{"id":685778,"date":"2026-01-10T02:19:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T02:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/685778\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T02:19:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T02:19:25","slug":"the-uks-biggest-japanese-film-festival-is-coming-to-manchester-next-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/685778\/","title":{"rendered":"The UK&#8217;s Biggest Japanese Film Festival Is Coming To Manchester Next Month"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Like-Asura-Credit-\u00a9-2003-TOHO-CO.-LTD.-HAKUHODO-INC.-THE-MAINICHI-NEWSPAPERS.-NIPPON-SHUPPAN-HANBAI-.jpeg\" class=\"img-fluid\" alt=\"like asura still japanese film festival manchester\" width=\"1024\" height=\"727\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLike Asura (Dir. Yoshimitsu Morita, 2003) Credit: \u00a9 2003 TOHO CO., LTD. HAKUHODO INC. THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. NIPPON SHUPPAN HANBAI INC.<\/p>\n<p>    Save<\/p>\n<p>We love a bit of <a href=\"https:\/\/secretmanchester.com\/independent-cinemas-manchester\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretmanchester.com\/independent-cinemas-manchester\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_0\" data-category=\"click_internal\">cinema<\/a> here in Manchester, and with festivals celebrating all kinds of world cinema and genres, it\u2019s no surprise the <strong>UK\u2019s largest annual celebration of Japanese cinema<\/strong> is coming to town \u2013 plus, it\u2019s two brand new Greater Manchester locations. The <strong>Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme<\/strong> (JFTFP26) arrives in Manchester for 2026 this February, with an incredible programme offering audiences the chance to catch up with the latest and greatest selection of cinema to come out of Japan.<\/p>\n<p>The films this year are programmed around the theme \u2018<strong>Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema<\/strong>\u2018 \u2013 exploring the concept of the self, through the medium of film, of course.<\/p>\n<p> <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-84231 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Blue-Boy-Trial-Credit-\u00a9-2025-Blue-Boy-Trial-Film-Partners-Japan-Foundation-Touring-Film-Programme-20.jpeg\" alt=\"Blue Boy Trial still\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\"  \/>Blue Boy Trial (Dir. Kasho Iizuka, 2025) Credit: \u00a9 2025 \u201cBlue Boy Trial\u201d Film Partners\/Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 <\/p>\n<p><strong>Akira Kurosawa\u2019s Rashomon<\/strong> (1950), a film that helped introduce Japanese cinema to the world, is a prime example of the ambiguity inherent in comprehending the human self. In the film, conflicting eyewitness testimonies highlight<strong> self-deception<\/strong>, as the truth becomes increasingly unclear. <a href=\"https:\/\/secretmanchester.com\/best-films-and-tv-shows-filmed-in-manchester\/\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" target=\"_self\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/secretmanchester.com\/best-films-and-tv-shows-filmed-in-manchester\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_1\" data-category=\"click_internal\">Films<\/a> such as this show how the notion of the self can be easily shaped through imagery and subjectively reconstructed in relation to others by those who perceive it.<\/p>\n<p>The films at JFTFP26 under the banner \u2018Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema\u2019 offer mirror images of the world we inhabit, centring on the theme of the true self and the quest to understand it. From serious<strong> social dramas to laugh-out-loud comedies<\/strong>; from <strong>sci-fi to horror<\/strong>; from <strong>classics to recently released films<\/strong>, and including an incredible new work from the iconic <strong>Takashi Miike<\/strong>, one of Japan\u2019s most internationally acclaimed filmmakers, the programme guarantees something for everyone.<\/p>\n<p> Highlights on the 2026 Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme: Sham (Dir. Takashi Miike, 2025, UK Premiere) <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-84225 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Sham-Japan-Foundation-Touring-Film-Programme-2026.jpg\" alt=\"sham takashi miike japan film festival\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\"  \/>Sham (Dir. Takashi Miike, 2025) Credit: Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 <\/p>\n<p>Japanese cinema legend <strong>Takashi Miike<\/strong> is best known for his wildly innovative genre work, but for his latest, he takes a more realist approach, transforming investigative journalist Masumi Fukuda\u2019s ground-breaking report \u2018Fabrication: The Truth Behind the Fukuoka \u2018Murderous Teacher\u2019 Case\u2019 into a powerful contemporary work.<\/p>\n<p>The film tells the story of an elementary school teacher who is forced to publicly apologise after being accused of brutally disciplining a child by the boy\u2019s mother. Depicting the media storm and lawsuit that follows, Miike offers up a gripping social critique as well as moral inquiry, challenging us to question what is real, whom to trust, and how fragile the images we create of others truly are.<\/p>\n<p> The Hotel of My Dream (Dir. Yukihiko Tsutsumi, 2024, UK Premiere) <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-84226 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The-Hotel-of-My-Dream-Credit-\u00a9-2012-Asako-Yuzuki_Shinchosha-\u00a9-2024-The-Hotel-of-my-Dream-Film-Partne.jpeg\" alt=\"The Hotel of My Dream\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\"  \/>The Hotel of My Dream (Dir. Yukihiko Tsutsumi, 2024) Credit: \u00a9 2012 Asako Yuzuki:Shinchosha \u00a9 2024 \u201cThe Hotel of my Dream\u201d Film Partners <\/p>\n<p><strong>The Hotel of My Dream<\/strong> is a semi-autobiographical story about the author Asako Yuzuki, writer of the UK best-selling book <strong>Butter<\/strong>. Transposing the book\u2019s original story from the present day to the 1980s, director Yukihiko Tsutsumi delivers an honest account of the life of a young novelist who dreams of success within the Japanese literary establishment. Filled with satire and humour, this is a story about one woman\u2019s inexhaustible power to break through.