JFTFP25: Sakura

An unimportant police PR employee steps up to solve the murder of her best friend, and soon discovers a dark secret lurking in the police force. 

A woman in Aichi Prefecture is found dead after reporting to the police that she was being stalked, and a local newspaper releases a scandalous story: the officers who were assigned to her case had been ignoring her requests for help while they went on holiday instead. Police PR employee MORIGUCHI Izumi (SUGISAKI Hana) suspects that she may have accidentally provided the press with the story by drunkenly spilling information to a reporter, her best friend TSUMURA Chika (MORITA Kokoro). Chika vehemently denies it. Then a week later, she’s found dead too.

Consumed with guilt, Izumi vows to find the killer. But there is rot lurking within the police force, and in her search for justice Izumi must step up and dive deep into the organisation, unravelling secrets that will take her even to the doors of the highest authorities in Japan’s national intelligence agency.

Director HARA Hiroto pulls back the veil on the inner machinations of the Japanese police force and intelligence agency in this suspenseful and absorbing mystery-thriller.

This film is presented as part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2025: Am I Right? Justice, Justification and Judgement in Japanese Cinema. 

In collaboration with the Japan Foundation

Major Supporters: Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation 

Sponsors in Kind: Athletia, Calbee, Clearspring, Pentel and SUQQU