Celebrating its 25th year in 2024, the Japan Film Fest Hamburg (JFFH) aims to break the barriers of Japanese cinema and share it with the rest of the world. Get set to enjoy all of the latest films - from anime to genre hits - all the way from Japan (with love)!

What to expect from JFFH 2024

The JFFH is an annual event occurring in the summer in the city of Hamburg, and is the oldest Japanese film festival in Germany. JFFH will show over 50 Japanese films in two different venues, the Metropolis and Studio-Kino.

You'll be able to see what's possibly the final film from master film-maker Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli with their showing of the family-friendly The Boy and The Heron, or a range of "Naginata" films, named for a type of Japanese sword and used to describe a range of action and adrenaline-fuelled horror films.

Several of the films are getting their World premiere here, as it is such a valued film festival, and many others are getting a European premiere, so you can be ahead of the curve with what's worth seeing this year! Almost all the films are screened in Japanese with English subtitles but do check the information page for each film as it does specify.

Where to go

The Metropolis and Studio-Kino have been the festival venues for several years now. They are about a 30-minute walk apart from each other, or a 20-minute tram ride, so make sure you give yourself enough time to get from one to the other if you plan to book back-to-back films. It is a city-centre festival so we recommend using public transport to get there.

The Metropolis is at Kleine Theaterstraße 10, 20354, and it sits right between U-Bahn stops Stephansplatz and Gänsemarkt. Studio-Kino is at Bernstorffstraße 93, 22767 and is easiest reached by buses 3 or 17.

Tickets types and how to get them

Tickets for all films except the opening film are 11 euros. The opening film costs 13 euros. Tickets must be bought from the cinema's website or can be purchased at the door if it isn't sold out. 

If you are a real Japanese film fan, you can also buy a season ticket for 150 euros, which will get you into all the films! There is also a VIP ticket, for the seriously dedicated viewers, which includes a goody bag of books and posters and personalised thank you cards from the festival. These are 200 euros. These tickets must be ordered through the festival website in advance.

For more information about the programme, visit the official JFFH website. Happy watching!

Credit for all images: jffh.de