The Japanese film festival Eigasai will return to Prague from Feb. 9 to 14, bringing a curated selection of contemporary Japanese films and classic animation to Kino Lucerna. Now in its 19th edition, the festival has established itself as a stable fixture in the city’s winter cultural calendar, offering Czech and international audiences rare access to Japanese films that otherwise do not reach local distribution.
This year’s edition is framed around the theme “From the heart,” a concept that runs through both the film selection and the accompanying cultural program. Rather than focusing on romance in a conventional sense, the festival explores emotional intuition, family bonds, memory and personal responsibility — themes that recur across the six evening screenings and the Saturday daytime program.
Organized by the Czech-Japanese Society with support from the Japanese Embassy and The Japan Foundation, Eigasai 2026 will once again take place primarily at Lucerna Palace, with films presented with Czech and English subtitles. All evening screenings are scheduled as one-off theatrical showings in the Czech Republic.
Contemporary Japanese cinema with historical and social depth
The festival’s film lineup spans genres and time periods, from light social comedy to historical drama and literary adaptation. Opening night will feature The Dancing Okami, a comedy inspired by real events in Japan’s Noto region. The film follows women managing traditional inns who turn to tap dancing as an unconventional way to revive local tourism, offering a light-toned entry point into broader questions of tradition, teamwork and improvisation.
Food and mindfulness take center stage in The Zen Diary. The film follows an aging cookbook author whose approach to seasonal cooking reflects Zen Buddhist principles, using everyday routines to address grief, solitude and the passage of time. The film previously screened at the San Sebastian International Film Festival’s Culinary Zinema section.
Father of the Milky Way Railroad explores the life of celebrated Japanese writer Kenji Miyazawa from his father’s perspective. The film examines generational expectations and artistic freedom, with performances by Koji Yakusho and Min Tanaka anchoring its historical setting.
Later screenings move further into metaphor and folklore. River Returns (pictured at top) blends myth and social commentary through a story centered on nature, memory and communal responsibility, while Okiku and the World turns to late-Edo-era Japan to examine class, labor and dignity through an understated black-and-white aesthetic.
The festival concludes on Feb. 14 with Kanasando, a contemporary family drama set in Okinawa. The film uses personal recollection and music to revisit misunderstandings between parents and children, with Asano Tadanobu appearing as the estranged father. Its Okinawan setting and focus on regional identity reflect Eigasai’s broader interest in Japan beyond Tokyo-centric narratives.
Cultural programming and animation alongside film screenings
Beyond evening screenings, Eigasai will again pair cinema with live cultural programming. A Japanese Cultural Day is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, at Galerie Lucerna, featuring workshops, demonstrations and performances by Japanese and Czech artists. Planned activities include calligraphy, origami, traditional dance, taiko drumming and a display of Japanese crafts, alongside food tastings and tea.
Live performances throughout Lucerna Palace will showcase both classical and contemporary interpretations of Japanese culture, including Okinawan drumming and dance. An exhibition of kiokugami, a traditional Japanese paper art technique, will be on view in Lucerna’s café spaces throughout the festival.
Families and younger audiences are also part of the program. The Saturday midday slot will feature Ponyo, Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film produced by Studio Ghibli. The screening will be presented in Japanese with Czech subtitles, with free admission for children under 10, reinforcing the festival’s effort to reach multigenerational audiences.
Tickets for individual screenings start at CZK 170, with discounts available for students and seniors. Festival passes are also available. With its combination of curated cinema and contextual cultural programming, Eigasai continues to position itself as a bridge between Japanese storytelling and Prague’s international film audience, offering films that prioritize emotional insight over spectacle.
