Cultural events

The Japanese Film Festival - Montreal -

The Japanese Film Festival is celebrating its 42nd edition in Montreal and will be held this year again in May as part of Asian Heritage Month!
This annual event presented by the Japan Foundation offers free Japanese movie screenings in dozens of countries around the world, including several in venues across Canada. The Consulate General of Japan in Montreal is proud to be part of this cinematographic initiative year after year.
Limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis; no reservations required.

Location:

Cinémathèque québécoise, 335 De Maisonneuve Blvd East, Montreal, QC

Fee:

Free

For more info:

Poster | Website

a) "YUDO" (湯道)

Original Japanese version with English subtitles
comedy, 2023, 126 min., dir. Masayuki Suzuki
By the screenwriter behind the Academy Award-winning film “Departures” and boasting a large all-star cast, this feel-good comedy is a love letter to Japan’s bathhouses, featuring themes such as nostalgia, tradition, and inescapably changing times. Its set, a carefully crafted reconstruction of a Showa-era building, is one of the storytellers through its every detail imbued with history.

Date[s] and time[s]:

May 22 (Fri), 2026, at 6 p.m.

b) "Les amants crucifiés" (近松物語)

Original Japanese version with French subtitles
drama, 1954, 102 min., dir. Kenji Mizoguchi
Then at the very pinnacle of his art, master director Kenji Mizoguchi delivers here yet another meticulously constructed classic showcasing some of his signature themes, such as gender inequality, and his critical view of feudal society.

Date[s] and time[s]:

May 23 (Sat), 2026, at 3:30 p.m.

c) "Under the Open Sky" (すばらしき世界)

Original Japanese version with English subtitles
drama, 2021, 126 min., dir. Miwa Nishikawa
Koji Yakusho’s riveting performance is the main force behind this compelling and socially conscious film. After a 13-year stint in prison for murder, the protagonist, a former yakuza on a quest to live the remainder of his life with dignity, struggles with social expectations and unavoidable alienation. A touching tale punctuated by bursts of humor.

Date[s] and time[s]:

May 23 (Sat), 2026, at 6 p.m.

YATAI MTL

Japanese street market by ASIASIE. The Consulate General of Japan in Montreal will hold a booth on June 5 and 6.

Date[s] and Time[s]:

June 4 (Thu) to 7 (Sun), 2026

Location:

Bassin Peel, Montreal, QC

For more info:

Website

2027 MEXT Scholarships Announcement

Every year, the Government of Japan (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology - MEXT) offers scholarships to foreign students who wish to study at Japanese universities. Three types are offered through the Consulate General of Japan in Montreal: Japanese Studies Students, Undergraduate Students, and Research Students.
We are currently accepting applications for the 2027 Undergraduate Students Scholarship and the 2027 Research Students Scholarship, until 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, May 29, 2026.

For more info:

Website | Former Scholars' Experience Page

The 11th JLPP International Translation Competition

The JLPP (Japanese Literature Publishing Project), established in 2002 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, hosts this translation competition to uplift and nurture emerging translators of contemporary Japanese literature.

Submission Period:

Until May 31 (Sun), 2026

For more info:

Website

Japan International Manga Award

The application period for the 20th edition of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Japan International Manga Award is currently open.

Submission Period:

Until June 30 (Tue), 2026

For more info:

Website