A special retrospective event titled 「遥かなる時の旅 ―片渕須直 アニメーションの軌跡45年―」 (Journey Through Distant Time: 45 Years of Sunao Katabuchi’s Animation) has been announced to celebrate director Sunao Katabuchi‘s 45th anniversary in the animation industry. The event will take place on December 12–13, 2026, at T·JOY PRINCE Shinagawa in Tokyo and T·JOY Umeda in Osaka.

A Year of Milestones

2026 marks a remarkable confluence of anniversaries for Katabuchi: the 25th anniversary of Princess Arete (アリーテ姫), the 20th anniversary of BLACK LAGOON, and the 10th anniversary of In This Corner of the World (この世界の片隅に). The event is designed to trace the creative journey connecting those past works to his upcoming projects.

Two Screening Programs

The event is divided into two programs:

• Program (1): Princess Arete and three selected episodes from BLACK LAGOON Season 1.
• Program (2): In This Corner of the World, accompanied by several short works:
  • 「ふくふくの地図」 — a brand film for Fukushima prefectural information magazine Fukushima Map
  • 「これから先、何度あなたと。」 — a music video directed by Katabuchi with character designs by Toshinao Aoki
  • 「わたしの名はオオタフクコ～小さな幸せを、地球の幸せに。～」 — a web anime for Otafuku Sauce produced by the In This Corner of the World team
  • ACE COMBAT 04: Shattered Skies — the in-game cinematic “Side Story” from the fourth entry in the series, for which Katabuchi served as a long-time scriptwriter
  • 「つるばみ色のなぎ子たち」 Pilot Film 2026 — a 2026 pilot for Katabuchi’s currently in-production feature film

Talk Events

Director Katabuchi will hold a talk event before or after each screening program at both venues, giving audiences a chance to hear directly about his creative path from past works to new ones.

T·JOY PRINCE Shinagawa (Tokyo) Schedule

• Sat, Dec 12: Talk event at 11:00 / Program (1) 11:30–14:30
• Sun, Dec 13: Program (2) 12:00–15:07 / Talk event 15:10–15:40

T·JOY Umeda (Osaka) Schedule

• Sat, Dec 12: Program (1) 12:30–15:30 / Talk event 15:35–16:05
• Sun, Dec 13: Talk event at 11:00 / Program (2) 11:30–14:36

Tickets

A lottery pre-sale will be held via Ticket Pia, accepting applications from November 14 at 11:00 a.m. through November 26 at 11:59 p.m.

Director’s Comment

“The reason I’ve been able to keep working in this field for 45 years without running dry is because I’ve encountered so many things — through exhaustive research and traveling to meet people. That’s what has sustained me. There’s still so much I want to draw. I hope you’ll continue to follow my work.”

— Sunao Katabuchi