The third film in Japan House London’s Shinkai Makoto film season is often considered the best of his early films.

Running only 46 minutes, The Garden of Words is an intensely sensitive study of loneliness. The film tells a story of a 15-year-old boy, Akizuki Takao, who skips his early classes to spend mornings in a garden with Yukino Yukari, a 27-year-old-woman escaping from her own work during Japan’s rainy season. The garden, based on the real Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, is spectacularly brought to life as a green oasis within Tokyo’s bustling city centre. As the two characters’ unconventional relationship develops, each of their stories is slowly revealed.

The screening on 13 April will be preceded by an introductory talk: In Makoto Shinkai’s Garden: Animation Art, Melancholia and the Natural World by Dr Rayna Denison of the University of Bristol. This talk explores how Shinkai’s characters inhabit romanticised and changeable worlds, sitting together as it rains and considering their places in the world and the paths they will take into the future.

About the Speaker:

Rayna Denison is Professor of Film and Digital Arts at the University of Bristol where she carries out research into and teaches contemporary Japanese film and animation. Rayna is the author of two monographs, Studio Ghibli: An Industrial History and Anime: A Critical Introduction, as well as being the editor for Princess Mononoke: Understanding Studio Ghibli’s Monster Princess. Rayna has forthcoming collections on Takahata Isao and Studio Ghibli, as well as current projects on a range of animators working in Japan today.

The screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles. Duration: approx. 46 mins

Guests who are booked to attend the screening can also enjoy 10% off drinks at The Stand on their way in.

*Please note that this movie is rated 12Aand is therefore not considered suitable for an audience younger than 12 years old unaccompanied by an adult.

*Please note that filming and / or photography may take place at this event. Photos and footage of the event may then be used to promote Japan House London, helping more people to discover what we offer. If you have any concerns, please contact us online or contact a member of the team on site.

Booking Essential | Admission Free