Special Screening of “The Making of a Japanese” with Ema Yamazaki

Join us for a special screening of the award-winning documentary “The Making of a Japanese” followed by an exclusive Q&A with director Ema Ryan Yamazaki. This is a rare opportunity to meet Yamazaki in the Bay Area and hear about her experiences and insights growing up both inside and outside of Japan, as well as her motivations and takeaways from producing the film! 

“The Making of a Japanese” (2024) is centered in suburban Tokyo’s Tsukado Elementary, one of the largest public elementary schools in Japan with nearly 1,000 students. In the nation’s unique educational system, children are tasked to run their own school in order to teach communal values and how to play one’s role in the group. Intimately capturing one school year from the perspective of 1st and 6th graders, “The Making of a Japanese” has the magic of childhood with precious moments of joy, tears, and discovery — as they learn the traits necessary to become part of Japanese society. 

Don’t miss this chance to hear from director Ema Ryan Yamazaki and learn how Japanese schools shape the country’s unique culture and society.