• • • Project Title: FY2026 “Project to Promote Japanese Culture and Arts through Internationally Co-Produced Film and Other Media”
    • Event Title:  Journey through Japan on Screen in Bangkok 2026
    • Organized by: Agency of Cultural Affairs
    • Co-Organized by: Japan Film Commission
    • In Cooperation with: The Japan Foundation
    • Supported by: The Japan Embassy of Thailand, Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), The Japanese Association in Thailand
    • Event Dates: Saturday and Sunday, February 28-March 1, 2026
    • Event Location: Bangkok, Thailand
    • Venue: Screening at SF WORLD CINEMA Cinema11 Central World 9F. / Japan Day will be at Central World 7F. (999/9 Ratchadamri Rd, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand 10330)

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1:30 p.m.- Saturday, February 28th

On Summer Sand　（2025 /102 min/ Japan）Screenplay & Director: Shinya Tamada
Based on a novel: Masataka Matsuda
Producer: Naoki Kai
Cast: Joe Odagiri, Akari Takaishi, Takako Matsu, Naotaro Moriyama, Fumiya Takahashi, Hikari Mitsushima, and Ken Mitsuishi

Based on the award-winning play by Masataka Matsuda, this film is directed and written by Shinya Tamada, with Joe Odagiri also serving as co-producer.
Set in Nagasaki during a rainless summer, the film portrays a man whose life has come to a halt after losing his son and his unexpected life with his 17-year-old niece. As each character confronts their own emotional wounds, they gradually rediscover small signs of hope.
The film was shot entirely on location in Nagasaki in September 2024, capturing the city’s landscapes accompanied by music composed by Marihiko Hara.

©2025 The ON SUMMER SAND Partners

4:00 p.m.- Saturday, February 28th

Dreaming In Between（2023 / 96 min./ Japan）

Director and Writer: Ryutaro Ninomiya
Chief Executive Producer: Naoya Kinoshita
Producers: Mizue Kunizane, Tomohiko Seki, Tokushi Suzuki, Yukiko Tanigawa
Cast: Ken Mitsuishi, Miyu Yoshimoto, Haruka Kudo, Maki Sakai, Yutaka Matsushige

Directed and written by Ryutaro Ninomiya, winner of the FILMeX New Director Award, this film is a bittersweet and hopeful story about a man standing at a turning point in his life.
The protagonist, Shuhei Suenaga, vice principal of a high school in Kitakyushu,faces with a reality of being diagnosed with Dementia, after a health check. He reflects on his relationships with family, former students, and old friends, and gradually finds the courage to take a new step forward.
The film is set and shot in Kitakyushu, capturing nostalgic Japanese cityscapes through the lens of cinematographer Hidetoshi Shinomiya (Drive My Car).

© 2022 "DREAMING IN BETWEEN" FILM PARTNERS

1:30 p.m.- Sunday, March 1st

Give it All　（2024/ 95min./ Japan）
Director: Yuhei Sakuragi
Original Story: Yoshiko Shikimura
Writers: Yuhei Sakuragi, Keiichiro Ochi
Character Design: Asako Nishida
Animation Producer: Shuhei Sakuma
Animation Production: Animation Studio Rails, Moe Co. Inc.

An animated feature depicting five high school girls who revive their school’s rowing club and challenge their first competition together. The film portrays perseverance, teamwork, and the emotional growth that comes from striving toward a shared goal.
At Mitsuhigashi High School, where a boat race is a long-standing tradition, second-year student Etsuko Murakami stands apart, having lost faith in effort due to her lack of confidence in her own talent. Her outlook begins to change when Riina Takahashi, an enthusiastic transfer student inspired by the race, sets out to revive the school’s defunct rowing club. Joined by Etsuko, her childhood friend Hime Saeki, and two other classmates, the newly formed five-member team enters its first official competition. Confronted with the gap between their ideals and reality, the girls nearly give up, but Etsuko’s renewed determination to improve brings them together, marking the beginning of their growth as a team.

©2024 "GIVE IT ALL" Film Partners

4:00 p.m.- Sunday, March 1st

Purehearted （2025/ 105 min./ Japan）

Director: Kaoru Haga
Original Story: Maha Harada
Screenplay: Mai Kurokawa
Planning Producer: Tomohiko Seki
Starring: Sairi Ito, Shota Sometani, Kenichi Takitoh, Shogen, Yasuko Tomita, and Atsuko Takahata
Theme Song: Naotaro Moriyama
Produced and Distributed by: Cogitoworks Ltd.

The long-awaited film adaptation of the hit novel with over 140,000 copies sold.
To create a special rum from Okinawan sugarcane— what began as a small idea gradually developed into a major project involving her family, her workplace, and the local community. A fresh, heartfelt story filled with warmth and affection.
Majimu Iha lives in Naha with her grandmother Kamaru, who runs a tofu shop, and her mother Sayoko. She works as a contract employee at the telecommunications company. “Majimu,” a word in the Okinawan dialect meaning “true heart,” is the name her grandmother gave her.
At a bar she frequently goes with her grandmother, Majimu becomes captivated by the allure of rum and learns that it is made from sugarcane. Around the same time, a corporate venture contest is announced at her company. Majimu submits a proposal to produce rum using sugarcane grown on Minami-Daito Island.

©2025 movie PUREHEARTED　©Maha Harada/KODANSHA

Director: Kaoru Haga
Kaoru Haga was born in 1973 in Tokyo, Japan. He graduated from Musashino Art University.
He directed numerous commercials at PYRAMID FILM INC. and THE DIRECTORS GUILD before becoming independent in 2022. His notable commercial works include the Lemon-dou series featuring Hiroshi Abe, the Meiji Yasuda Life series starring Kankuro Kudo and Tori Matsuzaka as brothers, the JR SKI SKI campaign featuring Suzu Hirose and Nijiro Murakami and the TOWN WORK campaign depicting Haruna Kawaguchi, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Fumino Kimura, and Kei Tanaka.
In addition to directing commercials, he has worked across a wide range of media, including Ken Hirai’s music video POP STAR, short films, and stage productions. Purehearted marks his feature film directorial debut.

Tickets will be available on ticketmelon starting February 13.

Alongside the film screenings, the event will host Japan Day, a cultural and tourism showcase featuring Japanese regional governments, film commissions, and tourism-related organizations.
Through exhibitions, panels, and product sampling, the showcase will introduce:
- Filming locations featured in the films
- Japanese travel destinations and regional cultures
- Local industries and regional specialties from across Japan

• Venue: Central World 7F (999/9 Ratchadamri Rd, Pathum Wan, Bangkok, Thailand 10330)
• Event Hours: 1:00 PM - 7:00 PM (scheduled)
• Participating Regions/Organizations: Osaka Film Council (Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City), Kobe Film Office (Kobe City), Fukuoka Film Commission (Fukuoka City Area), Kitakyushu Film Commission (Kitakyushu City), Okinawa Film Office (Okinawa Prefecture), Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), and others.