<\/p>\n<p> Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality (Dir. Fumihiko Sori, 2024, UK Premiere) <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-84228 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Hakkenden-Fiction-and-Reality-Credit-\u00a9-2024-Hakkenden-Fiction-and-Reality-Film-Partners.jpg\" alt=\"Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality \" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\"  \/>Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality (Dir. Fumihiko Sori, 2024) Credit: \u00a9 2024 Hakkenden Fiction and Reality Film Partners <\/p>\n<p>As far back as 1913, the<strong> epic Japanese novel Hakkenden <\/strong>has been adapted for film, but this adaptation is different. Director Fumihiko Sori blends the intimate true story of the novel\u2019s creation, involving some of Japan\u2019s most renowned artistic historical figures, with the spectacular fictional battles of eight mythical warriors contained within its story. Some of Japan\u2019s finest actors including <strong>Koji Yakusho<\/strong> and <strong>Seiyo Uchino<\/strong> star alongside some breath-taking visual effects to reveal the truth behind the classic household novel.<\/p>\n<p> Full programme presented by the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme across the UK from 6 February to 31 March 2026: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>The Final Piece<\/strong> (Dir. Naoto Kumazawa, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>What Should We Have Done? <\/strong>(Dir. Tomoaki Fujino, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Blue Boy Trial<\/strong> (Dir. Kasho Iizuka, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Last Blossom <\/strong>(Dir. Baku Kinoshita, 2025)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Like Asura<\/strong> (Dir. Yoshimitsu Morita, 2003)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Conflagration <\/strong>(Dir. Kon Ichikawa, 1958)<\/li>\n<li><strong>I Am What I Am<\/strong> (Dir. Shinya Tamada, 2022)<\/li>\n<li><strong>ANGRY SQUAD: The Civil Servant and the Seven Swindlers <\/strong>(Dir. Shinichiro Ueda, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Teki Cometh<\/strong> (Dir. Daihachi Yoshida, 2023, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Petals and Memories<\/strong> (Dir. Tetsu Maeda, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>A Bad Summer<\/strong> (Dir. Hideo Jojo, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Adabana<\/strong> (Dir. Sayaka Kai, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Real You<\/strong> (Dir. Yuya Ishii, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Missing Child Videotape<\/strong> (Dir. Ryota Kondo, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ghost Killer <\/strong>(Dir. Kensuke Sonomura, 2024)<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Man Who Failed to Die<\/strong> (Dir. Seiji Tanaka, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>She Taught Me Serendipity<\/strong> (Dir. Akiko Ohku, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Silence of the Sea<\/strong> (Dir. Setsuro Wakamatsu, 2024, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Love Doesn\u2019t Matter to Me<\/strong> (Dir. Aya Igashi, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ura Aka: L\u2019Aventure<\/strong> (Dir. Takuya Kato, 2020, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Kaneko\u2019s Commissary <\/strong>(Dir. Go Furukawa, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<li><strong>NEMURUBAKA: Hypnic Jerks <\/strong>(Dir. Yugo Sakomoto, 2025)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strangers in Kyoto<\/strong> (Dir. Masanori Tominaga, 2025, UK Premiere)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-84230 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Conflagration-Credit-\u00a9-1958-Kadokawa-Pictures.jpg\" alt=\"Conflagration 1958\" width=\"1200\" height=\"889\"  \/>Conflagration (Dir. Kon Ichikawa, 1958) Credit: \u00a9 1958 Kadokawa Pictures North West touring programme dates &amp; venues  <\/p>\n<p>You can find tickets for The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpf-film.org.uk\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"shortcode-outbound-link\" data-has-ga=\"true\" data-ga-type=\"click\" data-label=\"https:\/\/www.jpf-film.org.uk\/\" data-action=\"text_cta_9\" data-category=\"click_non_sales\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Like Asura (Dir. Yoshimitsu Morita, 2003) Credit: \u00a9 2003 TOHO CO., LTD. HAKUHODO INC. THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. NIPPON&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":685779,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[8813],"tags":[10281,23787,748,26672,2197,188,6454,393,47345,4884,2348,19421,2465,22505,26676,6960,147655,17245,16,15],"class_list":["post-685778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manchester","tag-action","tag-adventure","tag-britain","tag-classics","tag-comedy","tag-crime","tag-drama","tag-england","tag-film-festival","tag-great-britain","tag-history","tag-independent-cinema","tag-manchester","tag-mystery","tag-romance-romantic","tag-sci-fi","tag-terror-horror","tag-thriller","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115868412622605712","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=685778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/685778\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/685779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=685778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=685778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=685778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}