All History faculty, staff, and students (and guests!) are invited to attend a Japanese film series, hosted by Dr. Ethan Segal. Each Tuesday, a new film will be screened in Wells B-122 at 7 p.m. Specific dates and films include:
Sept. 2 – Your Name (106 minutes)
Gorgeous, award-winning animated film that starts with two high school students – one a boy living in Tokyo, the other a girl living at a rural Shinto shrine – inexplicably waking up in each other’s bodies. Animation is amazing; same director’s next film (Weathering with You) was Japan’s nomination for the Academy Awards.
Sept. 9 – Yojimbo (110 minutes)
Classic 1960s black-and-white samurai film by Director Akira Kurosawa features Toshiro Mifune as a wandering samurai who cleverly plays off competing groups of bad guys against each other. Remade by Italian Director Sergio Leone as A Fistful of Dollars (featuring cowboys in the American Old West).
Sept. 16 – The Twilight Samurai (129 min)
Moving portrait of a samurai caught up in changing times as 19th-c. Japan transitioned from Tokugawa to Meiji. Stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Rie Miyazawa; directed by Yamada Yōji. Not your typical samurai film!
Sept. 23 – Grave of the Fireflies (89 min)
Animated film of two orphaned children struggling to survive in the last days of World War II. Heartbreakingly sad…
Sept. 30 – Gojira (95 min)
The original 1954 Godzilla (not the one with Raymond Burr). A Godzilla movie with deeper meaning! Not what you might be used to from late-night cable t.v. This is the film that launched the series. Definitely worth checking out.
Oct. 7 – High and Low (143 minutes)
Toshiro Mifune stars as a wealthy executive facing a life-altering decision when confronted by ruthless kidnappers. Kurosawa masterfully builds the tension while commenting on the wealth disparity brought on by Japan’s rapid economic growth. See the original that inspired the 2025 Spike Lee remake featuring Denzel Washington!
Oct. 14 – Spirited Away (125 min)
Academy-award winning animated film from Studio Ghibli (Hayao Miyazaki). A young girl suddenly finds herself trapped in the bathhouse of the gods. Can she rescue her parents and escape to the “normal” world again?
Oct. 28 – Ringu (95 min)
The original film that launched the Japanese horror film boom of the early 2000s! Watch a certain spooky video and you will die in seven days… This is the film that Hollywood remade as The Ring!
Nov. 4 – Shoplifters (121 min)
Amazing Hirokazu Kore-eda film that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2018. Moving performances by Sakura Ando, Lily Franky, and Kiki Kirin. This film will lead you to rethink your ideas about family and propriety.
Nov. 11 – Akira (124 min)
Classic animated film (probably the best known 20th-c. Japanese animated film aside from Studio Ghibli films) depicts a future, post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo with biker gangs, esper kids, corrupt politicians, and more. The gamelan music is amazing and the animated special effects and complex storyline ahead of its time!
Nov. 18 – Kamikaze Girls (102 min)
Frenetic “buddy” movie about two misfit girls growing up in the countryside, one who is into Lolita fashion, the other who wants to be in a biker gang. They become unlikely but fast friends. Fun (and funny) film with interesting techniques used by the filmmaker. Stars Kyoko Fukada and Anna Tsuchiya.
Nov. 25 – Perfect Days (124 minutes)
Enchanting slice-of-life drama that centers on a toilet cleaner, played by Kōji Yakusho (who won Best Actor at Cannes for his performance). Despite the many chaotic things going on around him, he enjoys his simple life. And the ultramodern public toilets of Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward are sure to astound you.
Dec. 2 – Tampopo (102 min)
Very funny Jūzō Itami comedy about food and everything related to food. A “noodle Western” with lots of amusing side stories, you’ll definitely want to eat some ramen (and not the instant kind) after watching this.