Sponsored Screening of Saturday 14th February 2026

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

5:15pm	Kochi-Kame	movie 1	(retro)
6:50pm	dinner break, with possibly interesting stuff
7:25pm	door prize drawing, and announcements
7:40pm	Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro	movie 1	(retro)
9:00pm	Late Break
9:10pm	Kimagure Orange Road	Ep 1/48	(retro)
9:30pm	Hotarubi no Mori e	movie	(retro)

Doors Open before Screening:~5:00 PM

Program Finishes:~10:45 PM

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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

Kochi-Kame (Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kouen-mae Hashutsujo aka This is the police station in front of Kameari Park in Katsushika Ward) movie

Literally “This is the police station in front of Kameari Park in Katsushika Ward”, often shortened to Kochikame. A long running TV anime, it takes place in the present day, in and around a neighbourhood police station (kouban) in the downtown part of Tokyo, and revolves around the misadventures of a middle-aged cop, Kankichi Ryotsu, and his assorted associates.

This evening’s Movie: “movie 1” (retro)

Officer Ryotsu (aka Ryo)is ordered to team up with FBI agent Lisa Hoshino to find a terrorist who is currently in Tokyo. For an unknown reason, only buildings from the Shinatora corporation seem to be targeted by the mysterious Benten. Ryo also has to deal with the fact that he may be replaced with a robot, possibly before he find the Shogun’s fabled lost gold and live happily ever after.

Lupin III (Rupan Sansei: Cagliostro no Shiro) movie

Arsene Lupin III is the grandson of the master thief Arsene Lupin. With his cohorts Daisuke Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa XIII and his love interest Fujiko Mine, he pulls off the greatest heists of all time while always escaping the grasp of Inspector Koichi Zenigata.

Tonight’s movie: “The Castle of Cagliostro” (retro)

Gentleman thief Lupin III, who successfully robs a casino—only to find the money to be counterfeit. He heads to the tiny country of Cagliostro, the rumoured source of the bills, and attempts to save the runaway Princess Clarisse from Count Cagliostro’s men; the Count plans to marry Clarisse in order to cement his power and recover the fabled ancient treasure of Cagliostro, requiring Clarisse’s ancestral ring. Lupin enlists his associates, Jigen and Goemon, and sends his calling card to the Count to get Inspector Zenigata, his longtime nemesis, to the castle.

Kimagure Orange Road (Capricious/Whimsical Orange Road)

Kyousuke Kasuga and his siblings have supernatural powers, referred to as “The Power”. They are forbidden from using their powers in public, lest they be discovered and exploited. In each instance where someone has seen their powers, the family has immediately relocated. Kyousuke’s esper powers include teleportation, telekinesis, and “time-slipping” (a kind of time travel). It is his indecisiveness that leads to the love triangle with Hikaru and Madoka, unable to decide between his feelings for Hikaru and Madoka.

Tonight’s Episode: “Transfer Student! Humble First Love!” (retro)

Kyousuke and his family transfer to a new school to keep the secret of the Power, where romantic complications begin. It all starts by investigating the neighbourhood and a counting disagreement with a local.

To the Forest of the Fireflies (Hotarubi no Mori e) movie

The story of a young girl named Hotaru and her friendship with Gin, a strange young man wearing a mask, who she meets at the age of six in a mountain forest near her grandfather’s country home. Hotaru learns that her friend is supernatural and that touching Gin will cause him to disappear forever. Hotaru returns every summer to spend time with Gin, and their relationship matures as both struggle with its limitations.