Curated by the MFA, the UNIQLO Festival of Films from Japan returns with a vibrant and sweeping selection of recent releases and restored classics. This year’s lineup moves fluidly between intimate character studies and ambitious cinematic sagas, from Akiko Ōku’s tender romantic drama She Taught Me Serendipity to the kabuki epic Kokuho, the latter of which has become a landmark box office and awards success in Japan. Shō Miyake’s Two Seasons, Two Strangers, winner of the top prize at the Locarno Film Festival, offers a delicate meditation on travel and storytelling, while Yasuhiro Aoki’s exuberant anime ChaO bursts with color, humor, and emotional sincerity.

The festival also revisits singular visions from across generations, including Mamoru Oshii’s haunting and philosophical Angel’s Egg in a new 4K restoration, Katsuhito Ishii’s surreal and gently comedic The Taste of Tea, and Hayao Miyazaki’s monumental Princess Mononoke, presented in a 4K restoration for Studio Ghibli’s 40th anniversary. Together, these films showcase the richness, inventiveness, and emotional range of modern Japanese cinema.