100 Meters Premiere with Director Kenji Iwaisawa

『ひゃくえむ。』
Hyakuemu

This special event is in partnership with GKIDS.

East Coast Premiere. 100 Meters follows Togashi, a track star who is born to run. As a kid, he is naturally gifted and wins every 100-meter race without effort. But in sixth grade, he meets Komiya, a transfer student who is full of determination but lacks technique. In teaching him, Togashi gives Komiya a new purpose: to win no matter what. Years pass by, and Togashi and Komiya meet again as rivals on the track and reveal their true selves. 

Helmed by director Kenji Iwaisawa, who quickly rose to prominence for his debut film, ON-GAKU: Our Sound, 100 Meters is a heart-pounding adaptation of the beloved manga by Uoto. The film is written by Yasuyuki Muto (Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, Tokyo Revengers), with a score by Hiroaki Tsutsumi (Jujutsu Kaisen, Tokyo Revengers, Dr. Stone). Its character designer and executive animation director is Keisuke Kojima and art director is Keikankun Yamaguchi. Japan Society is honored to present the East Coast Premiere of the film following its sold-out Work-in-Progress screening at last year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. 

Dir. Kenji Iwaisawa, 2025, 95 min., DCP, color, in Japanese with English subtitles. With Tori Matsuzaka, Shota Sometani.

Followed by a Q&A with Director Kenji Iwaisawa:
Iwaisawa was born in Tokyo in 1981. After graduating high school, he apprenticed under director Teruo Ishii. He began working in video production for live-action movies and started producing animation on the side. In 2008, he released his first animated work, Fukuraicho, Man in the Tunnel Alley. Subsequently, after producing a number of mainly animated shorts, he began working on his feature debut, ON-GAKU: Our Sound. An independent film in production for over seven years, ON-GAKU: Our Sound was composed of over 40,000 hand-drawn frames using the rotoscoping animation technique and went on to receive multiple award nominations including Best Independent Animated Feature at the Annie Awards.

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Film programs are generously supported by Anime NYC, ORIX Corporation USA, and Yen Press. Endowment support is provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and The John and Miyoko Davey Endowment Fund. Additional season support is provided by Jono Abrams and Elizabeth Linn, Ayumi Arafune, Darin Arita and Kanako Arita, Mike Audet, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Catanzaro, The Globus Family, George P. Hirose, Akiko Koide and Shohei Koide, David Toberisky, Joseph Rajaratnam and Dharshini Iolanthe Sivakumaran, Japan Society Film Council, and other Film supporters.

Transportation assistance is provided by Japan Airlines, the official Japanese airline sponsor of Japan Society Film Program. Housing assistance is provided by the Prince Kitano New York, the official hotel sponsor of Japan Society Film Program.

Japan Society arts and culture programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Japan Society’s 120th anniversary initiatives and related programs are generously supported by Champion Sponsor, MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Advocate Sponsor, Mizuho Americas; and Friend Sponsor, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).