Nippon Connection is a festival for

Japanese film The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world; as of 2021, it was the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. In 2011 Japan produced 411 feature films that ea ...

which takes place in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

, Germany, every year in early summer. The festival is organized by the

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

“Nippon Connection e.V.”. Nippon Connection has become the biggest platform for contemporary Japanese film worldwide, with about 17,000 participants in 2019. The 22nd festival edition will take place May 24 to 29, 2022.

History

In 1999 two German students of film studies, Marion Klomfass and Holger Ziegler, decided to show some Japanese films at the

Goethe University Goethe University (german: link=no, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main) is a university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealt ...

. The organizers began by planning for 1,500 visitors, but interest quickly grew and the first edition of the festival in 2000 had more than 10,000 visitors. Thirteen films were screened, and two Japanese filmmakers attended that year. After a one year break, during which the non-profit association Nippon Connection e.V. was founded, the second Nippon Connection Film Festival took place. The festival center was located at the Students’ House of the

in Frankfurt am Main. In 2002 a new category for digital productions (''Nippon Digital'') was created. As well, an exhibition was arranged in cooperation with the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and the ''Nippon Connection Newcomer Award'' for the best up-coming film production was introduced. At the Nippon Connection Film Festival 2003, a retrospective (''Nippon Retro'') was held the first time in cooperation with the German Film Museum in Frankfurt am Main. Additional events were also organized in cooperation with the Literaturhaus Frankfurt. In 2004 parts of the program were sent on tour to Leipzig and Barcelona. The festival organizers were invited to Tokyo to take part in a symposium on the impact of Japanese films abroad by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkacho). In 2005 the tour program was extended and the ''Nippon Cinema Award'' was introduced. In 2007 the Kinema Club held its first European conference at Nippon Connection. That year 170 films were shown. For the 10th anniversary in 2010, the ''Nippon Digital Award'' was established to support rising talents. The winner, chosen by a professional jury, receives a free subtitling for his or her next film. The ''Nippon Digital Award'' was renamed in 2011 into the ''Nippon Visions Award''. 2010 was the last year that parts of the ''Nippon Visions'' section, which focuses on independent productions, were distributed worldwide to cities including

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, and

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

under the designation ''Nippon Connection Film Festival on Tour''. In 2012 the children’s program ''Nippon Kids'' was established. From 2012 until 2014, the VGF ''Nippon in Motion Award'' was given to the director of the best 12-second spot. In 2013, the festival was extended to six days, and the main venues were moved to the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and Theater Willy Praml in der Naxoshalle. Further venues include the cinema at the German Film Museum, the Mal Seh’n cinema, the gallery Ausstellungsraum Eulengasse, and the theater Die Käs. Also in 2013 the festival director Marion Klomfass received an honorary award for her outstanding commitment to the support and promotion of Japanese-German exchange from the Japanese

Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...

(Gaimu Daijin Hyosho). In 2014 the ''Nippon Visions Award'' became the ''Nippon Visions Jury Award''. Also, an audience award, the ''Nippon Visions Audience Award'', was created. That year the festival drew more than 16,000 visitors. The 15th edition of the festival in 2015 saw the introduction of the ''Nippon Honor Award'' for personalities who have made an outstanding contribution to Japanese cinema in their careers. In 2018 the new section ''Nippon Docs'' was introduced. In 2020, due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID 19 pandemics, the festival took place exclusively online for the first time from 9 to 14 June 2020. Tokachi Tsuchiya received the Nippon Online Award for the documentary film An Ant Strikes Back for the first time. Also in 2020 the festival team received the JaDe award in Cologne. Directors and actors who have attended the festival:

Koji Yakusho , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005), ''13 Assassins'' (2010), '' The Third Murder'' (2017), ''The Blood of Wolve ...

Shinobu Terajima is a Japanese actress. Her feature films include '' Akame 48 Waterfalls'' (2003) and '' Vibrator'' (2003). For her role in ''Caterpillar'' (2010), Terajima won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 60th Berlin Film Festival while her performan ...

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic and a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts. Although he has worked in a variety of genres, Kurosawa is best known for his many contributions to the Japanese horror genre, his honorific ...

Shinya Tsukamoto is a Japanese people, Japanese filmmaker, film producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, Film director, director, cinematographer, art director, production designer and actor. With a considerable cult following both domestically and abroad ...

