This year¡Çs Premiere Japan is a showcase for films that reflect and display the particularity and universality of life in Japan. Particularity in that these are all films with a sense of ¡ÆJapaneseness¡Ç at their core, be it the Japanese family in Gama no Abura (Toad Oil), or Japanese society¡Çs view of those with mental health problems (Seishin (Mental)). Despite their Japanese focus, however, what is truly remarkable about this year¡Çs selection of films is their universality, beneath the cultural surface, all of these films focus on issues that have the potential to affect and speak to us all. We have all had occasion to question the nature of our friendships, as the characters in Kimi no Tomodachi (Your Friend) do. Moreover, the issues that are raised by this year¡Çs films are ones that are becoming increasingly pertinent to our global sense of the world we live in. Seeing these issues raised from a Japanese persepective helps to enhance the sense of connection between Britain and Japan, a connection that is being celebrated this year through a series of events organised by the Embassy in ¡ÆJapan-UK 150.¡Ç
Reflecting back on this 150-year period of exchange, it is clear that film has played a vital role in how the British understand Japanese culture, and vice versa. If asked where the British public's image of Japan comes from, most people would have to admit that Japan¡Çs most high profile films play a significant role, from Toshiro Mifune¡Çs samurai characters, to Hayao Miyazaki¡Çs animated heriones and even to the cultural ambassador, Doraemon. This year¡Çs films help to fill in some of the missing aspects of our understanding of Japanese society.
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