From 7 February to 28 March, discover the UK’s biggest festival of Japanese cinema at Brewery Arts. The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP) is back, bringing an unmissable season of Japanese filmmaking to screens across the UK.
This year’s theme, Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema, invites audiences to explore questions of identity, perception, and authenticity. In a world where we constantly shift who we are depending on context – and where images, narratives, and even selves can be carefully curated – these films ask what it really means to know ourselves, or each other.
Featuring everything from powerful social crime dramas and laugh-out-loud comedies to fantasy, horror, and genre-defying gems, the programme showcases how Japanese filmmakers interrogate the idea of the “true self” – and whether uncovering it leads to freedom, connection, or unexpected consequences.
Join us for a handpicked line-up of bold, thought-provoking, and entertaining films, touring nationwide as part of JFTFP 2026. All JFTFP cinema tickets are £7.50!
Ghost Killer
7 Feb | 5pm
After finding a bullet casing, university student Fumika discovers she can channel the lethal skills of ghostly assassin Hideo, reluctantly plunging her into a shadowy world of vengeance, danger, and an unexpected bond.
What Should We Have Done?
12 Feb | 8pm
A deeply personal documentary, Fujino’s film reflects on his sister’s untreated schizophrenia and the lasting impact of denial, exploring family taboo, illness, and the unresolved pain left in its wake.
The Final Piece
19 Feb | 8pm
Deep in the mountains, a corpse and a rare shogi piece spark a high-stakes investigation that soon points to rising shogi player Keisuke. As the case unfolds, his carefully constructed image starts to crumble, exposing wounds and fractured relationships from his past.
Adabana
21 Feb | 5pm
In a near-future world, wealthy but terminally ill Shinji meets his “Unit” – a clone of himself created using cutting-edge technology. As memories resurface and a strange intimacy develops, he is compelled to question himself and the sanctity of life.
ANGRY SQUAD: The Civil Servant and the Seven Swindlers
28 Feb | 5pm
Con artist Makoto swindles straight-laced tax officer Jiro. When the trickster proposes targeting a corrupt tycoon, they team up with a crew of misfits to form the “Angry Squad” and launch a daring scheme with unexpected emotional consequences.
The Man Who Failed to Die
12 Mar | 8pm
When Ippei comes home after a failed suicide attempt, he is suddenly faced with the ghost of a middle-aged man, who asks him to kill his daughter’s ex-husband. Soon, an unlikely friendship blooms between Ippei and the ghost in this cynical comedy.
Hakkenden: Fiction and Reality
14 Mar | 5pm
In 19th century Edo, novelist Bakin begins an ambitious mystical tale of good and evil. Three decades later, as his life’s work reaches its climax, he is struck by a tragedy that makes him nearly unable to continue.
NEMURUBAKA: Hypnic Jerks
19 Mar | 8pm
As Ruka rises to fame in the music industry, her roommate Yumi begins to question herself and her unambitious life. However, there is something Yumi does not know about Ruka beneath her glittering exterior…
Sham
26 Mar | 8pm
After a devoted teacher is falsely accused of abusing a pupil, media frenzy and public outrage turn him into a national villain, sending his life into freefall as he desperately maintains his innocence.
The Last Blossom
28 Mar | 5pm
Lonely prisoner and former yakuza member Minoru talks to his sole companion, a potted “hosenka” (balsam), about his past and the meaning of life. Betrayed and manipulated from a young age, he still clings to one thing – the hope of turning his life around.
View the full cinema programme here.
