JSB Joint Book & Film Club
Wed, Dec 10
|Online
Join us for a special collaborative Book & Film Club to celebrate the end of the year! We will be both reading and watching "[The] Woman in the Dunes."
Time & Location
Dec 10, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Online
About the event
JSB Joint Book & Film Club
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST
Hosted online via Zoom
(Zoom link will be in your confirmation email)
Join us for a special collaborative Book & Film Club to celebrate the end of the year! We will be both reading and watching [The] Woman in the Dunes.
In this famous postwar Japanese novel, the first of Kōbō Abe's to be translated into English, Niki Jumpei, an amateur entomologist in pursuit of a rare specimen of beetle, wanders into a strange seaside village, whose residents all live in sandpits. He is taken prisoner, and, along with a widow cast out by the community, he is forced to move into her sandpit and continually shovel away the sand that threatens to take over the village. In Niki's struggles to escape his prison and his developing relationship with the woman, he gradually comes to understand the existential nature of life. (From WorldCat's description)
The film is a Japanese New Wave avant-garde arthouse psychological thriller film. Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara, it received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Find a copy of the book here.
Films should be viewed in advance of our meetings. This film can be streamed on Darkroom with a subscription and is also available to rent on a variety of platforms.
The JSB Book Club meets on the last Wednesday of every other month to discuss great modern Japanese novels. The purpose of our club is to strengthen the Boston community of Japan enthusiasts by creating a space for thoughtful and sociable discussion.
The Japan Society of Boston Film Club meets on the last Wednesday of every other month to discuss great classic and contemporary Japanese films. The purpose of our club is to support the community of Japan enthusiasts in the New England region by creating a space for thoughtful and sociable discussion.
The JSB Film Club Website has supplementary materials for past films available to members. See the member portal for the code to access the blog!
The club is limited to Japan Society of Boston Members. Interested in joining but not yet a Member of the Japan Society of Boston? Consider becoming a Member today!