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HANABIE. — Reborn Superstar! [Limited Edition]

“HANABIE.” is a girls' metalcore band whose innovative and hybrid sound—rooted in Metal and Loud music while incorporating dance music and traditional Japanese elements—has been generating buzz. Their major debut release showcases a style so striking that listeners might doubt whether it’s truly a girls’ band. Their January digital single “Osaki ni Shitsurei Shimasu.” gained rapid popularity on TikTok and other social media platforms, drawing attention from early listeners. Beyond appearances at major domestic festivals, the band is set to embark on an overseas tour starting in August, with confirmed performances in Europe and the United States, including spots at prominent international festivals. The limited first edition includes exclusive documentary footage closely covering the band’s journey through member departures and additions, along with rare bonus videos revealing the offstage, personal sides of the members—moments not usually seen in live performances.

HANABIE. — Reborn Superstar! [Limited Edition]

NR 2023
The Disaster of Pesticides

Inspired by Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring," documentary filmmaker Shukichi Koizumi, with the cooperation of Shunichi Wakatsuki, director of Nagano Prefecture's Saku General Hospital, a pioneer in rural medicine, made this documentary film that explores the effects of pesticides on the natural world and the human body. Director Koizumi founded the documentary film production company "Group Gendai" in 1967, the year he made this film, and has since produced and produced numerous documentaries.

The Disaster of Pesticides

NR 1967
Divine Soldiers of the Sky

Released in September 1942 by Nippon Eigasha, this 55-minute kokusaku (national policy) documentary follows Japanese paratroopers through every stage of their training—from gymnastics and parachute packing to tower drills and their first jumps from aircraft. Produced under the supervision of the Army Aviation Headquarters, the film embodied wartime ideology and propaganda aims. Widely popular at home and in occupied territories, it was accompanied by a theme song that helped brand its soldiers as “saviors from the sky.”

Divine Soldiers of the Sky

9.0 1942
Homecoming

Homecoming is a two-track visual poem following Akio Yuguchi’s journey back into his childhood and his quest for coming to terms with living abroad far from his former home. Facing up to past and future challenges, the protagonist decides to send a letter of condolence to his father, who lives in Japan in a high-risk area for earthquakes and tsunamis. Through the rhythm of his reflective soliloquy, the desire for homecoming sounds a bell for the departed while heralding the dawn of a new life.

Homecoming

NR N/A
Lights

"I've been screening film works for nearly 50 years, and out of the many screenings I've been to, there have been two times when the audience fainted. My work "Memories of the Seaside" and a certain work by Mari Terajima. However, Hideto Ishii's "Lights" was the only one that immediately after the screening, one audience member exclaimed, "It's amazing!" and stood up and applauded. When I thought who it was, it turned out to be the filmmaker Isao Kota. Sitting through this film for nearly 50 minutes can be a pain. However, what is unfolding here is neither a spectacular view nor a visual pleasure. If you were to ask me what it was, I would have to say "abyss." That's why I'm attracted to. As you watch this movie, you can eliminate the distractions that occupy most of your mind one by one. After just under 50 minutes, you might be able to reach some kind of catharsis." — Mikio Yamazaki

Lights

6.0 1999
Taiwan Identity

At the time of the 2011 earthquake, Japan received from Taiwan, which has a population of less than 2.4 million people, more than 20 billion yen in relief donation. The following year, in 2012, the number of Japanese tourists to Taiwan reached a record high. Many Japanese people who visit Taiwan say they see traces of Japan on this island. If the colonial history isn't even a century old, many people tend to forget the complexity of the past and what links countries, lands, peoples, times, what brought us to the present we live in. This film is Atsuko Sakai's second documentary work collecting voices of the "Japanese generation" in Taiwan.

Taiwan Identity

NR 2013
Tossed but not Sunk

In the early afternoon of the 11th March 2011, Japan was rocked by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake that caused widespread damage to the country’s eastern coastal region. Just after the earthquake, TV Iwate’s phones had been ringing off the hook with people wanting to know if their families are O.K. As a local broadcasting station, TV Iwate got name lists of evacuees from evacuation centers, took video messages and broadcasted it on their news programs or information programs every day. The length of footages that TV Iwate has shot this region reached approximately 1,850 hours for 10 years. Each victim lives out their life in their way with unresolved grief. Sachiko couldn’t find her husband in the end and took 6 years to accept reality. It was necessary for her to have kept writing countless letters to him. On the other hand, Kayoko and Daisuke couldn’t have a wedding, but they raise twins under the coronavirus crisis. 10 years of progress, we’ll never forget it.

Tossed but not Sunk

NR 2021
Mach Stem: The Nagasaki Bombing Intensified

In 1945, US forces dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Last year, photos and a map of the aftermath were found, detailing the bomb's destructive mechanism. They showed how the Mach stem - a shock wave that hyper-intensified the power of the initial blast - was responsible for destroying buildings with increasing force 500 meters from ground zero. Through a simulation of the blast and interviews with survivors, this program reveals how the bomb was exploded to maximize its catastrophic effect.

Mach Stem: The Nagasaki Bombing Intensified

NR 2014
Cinephilia Now: Part III – Lux Crawler I++

“The third part of the series focuses on western Tottori. There is a strong sense of community among the organisations that are active in the area. Not only do members gather on the days of the events, but they regularly share their passion and are quick to offer a helping hand. Viewing experiences consist of more than just the featured film or video. There are parts of it that can’t be quantified, so I hurried to make note of them before they faded from memory.” Sasaki Yusuke

Cinephilia Now: Part III – Lux Crawler I++

NR 2020
Welcome to Sato

A documentary that is closely tied to "Kodomonosato," a playground that has served Kamagasaki, Nishinari-ku, Osaka, known as the "city of day labourers," as a place for kids to unwind for 38 years. No matter their disabilities or countries, "Kodomonosato" admits kids from 0 to 20 years old for free. It serves as a bustling gathering spot where parents and children who are temporarily away from home can unwind. It shows the trials of young people who overcome obstacles to become strong adults, the staff members who help them, and city dwellers.

Welcome to Sato

NR 2016