What are the opening hours of LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum)?

09:00–17:00 Check the official page for closed days and last admission.

Where is LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum) and what is the nearest station?

It is held at Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum. The nearest station is Kamakura Sta..

Art exhibitions

LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum)

Japanese title: 特別展「LIVING IN CINEMA 俳優役所広司」（鎌倉市川喜多映画記念館）

Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum (Kamakura Sta.)

A special exhibition looking back on the career of Koji Yakusho, one of Japan's leading actors, with screenings of his films in November. Closed Mondays.

Dates: Sep 5 (Sat) – Dec 13 (Sun)
Time: 09:00–17:00
Price: Special exhibition: adults ¥500, elementary/junior high ¥250 (free for Kamakura residents)
Venue: Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum
Nearest station: Kamakura Sta.

Check closed days and last admission on the official page before you go.

Check the official page (Japanese)Open in Google Maps

About this event

Koji Yakusho, one of Japan's most internationally recognized actors, is the subject of LIVING IN CINEMA, a special exhibition at the Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum. The exhibition traces his career through the characters he has brought to the screen, examining his unusual ability to make fictional people feel entirely real. German filmmaker Wim Wenders, who directed Yakusho in Perfect Days, provides a particularly revealing perspective: he describes learning from the actor that cinema can make an invented person seem genuinely alive. Yakusho's own approach is equally revealing. Rather than deciding everything about a character in advance, he has described using each day's filming to discover more about the person he is portraying. The exhibition explores this patient curiosity about human nature and the expressive possibilities of film. For visitors interested in Japanese cinema, it offers an opportunity to consider the craft behind a career spanning Japanese productions and internationally celebrated filmmaking.

Highlights

Explore the screen career of acclaimed Japanese actor Koji Yakusho.
Discover Wim Wenders' perspective on Yakusho's ability to inhabit fictional characters.
Consider the actor's approach to discovering a character throughout filming.
Visit a museum dedicated to film culture in historic Kamakura.

Good for: Film enthusiasts, followers of Japanese cinema, and viewers interested in Koji Yakusho's acting will appreciate this exhibition.

Good to know

Kamakura residents can enter the exhibition free by presenting documentation confirming their local address.
Discounted exhibition admission is available for groups of 20 or more.
Separate admission categories apply to elementary and junior high school students.

Summarized from the official page and press materials.

What makes Koji Yakusho's acting so distinctive?

Koji Yakusho has spent decades building a career that extends from Japanese cinema to internationally recognized productions. The central question of LIVING IN CINEMA is how an actor makes an imagined person convincing. Yakusho's method, as described by the museum, involves continuing to ask who his character really is, even after filming has begun. Each completed scene provides clues for the next. Instead of treating a character as a fixed collection of traits, he approaches the role as a person whose nature is still being discovered.

Wim Wenders' remarks provide a particularly meaningful introduction to this approach. The German filmmaker credits Yakusho with showing him that an invented character can appear to exist independently of the film itself. The exhibition connects that observation to a broader fascination with cinema's ability to capture emotions and experiences that resist simple explanation. It is also a reminder that acting is not simply the delivery of dialogue but an ongoing process of observation and discovery. So approach the exhibition by thinking about what makes a screen character feel human.

Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum — LIVING IN CINEMA (Japanese)

Distance from major stations

From Kamakura: 0.5 km, about 8 min on foot
From Yuigahama: 1.6 km, about 15 min by train
From Kita-Kamakura: 1.7 km, about 15 min by train
From Hase: 2.0 km, about 15 min by train

Distances are straight-line; times are rough estimates.

Other events nearby

Former Watsuji Residence Autumn Special Opening (Kamakura)Former Kawakita Annex (Former Watsuji Residence) (Kamakura Sta.) · 0.1 km, about 2 min on foot from here · Oct 31 (Sat) – Nov 3 (Tue, holiday)
Kamakura Museum of National Treasures: Zuisenji 700 YearsKamakura Museum of National Treasures (Kamakura Sta.) · 0.5 km, about 7 min on foot from here · Oct 24 (Sat) – Dec 6 (Sun)
Hitaki Festival at Maruyama Inari Shrine (Tsurugaoka Hachimangu)Maruyama Inari Shrine (Tsurugaoka Hachimangu grounds) (Kamakura Sta.) · 0.5 km, about 7 min on foot from here · Nov 8 (Sun)
Kamakura's Nunneries: A History of Prayer Woven by Nuns (Kamakura Museum of History and Culture)Kamakura Museum of History and Culture, Annex Archaeology Gallery (Kamakura Sta.) · 0.6 km, about 10 min on foot from here · Sep 19 (Sat) – Nov 28 (Sat)
Chojuji Temple Autumn Special Opening (Kamakura)Chojuji Temple (Kita-Kamakura) (Kita-Kamakura Sta.) · 0.9 km, about 14 min on foot from here · Oct 2 (Fri) – Dec 7 (Mon)
Kenchoji Temple Treasure Airing (Homotsu Kazeire)Kenchoji Temple, Oshinkaku Tokugetsuro (Kita-Kamakura Sta.) · 1.1 km, about 18 min on foot from here · Oct 31 (Sat) – Nov 2 (Mon)

Food and cafes nearby

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Tours and tickets nearby

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FAQ

What is LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum)?: Koji Yakusho, one of Japan's most internationally recognized actors, is the subject of LIVING IN CINEMA, a special exhibition at the Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum. The exhibition traces his career through the characters he has brought to the screen, examining his unusual ability to make fictional people feel entirely real. German filmmaker Wim Wenders, who directed Yakusho in Perfect Days, provides a particularly revealing perspective: he describes learning from the actor that cinema can make an invented person seem genuinely alive. Yakusho's own approach is equally revealing. Rather than deciding everything about a character in advance, he has described using each day's filming to discover more about the person he is portraying. The exhibition explores this patient curiosity about human nature and the expressive possibilities of film. For visitors interested in Japanese cinema, it offers an opportunity to consider the craft behind a career spanning Japanese productions and internationally celebrated filmmaking.
When is LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum)?: Sep 5 (Sat) – Dec 13 (Sun)
What are the opening hours of LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum)?: 09:00–17:00 Check the official page for closed days and last admission.
How much does LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum) cost?: Special exhibition: adults ¥500, elementary/junior high ¥250 (free for Kamakura residents)
Where is LIVING IN CINEMA: Actor Koji Yakusho (Kamakura Kawakita Film Museum) and what is the nearest station?: It is held at Kamakura City Kawakita Film Museum. The nearest station is Kamakura Sta..

Checked against the official page on October 28, 2026. Titles and descriptions are our own translations.

We list events we could confirm on the official page or official Instagram of the venue or organiser. Details can change, tickets sell out and venues close, so check the official page before you go. Distances are straight-line and travel times are rough estimates. Photos show the venue or its surroundings, not the event itself. Titles and descriptions are our own translations from Japanese. This site contains affiliate links (ads).