MESA, Ariz. – The Japanese Culture Club of Arizona hosted its first day of the fourth annual Japanese film festival at the ASU Mix Center on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, partnering with the Sidney Poitier New American Film School.
This festival’s mission is to connect people culturally, promote empathy and bring more Japanese films to an Arizona audience, especially Japanese people living in the Valley.
“As Arizona’s only festival dedicated exclusively to Japanese cinema, we are committed to building cultural connections between Japan and Arizona through the stories we share,” stated founder and president Harumi Maejima.
There were two features and three short films presented on Friday. Everything the festival showed was voted on by a committee. Along with the films shown, taiko Japanese drumming artist Ken Koshio performed in the evening prior to the screening of “Your Name.” Taiko is the ancient Japanese drumming art form dating back centuries to call soldiers to battle.
The planning for this festival began back in May to review applications to determine which films would be best for different audiences and ensure maximum integrity. Preparation also included social media campaigns and marketing.
“It honestly came together bit by bit,” said marketing intern Marceline Morgan. “It was a small group of people, I believe only seven or eight people, really working on this.”
The event was not without its challenges. There were troubles with balancing, keeping track of the shows and staying on time. Morgan discussed the pressure and the need to maintain focus when there's so much to get done in one day.
“We had to have conversations about what stories we were telling and what would be redundant stories to tell, especially this year,” Morgan said. “We wanted to do stories that were a bit more unique and also wanted to have a program that was for mature audiences as well.”
Even with all the struggles, Morgan felt the festival was “worth every minute”. She was thrilled that so many people were brought together for a whole day for such a culturally significant event.
“I’m really happy we got to do a free community screening as well with ‘Your Name,’ which is a beautiful animation popular worldwide that has such a good theme of connection,” said Morgan. “And the fact that we’re able to make art like that free and available to the public and to kids, families and communities that might not have heard of this film means a lot to me.”
The festival concludes Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. There will be four short films, two features and a session for the audience to ask questions with director Neo Sora, whose drama “Happyend” will be the centerpiece feature film.