Welcome to February, and not just any February day. For we screen on Valentine’s Day with all its romantic connotations. One of our JAFWA members has requested to sponsor the night. More on that later.

Since I (the JAFWA MC) enjoy dark chocolate, I would like to concentrate on the Japanese adaption of Valentine’s Day traditions. In Japan, Morozoff Ltd. introduced the holiday for the first time in 1936, when it ran an advertisement aimed at foreigners. Later, in 1953, it began promoting the giving of heart-shaped chocolates; other Japanese confectionery companies followed suit thereafter. In 1958, the Isetan department store ran a “Valentine sale”. Further campaigns during the 1960s popularised the custom. The custom that only women give chocolates to men may have originated from the translation error of a chocolate-company executive during the initial campaigns.
Many women feel obliged to give chocolates to all male co-workers. This is known as giri-choko, from giri (‘obligation’) and choko, (‘chocolate’), with unpopular co-workers receiving only “ultra-obligatory” (chou-giri choko) cheap chocolate. This contrasts with honmei-choko (lit. “true feeling chocolate”), chocolate given to a loved one. Friends, especially girls, may exchange chocolate referred to as tomo-choko (from ‘tomo‘ meaning “friend”).

Now that the important chocolate part is out of they way, our sponsor for the night was hoping to put on a Studio Ghibli themed romance night. However he apologises because suddenly SBS World Movies were showing Studio Ghibli movies and the sponsor wanted to show something nobody had seen for a while. Then there was the Mamoru Hosoda retrospective at the cinemas that showed the sponsor’s back up movie ideas. So the night’s sponsor has gone with a backup set of shows. (only after the program had been locked in was it realised that SBS World Movies hadn’t shown the Studio Ghibli movies the sponsor had originally contemplated).

• First up is a movie from 1999 based off of the TV anime that had about 400 TV episodes starting in 1996, based off of a manga series than ran for 200+ volumes. It follows the misadventures and buffoonery of a middle-aged cop based out of a neighbourhood police station.
• After the dinner break is the 1979 movie that started Hayao Miyazaki on the path to being recognised as a legendary animator and director. The first, and more than a few believe the best, of the Lupin III theatrical movies.
• After the Late Break will travel back to 1987 for the first TV episode of a story that follows a wishy-washy teenage esper and the love triangle he gets involved in.
• The final item of the night is from the same author as “Natsume’s Book of Friends” and features how a relationship changes over years and non-contact.

Anime is going mainstream. Last year at the cinemas has been the “Demon Slayer” movie, followed by the “Chainsaw Man” movie, and then the “Jujitsu Kaisen” movie. Recently the “Zombieland Saga” movie is appearing in cinemas, and a “Gundam” movie. Life is wonderful for anime fans.
Now in February is the long awaited Scarlet, with more to come.
Not to mention that Luna Leederville is putting anime films in their Monday Double Feature program.

If you would like to showcase the anime that holds great meaning and value to you, please offer to sponsor a night of JAFWA and screen your favourites. If you don’t want to sponsor an entire night like both Lindsay and Elliot did previously, there is the other scheme for our signed up members. On the night nearest your birthday, as Greg and Sally did, you can nominate something to play during the Dinner Break (limited to 30 minutes max). You may have to help us source this material, so plan and inform us in advance please.

Below is the draft program for the evening of Saturday February 14^th, 2026.

All items in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. With assistance from a grant from and

Doors Open before Screening:~5:00 PM

Program Finishes:~10:45 PM

Comment on our FB page.

Dates of Interest

Barring a resurgence of COVID-19 pestilence, these fannish events of interest are scheduled to happen:

• From Thursday February 5^th 2026 — Mamoru Hosoda’s latest masterpiece film Scarlet.
• Monday February 9^th 2026 ~6:30PM — Luna Double Feature at Luna Cinemas Leederville – “The Boy and the Heron” and “Whisper of the Heart” $17.
• From Thursday February 19^th 2026 — Based off a series that didn’t get shown at JAFWA – Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon wants to be loved, in assorted cinemas.
• Thursday March 19^th 2026 ~7PM — Tokyo Nights at Luna Cinemas Leederville Outdoor cinema – “Angel’s Egg“.
• Thursday March 26^th 2026 ~7PM — Tokyo Nights at Luna Cinemas Leederville Outdoor cinema – “Paprika“.
• Thursday April 2^nd 2026 ~7PM — Tokyo Nights at Luna Cinemas Leederville Outdoor cinema – “Akira“.
• Easter Saturday April 3^th 2026 — JAFWA fundraising Bunnings sausage sizzle at Cannington. Volunteers welcome.
• Thursday April 9^th 2026 ~7PM — Tokyo Nights at Luna Cinemas Leederville Outdoor cinema – “Metropolis“.
• Thursday April 16^th 2026 ~7PM — Tokyo Nights at Luna Cinemas Leederville Outdoor cinema – “Cowboy Bebop“.
• Weekend May 9-10^th 2026 — Local artists celebrate at Tokyo Alley 10th Anniversary at Perth Convention and Exhibition Center.
• Monday June 8^th 2026 ~6:30PM — Luna Double Feature at Luna Cinemas Leederville – “Paprika” and “Tokyo Godfathers” $17.
• Monday June 8^th 2026 ~6:30PM — Luna Double Feature at Luna Cinemas Leederville – “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” $17.

