Kawakita Memorial Film Institute

Collection, Preservation and Use

Kawakita Memorial Film Institute makes every efforts to collect films, books and other materials on films, which are kept under its direct, careful control, to be utilised effectively. The library space is open to the public every weekday in the afternoon.

Subtitled Prints

In 1974, the Japan Film Library Council began organising a noteworthy series of film tours of Japanese cinema throughout the world. Kawakita Memorial Film Institute continued this project until 1992, with specific themes each year, for example - 'WOMEN IN JAPANESE CINEMA', 'THE FAMILY IN JAPANESE CINEMA', 'JAPANESE LITERATURE INTO FILMS', 'JAPAN: SAMURAI AND THE EDO PERIOD'.

Prints are then subtitled with the close cooperation of the Japan Foundation. The finished program is shown at museums, libraries and other public institutions in most major cities of the world, on an entirely cultural and non-commercial basis.

Cooperation with Film Festivals

This is one of the most important activities of the Institute, to cooperate with international (as well as domestic) film festivals in order to introduce Japanese films abroad. Many festival programmers visit Japan so as to select Japanese films for their own festivals.

On this occasion, the Institute coordinates and supports their selection in many ways such as setting up the screenings for them, arrange meetings with producers, and following up with information etc.

Kawakita Prize and its Recipients

The Institute awards the Kawakita Award annually to an individual or an organization (local or foreign) who has significantly contributed to the development of Japanese cinema and/or to the diffusion of Japanese culture over the years through films.