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North America\u2019s Largest Japanese Film Festival Returns With Two Weeks of Contemporary Premieres, Featuring Acclaimed Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Rising Star Yuumi Kawai July 10\u201320, 2025 \u00b7 Japan Society \u00b7 New York, NY \u00a9 2024 “CLOUD” FILM PARTNERS<\/strong> Showcasing 30 films over 11 days, Japan Cuts takes place at Japan Society in New York City,\u00a0 This year\u2019s lineup spans four dynamic sections: Feature Slate, Next Generation, Classics and Short Films.<\/strong> Among the festival\u2019s lineup are 3 World Premieres, 1 International Premiere, 9 North American Premieres, 5 U.S. Premieres, 1 East Coast Premiere and 8 New York Premieres.<\/strong><\/p>\n The festival also welcomes major actors, directors and special guests and hosts four lively parties throughout its run.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re deeply proud to celebrate Japanese film in the heart of New York City,\u201d\u00a0 Peter Tatara, Director of Film at Japan Society,<\/strong> who organized this year\u2019s festival with Japan Society Film Programmer Alexander Fee, is quoted as saying. \u201cEach year, JAPAN CUTS presents a look into the contemporary Japanese cinema scene, spotlighting both major award-winners as well as rising stars, and we hope this festival helps build bridges between film lovers in New York and filmmakers in Japan\u2014 and more broadly between our two countries\u2014with film a tremendous snapshot into modern Japan\u2019s culture, values and soul.\u201d<\/p>\n Leading this year\u2019s guest lineup, JAPAN CUTS will honor legendary filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa with the 2025 CUT ABOVE Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film. Widely regarded as one of Japan\u2019s most influential living directors, Kurosawa is known for such modern classics as Tokyo Sonata, Cure and Pulse. The festival will host premieres of his latest films\u2014 the psychological thriller Cloud and Serpent\u2019s Path, a bold reimagining of Kurosawa\u2019s own 1998 original. In addition, JAPAN CUTS will present a rare 35mm revival of License to Live, along with the North American Premiere of the original Serpent\u2019s Path\u2019s 4K restoration.<\/p>\n JAPAN CUTS Powered by GU is further honored to welcome acclaimed actress Yuumi Kawai. This year\u2019s Best Actress winner at the Japan Academy Film Prize\u2014the country\u2019s equivalent to the Oscars\u2014Kawai earned the award for her gripping performance in A Girl Named Ann, a harrowing portrait of a young woman navigating life on the margins of Japanese society. Kawai will attend the North American Premiere of A Girl Named Ann, as well as the U.S. Premiere of She Taught Me Serendipity, the latest feature from JAPAN CUTS favorite Akiko Ohku, co- starring Riku Hagiwara.<\/p>\n The festival will also present the New York Premiere of Teki Cometh, which swept last year\u2019s Tokyo International Film Festival, winning Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor\u2014and also features a standout performance by Kawai.<\/p>\n Highlights of this year\u2019s festival include:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u25cf A special screening of Yasuhiro Aoki\u2019s ChaO in collaboration with GKIDS as JAPAN CUTS\u2019 Opening Night. From the innovative Studio 4\u00baC (Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet), ChaO is an idiosyncratic animated Andersen fairy tale set in the cyberpunk melange of near-future Shanghai where humans coexist with mermen. With its off-kilter brand of humor, unique kineticism and superb hand-drawn art style\u2014purportedly utilizing over 100,000 hand-drawn frames\u2014Aoki\u2019s Chao is a fantastical spectacle with a deluge of heartfelt passion, produced over the course of seven years. JAPAN CUTS is proud to present ChaO before it comes to theaters in Japan in August.<\/p>\n \u25cf Next Generation competition with a hand-picked selection of independent narrative features directed by emerging directors. The festival\u2019s only juried section, Japan Society awards the Obayashi Prize to its most accomplished film as determined by a jury of industry professionals.<\/p>\n \u25cf SHORT CUTS which explores narrative, documentary and experimental short-length films, including Tree of Sinners, a dark Taisho fable from husband and wife team Rii Ishigara and Hiroyuki Onogawa, and I Am Not Invisible, winner of the Grand Prize at this past year\u2019s PIA Film Festival.<\/p>\n \u25cf Classics with three canonical works of independent cinema. The festival will present a rare 35mm screening of Kiyoshi Kurosawa\u2019s classic License to Live and the 4K Premiere of his original Serpent’s Path. Further, JAPAN CUTS will present the International Premiere of a new 4K restoration of Love Letter for its 30th anniversary, Shunji Iwai\u2019s lyrical debut.