Synopses

Click ‘Continue’ below to see

We have reached the end of the magnificent first month of the new year and you know what that means at JAFWA – it is time for both a monthly survey and monthly member’s Prize Draw.
Yes, once more during the Dinner Break we will attempt to gauge the audience appreciation of both the regular program and the recent preview items we have chosen to show. Rate the anime you love in an honest and scalar fashion!
And of course we have the Monthly Member’s Prize Draw for signed up members who have attended this month of January. Every week of attendance this month gets you another entry in the draw.

There is only one more regular title to add to the JAFWA program, and that will happen in February, due to screening dates in Japan. This week’s JAFWA screening will be a preview episode early enough to get in the survey, featuring a high-school rom-com between an expressionless person and someone who cannot hide their expressions.

Anime is going mainstream. Last year at the cinemas has been the “Demon Slayer” movie, followed by the “Chainsaw Man” movie, and then the “Jujitsu Kaisen” movie. Recently the “Zombieland Saga” movie is appearing in cinemas, and a “Gundam” movie. Life is wonderful for anime fans.
Come February is the long awaited Scarlet, with more to come.

If you would like to showcase the anime that holds great meaning and value to you, please offer to sponsor a night of JAFWA and screen your favourites. If you don’t want to sponsor an entire night like both Lindsay and Elliot did previously, there is the other scheme for our signed up members. On the night nearest your birthday, as Greg and Sally did, you can nominate something to play during the Dinner Break (limited to 30 minutes max). You may have to help us source this material, so plan and inform us in advance please.
Note that Feb 14, 2026 is already reserved, planned and prepared.

Below is the draft program for the evening of Saturday January 31^st, 2026.

All items in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. With assistance from a grant from and

Doors Open before Screening:~5:00 PM

Program Finishes:~10:45 PM

Comment on our FB page.

Dates of Interest

Barring a resurgence of COVID-19 pestilence, these fannish events of interest are scheduled to happen:

• From Thursday January 22^nd 2026 — In assorted cinemas Zombieland Saga movie.
• From Thursday January 29^th 2026 — In assorted cinemas Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt.
• From Thursday February 5^th 2026 — Mamoru Hosoda’s latest masterpiece film Scarlet.
• Easter Saturday April 3^th 2026 — JAFWA fundraising Bunnings sausage sizzle at Cannington. Volunteers welcome.
• Weekend May 9-10^th 2026 — Local artists celebrate at Tokyo Alley 10th Anniversary at Perth Convention and Exhibition Center.

Synopses

Click ‘Continue’ below to see

After a few teething troubles, JAFWA is back on track wonderful anime anime screenings in 2026.
We apologise that our scheduled movie was cancelled at the last moment, and we instead played a preview item (“Sentenced to be a Hero”) and an episode from the 2^nd season of “Mashle”. This is what can happen is you miss a JAFWA screening.

This week’s JAFWA screening is almost all new regular items, starting either this week or last week. Though we must confess that some of the items in the program are so fresh and new that at the time of writing this that they have barely screened in Japan yet. At least one title won’t be ready for screening at JAFWA this week and we are on tenterhooks hoping “Golden Kamuy” will be available in time for this week.

Coming to our expected program this week will be the continuing spy-com adventures of a fake family consisting of a master spy, master assassin, naive telepath and bow-wow precognitive.
Technically we were going to start the second season of the wrong guy at elite magic school, but an emergency saw the first episode being screened last week. Life is like a cream-puff.
And we will have a preview episode from an anthology of anime stories written by Tatsuki Fujimoto before he had his breakout hit “Chainsaw Man”.

Anime is going mainstream. Last year at the cinemas has been the “Demon Slayer” movie, followed by the “Chainsaw Man” movie, and then the “Jujitsu Kaisen” movie. Soon this year there will be a “Gundam” movie Life is wonderful for anime fans.

If you would like to showcase the anime that holds great meaning and value to you, please offer to sponsor a night of JAFWA and screen your favourites. If you don’t want to sponsor an entire night like both Lindsay and Elliot did previously, there is the other scheme for our signed up members. On the night nearest your birthday, as Greg and Sally did, you can nominate something to play during the Dinner Break (limited to 30 minutes max). You may have to help us source this material, so plan and inform us in advance please.
Note that Feb 14, 2026 is already reserved.

Below is the draft program for the evening of Saturday January 17^th, 2026.

All items in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. With assistance from a grant from and

Doors Open before Screening:~5:00 PM

Program Finishes:~10:45 PM

Comment on our FB page.

Dates of Interest

Barring a resurgence of COVID-19 pestilence, these fannish events of interest are scheduled to happen:

• Thursday January 15^th 2026 — Missed out on the Mamoru Hosoda retrospective – its back!
• From Thursday January 29^th 2026 — In assorted cinemas Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt.
• From Thursday February 5^th 2026 — Mamoru Hosoda’s latest masterpiece film Scarlet.
• Easter Saturday April 3^th 2026 — JAFWA fundraising Bunnings sausage sizzle at Cannington. Volunteers welcome.
• Weekend May 9-10^th 2026 — Local artists celebrate at Tokyo Alley 10th Anniversary at Perth Convention and Exhibition Center.

