JFF 2024: Awesome & Free Japanese Film & TV Wherever You Are!

Let me guess: You’ve already watched the entire library of Japanese films and TV shows on Viki, Netflix, and Disney+ and now you’re wondering where to go next. If you’re looking for a place where to watch Japanese films and TV shows for free, let me tell you about the Japanese Film Festival Online 2024, which starts on June 5th, 2024.

The Japanese Film Festival Online is an initiative by The Japan Foundation, “Japan’s only Institution dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world.“^[1]

Alongside Embassies all around the world, the Japan Foundation organises film festivals and events that aim at showcasing Japanese cinema abroad. This all started in 2016 when the very first Japanese Film Festival came out in Southern Asia and Australia. As the years went by, the idea of the festival spread to different countries, successfully introducing Japanese cinema to hundreds of thousands of people everywhere. If you’re in the UK, for instance, you might have participated in the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2024 last February/March.

A few years back, the Japan Foundation decided to boost the reach of these events by also hosting an online Japanese Film Festival, which allows fans from different countries to watch a series of films (and this year, also TV shows) online for free.

Yes, Japanese cinema fans, you can watch them wherever you are — for free!

What is the Japanese Film Festival Online 2024?

Now in its third edition, the Japanese Film Festival Online 2024 is offering 23 different movies and 2 TV series to 27 different countries around the globe. Subtitles will be offered in up to 16 languages (Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Malay, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese) and you can stream any of these titles for free just by signing up to their official website.

From June 5th (noon, JST) to June 19th (noon, JST), the JFF platform will allow access to films such as We Made a Beautiful Bouquet, Father of the Milky Way Railroad, and Baby Assassins. During these two weeks, you can also watch four short films that are participating in the Japan Horror Film Competition. From June 19th (noon, JST) to July 3rd (noon, JST), instead, you will be able to watch TBS’s Downtown Rocket (2015) and the renowned Rikuoh (2017).

Of course, title availability depends on the region (Egypt, France, and Peru will only have access to the first two weeks, for instance). If you’re lucky, you might also have access to special talks and events with filmmakers and cineastes. For more specific information about the Festival in your country, follow JFF+ on Twitter and Instagram and your country’s website for the Japan Foundation.

But are they showing the latest releases?

Not really. They do have a few titles taken from last year’s releases but we also have classics (Twenty-Four Eyes) and some older, but successful, films. Either way, this is an excellent opportunity to catch up or re-watch some of your favourites.

The Japanese Film Festival Online is offering a wide range of genres that can surely satisfy any fan. We have a couple of LGBTQ+ titles (including I Am What I Am with an asexual/aromantic lead — how awesome is that?), as well as works that deal with neurodivergence (The Lone Ume Tree), mental illnesses (My Broken Mariko) and brain disorder (I Go GaGa).

Of course, we have a bit of romance with We Made a Beautiful Bouquet and plenty of comedy (We’re Broke, My Lord!, The Handsome Suit). Riding the Perfect Days wave, we have two titles with the fantastic Yakusho Koji: Rikuoh and Father of the Miky Way Railroad.

Finally, if you want a bit of Japanese culture and art, you can enjoy The Zen Diary and The Lines That Define Me.

Keep on reading for the complete lineup!

Fantastic! Where do I sign up?

If you are in:

• Argentina
• Australia
• Brazil
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• Egypt
• France
• Germany
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Laos
• Mainland China
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• Myanmar
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Philippines
• Singapore
• Spain
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Vietnam,

follow these steps to register and spend a month surrounded by Japanese film and television!

1. Access the JFF platform here.
2. Click on “Create Account” at the top right corner.
3. Fill in the form with your personal information and click “Submit”.
4. Yay! You’re ready to go! Log in from June 5th, choose what you want to watch, and enjoy!

