“Why Kurosawa? Because his best work is for the ages; like an unscaled mountain range, it inspires, intimidates and challenges. Because he encapsulates both the history of cinema and the history of modern Japan. Because he changed my life.”

Few artists have bequeathed the world an oeuvre as varied, rich and influential as Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa. Two decades after Kurosawa’s death in 1998, with On Kurosawa British author Peter Tasker presents a sincere and creative tribute to the master director. Mixing essays, and short-stories, Tasker wrote diverse texts, each inspired by one of Kurosawa’s 30 films, exploring both Kurosawa’s legacy as well as the internal realities of his works. Interspersed are images from Kurosawa’s masterpieces and photographs taken behind the scenes by set photographer Akihide Tamura.

Peter Tasker is a writer, investor and long-term resident of Japan. His blog is at https://petertasker.asia/

“Kurosawa created works of unmatched power -- bold, challenging and entertaining art, far beyond what seems achievable in his time or any other time. Tasker’s book explores and illuminates that. I’m knocked out by the design and admire the intimate, anti-film book approach. It brings me closer to the artist and the person.”(Steven Okazaki, director of The Last Samurai)

“Tasker’s book achieves something that didn’t seem possible – a genuinely fresh perspective on this exhaustively documented filmmaker.” (Stuart Galbraith IV, author, The Emperor and the Wolf – The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune)

“In this essential volume, Tasker reflects and illuminates us on the brilliant, multifaceted work of Japan’s most important filmmaker.”(Min Jin Lee, author of Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko, finalist for the National Book Award)

“Peter Tasker has done us all a remarkable service with On Kurosawa, which caused me to spend the weekend after reading it watching Kurosawa films.”(Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa and Tokyo Underworld)

 

Doors open at 6:00 pm. Dinner is served from 6:15 pm. The presentation starts from 7:15 pm. Menu: TBD/ Coffee or Tea with One Drink. Book Break charges are 3,000 yen/ 4,000 yen (members/ non-members) per person.

FCCJ members can sign up at the reception desk. Reservations cancelled less than 72 hours in advance will be charged in full. Non-members can reserve at the reception desk by email (front@fccj.or.jp). Payment is in advance till Monday, April 8th, 2024. No refund is available unless the event is cancelled by FCCJ.

Online attendance (via Zoom) is available at 550 yen per person.Please indicate the intention to attend online when signing up. Details on how to join online will be sent to individual emails after their reservations are confirmed. 

Attendees with food restriction should inform the reception desk (front@fccj.or.jp) three days before the event. Thank you.

(The author will discuss his book in English and take questions during this dinner event.)