Nobuhiro Yamashita is a Japanese film director. Career Born in Aichi Prefecture, Yamashita attended Osaka University of Arts where he worked on Kazuyoshi Kumakiri's ''Kichiku Dai Enkai''. His graduation film ''Hazy Life'', took the Off Theatre Competition Grand ...

Toshiaki Toyoda is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Born in Osaka Prefecture, Toyoda was first a prodigy in the game of shogi or Japanese chess. He attended the Japan Shogi Association's Professional shogi player#Apprenticeship, apprenticeship ...

Yuki Tanada is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Born in Kitakyushu, Tanada pursued theater in high school before entering the Image Forum Institute of the Moving Image to study filmmaking. Her newest work, My Broken Mariko, released on September 3 ...

Koji Wakamatsu Koji, Kōji, Kohji or Kouji may refer to: *Kōji (given name), a masculine Japanese given name *Kōji (Heian period) (康治), Japanese era, 1142–1144 *Kōji (Muromachi period) (弘治), Japanese era, 1555–1558 *Koji orange, a Japanese citrus ...

Isao Yukisada is a Japanese film director from Kumamoto. He served as assistant director on Shunji Iwai's ''Love Letter'', ''April Story'', and '' Swallowtail Butterfly''. Filmography Director * ''Open House'' (1998) * (Sunflower) (2000) * ''A Closing Day'' ...

, Ryuichi Hiroki,

Sakura Ando is a Japanese actress. Career Ando won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival 2010 for ''Love Exposure'', ''The Wonderful World of Captain Kuhio'' and '' Tsumitoka batsutoka''. She was also nominated for the a ...

Kiyohiko Shibukawa is a Japanese fashion model actor. He debuted as a model under the name Kee, but changed his name to "Kiyohiko Shibukawa" in 2006. He has appeared in more than 60 films since 1998. Selected filmography Film Television Awards See also *Nan ...

Miwa Nishikawa is a Japanese director and screenwriter. Nishikawa received a degree in literature from the University of Waseda, and after working on several independent films as well as catching the eye of Hirokazu Kore-eda, her film making career took off ...

, Shuichi Okita,

Koji Yamamura Koji, Kōji, Kohji or Kouji may refer to: *Kōji (given name), a masculine Japanese given name *Kōji (Heian period) was a after '' Eiji'' and before ''Ten'yō.'' This period spanned the year from April 1142 through February 1144. The reigning ...

Shinsuke Sato is a Japanese filmmaker, screenwriter and video game designer. He has directed several live-action film adaptations of manga and anime, including ''The Princess Blade'' (2001), ''Gantz'' (2011), ''I Am a Hero'' (2015), ''Bleach'' (2018), ''Inuya ...

Koji Fukada is a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Born in Tokyo, Fukada had a father who was a film aficionado and he watched many films on VHS when he was young. It was when he was 19 years old studying at Taisho University and discov ...

Kaori Momoi is a Japanese actress. Life and career Momoi was born in Tokyo, Japan. At the age of 12, she traveled to London to study dance at the Royal Ballet Academy. After 3 years, she returned to Tokyo. She graduated from Japan's Bungakuza School of ...

Kazuyoshi Kumakiri is a Japanese film director. Career Kumakiri debuted with ''Kichiku'' in 1997. His 2001 film, ''Hole in the Sky'', starred Susumu Terajima and Yuriko Kikuchi. His 2004 film, ''Green Mind, Metal Bats'', screened at the International Film Fest ...

, Akiko Oku and more.

Programme

Each year Nippon Connection shows more than 100 short and

feature films A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

, mostly as German, European or international premieres. The film program is divided into five sections: Nippon Cinema, Nippon Animation, Nippon Visions, Nippon Docs and Nippon Retro. Many Japanese filmmakers present their works personally and participate in panel discussions. In 2019 more than 70 filmmakers and other artists from Japan visited the festival. The ''Nippon Culture'' section presents lectures, performances, and workshops on various topics of

Japanese culture The culture of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Historical overview The ance ...

. This includes

tea ceremony An East Asian tea ceremony, or ''Chádào'' (), or ''Dado'' ( ko, 다도 (茶道)), is a ceremonially ritualized form of making tea (茶 ''cha'') practiced in East Asia by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans. The tea ceremony (), literally transla ...

taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

drumming workshops,

Japanese calligraphy also called is a form of calligraphy, or artistic writing, of the Japanese language. Written Japanese was originally based on Chinese characters only, but the advent of the hiragana and katakana Japanese syllabaries resulted in intrin ...

