GENERAL

5 Japanese Actors You Should Follow On Instagram Now

August 16, 2018

With social media taking the world by storm, it is now possible to keep up with all that is happening in the lives of our favorite celebrities on and off screen. Last month, we int

GENERAL

Who Are Japan’s Most Influential Actresses on Instagram?

July 17, 2018

Long gone are the days when we had to line with up hundreds of other fans to buy posters and photos of our favorite celebrities — just to get a glimpse into their private lives, th

GENERAL

5 Before-Shoplifters Kore-eda Films That Capture The Essence Of The Human Heart

July 11, 2018

May 2018, Cannes, France. Film fans, critics, and media from all over the world sat and watched in anticipation, waiting for the name to be unveiled: the winner of this year’s Palm

GENERAL

J-Cinema Spotlight: Rising Stars Taishi Nakagawa and Kengo Kora

April 27, 2018

Following in the footsteps of veteran male actors such as Ken Watanabe, Hiroyuki Sanada and Yutaka Takeuchi, a cadre of young Japanese thespians continue to make their presence kno

GENERAL

3 Actresses Currently Rocking Japan’s Movie Screens

April 06, 2018

When we think of the Japanese women that grace the big screen, characteristics that come to mind are classic looks, undeniable cuteness and versatile talent. But in recent years, J

GENERAL

4 Makoto Shinkai Films You Should Know (that aren’t Your Name)

January 26, 2018

Your Name, the heartwarming story of two high-school students on an emotional, consciousness-swapping journey to find one another, took just two weeks to become a domestic and glob

GENERAL

Silent Fear: 3 Japanese Horror Movies Remade Overseas

November 17, 2017

The global popularity of horror movies reveals something universal and fundamental about humans: we actively seek out frightening themes to intentionally scare ourselves, and we li

GENERAL

Faces Behind The Screen: 4 Japanese Actors You Should Know

November 10, 2017

Since cinema was first introduced in Japan in the late 19th Century, the country has given birth to hundreds of legendary movie icons, many of whom are now widely recognized overse

GENERAL

7 Japanese Movies That Have Won International Awards

September 20, 2017

With one of the world’s oldest and most highly developed film industries, it’s no surprise that Japanese works have made their way to the outside world and found wide acclaim. Fact

LIFESTYLE

When Cicadas Cry: 5 Japanese Summer Traditions To Search For In Japanese Films

August 16, 2018

Japan is a land of symbolism and the Japanese summer season is of no exception. Summertime in Japan contains numerous symbols whose intended meaning and significance are widely kno

LIFESTYLE

Japanese Weddings On Film: Western Vows And Shrines Whispers

June 12, 2018

Japan is a study in contrasts — a nation where modern foreign influences and ancient traditions collide. It is also a land of seasonal celebrations, where each month is assigned a

LIFESTYLE

4 Japanese Movies That Show What’s It Like To Drop Everything And Start Anew In Tokyo

April 06, 2018

Moving to Tokyo, the big city many living in Japan’s rural areas oftentimes naively dream of, is a rite of passage many young Japanese people take. Whether it’s to enter university

LIFESTYLE

4 Japanese Movies To Watch Before High School Graduation

March 02, 2018

It is often said in Japan that the three years spent in high school are some of the most important years in the life of a Japanese youth. It is here that Japan’s teens are beginnin

LIFESTYLE

5 Japanese Movies That Will Warm Your Heart This Winter

December 27, 2017

Up in the north and along Japan’s seas, the winter is cold and severe. But while the world outside is whitened before our eyes, the stories in the following movies set in wintertim

LIFESTYLE

Beyond Hatsumode And Otoshidama: New Year Traditions As Seen In Japanese Movies

December 27, 2017

Every country has its own unique traditions and practices for celebrating the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one. In Japan, it is the “osechi” New Year dishes, “hat

LIFESTYLE

For The Love Of The Game: Sport And Youth In Japanese Movies

September 20, 2017

The three years spent in high school — and for some late bloomers, universities — is a rite of passage for Japanese youth. During this time, teens learn the key tenets fundamental

LIFESTYLE

7 Legendary Japanese Movie Soundtracks

September 20, 2017

In Japanese film, we often find a blurring of the lines between characters’ dialogue and the lyrics of any given theme song — so much so that the narrative thrust of the film is of

LIFESTYLE

Popular Japanese Literature On Screen

September 20, 2017

While manga-to-film adaptations have steadily grown in popularity, acclaimed Japanese literature has long been and remains now an unsurprisingly rich source of narratives for filme

LIFESTYLE

From Street Kawaii To School Chic: Fashion In Japanese Movies

August 22, 2017

It is a commonly held notion that Japan is home to an overwhelmingly monocultural society, with strong fundamental pillars that resist variation from the norm and shift very slowly

FOOD

Of Food And Human Bondage: 4 Japanese Movies Where Love And Food Go Hand In Hand

April 06, 2018

Japan places an enormous importance on food and its culture not only due to the nature and origin of producing it, but because food is seen as an essential process through which hu

FOOD

Ramen In Japanese Cinema: More Than Just A Bowl of Noodles

March 02, 2018

A typical ramen shop in Japan has no more than ten, maybe fifteen seats. The buildings are often showing their age, and inside, along with steamed, heavy air, one will occasionally

