to be followed by a national release.

WSJ: The Metaphysical Riddles of Abbas Kiarostami

By early 2008, his novel "First Experience, " a story about love and sex in high school, was a top title in one of Tokyo's biggest bookstores.

CNN: Cell phone stories writing new chapter in print publishing

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- If you go to a single party in a fashionable part of Tokyo on any given day, you will see successful young professionals who love good food, wine and company.

CNN: Single, childless Japan emerging