On October 2, Ambassador Kitagawa Katsuro attended the special screening of Kokuho with a Post Screening Talkback session with Director Lee Sang-il during the second day of the Japanese Film Festival 2026 at SM Megamall.

In his remarks, Ambassador Kitagawa extended his gratitude to The Japan Foundation, Manila for their unwavering commitment to fostering deeper cultural appreciation between Japan and the Philippines.

He also conveyed his hopes that Japanese films will continue to “leave a lasting mark” on Filipinos’ worlds and hearts. 🇯🇵🇵🇭

The previous day, Ambassador Kitagawa also received a courtesy call from Director Lee, where they discussed the enduring power of cinema to build bridges across cultures.

He then congratulated Director Lee for Kokuho’s warm reception and huge success across the globe. Embassy of Japan in the Philippines