Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You (2019) tells the magical story of a runaway teenager and a girl who can control the weather, set in the dynamic urban landscape of Tokyo. 

The evening begins with “Cinematic Tokyo and the Climate Crisis,” a lecture by Jordan Sand, Professor of Japanese History at Georgetown University. Professor Sand will compare Shinkai’s Tokyo to earlier cinematic portrayals, highlighting iconic locations and exploring the city’s evolution on screen. He will also consider how the film’s near-future, rain-soaked Tokyo addresses global climate change and Japanese perspectives on the environment. 

The film will be screened in the English-dubbed version.  

After the presentation, the film will be screened in the Great Hall, surrounded by the winter installation, The Wave. 

Schedule:  

Doors Open at 6pm  

Presentation by Professor Jordan Sand at 6:30pm  

Movie Starts at 7pm  

Program Ends at 9:00pm  

Picnic style! Bring your own food, blanket, or lawn chair. No outside alcohol permitted. Drinks and light snacks (including beer and wine) will be available for purchase. Bags will be checked by security upon entry. 

About Jordan Sand 

Jordan Sand is Professor of Japanese History at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Kokugakuin University in Tokyo. He holds a masters degree in architecture history from the University of Tokyo and a doctorate in history from Columbia University. He is the author of Tokyo Vernacular: Common Spaces, Local Histories, Found Objects (University of California, 2013), Living Spaces of Imperial Japan (in Japanese; Iwanami shoten, 2015) and other books on modern Japanese architecture and urban space. He researches and writes widely on the social and cultural history of Japan and the Asia-Pacific.  

This program is made possible through the generous support of our partners: the Embassy of Japan. Great Movies in the Great Hall is made possible by our Audience Engagement Sponsors: Amazon, Room & Board, and Capital One.