Japan, Malawi use films to boost cultural exchange

The Japan Film Festival 2026 at Pabwalo Multipurpose Room in the National Library Service building in Lilongwe brought Japanese culture closer to Malawian audiences through a selection of films showcasing family relationships, traditional art, folklore and youth experiences.

The two-day festival opened on October 30 with two films, The lines that define me and Key of life, offering the audience different perspectives on Japanese society, human relationships and storytelling.

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On the second day, the audience was treated to two additional productions: Kappa, which is a river and Sampei, an animated film featuring the Kappa, a mythical creature from Japanese folklore believed to inhabit rivers in rural Japan and Bushido Sixteen, a coming-of-age story about high school girls practising Kendo, a traditional Japanese martial art involving bamboo swords.

The screenings were designed to give Malawians an opportunity to appreciate Japanese culture, traditions and values through cinema.

National Library Service chief executive officer Amon Grey Kapasule said the festival provides Malawians with an opportunity to learn about Japanese culture, particularly traditions, social values and relationships.

He said most of the people attending the screenings were young Malawians.

Kapasule, who is also national librarian, said exposure to Japanese culture could benefit the young interested in pursuing education, business and other opportunities in Japan.

“Whenever people move around, it is better and wise for them to understand the culture of the country they are visiting,” he said.

Kapasule added that the films offer insights into Japanese values, including respect, friendship and strong family relationships, which share similarities with Malawian culture.

He said the festival also reflects the National Library Service’s broader mandate of promoting and preserving cultural heritage through arts and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

Kapasule said the institution has established the Pabwalo Multipurpose Room as a space for cultural activities, meetings and community engagement.

He said the facility hosts weekly storytelling sessions every Saturday, where children gather between 9am and 10am to listen to elders narrating traditional stories.

The National Library Service has also partnered Japanese organisations, including the Embassy of Japan and Ray Foundation, in initiatives aimed at supporting cultural preservation and exchange.

Kapasule disclosed that the institution has compiled a digital collection of traditional stories, folk songs, folk tales and traditional dances from Malawi’s Northern, Central and Southern regions.

The materials, available in video format on the National Library Service website, feature different local languages, allowing users to access cultural content from various districts.

He said the institution now intends to increase awareness of the digital collection and encourage schools to incorporate the materials into lessons to expose learners to Malawi’s cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, Japanese Ambassador Naito Yasushi said film festivals provide an effective platform for cultural exchange because they allow audiences to experience the stories, values and perspectives of people from other countries.

Yasushi said the annual festival was part of Japan’s efforts to introduce more Malawians to Japanese culture through cinema.

“By watching the film, you can enjoy the story, but you can also learn the culture and the people and what people think is important,” he said.

Yasushi said organisers selected films covering different themes to offer audiences a varied experience.

The programme included a human-interest film centred on traditional art, an award-winning romantic comedy, animation and a film exploring youth and Kendo.

Yasushi said the embassy organises the festival annually and hopes to expand it by bringing more Japanese films to Malawi.

The festival forms part of on-going cultural cooperation between Malawi and Japan, with both institutions highlighting the role of arts and storytelling in promoting mutual understanding and preserving cultural heritage.

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