Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 Thursday 19th March IRISU Yumi (KUBO Shiori), a university student who lacks direction in life, shares a room with her senior, KUJIRAI Ruka (TAIRA Yuna), a devoted musician in a struggling indie band. They are opposites, yet live closely together. One day, Yumi attends one of Ruka’s gigs at a small basement club and is stunned to see her friend transformed into a magnetic star, commanding the crowd. Soon after, a major record label reaches out to Ruka, and their once-sisterly relationship begins to drift apart. As Ruka rises to stardom, propelled by the fast-paced music industry, Yumi grapples with envy and regret, realising that she has never worked hard to fulfil her dream. But there is something Yumi does not know about Ruka beneath her glittering exterior. Adapted from the manga by ISHIGURO Masakazu, and directed by SAKAMOTO Yugo of the Baby Assassins trilogy, this film is a tender and stirring portrait of youth, ambition, as well as the bonds of sisterhood. NEMURUBAKA: Hypnic Jerksネムルバカ (Nemurubaka)Directed by SAKAMOTO Yugo2025, 106 min.Starring: KUBO Shiori, TAIRA Yuna, TSUNA Keito, HIGUCHI Kohei

Knowing Me, Knowing YouThe True Self in Japanese Cinema6 February – 31 March 2026The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP), is back again. This is the place where cinema comes alive! © Masakazu Ishiguro, Tokuma Shoten/Nemurubaka Film Production Committee