The JFF Lineup: Films

Saito Hitomi (Yoshioka Riho) is working on her very first anime, “Soundback”. The production process is tricky and she finds herself at odds with her producer, Yukishiro Osamu (Emoto Tasuku), and the rest of the staff. At the same time, veteran animation director Oji Chiharu (Nakamura Tomoya) teams up with producer Arishina Kayako (Ono Machiko) to release his first show in 8 years. Both Saito and Oji’s shows are set to be released on the same date, which leads to the question: Who will reign the animation world and receive the “Haken” title?

Chisato (Takashi Akari) and Mahiro (Izawa Saori) are two high-schoolers who are also highly skilled assassins. Once they graduate, their organisation orders these two socially awkward girls to fit into “normal” society and have them live together. Sharing a room proves to be as difficult as all the bureaucracy, systems, and demands of everyday life. Things get even more complicated when a yakuza with an old grudge decides to target them and they realise that to overcome certain hurdles, they will have to work together.

BL Metamorphosis tells the heartwarming story of 17-year-old Sayama Urara (Ashida Mana) and 75-year-old Ichinoi Yuki (Miyamoto Nobuko).

Sayama is a socially awkward high-schooler who becomes friends with the recently-widowed Ichinoi thanks to their shared love for BL manga. Despite their age gap, their friendship brings light and healing to both their lives.

Miyazawa Masajiro (Yakusho Koji) is the current owner of a pawn shop that has been passed down through generations. He raises his eldest son, Kenji (Suda Masaki), to be his heir and take over the shop. However, Keiji refuses to follow in his father’s footsteps and decides to run away from home, dedicating himself to religion instead. When his wise and sweet sister Toshi (Mori Nana) falls ill, Kenji tries to rewrite their family history.

Sobata Kasumi (Miura Toko) is a 30-year-old woman who has never had any interest in romance or sex. She has given up on her dream of becoming a musician and came back home to work at a call center. After her sister gets married and pregnant and despite being content with her monotonous life, her mother asks her to get into an arranged marriage. This is when she meets a man who also doesn’t feel the need for a romantic relationship.

Director Nobutomo Naoko chronicles her parents’ experience with Alzheimer’s disease, as her nonagenarian father takes care of her mother, whose dementia worsens day by day. She captures the struggles and love that they share throughout this difficult journey.

Emperor Leo and his family have to protect their land when human intruders invade the jungle to mine a precious stone.

When the president of Kunpusha Publishing dies, quick-witted editor Hayami (Oizumi Yo) needs to find a way to stop the company from terminating his magazine.

Abused by her parents and suffering from depression, Mariko (Nao) has one person she can rely on: her best friend, Shiino Tomoyo (Nagano Mei). When Mariko falls to her death, a heartbroken yet determined Tomoyo retrieves her ashes and sets off on one final journey to finally set her broken Mariko free.

Set in the 80s, this is a school gourmet comedy that tells the story of the battle between students and teachers over the school lunch menu. Math teacher Amarida Yukio (Ichihara Hayato) and his pupil Kamino (Sato Taishi) compete and fight as they determine who can eat their lunch with the most zeal as graduation comes closer.

It’s 1978 and the world is obsessed with Star Wars. Cinephile high-schooler Hiroshi (Uemura Yu) stars filming his own film with a little spaceship he’s built with his friend Yoshio (Fukuzawa Noa). He’s determined to make it into a masterpiece so he pitches it as the cultural festival project.

Takuro (Tsukaji Muga) is kind and runs a successful diner but has no luck in romance. When pretty part-timer Hiroko (Kitagawa Keiko) joins the staff, Takuro can’t help but develop a crush on her. However, when he confesses his love, he’s bitterly rejected. Heartbroken, he meets a mysterious man who gives him a “handsome suit”, a piece of clothing that magically transforms him into an attractive man.

Takuro’s life turns upside down and he’s now top model Annin (Tanihara Shosuke) thanks to the suit. Even though he’s now desired by the opposite sex, he wonders if this is really the life that he wants to lead.

After Aoyama Sousuke (Yokohama Ryusei) tragically loses his parents, he meets Shinoda Kozan (Miura Tomokazu), a suibokuga (India-ink painting) artist. That encounter sparks Sousuke’s curiosity and he becomes Kozan’s disciple. What starts as superficial interest becomes Sousuke’s lifeline as he discovers a passion he never thought he had.

