Beyond the Samurai: An Introduction to Japanese Cinema

When: 23 July 2026 to 29 November 2026
Where: Bill Douglas Cinema Museum Upper Gallery
Time: 10.00am - 5.00pm
Cost: Free
Suitable for: Any age

Beyond the Samurai: An Introduction to Japanese Cinema 

Monster movies, anime, horror and samurai: what comes to mind when we think of Japanese films? Japanese films have been on our screens for nearly eighty years. We are familiar with angry Godzilla, looming above the Tokyo skyline. We have cheered Chihiro on, as she set out to rescue her family in Spirited Away, and hidden behind the sofa, terrified of Sadako crawling through the screen in ‘The Ring.’ But have you ever wanted to find out more about the history of cinema in Japan? How did ‘cinema’ as we know it, start? Who were the big names who influenced the directors of Star Wars and the Godfather? Why do we think about particular genres, when we think about Japanese films in the West? Find out all of this and more at Beyond the Samurai’ – a display on Japanese Cinema.

Then explore the galleries with our anime trail, or plunge into a digital trail deep-dive, and enjoy the museum collections and learn about (or revisit) cinema and cinema culture in Japan.