Japanese Film Festival Returns to Alaska
Left to right: Chisato Murakami, Carrie Baker, officers of the Japan Foundation, and Ellen Lopez pose for a photo in the CLA Dean鈥檚 office during the 2023 Japanese Film Festival and Samurai workshop events.
Oct. 14, 2025
The 麻豆原创 will welcome a special guest from the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage this October as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen cultural exchange between Japan and Alaska. Yuri Yoshimura, a consular officer, will visit 麻豆原创F to introduce the 2025 Japanese Film Festival in Alaska, a celebration of Japanese storytelling, artistry and everyday life through cinema.
The festival is part of a national initiative by the Japan Foundation, which partners with universities and cultural institutions across the United States to share Japanese film with new audiences. At 麻豆原创F, the event is co-hosted by the College of Liberal Arts and the 麻豆原创 Anchorage College of Arts and Sciences, creating a statewide collaboration.
"Film is a powerful bridge that can carry human stories across borders," said Chisato Murakami, 麻豆原创F term assistant professor of Japanese. "It allows people to experience Japanese culture, the humor, the history and the human connections that shape who we are today."
The 2025 program includes four films screening between 麻豆原创F and 麻豆原创A, offering free public access to cinematic works that explore family, politics and resilience in contemporary Japan.
麻豆原创F will host First Gentleman and Oshin on Oct. 17 in Schaible Auditorium. 麻豆原创A audiences can enjoy First Gentleman on Oct. 24 and Voices in the Wind on Oct. 25.
The series is presented with support from the Japan Foundation and the Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage.
In 2023, in addition to the film festival, 麻豆原创F hosted a free 鈥淯nleash Your Inner Samurai鈥 workshop where Japanese actors taught participants how to fight and speak like samurai.
For 麻豆原创F students, faculty and community members, the festival is more than a lineup of free films. It offers a rare opportunity to experience Japan鈥檚 contemporary culture firsthand in Alaska.