
21 Mar 1936

Cherry Blossom Time in Japan
In this Traveltalk short, the symbolic role of cherry blossoms in Japanese culture is explored as well as the traditional Japanese religions of Shintoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
22-year-old Kei refuses to conform to the Japanese achievement-oriented society. He is homeless by choice, living on the streets and under the bridges of Kyoto. His love for nature and music keeps him afloat in his dream world. However, when he runs out of money, he is forced to face reality.
21 Mar 1936
In this Traveltalk short, the symbolic role of cherry blossoms in Japanese culture is explored as well as the traditional Japanese religions of Shintoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
02 Jun 2023
In December 2021, Hideki Kuriyama began devoting his days to one singular goal: hoisting the championship trophy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. How did he mold his players into one of the best and strongest Samurai Japan teams in history? A close-up documentary that looks back on Samurai Japan's path to becoming world champions, along with valuable behind-the-scenes footage captured by the team's dedicated crew.
16 Jul 2021
The Japanese volleyball players called the “Oriental Witches” are now in their 70s. From the formation of the team at the factory until their victory at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, memories and legends rise to the surface and blend inextricably.
11 Nov 2013
A journey back through Dacia Maraini's and her trips around the world with her close friends cinema director Pier Paolo Pasolini and opera singer Maria Callas. An in-depth story of this fascinating woman's life. Maraini's memories come alive through personal photographs taken on the road as well as her own Super 8 films shot almost thirty years ago.
21 Dec 2008
With cunning and courage the japanese warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu managed to unify Japan after 150 years of civil war.
01 Jan 2005
Kintaro Walks Japan is a documentary film produced and directed by Tyler MacNiven. It is an account of MacNiven's journey walking and backpacking the entire length of Japan from Kyūshū to Hokkaidō, more than 2000 miles in 145 days.
26 Oct 2002
Catchy mix of farce and documentary. Portrait of a Berlin theatre company made up entirely of the homeless, alcoholics and junks. They call themselves ‘rats’ and take the film over to have a party.
29 Jan 2016
Launched in 2011 as a sister group to girl band behemoth AKB48, the Osaka-based NMB48 has become a musical force itself. With a string of No.1 hit singles and albums, not to mention sell-out performances, NMB48 continues Japan’s pop-music phenomena. Director Funahashi Atsushi, whose documentary work has previously chronicled such harrowing events as the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, pulls back the curtain on the life and struggles of the band members and the workings of the idol-making industry.
28 Jul 2017
This exploration of Japan's fascination with girl bands and their music follows an aspiring pop singer and her fans, delving into the cultural obsession with young female sexuality and the growing disconnect between men and women in hypermodern societies.
16 Nov 2013
Follows the behind-the-scenes work of Studio Ghibli, focusing on the notable figures Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki.
21 Oct 2017
Takeda is a film about the universality of the human being seen thru the eyes of a Japanese painter that has adopted the Mexican culture.
21 Sep 2013
A documentary on the dark and brutal side of the Samurai warrior clans featuring the life of peasant Masa who is pressganged into the ruthless world of the Samurai.
24 Jul 1937
This Traveltalk visit to Japan starts with a look at the country's cherry blossom trees, tulips, and ubiquitous gardens. We then see the proper manner for preparing a woman's hair and wearing a kimono.
01 Jan 2020
Joso (josō 女装) is a film collaboration combining anthropology and art film to explore the nature of male reaction and sentiment on the cusp of transformation in contemporary Japan.
12 Nov 2011
A documentary that focuses on the craftspeople who continue to make salt with a technique called Agehama-shiki that has been passed down since ancient times, and the lush natural environment of the northernmost tip of the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. It is also the feature-length debut of director Ishii Kaori. The process of making salt by collecting sea water and boiling it in a hiragama cauldron temporarily died out during the period of Japan's rapid economic growth following World War II, but one family's efforts to keep it alive has miraculously ensured its continuation. Salt is a vital element of people's lives. The saltmaking artisans who perpetuate their traditions represent a way forward for those of us living in this modern age.
05 Oct 2017
Travel journalist Rudy Maxa and Washington, D.C. restaurateur Daisuke Utagawa present three distinct regions of Japan, focusing on the nation's food and food producers. From the ramen of the northern island of Hokkaido, to the sushi of Tokyo, to the Wagyu beef raised on the southern island of Kyushu, food is a window on the soul of Japan.
01 Jan 1983
Montreal Expos star catcher Gary Carter visits Japan to learn about the customs and traditions of baseball in the Far East. He also encounters other "foreign" baseball players he once played with in the MLB.
27 May 2008
Toypunks is a documentary film series covering the converging world of Japanese toys, fashion and punk rock. Exploring the birth of the designer vinyl explosion from its roots in character culture and punk music, Toypunks takes you in-depth with Japanese fashion icon, Hikaru Iwanaga, creator of the worlds first designer toy. Frank Kozik, Hiddy Kinoshita of Secret Base, Balzac, Three Tides Tattoo and more are interviewed highlighting profound cross-cultural connections between todays top creative talents in toys and fashion.
01 Jan 2010
Vancouver's Downtown East side is home to thousands of drug addicts, prostitutes, and the mentally ill. Amateur cameraman K.R.T. spent one summer on these mean streets getting to know longtime homeless drug addicts Ken and Lisa. This seemingly random footage was given to first time writer/director Josh Laner who found a story of people trying to connect in an area where no one seems connected to much of anything. An intimate and surreal look at life on the streets in Canada's most impoverished postal code. This is Josh Laner's first film.
01 Nov 2005
Tokyo is a fascinating city of extremes, blending the old traditions with visions of the future and an extraordinary pace of life. A shock of skyscrapers and neon, it's a gleaming example of Japan's post World War II success. Traveller Ian Wright begins his stay by experiencing the spiritual side of Tokyo at the peace loving Senso-ji temple. After a gentle introduction he throws himself into the pace of the city and discovers some incredible technology and fashion! He then heads to Mount Fuji for a crowded climb to the summit, before ending his trip experiencing the infamous Tokyo nightlife.