[Exclusive Interview] Find Out How This Foundation Is Promoting India-Japan Friendship By Showcasing Art, Culture, Exchange Programs

Recently, we interacted with Mr. Koji Sato, Director General, The Japan Foundation – Japan’s only Institution dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world.

Here are the interview highlights:

1. Could you provide an overview of The Japan Foundation’s mission and objectives, particularly in the context of international cultural exchange?

 “Cultivating friendship and ties between Japan and the world.”

The Japan Foundation’s primary motive is to nurture and foster relationships between Japan and the rest of the world. Through cultural programs like film, performing arts, literature and theater as a window into Japan’s heart and mind, the Japan Foundation aims to create spaces that facilitate cross-cultural interaction and appreciation.

The Japan Foundation is dedicated to spreading the various aspects and forms of Japanese culture across the world while not letting it be inhibited by the confines of language. Therefore, not only does it provide language and cultural education, but it also has exchange and fellowship programs through which people can get the opportunity to visit Japan and experience the culture first-hand.

Through our various initiatives, our primary aim is to build upon the pre-existing relationship between India and Japan, and enhance cultural interaction, cooperation and understanding amongst citizens of both countries. We believe that this would lead to the creation of an environment that prioritizes accepting differences and appreciates diversity.

2. What role does Japanese media, particularly films and anime, play in promoting Japanese culture in India, and why is it considered fundamental by The Japan Foundation?

Films and Television, especially anime, have always been an iconic form of media which traces its origins back to Japan. India is currently experiencing an unprecedented increase in their consumption of anime and anime-related content. Anime shows and films are generally created and produced in Japan, because of which their source materials are heavily inspired from events and material reality of Japan. While it does not give the audience a complete picture, it does give them a glimpse into the reality in Japan. Films like Intolerance portray how guilt, regret and trauma is manifested and understood within the Japanese society, while films like Anime Supremacy! take us on the journey of how an anime is produced and what roles the studio and network play in the process. 

Through these and various other films and anime, the audience in India is exposed to Japanese culture and way of life, which results in increased learning and appreciation.

3. How has the Japanese Film Festival contributed to spreading Japanese cinema in India, and what unique experiences does it offer to cinema enthusiasts in the country?

Though a large number of Japanese films are produced each year, very few of them enter mainstream theaters in India. The Japanese Film Festival’s primary goal is to share the magic of Japanese cinema to the world and enhance cultural knowledge. The Japanese Film Festival has been instrumental in familiarizing India with Japanese media.

While anime is steadily growing in popularity in India, our aim is to showcase the diversity of Japanese cinema. Therefore, our line-ups consist of films belonging to various genres. In addition, we also screen both live-action and animated films, which gives the audience a chance to watch both familiar and new media. Moreover, by being the first and only touring film festival in India, we ensure that a large number of people get the chance to witness Japanese cinema. In 2017, the first year of the Japanese Film Festival in India, we went to Delhi and Mumbai. Since then, we have only been growing and traveling to the major cities in the country. This year, we are going to 7 cities: Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata.

4. When was The Japan Foundation, New Delhi, officially established, and what specific programs and initiatives have been carried out in India since its inception?

The Japan Foundation, New Delhi, was officially established in January 1994. It operates in three key areas: Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese Language Education, and Japanese Studies/Global Partnerships. In addition, it also has a library, which houses books from various genres, including Japanese fiction, poetry, language studies and manga.

Since 2017, The Japan Foundation has been annually hosting the Japanese Film Festival in India, where we showcase the best of Japanese cinema in various Indian cities. In addition, we also have regular monthly screenings, where we screen classic and contemporary films free of cost.

We also have language-related programs for both teachers and learners of Japanese. For teachers, we hold professional workshops that are aimed at helping them hone their Japanese teaching skills. We have a program, “SWAGATAM!”, which is an educational workshop for school students aimed at generating motivation. For Japanese language learners, we have a language course, JF Koza, which focuses on culture and the language skills required for daily communication, and we also provide learning material.

Lastly, The Japan Foundation Fellowship offers scholars and researchers in Japanese studies an opportunity to conduct their research in Japan.

5. What are some of the key highlights and achievements of the Japanese Film Festival in India?

The Japanese Film Festival has been instrumental in bringing Japanese cinema to the big screens in India. In the 2019 edition of Japanese Film Festival, we premiered Makoto Shinkai’s then latest film, Weathering With You. Moreover, we also invited Makoto Shinkai for the premiere in New Delhi at PVR Select CITYWALK. Hitherto, there had been no major anime movie premieres in India.

Moreover, the 2022 edition wasn’t limited to just films. It was a Film and Music Festival, where in addition to screening some of Makoto Shinkai’s popular films, we also screened the film versions of a popular rock band RADWIMPS concerts. The response to the festival was excellent, highlighting how the position of anime in India had undergone a major shift and started becoming mainstream.

In 2023, Makoto Shinkai released his latest film Suzume in India and the premiere of the film was also a part of JFF and after that the film was screened in PVR theaters all across the country. 

The enthusiasm and response for Japanese live-action and anime films are steady but surely increasing with each passing year, and the Japanese Film Festival has been fundamental in streamlining this process.