Nippon Connection, described as the world’s largest festival of Japanese cinema, is returning to Frankfurt with about 100 films and shorts screened across six days. The event, now in its 25th edition, runs from 27 May to 1 June at venues including the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and the cinema at the Museum Angewandte Kunst.

For travellers, the festival matters because it turns parts of central Frankfurt into a high-demand cultural hub, with screenings, discussions and related events drawing visitors during a busy late-spring period. It also offers a concentrated showcase of Japanese travel and culture for international audiences who may be in the city for a short stay or connecting through one of Europe’s major transport gateways.

The programme includes feature films, documentaries, shorts and live events, according to organisers. Screenings are spread across multiple locations in the city, making it important for visitors to plan around venue transfers and possible crowds near the festival sites.

Founded in 2000, Nippon Connection has grown into a major fixture on Frankfurt’s cultural calendar and remains focused on contemporary Japanese cinema. The festival has traditionally attracted a mix of film fans, industry figures and travellers looking for an arts-led reason to visit the city.

Organisers say the 25th edition will again combine cinema with cultural programming, although they have not said how attendance may compare with previous years. For visitors, the key operational detail is that tickets and schedules are set around individual screenings, so planning ahead is essential for anyone hoping to see multiple films in one day.