Academy Awards 2009 held yesterday turned into a historical event for Japanese cinema. Two of Japanese nominees both succeeded in winning the Oscar. "La Maison en Petits Cubes" (Tsumiki-no-ie), an outstanding work off just a 32 year old Japanese animist Kato Kunio hit off with the win of the Oscar for Best animated short film. Following Kato's victory, a Japanese drama directed by Yojiro Takita starring with Masahiro Motoki and Ryoko Hirosue 'Departures' (Okuribito), won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, just a night after it dominated Japan Academy Awards winning 10 prizes!

To find more about Japanese Oscar winners, see below:

• "La Maison en Petits Cubes" by Kunio Kato (Japanese only)
• "Departures" (2008) by Yojiro Takita

2009 Academy Awards Winners:

Best motion picture of the year
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, Producer
Achievement in directing
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)

Best foreign language film of the year
"Departures" (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
Original screenplay
"Milk" (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
Adapted screenplay
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Achievement in cinematography
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in makeup
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
Achievement in art direction
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
Achievement in costume design
"The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O'Connor
Achievement in visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
Achievement in sound editing
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.), Richard King
Achievement in sound mixing
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
Achievement in film editing
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
Achievement in visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
Achievement in sound editing
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.), Richard King
Best animated feature film of the year
"WALL-E" (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton
Best animated short film
"La Maison en Petits Cubes" A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato(Japan)
Best documentary feature
"Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
Best documentary short subject
"Smile Pinki" A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
Best live action short film
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)" A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank