Japan House London is delighted to invite guests to a free, public screening of the newly-released documentary ‘The Witches of the Orient’
Tōyō no Majo (‘Witches of the Orient’) was the nickname given by the mass media to the players of the formidable Japanese female volleyball team who competed and won the gold medal in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, when volleyball first appeared as an Olympic sport.
In conjunction with our exhibition Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow, Japan House London is delighted to invite guests to a free, public screening of the newly-released documentary ‘The Witches of the Orient‘, about the gold medal-winning Japanese women’s volleyball team, It explores the team’s beginnings in the late 1950s as a worker’s team at a textile factory in Osaka to its triumph at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Directed by filmmaker Julien Faraut, the film combines newly-shot testimonies of the players with archival footage and anime clips, highlighting the importance and achievements of the Japanese women’s volleyball team in post-war Japan and tying together memories, myth and pop-culture. The screening is introduced by a short presentation by Dr Helen Macnaughtan (SOAS), who is Senior Lecturer in International Business and Management at SOAS and expert on the history of the volleyball team and sport in Japan.
The exhibition Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow is on display in the Japan House Gallery from 5 August until 7 November 2021.
Before making your booking you might want to note the following:
- Every guest will require their own ticket.
- The screening will begin at the start of the allotted time on your ticket. We advise that guests arrive at least 5-10 minutes before the screening begins. Please note we are unable to guarantee entry to those who arrive after the screening has begun.
- Guests will also be able to access the Ground Floor, including The Shop, The Stand and our cultural installations (tickets are not required here).
- Please note that entry to this event does not include entry to the Tokyo 1964: Designing Tomorrow exhibition. Free tickets to the exhibition must be booked separately and are available on Japan House London’s website here.
- If you have any problems with using this system to book your ticket, please email us at [email protected] with your preferred date and time.
- We recommend that guests (aged 11 and over) wear a face covering, unless they are exempt.
- Please exercise caution in keeping a safe distance from other guests and members of staff. Japan House London continues to cap capacity but this will be increased.
Full details of our new safety measures and guidelines for our guests (including FAQs) are available at www.japanhouselondon.uk/covid.