Yamada Tamako (Kaga Mariko) lives with her autistic son, Tadao (Tsukaji Muga). Even though she does her best to help him develop skills that would allow him to live independently, her neighbours still complain about him. Tamako decides to move Tadao to a room in a group home but the change proves to be more difficult than expected.

Based on Tsutomu’s essay on food and the beauty of the four seasons in Japan, this is the story of Tsutomu (Sawada Kenji) himself, a writer who lives alone in a mountain cabin with his late wife’s ashes. He grows his own vegetables and cooks his own meals. As the seasons pass, he writes his books. Every now and then, he receives a visit from his editor and girlfriend Machiko (Matsu Takako). They have a simple but lovely time together. His contentment, however, might hide some unresolved feelings since he still can’t bury his wife’s remains, even after 13 years of her death.

Set in the early Showa period, Hisako Oishi (Takamine Hideko) is a kind and dedicated schoolteacher who does her best to bond with her students and teach them important values despite the danger of the war and the pressure of the Japanese ultra-nationalism.

One day, Mugi (Suda Masaki) and Kinu (Arimura Kasumi) meet by chance, and, by sharing their love for music and films, they become friends. Soon enough, they fall in love. This is the tale of their romance as they navigate the best days of their youth, the demands that come with growing up, and everyday life.

Wedding planner Nakagoshi Maho (Shinohara Ryoko) is in charge of Akito (Nakamura Tomoya) and Haruka (Sekimizu Nagisa)’s wedding ceremony. However, things go astray and Maho needs to find creative ways to solve the problems that come her way. How will she deal with the bride’s ex-boyfriend and the mysterious guests threatening to ruin Akito and Haruka’s best day?

Back in the Edo period, Koshiro (Kamiki Ryunosuke) grew up as the son of a loving father in Echigo. He lives peacefully as a commoner until, one day, he finds out that he’s actually the descendant of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. His biological father, Lord Ikkosai (Sato Koichi), has retired, forcing Koshiro to take over his domain. What seems to be luck at first turns into a nightmare when Koshiro realises that his father is drowning in debt and asks him to declare bankruptcy.

Japan Horror Film Competition (Short Films)

closet (2023)

Directed by Nakano Hiroto, it tells the story of “a terrifying closet versus a young man. A new style of horror depicting the fears hiding in daily life.” (by the JFF)

Directed by Yamamoto Kenji, Karakasa is described as “an umbrella you must never open…A frightening killer umbrella flies across the sky!” (by the JFF)

Directed by Mieno Hiroko, The Invitation is “a new type of horror film about a house you must never dare to enter.” (by the JFF)

The JFF Lineup: J-dramas

Tsukuda Kohei (Abe Hiroshi) used to work with the Aerospace and Science Exploration Agency but he now runs his family’s factory, Tsukuda Industries. When he tries his best to develop a rocket engine, business starts to decline and problems start popping up right and left. Things are hard at work but also at home, where Kohei struggles to bond with his teenage daughter Rina (Tsuchiya Tao). One day, Kohei receives an offer from Teikoku Heavy Industries, one of Japan’s leading corporations, to buy one of their patents for 2 billion yen. Is this the solution Kohei has been looking for?

Miyazawa Koichi (Yakusho Koji) is the CEO of a town factory that manufactures tabi, that is, traditional Japanese socks. Passed down through several generations, the company is now struggling since the demand for tabi has decreased throughout the years. Determined to save his family’s business, Miyazawa decides to develop new sports shoes. Putting together his own experience with the background of a long-distance runner he meets, Miyazawa needs resilience and persistence to overcome the hurdles and save his factory.

Have you signed up for the Japanese Film Festival yet? I’ve already signed up and I’m counting down the days! I’ll be watching as many films as possible — so keep an eye out because I’ll come back with some reviews and analysis next month. Let me know in the comments the titles you’re most looking forward to and follow us on Instagram to join our JFF marathon in June!