Walk Ginza and Hibiya by day, then settle into a cinema.
Tokyo International Film Festival 2026
The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival spreads across Hibiya, Yurakucho, Marunouchi and Ginza, with the cinemas a short walk apart. It opens with Sukiyaki, about how a 1963 song went around the world, closes with Colony, the new film from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho, and in between shows Yamazaki Takashi’s new Godzilla. This year’s jury president is Australian director Rolf de Heer, and Cate Blanchett brings five short films about displacement, backed by the fund she set up.
Gordon Maeda on the 2022 Tokyo festival red carpet; not a 2026 guest announcement · Report image rights
GOWOAH / Tokyo A REASON TO GO
Hibiya, Yurakucho, Marunouchi and Ginza2026.10.26 — 2026.11.04Themed experiencesTicket required
FIND YOUR REASON
What draws you to this experience?
01
It opens with a song and closes in a sealed tower
The opening film Sukiyaki, directed by Zeze Takahisa, follows composer Nakamura Hachidai, lyricist Ei Rokusuke and singer Sakamoto Kyu as they meet, clash and end up with Ue o Muite Arukō. Known abroad as Sukiyaki, it reached number one in the US in 1963; many people can hum it without knowing it carries post-war Japan’s wish to lift its head and keep walking.
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The closing film Colony is the new work from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho: survivors trapped in a Seoul tower while the infected outside keep evolving, with no room to breathe in the corridors and stairwells.
Themed experiences
02
The new Godzilla, the Palme d’Or and Cate Blanchett
Yamazaki Takashi’s Godzilla Minus Zero picks up after the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, and a monster towering over a whole city only shows its scale on a big screen; the Gala Selection also has this year’s Palme d’Or winner Fjord and Martin McDonagh’s new film Wild Horse Nine.
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On the morning of 30 October, Cate Blanchett joins Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig) and Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat to talk with the audience after five short films, all backed by the fund she set up for filmmakers telling stories of displacement.
Themed experiences
03
Seventy years since Mizoguchi
Seventy years after his death, the festival shows 13 of Mizoguchi Kenji’s films at the National Film Archive, all with English subtitles: Ugetsu, Sansho the Bailiff and The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums among them, and the 1933 silent The Water Magician in a new restoration, shown in Japan for the first time.
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In these black-and-white films the camera rarely cuts, and a scene often plays out in one unbroken shot; next to the previous night’s Godzilla, it feels like another kind of cinema.
2026-10-26–2026-11-04; daily hours follow the official programme.
Asia/TokyoMore programme details
It opens with a song and closes in a sealed tower
The new Godzilla, the Palme d’Or and Cate Blanchett
Seventy years since Mizoguchi
02
Venue & travel
Hibiya, Yurakucho, Marunouchi and Ginza
Follow official venue guidance and temporary public-transport plans; do not rely on event-day parking.
03
Entry & companions
A valid ticket or credential for the listed day, session or access tier is required; it does not automatically include other sessions, closed events or meetings.
04
Tickets & access
JPY 2,200–3,500 per adult ticket
Accessible seating, companion policies and assistance vary by venue or ticket type; confirm with the organiser before purchase.
Sources & image credits
Dates and entry details refer to this edition; individual sessions may differ.
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