A showcase of dynamic and imaginative Japanese cinema will light up Edison Filmhub in Prague this weekend as Tanuki Nights returns with a three-day program of dramas, anime, and horror. Organized by the cultural group Czechoneko in collaboration with the arthouse venue, the festival will run from Nov. 14-16, offering Czech and English-subtitled screenings alongside themed events featuring sweets, matcha, and art sessions.
Inspired by the mischievous tanuki—a raccoon dog from Japanese folklore known for its shape-shifting and trickster nature—the festival promises to reflect the creature’s spirit of transformation and playfulness. The lineup spans critically acclaimed art films, cult classics, and high-energy 2025 anime blockbusters, bringing a rare mix of old and new Japanese works to local audiences.
The event aims to bridge Japan’s rich cinematic tradition with its contemporary creativity, highlighting the country’s enduring global influence and the growing interest in its visual storytelling among Czech audiences.
From Kore-eda to Miyazaki
The festival opens Friday afternoon with Air Doll, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s 2009 existential drama about a life-sized inflatable doll that gains consciousness and explores loneliness and human connection in modern Tokyo. The film, which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, showcases the master storyteller’s delicate touch and contemplative tone.
Angel’s Egg, newly remastered for its 40th anniversary, offers a haunting visual meditation on faith and memory, created in collaboration with artist Yoshitaka Amano of Final Fantasy fame. Happyend, the feature debut of Neo Sora, portrays the fragile friendship of two young people in a near-future Tokyo shadowed by fear and repression.
The Boy and the Heron, the Academy Award-winning fantasy from Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, brings a different kind of introspection. The film follows a boy’s journey through a surreal world after his mother’s death, blending grief and wonder in Miyazaki’s signature style. It remains one of 2023’s most celebrated animated works and a major box office success worldwide.
Anime icons and psychological horror
The festival will also present two new anime blockbusters that have been smash hits at the global box office. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle will be presented in an English-dubbed screening introduced by Czech Japanologist Martina Krajňáková.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, which follows the story from the hit anime series about a demon-hunting antihero with chainsaws for limbs, will also be presented in an English dub with Czech subtitles.
The festival will also feature Exit 8, a new psychological thriller by Genki Kawamura based on the cult video game The Exit 8. Set in a seemingly endless subway corridor, the story follows a man trapped in a looping nightmare of observation and paranoia. “Kawamura’s unsettling restraint turns this simple loop into a meditation on guilt, avoidance, and the inescapable patterns we build for ourselves,” writes The Prague Reporter in a recent review.
Through its eclectic mix of art-house dramas, cult anime, and psychological thrillers, Tanuki Nights underscores the versatility of Japanese cinema. The event runs from Nov. 14–16 at Prague’s Edison Filmhub. Apart from a showing of Pom Poko, all screenings are English-friendly. Tickets and a full schedule are available at the Edison Filmhub website.