<\/p>\n \u25cf Pop culture hits including A Samurai in Time, a breakthrough independent movie which won Best Film at the Japan Academy Film Prize; Blazing Fists from genre icon Takashi Miike; The Gesuidouz from punk director Kenichi Ugana; Kowloon Generic Romance based on a beloved manga from Jun Mayuzuki; and the grim science fiction film The Real You based on a novel by Keiichiro Hirano, with a live introduction from the award- winning author.<\/p>\n \u25cf A Closing Night shochu reception following the World Premiere of The Spirit of Japan, a documentary by Joseph Overbey about one of the last remaining traditional shochu distillers in Japan. Overbey will participate in a Q&A and join in a reception featuring shochu from Yamatozakura Distillery, the focus of the film.<\/p>\n Framing the festival this year is title sponsor GU. Fashion brand GU launched in 2006 as a sister label to UNIQLO under the Fast Retailing Group. With approximately 480 stores across Japan and Asia\u2014and a newly opened flagship in New York City at 578 Broadway and its online store which delivers products nationwide\u2014GU brings Japanese trend-forward fashion with a touch of Tokyo. Throughout JAPAN CUTS, GU will share its latest fashion with festival goers, and the festival itself will be spotlighted in GU\u2019s flagship store.<\/p>\n All films will be screened at Japan Society (333 East 47th St., New York, NY 10017) and presented in Japanese with English subtitles unless otherwise noted.<\/p>\n To learn more about the Japan Society and JAPAN CUTS, visit japansociety.org\/japancuts and follow Japan Society Film on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Letterboxd.<\/p>\n Opening Film<\/strong> Ordinary salaryman Stephan is catapulted to instant fame when he is suddenly proposed to by Chao, the mermaid princess. Entrusted with the future of human-mermen relations, Stephan is rushed into the pairing, amid a flurry of politicking and diplomacy, and reluctantly agrees to marry the fish princess, but despite the makings of a political marriage, the effervescent Chao\u2019s ardent affection sparks genuine connection.<\/p>\n With its off-kilter brand of humor, unique kineticism and superb hand-drawn art style\u2014 purportedly utilizing over 100,000 hand-drawn frames\u2014Aoki\u2019s Chao is a fantastical spectacle with a deluge of heartfelt passion, produced over the course of seven years. With Opening Night Reception.<\/p>\n Centerpiece Film<\/strong> Moonlighting as a black market internet reseller for fake merchandise and products, factory worker Yoshii\u2019s (Masaki Suda) get-rich-quick schemes and morally dubious actions seem to pay off when afforded the opportunity to move out to a remote, wooded lake house seemingly perfect for his business dealings. Rattled by strange incidents, however, Yoshii finds his errant ways catching up to him when unknown assailants target him. Kurosawa\u2019s suspense-driven exercise in the action genre envisions the amplified ire of internet culture as a radicalized hydra of sprouting heads, amassing an anonymous network to quash its petty grievances.<\/p>\n Kurosawa, as he so often does, masterfully finds terror in the mundane. CUT ABOVE Award Ceremony, Q&A with Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Centerpiece Reception.<\/p>\n Closing Film<\/strong><\/p>\n The Spirit of Japan (World Premiere) Director Joseph Overbey lived with the Wakamatsu family as he shot The Spirit of Japan, offering a rarified look inside the shochu-making production, an intimate portrait of family succession and an unflinching glimpse into the harsh realities of preserving tradition in the modern world. Q&A with Director and Producer, Reception featuring shochu from Yamatozakura Distillery.<\/p>\n Feature Slate – In Alphabetical Order<\/strong> Blazing Fists (U.S. Premiere) ChaO (Special Screening) Cloud (New York Premiere) The Gesuidouz (U.S. Premiere) Friday, July 11 at 9:00 PM A Girl Named Ann (North American Premiere) Gridman Universe (North American Theatrical Premiere) Kaiju Guy! (North American Premiere) Kowloon Generic Romance (World Premiere) My Sunshine (New York Premiere) Dir. Hiroshi Okuyama, 2024, 90 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Sosuke Ikematsu, Keitatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi. The Real You (North American Premiere) A Samurai in Time (New York Premiere) Serpent’s Path (2024) (East Coast Premiere) She Taught Me Serendipity (U.S. Premiere) Teki Cometh (New York Premiere) Yasuko, Songs of Days Past (North American Premiere) Next Generation – In Alphabetical Order<\/strong><\/p>\n This sole competitive section of the festival features a hand-picked selection of independently produced narrative feature films by emerging directors who offer a glimpse into the future of Japanese cinema. One film within the section\u2014determined as the most accomplished by a jury of film industry professionals\u2014will receive the \u201cObayashi Prize\u201d in honor of the late filmmaker Nobuhiko Obayashi (1938-2020). See You Tomorrow (North American Premiere) A gentle coming-of-age drama, Saki Michimoto\u2019s slice-of-life debut involves itself in the life of gifted art school photographer Nao as she decisively steers herself to her dreams, facing the hard choice of leaving behind the familiar.<\/p>\n Promised Land (New York Theatrical Premiere) Classics In Alphabetical Order<\/strong> Love Letter (International Premiere of 4K Restoration) Serpent’s Path (1998) (North American Premiere of 4K Restoration) SHORT CUTS- In Alphabetical Order End of Dinosaurs (U.S. Premiere) Dir. Shoko Tamai, 2025, 5 min., DCP, color, in English. With Dandara Amorim Veiga, Niara Hardister, Minami Ando, Xiaoxiao Cao, Isaiah Newby, Maxfield Haynes Dir. Yuki York, 2024, 24 min., DCP, color, in Tagalog, English and Japanese with English subtitles. Winner of the 2024 PIA Grand Prize, Yuki York\u2019s self-reflexive documentary is a personal essay, shot in an impoverished district of the Philippines, deemed \u201cinvisible\u201d by York\u2019s on-screen text. Tracing York\u2019s roots, I Am Not Invisible asks local residents innocuous questions about their lives to better understand them, in turn offering to better understand York\u2019s own Filipina grandmother. Dir. Rii Ishihara and Hiroyuki Onogawa, 2024, 25 min., color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Sumire, Masatoshi Kihara, Ann Nishihara, Rii Ishihara. DOCUMENTARY-In Alphabetical Order<\/strong> \u300eThe Spirit of Japan\u300f What Should We Have Done? (New York Premiere) TICKETING<\/strong> SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE THURSDAY, JULY 10 SATURDAY, JULY 12 SUNDAY, JULY 13 MONDAY, JULY 14 See You Tomorrow – 8:30 PM FRIDAY, JULY 18 # # # In over 100 years of work, we\u2019ve inspired generations by establishing ourselves as pioneers in supporting international exchanges in arts and culture, business and policy, as well as education between Japan and the U.S.<\/p>\n We strive to convene important conversations on topics that bind our two countries together, champion the next generation of innovative creators, promote mutual understanding and serve as a trusted guide for people everywhere who seek to more fully appreciate the rich complexities and abundance of Japan. From our New York headquarters, a landmark building designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura that opened to the public in 1971, we look forward to the years ahead, which will be defined by our digital and ideational impact through the kizuna that we build.<\/p>\n Our future can only be enhanced by learning from our peers and engaging with our audiences, both near and far.<\/p>\n About Japan Cuts:\u00a0<\/strong>Described by The New York Times as \u201cmeticulously curated\u201d and \u201can annual highlight of New York\u2019s film calendar,\u201d Japan Cuts delivers the best\u2014and often hardest-to-find\u2014contemporary films from Japan to New York City. Spanning blockbusters, independent features, anime, documentaries, avant-garde experiments and short films, the festival offers a sweeping survey of the past year in Japanese cinema. Presented by Japan Society, a 118-year-old nonprofit dedicated to deepening ties between the U.S. and Japan, JAPAN CUTS stands as one of the organization\u2019s most anticipated and widely attended programs.<\/p>\n GU (pronounced as the letters \u201cG\u201d and \u201cU\u201d) was established in 2006 as a sister brand of UNIQLO and currently operates approximately 480 stores in Asia, mainly in Japan and has e-commerce sites in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. In 2024, GU expanded to the United States, opening the brand\u2019s first flagship out of Asia in SoHo, New York and its online store.<\/p>\n Inspired by the Japanese word for \u201cFreedom\u201d, GU offers a dynamic range of contemporary apparel designed to meet the evolving tastes of modern consumers. With a focus on value and trend-forward styles, GU aims to provide high-value fashion with a touch of Tokyo. The brand’s collections are characterized by their versatility and cater to various occasions and personal styles. Papan Cuts 2025 is powered by GU and is sponsored by the Globus Family.<\/p>\n Reception speakers are donated by BALMUDA. Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Housing assistance is provided by the Prince Kitano New York, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Additional support is provided by Sendon and BuyJapon; Japan Village; and Sunrise Mart.<\/p>\n Japan Society\u2019s 120th anniversary initiatives and related programs are generously supported by Champion Sponsor, MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Advocate Sponsor, Mizuho Americas; and Friend Sponsor, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).<\/p>\n Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.<\/p>\n Film programs are generously supported by ORIX Corporation USA, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Anime NYC and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader\u2019s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by The Globus Family, George P. Hirose, David Toberisky, Joseph Rajaratnam and Dharshini Iolanthe Sivakumaran, and other Film Supporters.<\/p>\n The Real You is part of Japan Society\u2019s NYC Japanese Literature and supported by a grant from the Toshiba International Foundation. The Spirit of Japan is supported by Japan Society\u2019s Food events sponsors, BALMUDA and Kikkoman Corporation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" All films will be screened at Japan Society (333 East 47th St., New York, NY 10017) and presented in Japanese with English subtitles unless otherwise noted. To learn more about the Japan Society and JAPAN CUTS, visit japansociety.org\/japancuts and follow Japan Society Film on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Letterboxd. <\/p>\n About Japan Society:<\/strong> The premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business and society with audiences in New York and around the world. At Japan Society, we are inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (\u7d46)\u2013forging deep connections to bind people together.<\/p>\n We are committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond. In over 100 years of work, we\u2019ve inspired generations by establishing ourselves as pioneers in supporting international exchanges in arts and culture, business and policy, as well as education between Japan and the U.S.<\/p>\n
\nJapan Society, a 118-year-old nonprofit dedicated to fostering closer ties between the U.S. and Japan, announces the full lineup for the 18th edition of its annual contemporary Japanese film festival, JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. The largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema in North America, Japan Cuts returns with Japanese fashion brand GU presented for the first time as its title sponsor.<\/p>\nOpening, Centerpiece, & Closing Films<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nChaO (Special Screening)
\n\u300eChaO\u300f(\u30c1\u30e3\u30aa)
\nThursday, July 10 at 6:00 PM
\nWednesday, July 16 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Yasuhiro Aoki, 2025, 90 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Ouji Suzuka, Anna Yamada.
\nYasuhiro Aoki\u2019s debut feature joins the lineage of Studio 4\u00baC\u2019s (Mind Game, Tekkonkinkreet) innovative oeuvre, formulating an idiosyncratic Andersen fairy tale set in the cyberpunk melange of near-future Shanghai where humans coexist with mermen.<\/p>\n
\nCloud (New York Premiere)
\n\u300e\u30af\u30e9\u30a6\u30c9\u300f(Kuraudo)
\nWednesday, July 16 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2024, 124 min, DCP, Color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Masaki Suda, Kotone Furukawa, Amane Okayama.
\nKiyoshi Kurosawa\u2019s third film in a prolific year, following the creative spurt of Chime and Serpent\u2019s Path, shapes up to be a slow-burn techno-thriller, one which takes its name from today\u2019s ubiquitous virtual cloud.<\/p>\n
\n\u300eThe Spirit of Japan\u300f
\nSunday, July 20 at 5:00 PM
\nDir. Joseph Overbey, 2024, 48 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Tekkan Wakamatsu, Kazunari Wakamatsu, Ranko Wakamatsu.
\nThe Spirit of Japan is the story of the Wakamatsu family, who have been distilling sweet potato shochu by hand at their Yamatozakura Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture since the 1850s. This documentary follows fifth-generation master brewer Tekkan Wakamatsu as he takes 175-year-old traditions passed down by his father Kazunari Wakamatsu and strives to adapt them to a rapidly changing market driven by commodification and mass consumerism.<\/p>\n
\nVisit the JAPAN CUTS website for full descriptions of all films: japansociety.org\/japancuts<\/p>\n
\n\u300eBLUE FIGHT \u84bc\u304d\u82e5\u8005\u305f\u3061\u306e\u30d6\u30ec\u30a4\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\u30c0\u30a6\u30f3\u300f (BLUE FIGHT Aoki Wakamono-Tachi No Bureikingudaun)
\nFriday, July 19 at 8:30 PM
\nDir. Takashi Miike, 2025, 119 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Danhi Kinoshita, Kaname Yoshizawa, Gackt, Anna Tsuchiya.
\nFrom iconoclastic director Takashi Miike and with a cast including pop stars Gackt and Anna Tsuchiya, Blazing Fists is the story of two men in a juvenile reformatory determined to redeem themselves through a fighting tournament, told with exuberant outbursts of Miike\u2019s hallmark action, humor and violence.<\/p>\n
\n\u300eChaO\u300f(\u30c1\u30e3\u30aa)
\nThursday, July 10 at 6:00 PM
\nWednesday, July 16 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Yasuhiro Aoki, 2025, 90 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Ouji Suzuka, Anna Yamada.
\nAn idiosyncratic Andersen fairy tale set in the cyberpunk melange of near-future Shanghai, Yasuhiro Aoki\u2019s animated feature debut ChaO is a fantastical spectacle with a deluge of heartfelt passion, produced over the course of seven years at the imaginative Studio 4\u00baC. With Opening Night Reception.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u30af\u30e9\u30a6\u30c9\u300f(Kuraudo)
\nWednesday, July 16 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2024, 124 min, DCP, Color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Masaki Suda, Kotone Furukawa, Amane Okayama.
\nKiyoshi Kurosawa\u2019s third film in a prolific year, following the creative spurt of Chime and Serpent\u2019s Path, shapes up to be a slow-burn techno-thriller that takes aim at the internet\u2019s amplifying nature to radicalize the pettiest of grievances into real-world danger. CUT ABOVE Award Ceremony, Q&A with Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Reception.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u30b6 \u30b2\u30b9\u30a4\u30c9\u30a6\u30ba\u300f (Za Gesuidouz)<\/p>\n
\nDir. Kenichi Ugana, 2024, 94 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Natsuko, Leo Imamura, Yutaka Kyan, Rocko Zevenbergen, Yuya Endo.
\nMusician Hanako believes she has one year left to live and embarks with her horror-themed punk band on a quest to write the world\u2019s best punk song\u2026 in a rural farming village. An offbeat, delightful and deadpan musical comedy from cult filmmaker Kenichi Ugana.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u3042\u3093\u306e\u3053\u3068\u300f (An No Koto)
\nSunday, July 13 at 5:30 PM
\nDir. Yu Irie, 2024, 113 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Yuumi Kawai, Jiro Sato, Goro Inagaki.
\nYuumi Kawai won Best Actress at this year\u2019s Japan Academy Film Prize for her stunning performance in A Girl Named Ann, the story of a teenage dropout attempting to rebuild her life amid a world which sees her as only garbage. Written and directed by the lauded Yu Irie and inspired by a painfully true story. Q&A with Yuumi Kawai.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u30b0\u30ea\u30c3\u30c9\u30de\u30f3 \u30e6\u30cb\u30d0\u30fc\u30b9\u300f (Guriddoman Yunibasu) Sunday, July 20 at 12:30 PM
\nDir. Akira Amemiya, 2023, 118 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Hikaru Midorikawa, Yuya Hirose, Yume Miyamoto, Soma Saito, Junya Enoki.
\nStudio Trigger, one of the most explosive anime studios in Japan, reimagines Tsuburaya Productions\u2019 classic tokusatsu series Gridman: The Hyper Agent in an all-new big screen spectacle celebrating the tokusatsu and kaiju genres and injecting them with their trademark over- the-top, stylish action.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e \u602a\u7363\u30e4\u30ed\u30a6\uff01\u300f (Kaiju Yaro!) Sunday, July 20 at 3:00 PM
\nDir. Junichiro Yagi, 2024, 80 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Gumpy. Ichiro Yamada (Japanese comedian Gumpy) is ordered to produce a \u201clocal movie\u201d to increase tourism in his sleepy city. However, Yamada proposes something else\u2014a local kaiju movie. A delightful, heartfelt and rewarding comedy, Kaiju Guy! will make you roar.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u4e5d\u9f8d\u30b8\u30a7\u30cd\u30ea\u30c3\u30af\u30ed\u30de\u30f3\u30b9\u300f(Kuron Jenerikku Romansu) Sunday, July 13 at 12:30 PM
\nDir. Chihiro Ikeda, 2025, 120 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Riho Yoshioka, Koshi Mizukami.
\nReiko (Riho Yoshioka) works at a real estate agency in the Kowloon Walled City. As she starts to develop feelings for a coworker, her budding emotions surface long-forgotten memories and soon yesterday and tomorrow swirl in a world of perpetual nostalgia as Jun Mayuzuki\u2019s acclaimed science fiction romance manga comes to life.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u307c\u304f\u306e\u304a\u65e5\u3055\u307e\u300f ( Boku No Ohisama) Saturday, July 19 at 2:30 PM<\/p>\n
\nAn aching film about an adolescent ice-dancing duo that captivates with a wistfulness for the wonders and pain of young love\u2014and at the same time confronts the deeper subjects of Japan\u2019s attitudes towards masculinity and homosexuality.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u672c\u5fc3\u300f(Honshin)
\nFriday, July 11 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Yuya Ishii, 2024, 122 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Sosuke Ikematsu, Ayaka Miyoshi, Koshi Mizukami, Taiga Nakano.
