Toronto Japanese Film Festival at the JCCC

04/15/2026

We are very pleased to announce our first round of films for the 15th annual Toronto Japanese Film Festival at the JCCC. This year we'll feature 24 films from June 11 - 26 including a couple of August Special Showcase Screenings. Here is what we can tell you so far. Make sure to visit the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre site soon for more information.

10/31/2025

KOKUHO is coming to the JCCC.
KOKUHO (国宝) is a 2025 Japanese drama film directed by Lee Sang-il and written by Satoko Okudera, based on the novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida. The film stars Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinobu Terajima, Min Tanaka, and Ken Watanabe.

The story follows Kikuo Tachibana, the son of a yakuza boss who is murdered by a rival gang. At fifteen, Kikuo is taken in as an apprentice by kabuki actor Hanai Hanjiro. Although kabuki tradition prizes family lineage, Kikuo’s extraordinary natural talent propels him to fame and artistic success.

KOKUHO has become a cultural phenomenon in Japan with audiences returning for multiple viewings. It is now the second highest grossing live-action film in Japanese cinema history.

The film had its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 18, followed by a North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2025. It was released theatrically in Japan by Toho on June 6, becoming both a critical and commercial success, and was selected as Japan’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.

It is coming to the JCCC on January 23, 2026 and tickets will sell quickly. Check our site for tickets.

09/28/2025

North American Premiere coming October 9!

09/03/2025

TIFF brings new films from two of Japan's top actors, Suzu Hirose (A PALE VIEW OF HILLS) and Ryusei Yokohama (KOKUHO). See them together in the North American Premiere of UNREACHABLE [片思い世界] on October 9 at 7:00pm.
https://www.jccc.on.ca/event/2025/10/october-film-unreachable

08/25/2025

Something (and someone) special coming to the Kobayashi Hall. RSVP to the QR code to hold your spot for this free screening.

Ayami Sato at JCCC – Free Admission!
Ayami Sato, known as the “best female pitcher in the world” and the first woman to play in Canadian pro baseball, will appear at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on September 18.

The event features a screening of See Her Be Her and a Q&A with Sato. Don’t miss this inspiring story of women’s baseball.

RSVP: https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/see-her-be-her-japanese-canadian-cultural-centre-tickets/13935514?pl=jcccevents
参加無料！女子野球の先駆者・里綾美選手が日系文化会館に登場 | 9月18日（水） Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre

女子野球の「世界一の投手」として知られ、トロントでは男子リーグ Toronto Maple Leafs でプレーし、カナダプロ野球でプレーした初の女性選手として歴史を刻んだ里綾美選手が、日系文化会館に登場する。

当日はドキュメンタリー映画『See Her Be Her』の上映に加え、里選手による質疑応答と交流の機会が設けられる。

映画『See Her Be Her』は、世界各地で奮闘する女子野球選手たちのリアルを描いた作品である。2024年女子野球ワールドカップに挑む7人の選手――キューバ、ウガンダ、韓国、日本、カナダ、プエルトリコ、アメリカ。文化も言語も異なる彼女たちが「野球を愛する心」でつながり、国境を越えて躍動する姿を追っている。

歴史を切り拓いた女性たちへの敬意と、未来へ向けた力強いメッセージが込められた必見のドキュメンタリーである。

RSVPをお忘れなく！
#里綾実 #女子野球 #世界一 #カナダ #トロント #イベント

08/21/2025

TIFF brings some great Japanese cinema to Toronto next month. Here is an early review of A PALE VIEW OF HILLS courtesy of Nikkei Voice.
https://wp.me/p4pH38-3Sy.

08/21/2025

TIFF brings so great Japanese cinema to Toronto next month. Here is an early review of A PALE VIEW OF HILLS courtesy of Nikkei Voice.

Suzu Hirose as a young Etsuko in "A Pale View of Hills", adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro's debut novel and 2017 Nobel Prize for Literature. ©2025 A Pale View of Hills Film Partners. In 2024-25, she app...

08/21/2025

With the premieres of Kei Ishikawa’s A PALE VIEW OF HILLS, based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel, at Cannes and now TIFF, the Nobel prize-winning author talks about his influences. BTW – it is not the first superb adaptation of one of his books. REMAINS OF THE DAY and NEVER LET ME GO are two others very much with your time.

The film version of A Pale View of Hills, the Nobel-winner’s tale of loss, exile and a pregnant radioactive bride, is about to premiere at Cannes. The writer explains why this story is so personal to him

08/18/2025

Lee Sang-il [李相日] is one of our favourite contemporary directors of Japanese film. His new film is KOKUHO [国宝], a huge hit with Japanese audiences and critics, is coming to TIFF this the year and tickets will be very popular.
Which of his other films is a favourite for you and why? It is RAGE [怒り] for me although WANDERING [流浪の月] really packs a punch as well.

Stars and director Lee Sang-il reveal the year-long training process behind their 50-year Kabuki saga screening at Cannes Directors' Fortnight.