FOOD

Cakes And Puddings: 4 Memorable Dessert Movies From Japan

December 27, 2017

Japan certainly has a sweet tooth — as well as perfectionism toward details that the art of making sweets requires. What many people don’t know about Japan, however, is that Decemb

FOOD

Taste Japan: The Best of Japanese Cuisine Ever Captured On Screen

September 19, 2017

There is much to be said about the Japanese culinary culture. Not only is it thriving in variety and taste, but it is heavily symbolic and meaningful in nature. The following five

TRAVEL

Three Films That Perfectly Capture Hokkaido’s Cinematic Beauty

June 12, 2018

Sitting right up on one of the northernmost corners of Japan, Hokkaido is generally known for two things: great dairy and lots and lots of snow. With its cooler climate and rugged

TRAVEL

Two Ends, Two Sights: Hokkaido and Okinawa in Popular Japanese Cinema

April 27, 2018

Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost, second-largest island and the nation’s largest prefecture, contrasts considerably with Okinawa, the southernmost, fourth-smallest prefecture, itself

TRAVEL

Fleeting Beauty: A Film Journey Through 4 Of Japan’s Most Scenic Sakura Locations

March 19, 2018

Sakura, Japan’s cherry blossoms, are more than just beautiful for the Japanese. With a cultural significance dating back hundreds of years, sakura is a symbol of the arrival of spr

TRAVEL

Scenic Japan: Travel To Japan’s Most Beautiful Places With These Movies (Part II)

January 22, 2018

After traveling from Hokkaido to Aichi in central Japan in Part I of our film journey throughout Japan, we’re now heading down south from Shimane to Okinawa. Push play and join us

TRAVEL

Scenic Japan: Travel To Japan’s Most Beautiful Places With These Movies (Part I)

November 17, 2017

Iconic Mt. Fuji, Tokyo’s skyscrapers looming above the seemingly chaotic yet surprisingly civil “scramble intersections,” food and fun in Osaka’s Dotonbori neighborhood, and the te

TRAVEL

7 Movie Locations You Can Actually Visit In Japan

September 20, 2017

When films truly touch us, particularly when the settings play a very prominent role in the narrative, there can be something magical about personally setting foot on a production

HISTORY

The Good, The Cool, And The Lazy: The 8 Types Of Ninja You Never Knew Existed

January 26, 2018

You have that image in mind: ninja are black-clad spies, rarely talk, can choke you in an instant, like to throw ropes and chisels around, and are for the most part mysterious char

HISTORY

Understand Japan: 6 Movies To Watch If You’re Studying Japanese History

September 20, 2017

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a film, at 20-30 frames per second, must be worth well over 100 million words, right? What is said in jest is often based on a certain

NEWS

Malaysia JFF2018

September 14, 2018

The 15th Japanese Film Festival in Malaysia is now on! In previous years the Film Festival has been to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu where it has brought a great

NEWS

Film Festival in the Philippines – Nori Koizumi Interview

July 26, 2018

The Japanese Film Festival took place in the Philippines on the 4th of July. We invited the director of “Chihayafuru”, Mr. Nori Koizumi as a guest to give a special spe

NEWS

Philippines JFF2018 Schedule

June 27, 2018

The Japanese Foundation is holding its annual “Japanese Film Festival” in the Philippines on the 4th of July, 2018. The Japanese film festival is a part of the “J

NEWS

Looking back at Singapore & JFF 2017

June 07, 2018

The Japanese Film Festival of Singapore was held on March 2, 2018, and Shinobu Yaguchi―director of opening movie “The Survival Family”―attended the event as a guest. As well as att

NEWS

Japanese Film Festival in Indonesia　Kengo Kora

February 07, 2018

On 2 November 2017, actor Kengo Kora appeared as a special guest at the opening event of the Japan Film Festival 2017, held in Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta. As well as attendin

NEWS

Reception party report for Asian Filming networking

January 05, 2018

On Friday 27 October 2017, the Japan Foundation Asia Center and the Tokyo International Film Festival held an event as part of these organisations’ activities for Asia-focused film

NEWS

Film Director Ryota Nakano talks with Naoyuki Sato in commemoration of the screening of Her Love Boils Bathwater at the Japanese Film Festival in the Philippines

December 20, 2017

Film director Ryota Nakano, famed for his 2016 film Her Love Boils Bathwater, visited the Philippines from July 6 to 9, 2017, at the invitation of the Japan Foundation, Manila. Imm

NEWS

Japanese Film Festival in India　Yuna Taira

December 15, 2017

The Japanese Film Festival India was held in the Indian capital of New Delhi on 10 November 2017. Lead actress from the festival’s opening film ReLIFE, Yuna Taira, and producer Yuk

NEWS

Japanese Film Festival 2017 in Malaysia　Takumi Saitoh

December 11, 2017

Actor and filmmaker Takumi Saitoh joined the opening event of the Japanese Film Festival 2017, held on 5 September in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur, as a special guest. A

NEWS

Four muses: bringing life to the Japanese silver screen

December 08, 2017

Japanese actresses Sakura Ando, Yu Aoi, Hikari Mitsushima, and Aoi Miyazaki graced the red carpet at the opening ceremony of Asia’s largest film festival, the 30th Tokyo Internatio