OISE's next edition of JICS100 at the Movies presents a screening of the acclaimed documentary The Making of a Japanese, followed by an in-depth Q&A with the filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki in discussion with Dr. Rie Kijima of the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

🎥 About the Film
The Making of a Japanese is a warm, intimate documentary that takes viewers inside a Tokyo public elementary school to explore how early childhood education shapes culture, values, and community in Japan. Filmed over the course of a year, the film follows first- and sixth-grade students as they learn responsibility, cooperation, and respect alongside their academic studies.

Directed by Academy Award®–nominated documentary filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki, the film offers a moving portrait of childhood and the everyday school rituals that reveal larger truths about belonging and identity. Praised by The New York Times as a “nuanced portrait that tries to explain why Japan is the way it is — a highly structured society built from the elementary level,” the film invites reflection long after the credits roll.

OISE & U of T Students – $10
General Admission – $25

All proceeds support the JICS Endowment Fund for economic diversity, helping ensure greater access to a research-informed, inclusive education.