The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026: Strangers in Kyoto (PG)
Details of the event: Original title: ぶぶ漬けどうどす (Bubuzuke dodosu)
Dir. TOMINAGA Masanori, Japan, 2025, 96 mins. In Japanese with English subtitles. Cast. FUKAGAWA Mai, OTOMO Ritsu, ONODERA Zuru, MUROI Shigeru.
SHIBUSAWA Madoka (FUKAGAWA Mai), a Tokyo-based manga writer is on a trip to Kyoto after recently marrying the 14th-generation heir to a traditional folding-fan shop in the city. Determined to understand the exquisite essence of Kyoto, she sets out to write a comic essay about life in the city’s historic businesses and the centuries of tradition they embody. Along the way, she interviews her husband’s family and various local okami — female business proprietors — across town, accompanied by her loyal manga artist friend, ANZAI Riko (ONODERA Zuru).
Unfortunately, as an outsider, Madoka is unaware of Kyoto’s culture of honne (“true feelings”) and tatemae (“outward opinions”). Soon, her straightforward honesty, extreme love of Kyoto, and over-the-top efforts to protect and celebrate the city’s heritage find her under fire from angry locals.
Directed by TOMINAGA Masanori (Pumpkin and Mayonnaise, JFTFP19), this cynical comedy film uniquely reveals lesser-known sides of Kyoto and its people, who preserve “their own” traditions.
© 2025 “Strangers in Kyoto” Film Partners
The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026
Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema
Season Pass: Get a discount (each ticket for £7.50) when you book tickets for the 4 films in the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme at the same time.
Silence of the Sea – Thursday 5 March, 6pm
The Real You – Thursday 12 March, 8.30pm
Strangers in Kyoto – Thursday 19 March, 6pm
Blue Boy Trial – Thursday 26 March, 8.30pm
The UK’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (JFTFP), is back again. This is the place where cinema comes alive!
Knowing others — let alone ourselves — is not easy, as we behave differently depending on the relationship, environment, or even intention. In an age of advanced digital technology, where imagery can be readily manipulated, it is even harder to define who we, or others, truly are. This notion of identifying the self has been repeatedly explored in cinematic narratives in various ways. However, is it really possible to know our true selves? And if so, would such revelations lead to happiness and freedom, or might they instead bring disastrous and harsh consequences? With these questions in mind, the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026 showcases some of the most unmissable Japanese films nationwide across the UK. From powerful social crime dramas and laugh-out-loud comedies to gender-defining films, fantasy, and horror, the programme offers something for everyone.
Location: Plymouth Arts Cinema
Event's page / Booking page link: https://plymouthartscinema.org/whats-on/jftfp26-strangers-in-kyoto-pg/