, dance and martial arts performances. In the evenings, there are usually live concerts or parties. International experts on Japanese film give open lectures about various aspects Japanese cinema.

Award Winners

Nippon Connection Newcomer Award (2002) * 2002 Blue Spring (''Aoi haru'') by

Nippon Cinema Award * 2005 Turn Over - An Angel is Coming on a Bicycle (''Tenshi wa jitensha ni notte'') by Keiichi Nomura * 2006 University of Laughs (''Warai no daigaku'') by Mamoru Hoshi * 2007 La Maison de Himiko (''Mezon do Himiko'') by

Isshin Inudo is a Japanese film director. Career Inudo began making films on his own in high school, with one of his works being selected for the 1979 Pia Film Festival. After attending Tokyo Zokei University, he found work at Asahi Promotions where he bega ...

* 2008 Fine, Totally Fine (''Zenzen daijōbu'') by Yosuke Fujita * 2009 Detroit Metal City by Toshio Lee * 2010 Oblivion Island: Haruka And The Magic Mirror (''Hottarake no shima: Haruka to mahō no kagami'') by

* 2011

Arrietty ''Arrietty'', titled in Japan and ''The Secret World of Arrietty'' in North America, is a 2010 Japanese animated fantasy film directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi as his feature film debut as a director, animated by Studio Ghibli for the Nippon ...

(''Karigurashi no Arietti'') by

Hiromasa Yonebayashi , nicknamed , is a Japanese animator and director, formerly for Studio Ghibli. After his directorial debut with Studio Ghibli ('' The Secret World of Arrietty''), he became the youngest director of a theatrical film produced by the studio. He was n ...

* 2012

The Woodsman and the Rain is a 2011 Japanese comedy film directed by Shuichi Okita about a lumberjack involved in shooting of a zombie movie. Plot Living in deep countryside Katsuhiko Kishi works as lumberjack at a local company. His wife died almost three years ago and ...

(''Kitsutsuki to ame'') by Shuichi Okita * 2013

Key of Life is a 2012 Japanese comedy film directed by Kenji Uchida. The film opened in Japan on September 15, 2012. The movie's theme song was written and performed by Kazuya Yoshii. The movie was remade in Korean in 2016 as ''Luck Key''. Plot synopsis The ...

(''Kagi dorobō no mesoddo'') by

Kenji Uchida is a Japanese anime producer. He is noted anime studio Sunrise's president. Debuting in 1980, with '' Muteki Robo Trider G7'', among Sunrise's first works in the 1980s, Uchida has gone on to produce numerous of Sunrise's works, such as various i ...

* 2014 Pecoross’ Mother and Her Days (''Pekorosu no haha ni ai ni iku'') by

Azuma Morisaki was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Career Morisaki was born in Nagasaki Prefecture and graduated from Kyoto University. After editing the film magazine ''Jidai Eiga'', he joined the Shochiku studio in 1956. Moving from the Kyoto t ...

* 2015 Uzumasa Limelight by Ken Ochiai * 2016

Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen , also known as ''Ryuzo 7'', is a 2015 Japanese action comedy film directed by Takeshi Kitano. It was released on April 25, 2015. Plot Ryuzo (Tatsuya Fuji) is a retired yakuza gangster who lives a quiet unassuming life with his salaryman son, Ryuh ...

(''Ryūzō to shichinin no kobuntachi'') by

Takeshi Kitano is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...

* 2017 The Long Excuse (''Nagai iiwake)'' by

* 2018 Oh Lucy! by

Atsuko Hirayanagi is a Japanese-American filmmaker. Early life Born in Nagano Prefecture, Nagano to schoolteachers and raised in Chiba (city), Chiba, Japan, Hirayanagi moved to the Los Angeles area in the early 1990s as a high school exchange student. She gradua ...

*2019

Fly Me to the Saitama is a 2019 Japanese comedy film directed by Hideki Takeuchi, based on the 1980s manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Mineo Maya. It was released to critical acclaim and received 12 nominations at the 43rd Japan Academy Film Pri ...

