阿修羅のごとく(Ashura no gotoku)

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026

Dir. MORITA Yoshimitsu
2003 | 135 mins | Japan | Japanese with English Subtitles
OTAKE Shinobu, KUROKI Hitomi, FUKATSU Eri, FUKADA Kyoko

You may be part of a close-knit family, but there are some things you never know about each other.

In winter 1979, the four TAKEZAWA sisters reunite upon learning an unsettling family secret: their daring father, now over seventy, seems to have a mistress — and even a love child! Choosing to shield their mother, Fuji (YACHIGUSA Kaoru) from the truth, each of the quartet’s personal problems also comes to light. The eldest, Tsunako (OTAKE Shinobu) is entangled in a love affair. Makiko (KUROKI Hitomi), the second sister, quietly endures the knowledge that her husband has a younger girlfriend. Takiko (FUKATSU Eri), painfully shy, has resolved to marry her first love. And the youngest, Sakiko (FUKADA Kyoko, Samurai Hustle, JFTFP23), who has been living with her boxer boyfriend, decides to get married after finding out she is pregnant. What was once thought to be a close-knit family reveals a different side.

Like Asura explores the idea that human beings possess many faces and harbour complex, often conflicting emotions. Based on the very popular 1979 NHK drama of the same name, one of Japan’s most renowned directors, MORITA Yoshimitsu (The Family Game, Haru), skilfully and sensitively portrays the range of emotions each character holds in this timeless film. Recently re-adapted by KOREEDA Hirokazu as a Netflix drama series.

Content warning: Contains some sexual scenes

Image: © 2003 TOHO CO., LTD. HAKUHODO INC. THE MAINICHI NEWSPAPERS. NIPPON SHUPPAN HANBAI INC.

The Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2026

Knowing Me, Knowing You: The True Self in Japanese Cinema

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.

Co-organised with the Japan Foundation

Major supporter: Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation

Sponsors in Kind: Calbee, Clearspring, Pentel, Athletia and SUQQU

Venue: Studio 74, Exeter Phoenix

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>