ONLINE EVENT - The Japan Society Film Club: Typhoon Club directed by Shinji Somai
Date
Wednesday 4 March 2026
Time
6.30pm (GMT)
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Booking Details
Online meeting on Zoom
Please register for the meeting in advance from the link below. After registering, you will receive an automated confirmation email with meeting access details (please check your spam folder if you don't receive any emails).
Free for members of The Japan Society
Please remember to watch the film in advance.
Typhoon Club is screening at The Garden Cinema as part of 1980s: The Lost Decade of Japanese Cinema season on 12 & 18 February, and 2 March 2026. It is also available to rent or buy to watch online on Amazon Prime, or to rent the DVD through Cinema Paradiso.
Please help us to keep this event free and open to all!The Japan Society is a charity and its activities are made possible thanks to the support of its members. If you are planning to attend this event and are not a member (as an individual or through your employer), please consider becoming a member or making a donation if you can - the recommended donation is £5. Thank you!   |
Join us for our Film Club March to discuss Shinji Somai’s beloved cult film Typhoon Club (1985).
Widely heralded as the director’s seminal feature, Typhoon Club (台風クラブ, Taifū Kurabu, 1985) is considered to be one of the greatest Japanese films ever made! Offering a caustic immersion into the lives of disaffected junior high students on the cusp of adulthood, Typhoon Club features a lively cast of young talent including idol Youki Kudoh (The Crazy Family, Mystery Train) facing existential intrigues, budding sexuality, and rising social tensions in the days leading up to a typhoon’s arrival. Stranded in their schoolhouse as the storm settles in, the group undergoes an awakening as they dispel all insecurities, fear and desire under the swell of the tempest.
Shinji Somai (1948-2001) was a renowned Japanese film director celebrated for his innovative use of long takes and his focus on coming-of-age themes. Born in Iwate Prefecture, he directed 13 films between 1980 and 2000, including the critically acclaimed Typhoon Club (1985), Moving (1993), and Wait and See (1998). His work often explored the emotional landscapes of youth and the complexities of human relationships. Somai's distinctive style and contributions to Japanese cinema have influenced many contemporary filmmakers.