North America’s largest festival dedicated to new Japanese films, JAPAN CUTS 2026 Powered by Canon, runs July 8–18, 2026, at Japan Society in New York City. Now in its 19th edition, the event delivers over 30 curated features, shorts, documentaries, anime, restorations, and more—spotlighting award-winners, indie gems, rising talent, and established masters.
Tickets are already on sale for Japan Society members, with general public access launching June 10 at noon. Pricing ranges from accessible screenings to premium options like the Centerpiece ($35/$28 members) and All-Access Pass. This year’s programming promises premieres, receptions, intros, parties, and celebrity guests right in the heart of NYC.
A Quick Look at the Festival’s History
JAPAN CUTS launched in 2007 as an expansion of Japan Society’s earlier New Films from Japan series. It quickly established itself as the go-to platform for contemporary Japanese cinema in North America, blending commercial hits, bold independents, and experimental voices. Over the years, it has introduced international audiences to groundbreaking works while fostering a passionate community of filmgoers through in-person events and, at times, virtual access. The festival’s commitment to both veteran filmmakers and emerging directors continues to make it a vital cultural bridge.
This edition feels particularly stacked, opening with the East Coast premiere of a veteran director’s latest and closing with a Kore-eda North American premiere, plus standout honors and a strong Next Generation section.
Festival Highlights
Centerpiece: A Pale View of Hills, starring lauded actress Suzu Hirose, who receives the CUT ABOVE Award for Outstanding Achievement. It’s the New York Premiere of this adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s debut novel.
Closing Film: Legendary director Hirokazu Kore-eda appears in-person for the North American Premiere of Sheep in the Box.
Three Must-See Films to Highlight
Here are compelling looks at three standout titles, blending veteran craft with fresh perspectives:
Tokyo Taxi (Dir. Yoji Yamada) – Opening Night / East Coast Premiere
At 94 years young and on his 91st feature, Yoji Yamada (Twilight Samurai, the Tora-san series) delivers a tender, humanistic remake of the French film Driving Madeleine.
Hardworking but financially strained Tokyo taxi driver Koji Usami (Takuya Kimura) takes on a special fare: 85-year-old Sumire Takano (Chieko Baisho), who’s heading to a seaside nursing home. What starts as a straightforward trip turns into a day-long journey of detours through Tokyo’s ever-changing streets. As Sumire revisits landmarks from her past, she unfolds a life story spanning wartime survival, love, loss, single motherhood, and quiet resilience—bridging generations and offering Koji unexpected perspective on his own pressures.
Smartly observed and emotionally layered, Tokyo Taxi celebrates fleeting connections, nostalgia, and the joys (and costs) of living in a metropolis that never stops evolving. It’s classic Yamada: warm, insightful, and profoundly human—perfect for anyone who appreciates character-driven stories that linger.
Leave the Cat Alone (Dir. Daisuke Shigaya) – Next Generation Section / North American Premiere
This enigmatic debut feature from Daisuke Shigaya (seven years in the making) offers a subdued, introspective look at modern relationships and artistic drift.
Photographer Maiko (Ran Taniguchi) and her husband Mori (Soma Fujii, who also contributed the score), a blocked musician plagued by insomnia and creative stagnation, navigate a languishing marriage. A chance reunion with Mori’s old flame Asako stirs long-buried memories, regrets, and what-ifs across three days and two nights. The film quietly observes small domestic moments, shifting affections, and the quiet storms of reconciling past ideals with present realities.
Intimate and low-key with deep emotional undercurrents, Leave the Cat Alone sidesteps big drama for nuanced portrayals of love, lethargy, and the subtle ways lives drift apart—or perhaps realign. It’s a strong entry in the festival’s spotlight on emerging talent.
Brand New Love (Dir. Ryuichi Iwakura) – Next Generation / International Premiere
In this understated gem (awarded PIA’s Runner Up), a couple on the brink, Yuko and Kenichi, house-sit a relative’s antique shop in a last-ditch attempt to salvage their deteriorating relationship.
Bickering and resentful, they create distance by alternating shifts in the shop, allowing director Iwakura to observe their growing divide through subtle expressions, silences, and small interactions. At just 84 minutes, it’s a remarkably restrained portrait of dissolution and the quiet end of something once new.
Brand New Love excels in its minimalist approach—perfect for fans of slow-burn relationship studies that prioritize atmosphere and emotional precision over plot fireworks. It’s a fresh voice worth watching in Japanese indie cinema.
Why You Should Go (or Plan Around It)
JAPAN CUTS remains an essential event for anyone passionate about Japanese film’s vitality—from big-name stars and directors to bold experiments in the Next Generation and New Directions programs (the latter often free with RSVP). Whether you’re drawn to nostalgic road trips, intimate domestic dramas, or subtle relationship dissections, there’s something here that will resonate.
Tickets and full lineup details are available at the Japan Society website. If you’re in NYC this July, don’t miss being part of this vibrant film community. For those following from afar, keep an eye on coverage and future streaming possibilities—Japanese cinema’s latest cuts are always worth experiencing.
What are you most excited to catch? Let us know in the comments!