Synopses

Click ‘Continue’ below to see

yoi otoshi o (“have a happy new year”)

The most auspicious and beloved holiday in Japan is New Year’s Day.
Some things to look forward to:

• Come midnight on December 31 Buddhist temples ring their bells a total of 108 times, one for each of the worldly desires. The 108th is rung after the stroke of midnight.
• Instead of Christmas Cards, the Japanese send each other New Year’s cards.
• There is Hatsumode, the first Shinto Shrine visit of the New year, often as dawn breaks.
• And every child should throw adzuki red beans over the roof of their house to fend off the the Namahage oni. And the children are eager for otoshidama, when their adult relatives gift them money.
• Time to feast on osechi-ryori and even listen to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, an odd little tradition picked up from German POWs in World War I.
• Hearing “Akemeshite Omedetou Gozaimasu!” all day on January 1^st.

No JAFWA screening until Saturday 10^th January 2026!

Tis the week of New Year’s Day and TV station SBS World movies is still showing JAFWA‘s favourite Studio Ghibli movies. Pardon me if I chill out for the next week or so.

In Japan, rather than calling out Happy New Year! on January 1^st, it is instead part of tradition to cry out Akemeshite Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Stay healthy safe and cool for the next couple of weeks as you chill out.

Not much left to tease out of the expected program now. Last details next week.

If you strongly feel that JAFWA is neglecting certain well-deserving anime, please offer to sponsor a night of JAFWA and screen your favourites. If you don’t want to sponsor an entire night like both Lindsay and Elliot did previously, there is the other scheme for our signed up members. On the night nearest your birthday, as Greg and Sally did, you can nominate something to play during the Dinner Break (limited to 30 minutes max). You may have to help us source this material, so plan and inform us in advance please.
Note that Feb 14, 2026 already has dibs on it.

Remember – SBS World movies TV channel is showing Studio Ghibli movies.

Below is the draft program for the evening of Saturday January 10^th, 2026.

All items in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. With assistance from a grant from and

Doors Open before Screening:~5:00 PM

Program Finishes:~10:45 PM

Comment on our FB page.

Dates of Interest

Barring a resurgence of COVID-19 pestilence, these fannish events of interest are scheduled to happen:

• Saturday January 10^th 2026 — JAFWA’s first screening upon returning in 2026!
• Thursday January 15^th 2026 — Missed out on the Mamoru Hosoda retrospective – its back!
• From Thursday January 29^th 2026 — In assorted cinemas Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Urdr-Hunt.
• From Thursday February 5^th 2026 — Mamoru Hosoda’s latest masterpiece film Scarlet.
• Weekend May 9-10^th 2026 — Local artists celebrate at Tokyo Alley 10th Anniversary at Perth Comvention and Exhibition Center.

No JAFWA screening until Saturday 10^th January 2026!

Oh what a hot night we had during the last and irregular screening of 2025.
We thank Sally for the sausage sizzle.
We thank Drew for the chance to work out our favourite 5 previews and one off shows of 2025. There was so much to choose from it filled 2 sides of an A4 sheet, and I personally found it difficult to decide on the top 5, because after choosing 4 I thought for number 5 that there were 3 close candidates too close to call.
And we thank our wonderful audience for giving JAFWA verve and meaning! Take this time to prepare for the festive season and every now and then try to evangelise JAFWA‘s merits to friends and family.

Stay healthy safe and cool for the next four weeks!

I will slowly tease the expected program in the weeks to come.

If you strongly feel that JAFWA is neglecting certain well-deserving anime, please offer to sponsor a night of JAFWA and screen your favourites. If you don’t want to sponsor an entire night like both Lindsay and Elliot did previously, there is the other scheme for our signed up members. On the night nearest your birthday, as Greg and Sally did, you can nominate something to play during the Dinner Break (limited to 30 minutes max). You may have to help us source this material, so plan and inform us in advance please.
Note that Feb 14, 2026 already has dibs on it.

Below is the draft program for the evening of Saturday January 10^th, 2026.

All items in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. With assistance from a grant from and

Doors Open before Screening:~5:00 PM

Program Finishes:~10:45 PM

Comment on our FB page.

Dates of Interest

Barring a resurgence of COVID-19 pestilence, these fannish events of interest are scheduled to happen:

• Monday December 15^th 2025, 6:30PM — Luna Monday double feature at Leederville – “Princess Mononoke” and “Laputa: Castle in the Sky” Japanese language, English subtitles, 15 minute intermission between the two movies.
• Saturday January 10^th 2026 — JAFWA’s first screening upon returning in 2026!
• Thursday January 15^th 2026 — Missed out on the Mamoru Hosoda retrospective – its back!
• From Thursday February 5^th 2026 — Mamoru Hosoda’s latest masterpiece film Scarlet.