Film | KORAKUEN
How does one rise again after losing the person they love most?
Set in Okayama, Japan, Korakuen follows Danny, a middle-aged Japanese American man who experiences the world with heightened sensitivity. After the death of his beloved wife, Kyoka, he travels to her hometown carrying a quiet, unspoken purpose—to bring his own life to an end.
A chance bus tour brings Danny into contact with strangers whose presence unsettles and challenges him. Confused and overwhelmed, yet slowly changed by these encounters, he continues his journey through grief and isolation.
Through memories, fleeting connections, and time spent in places etched by his life with his wife, Danny must confront his loss and decide whether he can accept her death—and choose to live.
KORAKUEN is an intimate portrait of grief, resilience, and the quiet strength found in remaining open to the world.
Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2026 Screening Options – select to order tickets:
Stream online (On-demand All films (USA only))…
Stream online (On-demand All films (World-Wide))…
Stream online (On-demand 3 short-plus (medium length) films)…
Fri, Sep 18th, 8:20 PM @ Hang on to the Dream Theatre
KORAKUEN https://www.korakuenthemovie.com/en
- Year: 2025
- Runtime: 36 minutes
- Language: English, Japanese
- Country: United States
- Director: Mia Ando
- Screenwriter: Tim Toyama, Aaron Woolfolk, Mia Ando, Susumu Kimura
- Producer: Mia Ando
- Cast: Go Jibiki, Natsuko Aoike, Mia Ando
- Cinematographer: Rafael Yuji Matsuura
- Editor: Susumu Kimura
- Composer: Mariko Marleene