J-Lens : Perspective on Japan #1.2

Talk on Studies on Japanese Cinema

(Kurosawa Akira)  By Yomota Inuhiko

1. Ho Chi Minh City

[Date time]                 14h00 – 16h00, Monday, March 9, 2026

[Venue]                       Hall D201-202, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National      University Ho Chi Minh City

No. 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City

[Registration]              Free. Pre-registration required https://forms.gle/StecTqDBWJzNnwi96

2. Hanoi

[Date time]                 15h30-17h30, Thursday, March 12, 2026

[Venue]                       White Light Cinéhub, COMPLEX 01

Floor 3, No. 29/31, Alley 167, Tay Son Street, Kim Lien Ward

[Registration]             Free. Pre-registration required https://forms.gle/rbpamGMv8KpJJ5v16

* With Vietnamese interpretation

* Recommended for audiences over 13 years old, as the lecture includes academic content

[J-Lens series #1.2 ―Studies on Japanese Cinema (Kurosawa Akira)]

Explore the cinematic universe of Kurosawa Akira through the sharp, original insights of one of Japan’s most distinguished cultural thinkers, Mr.Yomota Inuhiko.

The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam proudly presents a special lecture by acclaimed critic and scholar Mr.Yomota Inuhiko, one of Japan’s most influential voices in film studies, comparative literature, and cultural theory. In this event, Professor Mr.Yomota offers a powerful and original re-reading of Kurosawa Akira, the visionary filmmaker whose works reshaped world cinema.

Drawing on his widely discussed analyses—including those published online—Mr.Yomota explores how Kurosawa Akira forged a cinematic language that blends Japanese narrative traditions with universal human dilemmas. Through masterpieces such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Ikiru, and Yojimbo, Kurosawa developed a distinctive visual and moral grammar—dynamic natural elements, existential conflict, solitary resolve, and bold movement—that continues to influence filmmakers across continents.

Mr.Yomota positions Kurosawa not merely as a master director, but as a global intellectual whose films opened a new chapter in intercultural cinematic dialogue. He highlights Kurosawa’s profound engagement with literature—from Shakespeare and Dostoevsky to classical Japanese tales—and examines how the director’s works continue to resonate with contemporary issues: justice, ethical ambiguity, social responsibility, and the dignity of the individual.

Through this lecture, audiences in Vietnam are invited to rediscover Kurosawa Akira’s legacy as a living cultural force: a body of work that remains visually inventive, emotionally resonant, and intellectually urgent. Guided by Yomota Inuhiko’s unique perspective, participants will gain a deeper understanding of why Kurosawa’s cinema is not only admired worldwide, but continually reinterpreted as a cornerstone of global film culture.

What is the “J-Lens: Perspective of Japan” series?

J-Lens explores Japan through diverse intellectual “lenses,” offering new ways to understand its culture, society, and history.

Rather than presenting facts alone, each session shows how scholars ask questions and conduct research within their fields. Through these perspectives, audiences are invited to rethink culture, society, and humanity in fresh and engaging ways.

For inquiries on the lecture and speaker interview, please contact at:

The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam

Mr. Kaneko: Ryota_Kaneko@jpf.go.jp | 024-3944-7419 (127)

Ms. Nhung: NhungNLH@jpf.go.jp | 024-3944-7419 (145) https://www.facebook.com/japanfoundation.vietnam/                 https://hn.jpf.go.jp/

(only for the lecture in Ho Chi Minh City)

Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

No. 10-12 Dinh Tien Hoang, Sai Gon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City

Ms. Na: lenadao@hcmussh.edu.vn

(only for the lecture in Hanoi)

White Light Cinéhub COMPLEX 01

Floor 3, No. 29/31, Alley 167, Tay Son Street, Kim Lien Ward

Mr. Minh: program@whitelightcinehub.vn | 0379-133-873

https://www.facebook.com/whitelightcinehub                           https://www.whitelightcinehub.vn/

■ Credit

The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam

Co-organizer: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

Co-organizer: White Light Cinéhub *only for the lecture in Hanoi

■ Speaker information　

YOMOTA INUHIKO

Essayist, Critic, and Poet

Born in 1953 in Minoh, Osaka, Former Professor Yomota Inuhiko studied the history of religions at the Faculty of Letters, the University of Tokyo, and comparative literature at an independent humanities-oriented graduate school.

Research interests

He is currently devoted full-time to writing on a wide range of cultural phenomena through film, literature, manga, theatre, and food culture.

Professional Experiences

For many years, he taught film studies as a professor at Meiji Gakuin University. He has also served as a visiting professor or visiting researcher at institutions including Columbia University, the University of Bologna, Tsinghua University, and Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

Publications

Recent publications include Approaching Shinran (Kōsakusha), The Promise of Poetry (Sakuhinsha), Korea as Our “Unconscious” (Sakuhinsha), An Ode to Folly (Kodansha), Pier Paolo Pasolini and Luis Buñuel (Sakuhinsha), and Oizumi Kokuseki (Iwanami Shoten).

His poetry collections include Rika and Johannes of the Broom (Minato no Hito). His novels include Setting All the Birds Free (Shinchosha), The Speed of Summer (Sakuhinsha), and Martial Law (Kodansha). His translations include works by Paul Bowles, such as Let It Come Down and The Spider’s House, as well as Collected Poems of Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Achievements and Awards

Former Professor Yomota Inuhiko has received numerous literary and cultural awards, including the Saitō Ryokuu Literary Prize for Tsukishima Monogatari, the Suntory Prize for Social Sciences and Humanities for An Invitation to Film History, the Itō Sei Literary Prize for Moroccan Exile, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for Luis Buñuel, and the Ayukawa Nobuo Prize for The Promise of Poetry.

■ Images for PR and references

Remarks: For the usage of the following images for your media, please kindly put the credit and information below, and please get the original size of the images at: [PR]

All photos credit: ©️ Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam