International Premiere

Saturday, April 25, 7 PM



PLEASE NOTE: To ensure the safety of all in our community, this film series and screening has been canceled and our building temporarily closed to the public. Please visit our COVID-19 page for information on ticket refunds, donations, and our virtual program initiatives.



Among the hardest-to-see films in Kon Ichikawa’s oeuvre, this 1968 documentary finds the legendary director approach the subject of Japanese high school baseball with the same lyricism and visual splendor as he did with the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo Olympiad (1965). On the 50th anniversary of the Koshien games, Ichikawa captures the uniquely rigorous training—in snow, dirt and schoolyard lots—of the young athletes preparing for the all-important tournament, interspersed with historical footage that contextualizes Japan’s long love affair with student baseball. A thrilling portrait of youth in the economic boom of the postwar period, Ichikawa’s rare film encapsulates an entire generation through sports.



1968. 96 min. digital, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Kon Ichikawa.



Tickets: $14/$11 seniors, students and persons with disabilities/$10 Japan Society members.



3-Film Pass: $2 off each ticket when you purchase three films in the same transaction.



All-Access Pass: $77 ($7 per ticket for all 11 films in the series)



This program is part of our Aim for the Best: Sports in Japanese Cinema series.



Program subject to change. For updated info and special offers, please visit: japansociety.org/film



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