\nBased on a novel by the Akutagawa-Prize winning Keiichiro Hirano. Following the death of his mother, Sakuya Ishikawa (Sosuke Ikematsu) creates a \u201cVirtual Figure\u201d from her memories in a dark science fiction mystery injected with the same sharp satire as Black Mirror. Featuring an introduction by author Keiichiro Hirano, followed by a book signing.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u4f8d\u30bf\u30a4\u30e0\u30b9\u30ea\u30c3\u30d1\u30fc\u300f (Samurai Taimusurippa)
\nMonday, July 14 at 8:30 PM
\nDir. Junichi Yasuda, 2024, 131 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Makiya Yamaguchi, Norimasa Fuke, Yuno Sakura.
\nAt the end of the Edo period, a flash of lightning sends a samurai into the present day. The biggest Japanese indie phenomenon since One Cut of the Dead, this low budget film was initially shown in only one theater, but through word-of-mouth grew into a sensation and ultimately took home Best Film at this year\u2019s Japan Academy Film Prize.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u86c7\u306e\u9053\u300f (Hebi No Michi)
\nThursday, July 17 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2024, 113 min, DCP, Color, in French with English subtitles. With Ko Shibasaki, Damien Bonnard, Mathieu Amalric, Hidetoshi Nishijima.
\nA higher budget remake of Kurosawa\u2019s 1998 straight-to-video effort, Serpent\u2019s Path is a fascinating variation on the original, supplanting Tokyo for the overcast banlieues of Paris. Eerily echoing its predecessor in its snaking narrative, Kurosawa\u2019s psychological experiment explores the haunting obsession of a man subsumed by the desire for retribution after his daughter is killed. Q&A with Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u4eca\u65e5\u306e\u7a7a\u304c\u4e00\u756a\u597d\u304d\u3001\u3068\u307e\u3060\u8a00\u3048\u306a\u3044\u50d5\u306f\u300f(Kyo No Sora Ga Ichiban Suki, To Mada Ienai Boku Wa)
\nSaturday, July 12 at 6:30 PM
\nDir. Akiko Ohku, 2025, 127 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Riku Hagiwara, Yuumi Kawai, Aoi Ito, Kodai Kurosaki.
\nJAPAN CUTS\u2019 favorite Akiko Ohku explores the life of college student Konishi who forms a unique bond with classmate Hana (Yuumi Kawai). Sensory and sonically attuned, She Taught Me Serendipity inventively constructs an approximation of Konishi\u2019s psyche, and shines in its open-hearted confessions, soul-baring and poignant in their nature. Q&A with Yuumi Kawai, followed by a Reception.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u6575\u300f (Teki)
\nMonday, July 14 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Daihachi Yoshida, 2024, 108 min., DCP, black and white, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Kyozo Nagatsuka, Kumi Takiuchi, Yuumi Kawai, Asuka Kurosawa.
\nA retired college professor lives a quiet life alone, until one day he finds a post on the internet about an approaching \u201cenemy\u201d and the world around him begins to melt into paranoia, dream, delusion and fantasy. Widely praised in Japan, Teki Cometh won Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor at last year\u2019s Tokyo International Film Festival.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u3086\u304d\u3066\u304b\u3078\u3089\u306c\u300f (Yuki Teka Heranu)
\nSaturday, July 12 at 3:00 PM
\nDir. Kichitaro Negishi, 2025, 128 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Suzu Hirose, Taisei Kido, Masaki Okada. Screenplay by Yozo Tanaka.
\nA resplendent Taisho-set historical drama penned by Seijun Suzuki scribe Yozo Tanaka (Zigeunerweisen) and directed by 80s auteur Kichitaro Negishi, Yasuko fixates on the tumultuous entwinement of modernist poet Chuya Nakahara, aspiring actress Yasuko Hasegawa and literary critic Hideo Kobayashi.<\/p>\n
\nMichiyuki – Voices of Time (World Premiere of Final Version)
\n\u300e\u9053\u884c\u304d\u300f(Michiyuki)
\nSunday, July 13 at 3:00 PM
\nDir. Hiromichi Nakao, 2024, DCP, b&w, 79 min., in Japanese with English subtitles. With Daichi Watanabe, Kanjuro Kiritake, Hiromichi Hosoba.
\nMoving into an old house in the rural countryside, videographer Komai converses with its former owner Umemoto, drawing from personal memories to discuss histories, cartographies and the passage of time, reflecting upon the changing tides of tradition and progress within generational spans of the town\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u307b\u306a\u307e\u305f\u660e\u65e5\u300f(Hona Mata Ashita) Tuesday, July 15 at 8:30 PM
\nDir. Saki Michimoto, 2024, 99 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Makoto Tanaka, Ryota Matsuda, Risa Shigematsu.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u30d7\u30ed\u30df\u30b9\u30c8\u30fb\u30e9\u30f3\u30c9\u300f (Puromisuto Rando)
\nSaturday, July 19 at 12:30 PM
\nDir. Masashi Iijima, 2023, 89 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Rairu Sugita, Kantaro.
\nMasashi Iijima\u2019s feature film directorial debut follows two matagi (traditional Japanese hunters) as they embark on a bear hunt in secret, preserving their custom despite a governmental ban. Told through long shots and minimal dialogue, this austere film allows the audience ample time to reflect on the conflict between tradition and progress in its wide stretches of silence amid snowy mountain vistas.
\nSo Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely (North American Premiere)
\n\u300e\u7d20\u6575\u3059\u304e\u3066\u7d20\u6575\u3059\u304e\u3066\u7d20\u6575\u3059\u304e\u308b\u300f (Sutekisugite Sutekisugite Sutekisugiru) Saturday, July 19 at 4:30 PM
\nDir. Megumi Okawara, 2025, 67 min, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Megumi Okawara, Shin Namura, Naoko Miya.
\nImbued with a sense of real youthful energy, So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely is a frenetic display of heartbreak filled with whimsical leanings, overflowing with creative ambition. Q&A with Director Megumi Okawara.<\/p>\n
\nLicense to Live
\n\u300e\u30cb\u30f3\u30b2\u30f3\u5408\u683c\u300f(Ningen Gokaku)
\nDir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1998, 109 min, Archival 35mm, Color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Hidetoshi Nishijima, Koji Yakusho, Shun Sugata.
\nThursday, July 17 at 9:30 PM
\nKiyoshi Kurosawa\u2019s fascinating 1998 reconstruction of Sam Peckinpah\u2019s The Ballad of Cable Hogue lifts the film\u2019s framework to chronicle a man\u2019s life (Drive My Car\u2019s Hidetoshi Nishijima) after waking up from a 10-year coma. Irreverent, comic and heartfelt, License to Live constitutes an early show of Kurosawa\u2019s remarkable adaptability and versatile range.<\/p>\n
\n\u300eLove Letter\u300f
\nSaturday, July 19 at 6:30 PM
\nDir. Shunji Iwai, 1995, 117 min., DCP, Color. With Miho Nakayama, Etsushi Toyokawa, Miki Sakai, Takashi Kashiwabara.
\nIwai’s achingly bittersweet epistolary breakthrough evokes an intoxicating romanticism of lost love, recollection and grief\u2014all amid a picturesque setting in the blanche wintertide of Otaru. Beloved throughout Asia, Love Letter would capture the hearts of an entire generation, swept over by its sincerity and the late Miho Nakayama\u2019s eternal mountainside cry \u201cO genki desu ka?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u86c7\u306e\u9053\u300f(Hebi No Michi)
\nSaturday, July 19 at 9:00 PM
\nDir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1998, 85 min, DCP, Color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Sho Aikawa, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yurei Yanagi.
\nKiyoshi Kurosawa\u2019s 1998 V-Cinema production relays the muted horror of obsessive vengeance when a father attempts to avenge his daughter\u2019s brutal murder by kidnapping and torturing a suspected yakuza. A winding descent into a near-fanatical desire to avenge, Serpent\u2019s Path bleakly resigns to a goal which becomes ever more obscure.<\/p>\n
\nSaturday, July 12 at 12:30 PM<\/p>\n
\n\u300eEnd of Dinosaurs\u300f
\nDir. Kako Annika Esashi, 2024, 28 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Kako Annika Esashi, Shota Imai, Leica Sasafu.
\nA young community organizer, a free-spirited girl and a drag queen set out to challenge a dinosaur-ridden town\u2019s attempt at redevelopment. A delightfully quirky and poignant film from Japanese American filmmaker Kako Annika Esashi. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the PIA Film Festival.
\nFlow (New York Premiere)
\n\u300e\u30d5\u30ed\u30fc\u300f (Furo)<\/p>\n
\nThe word \u201ctaboo\u201d comes from the French Polynesian word “tapua.” It means sacred blood. Flow is an experimental short film that honors the taboo inside every woman, the cycle of the moon and the power of creation. With Director Introduction.
