On the 15th of February 2012, 22 participants attended the Talking Contemporary Japan Special: Japanese discussion with Director Katsumi Sakaguchi.

Firstly, the participants were given the opportunity to view an exclusive screening of “かりんの家” (Karin no ie) in Japanese. This is one of Katsumi Sakaguchi’s most powerful documentaries, which addresses the topic of children, who for a variety of circumstances, cannot live with their parents. After viewing the film, the participants were then encouraged to discuss the content with not only themselves but with Mr Sakaguchi himself in Japanese. Sitting amongst the participants, Mr Sakaguchi answered questions from everyone and discussed the making of a documentary which explored such a serious social problem in contemporary Japan. 

The event was very well received by all participants, who enjoyed the opportunity to practice advanced Japanese skills while exploring the field of documentary-making within Japanese society. Emma Gallagher, who attended the event, commented:

「とても楽しかったです。感動しました。ありがとうございました。」

(“It was really enjoyable and I was truly moved. Thank you very much.”)

Another participant, Rebecca Clegg, commented:

“It was a great opportunity to experience different points of Japanese culture.”

We would like to thank all the participants that came along to the Talking Contemporary Japan Special event and hope to see you again throughout the year.

NEW! Click here to view video clips from the event on YouTube.