(''Tonde Saitama'') by Hideki Takeuchi *2021 his by

Rikiya Imaizumi is a Japanese film director. Filmography Film TV series References External links * * 1981 births Japanese film directors Japanese television directors Living people People from Fukushima Prefecture People from Kōriyama 21s ...

Nippon Digital Award (2010) * 2010 Live Tape by Tetsuaki Matsue Nippon Visions Award (2011–2013) * 2011 Doman Seman (''Horikawanakatachiuri'') by Gō Shibata; Special Mention: Door to the Sea (''Umi e no Tobira'') by Reiko Ohashi * 2012 The Sound of Light (''Hikari no oto'') by Juichiro Yamasaki; Special Mention: Fukushima: Memories of a Lost Landscape (''Soma kanka: dai ichi bu - ubawareta tochi no kioku'') by Yojyu Matsubayashi * 2013 A2-B-C by Ian Thomas Ash Nippon Visions Audience Award * 2014 Tale of a Butcher Shop (''Aru seinikuten no hanashi'') by Aya Hanabusa * 2015 -1287 by Ian Thomas Ash * 2016 Under the Cherry Tree (''Sakura no ki no shita'') by Kei Tanaka * 2017 Start Line by Ayako Imamura * 2018 Ramen Heads by Koki Shigeno *2019 Melancholic by Seiji Tanaka *2021 Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes (''Droste no hate de bokura'') by Junta Yamaguchi Nippon Visions Jury Award * 2014 Antonym (''Rasen ginga'') by Natsuka Kusano Special Mention: Friendship (Tomodachi) by Mikihiro Endo *2015 The Cockpit by Sho Miyake Special Mention: Treasure Ship: Latitudes of Lust (''Shikido shiju hatte: takarabune'') by Koichiro Ikawa and Dual City by Yokna Hasegawa * 2016 Dear Deer by Takeo Kikuchi Special Mention: Under the Cherry Tree (''Sakura no ki no shita'') by Kei Tanaka and The Man Who Was Eaten (''Taberareru otoko'') by Keisuke Kondo * 2017 Poolsideman by Hirobumi Watanabe Special Mention: Going the Distance (''Kazoku e'') by Yujiro Harumoto * 2018 Trace of Breath (''Iki no ato'') by Haruka Komori Special Mention: Of Love & Law by Hikaru Toda * 2019 Sea (''Kaibatsu'') by Kensei Takahashi Special Mention: Blue Hour (''Buru awa ni buttobasu'') by Yuko Hakota * 2021 Along The Sea (''Umibe no kanojotachi'') by Akio Fujimoto Special Mention: Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes (''Droste no hate de bokura'') by Junta Yamaguchi VGF Nippon in Motion Award (2012–2014) * 2012 koi-man by Micaela Fonseca * 2013 Nippon Invasion by Michael Herber & Liwen Shen * 2014 Onigiri no origami (Bierfest) by Christine Mai & David Clausmeier Nippon Honor Award * 2015

Tadanobu Asano , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in ''Electric Dragon 80.000 V'', Kakihara in ''Ichi the Killer'', Mamoru Arita in '' Bright Future'', Hattori Genosuke in ''Zatoichi'', Kenj ...

* 2016

* 2017

Kōji Yakusho , known professionally as , is a Japanese actor. He is well known for his starring roles in ''Shall We Dance?'' (1996), ''Cure'' (1997), ''Memoirs of a Geisha'' (2005), '' 13 Assassins'' (2010), ''The Third Murder'' (2017), '' The Blood of Wolv ...

* 2018

*2019

Nippon Docs Award * 2019 Sending Off (''Omiokuri 〜Sending Off〜'') by Ian Thomas Ash *2021 Ushiku by Ian Thomas Ash Nippon Online Award * 202
An Ant Strikes Back
(''Ari jigoku tengoku'') by Tokachi Tsuchiya

Retrospectives

* 2003 Shuji Terayama * 2004 Anime Classics – Early Japanese Animated Films (1924 - 1944) * 2005

Seijun Suzuki , born (24 May 1923 – 13 February 2017), was a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. His films are known for their jarring visual style, irreverent humour, nihilistic cool and entertainment-over-logic sensibility. He made 40 predo ...