\nI Am Not Invisible (U.S. Premiere)<\/p>\n
\nTree of Sinners (North American Premiere)
\n\u300e\u7f6a\u2f08\u306e\u2f4a\u300f(Zaininnoki)<\/p>\n
\nHusband and wife team Rii Ishigara and Hiroyuki Onogawa (composer of August in the Water) craft a surreal Taisho fantasy set in a remote mansion, where a maid is forbidden to enter the room of her master\u2019s sick wife. Visually arresting, the pair\u2019s second medium-length work is a beautifully dark fable.<\/p>\n
\nJapanese Avant-Garde Pioneers (New York Premiere)
\n\u300e\u65e5\u672c\u524d\u885b\u6d3e\u306e\u958b\u62d3\u8005\u300f(Nihon Aen’ei-Ha No Kaitaku-Sha)
\nFriday, July 18 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Am\u00e9lie Ravalec, 2024, 100 min., DCP, color, in English and Japanese with English subtitles. With Nobuyoshi Araki, Tadanori Yokoo, Keiichi Tanaami.
\nExploring the explosion of postwar radical art in the 1960s and the rise of Japanese avant-garde, Japanese Avant-Garde Pioneers is an enthralling glimpse into the outsider art of Japan\u2019s underground movements. Q&A with Director Am\u00e9lie Ravalec.
\nThe Spirit of Japan (World Premiere)<\/p>\n
\nSunday, July 20 at 5:00 PM
\nDir. Joseph Overbey, 2024, 48 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Tekkan Wakamatsu, Kazunari Wakamatsu, Ranko Wakamatsu.
\nThe story of the Wakamatsu family, who have been distilling sweet potato shochu by hand at their Yamatozakura Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture since the 1850s. With Director & Producer Q&A. Followed by a Reception.<\/p>\n
\n\u300e\u3069\u3046\u3059\u308c\u3070\u3088\u304b\u3063\u305f\u304b?\u300f Dou Sureba Yokattaka?
\nTues, July 15 at 6:00 PM
\nDir. Tomoaki Fujino, 2024, 101 min., DCP, color, In Japanese with English subtitles.
\nTomoaki Fujino\u2019s independent sleeper hit documents 20 years of his sister\u2019s life, who after exhibiting signs of schizophrenia in her early 20s, lived on without being treated due to his parents\u2019 denial of her illness. Heartbreaking, What Should We Have Done? actively explores and confronts the cultural disparities associated with mental illness in Japan.<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Screenings with Receptions: $26 Nonmembers \/ $18 Member \/ $23 seniors & students
\n\u25cf Screenings with Intros or Q&As: $24 Nonmembers \/ $17 Member \/ $22 seniors & students
\n\u25cf All Other Screenings: $20 Nonmembers \/ $14 Members \/ $18 seniors & students
\n\u25cf Short Films: $10 Nonmembers \/ Free for Members \/ $5 seniors & students
\n\u25cf All-Access Pass: $315 \/ Exclusively for Members
\nPrices are inclusive of fees, where applicable. All screenings take place in-person at Japan Society\u2019s theater, located at 333 East 47th Street in New York, NY.
\nTickets on sale now for Japan Society members at japan society.org\/japancuts. Tickets on sale to the general public began June 10.<\/p>\n
\nGuest Intro or Q&A * Post-Screening Reception **<\/p>\n
\nChaO- 6 PM **
\nFRIDAY, JULY 11
\nThe Real You – 6 PM * The Gesuidouz – 9 PM<\/p>\n
\nSHORT CUTS – 12:30 PM *
\nYasuko, Songs of Days Past – 3 PM She Taught Me Serendipity – 6:30 PM **<\/p>\n
\nKowloon Generic Romance – 12:30 PM Michiyuki – Voices of Time – 3 PM
\nA Girl Named Ann – 5:30 PM *<\/p>\n
\nTeki Cometh – 6 PM
\nA Samurai in Time – 8:30 PM
\nTUESDAY, JULY 15
\nWhat Should We Have Done? – 6 PM<\/p>\n
\nWEDNESDAY, JULY 16
\nCloud – 6 PM **
\nTHURSDAY, JULY 17
\nSerpent\u2019s Path (2024) – 6 PM * License to Live – 9:30 PM *<\/p>\n
\nJapanese Avant-Garde Pioneers – 6 PM * Blazing Fists – 8:30 PM
\nSATURDAY, JULY 19
\nPromised Land – 12:30 PM My Sunshine – 2:30 PM
\nSo Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely – 4:30 PM * Love Letter – 6:30 PM
\nSerpent\u2019s Path (1998) – 9 PM
\nSUNDAY, JULY 20
\nGridman Universe – 12:30 PM Kaiju Guy! – 3 PM
\nThe Spirit of Japan – 5:00 PM **<\/p>\n
\nAbout Japan Society:<\/strong> The premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business and society with audiences in New York and around the world. At Japan Society, we are inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (\u7d46)\u2013forging deep connections to bind people together. We are committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond.<\/p>\nAbout GU<\/strong><\/h3>\n