Superstar anime director Shinkai Makoto is the focus of Japan House London’s first film season of 2025.

With Your Name (2016) now the second-highest grossing Japanese film of all time, Shinkai has captivated audiences in Japan and around the world with his distinctive blend of hyper-realistic animation and fantasy elements.

Shinkai’s films are renowned for their breathtaking visuals, emotional depth and poetic storytelling. They often explore themes of love, distance and longing. The fleeting moments of human connection they capture are set against vast and beautifully rendered landscapes that blend the surreal with intricate realism. Through narratives that intertwine time, memory and the natural world, his films reflect both the beauty and melancholy of modern life.

Five of Shinkai’s major films will be shown for free at Japan House London on the second Sunday of each month and a selected evening.

Where to start with Shinkai Makoto

 

Film Season Programme

9 and 25 February 2025: 5 Centimeters per Second

19 and 23 March 2025: Children Who Chase Lost Voices

13 and 23 April 2025: The Garden of Words*

11 and 28 May 2025: Your Name

8 and 18 June 2025: Weathering With You

*With an introductory talk from Dr Rayna Denison on 13 April.

Booking opens for each film screening approximately two weeks in advance.