* 2006 Exploding Japan – Subversive Genre Cinema of the 60s and 70s * 2007 Shooting the Sun – Japanese Experimental Film from 1960 until Today * 2008 Wizards of Japanese Independent Animation: 1960s - Today * 2009 Sexploitation and Experimentation: The Many Shades of Pink Film. * 2010 Best of Nippon Connection 2000-2009 * 2011

Sion Sono Sion may refer to * an alternative transliteration of Zion People * Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name Plac ...

* 2012 Visual Resistance: Protest Culture in Japanese Documentaries * 2013 Eccentric and Explosive - The Cinema of Sogo Ishii * 2014 Ko Nakahira - The Wild Child of the Sixties * 2015 Luminous and Vibrant - The Cinema of

Shinji Somai is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *Shinji Aoyama (真治), a Japanese film director *Shinji Aramaki (伸志), a Japanese anime director and mechanical designer *Shinji Hashimoto, a Japanese game producer ...

* 2016 Ghosts and Demons - Scary Tales from Japan * 2017 Ecstasy & Desire - In the Realm of

Roman Porno in its broadest sense includes almost any Japanese theatrical film that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. The Western equi ...

* 2018 Elegance & Bloodshed - Japanese Sword Fighting Films from the 1960s *2019

Ayako Wakao is a Japanese actress who was one of the country's biggest stars of the 20th century. Biography Wakao began her career contracted to Daiei Studios in 1951 as part of the fifth "New Face" group. She has gone on to appear in over 100 feature films ...

– Magnificent Icon Of Japanese Cinema *2020 Tokyo Stories: Lives And Shapes Of A City *2021

Kinuyo Tanaka was a Japanese actress and film director. She had a career lasting over 50 years with more than 250 acting credits, but was best known for her 15 films with director Kenji Mizoguchi, such as ''The Life of Oharu'' (1952) and ''Ugetsu'' (1953). W ...

Thematic focus

Since 2019, each festival features a thematic focus across several sections. * 2019 Outlaws and Outsiders – Cinematic Insights Into the Margins Of Japanese Society * 2020 Female Futures? – New Visions Of Women In Japan * 2021 Family Matters – The Japanese Family between Tradition and Modernity

Design

The corporate design of the festival has been one of its trademarks since it was first held in 2000. The colors range from soft rose colors to bright pink.

Music

In addition to the film and cultural programs, the festival team has created music CDs. Sounds recorded in the Tokyo subway were used by German musicians to produce an imaginary soundtrack of the Japanese megacity. This album, ''Nippon Connection – The Tokyo Metro Soundtrack'', was released in 2003 by Label Ckp. In April 2005 the second CD album, ''Nippon Connection Exchanging Tracks'', was released by das modular. Two traditional Japanese pieces of music were made available to 28 remix artists in Europe and the US, who then produced their own personal soundtracks. The festival team gave these compositions to Japanese film directors, who created short films under the project name ''Exchanging Tracks''.

Organization

The festival is organized by the non-profit association Nippon Connection e.V. on a voluntary basis. The organizational team consists of more than 70 people. During the festival, more than 100 additional volunteers support the team. The budget is made up of the festival’s revenues as well as several subsidies and sponsorship payments. Nippon Connection is a member of the Verbund hessischer Filmfestivals (Network of Hessian film festivals) and AG Filmfestival. In 2020 and 2021 Angela Dorn, Hessian Minister for Science and Art,

Peter Feldmann Peter Manuel Feldmann (born 7 October 1958) is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). On 25 March 2012, he was elected Mayor of Frankfurt as successor of Petra Roth (CDU). On 6 November 2022, he was recalled, with 95% of th ...

, Mayor of the City of Frankfurt, and the Consulate-General of Japan acted as official patrons of the festival.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official WebsiteDocumentary Nippon Connection Filmfestival 2014Nippon Connection 2005, Teil II: ''Fascination and Cherry Blossom Kitsch'' (in German)

Nippon Connection 2006: ''From Tokyo with Love'' (in German)Nippon Connection 2007: ''The Japanese Dream'' (in German)Nippon Connection 2008: ''Drama, Drama, Drama'' (in German)Nippon Connection 2008: ''Radicals in the Ghost Train'' (in German)Nippon Connection 2014: ''A Festival Report'' (in German)Nippon Connection 2016: ''Frankfurt's Nippon Connection brings together an extensive collection of Japanese films''
Film festivals in Germany Culture in Frankfurt