Japan has not had three administrators concurrently within the operating for the Palme d’Or since 2001 – and as Hamaguchi Ryusuke, Kore-eda Hirokazu and Fukada Koji deliver that once-in-a-generation confluence to the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Japan is well known because the Cannes Marché’s Nation of Honor.
A delegation of 10 Japanese producers, who can be working the market, is organized collectively by the Movement Image Producers Assn. of Japan (MPPAJ). The group contains 5 veteran producers from the MPPPAJ, representing the nation’s main studios, and 5 rising producers from the impartial sector chosen by the Visible Business Promotion Group (VIPO).
Japan’s footprint throughout the complete pageant makes clear why the Nation of Honor designation feels effectively timed. Past the three competitors titles — Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” Kore-eda’s “Sheep in the Box” and Fukada’s “Nagi Notes” — Sode Yukiko’s “All the Lovers in the Night” screens in Un Sure Regard, whereas Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s “Kokurojo” (“The Samurai and the Prisoner”) performs in Cannes Premiere. Japan’s presence extends additional into the parallel sections at Cannes: Kadowaki Kohei’s “We Are Aliens” and brief movie “Eri, the Cow” by Honami Yano each function within the Administrators’ Fortnight, whereas Miike Takashi’s “Sham” screens in Cannes Écrans Juniors.
The MPPAJ contingent leads with institutional firepower. Toho’s Koike Yurika has credit together with “What If Tokugawa Ieyasu Became Prime Minister?” and “A Girl & Her Guard Dog,” which have achieved worldwide attain with theatrical releases in a number of international locations, primarily throughout Asia.
For shingle Shochiku, Ishida Satoko is readily available with Kurosawa’s “Kokurojo,” persevering with a producing partnership with the director that stretches again to “Creepy” in 2016. Kadokawa’s Kodera Takeo additionally has Kurosawa ties: his most up-to-date credit score is the French-Japanese co-production “Serpent’s Path.” A veteran of acquisitions, L.A. growth and the worldwide co-production circuit, Kodera’s present venture is “Six Lying College Students,” a Korea-Japan co-production based mostly on Asakura Akinari’s novel; the movie is at present in post-production.
Toei fields two producers with distinct worldwide profiles. Takata Shiori, not too long ago appointed director of worldwide manufacturing after greater than 20 years in worldwide gross sales — together with the remake deal for “100 Yen Love,” tailored in China because the field workplace phenomenon “YOLO” — now leads the corporate’s Asian co-production horror slate. Jerry Zhang, a former head of Chinese language-language content material at Netflix with credit together with “Incantation” and “The Wandering Earth,” additionally serves as CEO and founding father of Tokyo-based manufacturing firm Mochi.
The 5 VIPO-backed producers come from the impartial sector. Kamiura Yuna comes from K2 Footage — an organization backed by Kore-eda, whose manufacturing arm K2 Footage Manufacturing is behind the director’s “Look Back,” heading to Cannes by way of the Tokyo Worldwide Movie Pageant’s Goes to Cannes showcase. She constructed her file throughout 36 late-night drama sequence at MBS, together with “Seven Orifices” and “Call Me by No Name.”
Hashimoto Shoko of Tokyo Theatres Co. is increasing into worldwide co-productions following connections solid at Busan’s Producer Hub in 2025.
Tsutsui Ryohei, TRIXTA (Tokyo and Vancouver), whose credit embrace “Underground” by Oda Kaori (Berlinale), “Gama” by Oda Kaori (IDFA) and “Bangkok Nites” by Tomita Katsuya (Locarno) and at present in post-production on “Movie Kintsugi” by Knopf Eva, and in pre-production “The Lang Fang Republic” by Tomita Katsuya.
Kamata Yusuke of Generation11, one of many few genuinely bilingual producers in Japan, works throughout scripted and documentary codecs, with credit together with “Tokyo Vice” (HBO Max) and the Netflix documentaries “Fugitive: The Curious Case of Carlos Ghosn” and “Missing: The Lucy Blackman Case.”
Rounding out the delegation is Ogi Hiroto, who established shingle Barravento in 2026 in collaboration with U.S.-based Spacemaker Prods. to develop worldwide tasks. His producing credit embrace “Titanic Ocean” (directed by Konstantina Kotzamani), which screens in Un Sure Regard at this yr’s pageant, “Vintage Violence” (directed by Eugene Kotlyarenko) and “#Mito” (directed by Miyazaki Daisuke).
