Shining Stars: Idols in Japanese Cinema in the 1980s and 1990s

Waiting List

To register for the below films, please click the register button above. If any of the screenings are shown as fully booked, it may still be possible to register for the waiting list. Please email event@jpf.org.uk with your details and the screening you would like to register for.

‘Idol’ is a term which has become a ubiquitous feature of Japanese culture. Packaged as cute, adolescent starlets, idols appear in both film and TV and are known for their singing and acting in often equal measure. While the trend has continued since the 1960s, this film season focuses on the paramount period of the 1980s, an era considered the ‘Heyday of Japanese Idol Films’ when idols regularly graced the silver screen and simultaneously topped the pop charts, as well as the following decade of the 1990s as a comparison. The stars in the selected films were all household names in Japan, but how many can you recognise?

Saturday, 20 August 2016, 11:00am
The Tragedy of “W”

Hiroko Yakushimaru stars a Shizuka, a young drama student with her sights set on becoming a famous actress, who fails to get the lead role in her drama troupe’s production of a mystery called “The Tragedy of W”. However, after the discovery of a tragedy within her troupe, it looks like Shizuka may land her dream role after all, but not in a way she would have hoped. Yakushimaru was awarded the coveted Blue Ribbon Award for her role in this adaptation of Shizuko Natsuki’s crime novel.

Directed by Shinichiro Sawai / 1984 / 108mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 20 August 2016, 1:10pm
Four Sisters

Based on a manga for girls by Kazue Oyama, Four Sisters tells the story of the female siblings of the Kitazawa family who, after the death of their parents, have been living together in a house near to the Philosopher's Path in Kyoto. Following the seventh anniversary of their parents’ passing, information concerning the sisters begins to circulate and threatens to break their close bond. Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, this film traces the destinies of the four sisters set amongst Kyoto’s beautiful changing four seasons, and stars Yasuko Sawaguchi.

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi / 1985 / 100mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 20 August 2016, 3:10pm
Miss Lonely

Schoolboy Hiroki is nagged by his mother to study or practice the piano, but is more interested in taking photos and gazing the girl of his dreams, Yuriko, a girl from a nearby school. One day, a mysterious white-faced young girl pops up in front of Hiroki, calling herself ‘Miss Lonely’, who keeps appearing out of the blue, pulling pranks and then vanishing. Perplexed, Hiroki tries to find out more about this girl who looks strangely familiar. A playful story of young love starring Yasuko Tomita.

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi / 1985 / 112mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 20 August 2016, 5:20pm
Young Girls in Love

Takako is a schoolgirl with an eccentric set of friends, Teiko, Kinuko and Midoriko. Midoriko is perhaps the most eccentric, organising a ‘funeral’ every time she feels depressed. One day, when the conversation among her friends turns to boys, Takako is shocked to discover that they have already fallen in love with boys. A sweet tale of young love, starring teenage idol Yuki Saito as the film’s heroine.

Directed by Kazuki Omori / 1986 / 98mins / Colour / English subtitles

Monday, 22 August 2016, 7:00pm
Memories of You

Akira, a university student, happens to meet Yumi in the street, a girl he had tutored some years ago who has now grown up to be a pleasant 14-year-old girl. Shortly afterwards, it is discovered that Yumi has developed leukaemia and with only six months to live, Akira agrees to look after Yumi, who adores him like a brother, in order to make her remaining days as enjoyable as possible. A beautiful and heart-warming story of an inseparable bond which forms between the two. The film stars Kumiko Goto, who was considered Japan’s national sweetheart and inspired the creation of Japan’s ‘Bishojo’ beauty contest.

Directed by Shinichiro Sawai / 1988 / 104mins / Colour / English subtitles

Wednesday, 24 August 2016, 7:00pm
The Pale Hand

Young 5th grade school boy Masaru is given no choice but to walk to school with a new boy who has just arrived from Tokyo and has been given the cruel nickname ‘the bum’. To avoid any embarrassment, Masaru takes another route to school and along the way spots a small pale hand protruding from a window of a house. Intrigued, the boys seek to find out more about the girl behind this mysterious, pale hand. A beautiful coming of age story reflecting the Japan’s cultural shifts after the war and starring Yoko Minamino as the boys’ schoolteacher.

Directed by Seijiro Koyama / 1990 / 100mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 27 August 2016, 11:00am
Tokyo Heaven

Yu is a “campaign girl” whose face adorns all the advertising for a new product. Her biggest problem is the managing director of her agency, Shirayuki, who keeps try to make a pass at her. Mid-campaign, Yu flees a car to escape his amorous advances but is run over by a car and dies. However, before reaching the pearly gates, Yu manages to escape and returns to earth, bravely trying to embark on a new life. A fantasy film directed by influential auteur Shinji Somai and starring Riho Makise.

Directed by Shinji Somai / 1990 / 108mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 27 August 2016, 1:10pm
Swimming Upstream

One day after school, Kaoru spots the pretty Sonoko, played by Saki Takaoka, by the school’s swimming pool. Kaoru immediately joins the swim team and thus begins the story of unrequited love. Determined to make it to the Olympics, if only to impress Sonoko, Kaoru begins regularly going to the swimming club but his world is shattered when he spots Sonoko walking arm in arm with Nagai, the school’s ace swimmer.

Directed by Joji Matsuoka / 1990 / 95mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 27 August 2016, 4:50pm
Summer Holiday Everyday

On the surface, the Rinkaiji family seem a well-to-do Japanese family, but the reality is quite the contrary. Daughter Sugina has secretly stopped going to school and whilst playing truant, she discovers that her stepfather, Nariyuki, has secretly quit his job. Rather than forcing Sugina to return to school, Nariyuki decides he must show Sugina the working world and attempts find a job alongside his stepdaughter. Adapted from a comic by Yumiko Oshima, this comedy launched the career of multi-talented starlet Hinako Saeki.

Directed by Shusuke Kaneko / 1994 / 94mins / Colour / English subtitles

Saturday, 27 August 2016, 6:45pm
Good-bye for Tomorrow

A small passenger boat called the Yobuko-maru sinks off the coast of Onomichi, killing all nine passengers on-board. Three months later, loved-ones of those who died begin to receive mysterious messages seemingly sent from the grave, telling them to congregate one evening on Yobuko beach. Starring Kaori Takahashi and featuring a theme song sung by Tomoyo Harada, this film was based on a story by the best-selling novelist Jiro Akagawa, and was directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, the leading director of idol cinema in the 1980s.

Directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi / 1995 / 140mins / Colour / English subtitles

Image: © 1995 AMUSE/PSC/PRIDE ONE

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Saturday, 27 August 2016, from 3:30pm
Special talk by Dr Kate Taylor-Jones, University of Sheffield

Dr Taylor-Jones will give an overview of idol cinema in Japan from a historical point of view, charting the genre’s significance, its surge in popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, while reflecting on the Japanese film industry as a whole. This talk will complement the films in the programme and will shed light on this often-overlooked genre and era of Japanese cinema.

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These screenings are all free to attend but booking is essential.

Please note that it is currently only possible to book 2 tickets for each screening at a time. Should you require more, please complete the booking process again for any additional tickets.

参加は無料ですが、事前の予約が必要です。１回のご登録で各上映２枚までお申し込みできます。２名様以上のグループでお申し込みされる場合は、お手数ですが再度のご登録をお願いいたします。

On this occasion the Japan Foundation would like to encourage younger audience members to attend these screenings. If you, or a member of your party, are aged 25 or under, please tick the corresponding box when completing your booking. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

応募者多数の場合、２５歳以下の参加者また同伴者をお連れの方を優先させていただきます。あらかじめご了承ください。