Because Tokyo Gore Police was a low-budget cult horror film, not the kind of movie the Oscars usually recognize. The Academy Awards almost never nominate extreme gore, splatter, or niche genre films unless they break through in a major way with broad critical and industry support.

Main reasons

  • It was released as a 2008 Japanese sci-fi horror film directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura, built around outrageous practical effects and a very specific cult audience.
  • The Oscars tend to favor films with wider prestige appeal, major awards campaigning, and strong visibility in U.S. industry circles, which this film did not have.
  • Its style is intentionally over-the-top and transgressive, which usually puts it outside the Academy’s usual taste for nominees.

Why that matters

A movie can be influential, fun, and even legendary in genre circles without being Oscar material. Tokyo Gore Police fits that pattern: memorable, extreme, and cult-loved, but not positioned for Academy recognition.

Important correction

If you saw claims that it was “nominated for Best Film at multiple major industry awards,” that is not an Oscar nomination, and it does not change the fact that it was not nominated by the Academy Awards.

TL;DR: It wasn’t nominated because it’s a cult gore-horror film with a tiny awards profile, while the Oscars usually ignore that kind of movie unless it becomes an unusual breakout hit.