ARUKU - I WALK | North American Premiere | Toronto Japanese Film Festival

Why we picked it

Director Shiho Kataoka in AttendanceAnnually, between 150,000 to 200,000 travelers visit Shikoku Island to complete the 88 Temple Pilgrimage (Shikoku Henro). For more than nine centuries, they have walked a route of approximately 1200 kilometres linking 88 temples and following in the footsteps of master Kūkai, the monk who shaped Japanese Buddhism.In this meditative documentary, filmmaker Shiho Kataoka captures the stories of four contemporary pilgrims, each burdened, in different ways, by exhaustion, solitude, or quiet disillusionment. Beautifully filmed in the serene landscapes and temples of Shikoku, ARUKU is an intimate view into their spiritual journeys and personal motives. As the road stretches through serene landscapes and moments of unexpected human connection, walking itself becomes a form of listening: to others, to the self, and to the possibility of living more fully.StarringHiroe Nagai, Li Kai, Shoji Takaoka, Junki Yamada, Mukoh MiyamaARUKU 歩く(CJ 2025) 2021 by Some Days Films Inc.*No exchange or refund.*Membership will be checked at the JCCC.