Step into the daily life of Hirayama, a Tokyo public-toilet cleaner whose routine becomes a meditation on attention, solitude, and meaning. Nominated for Best International Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards, Perfect Days (2023) invites viewers into a carefully observed world shaped by work, habit, and quiet discipline. Along the way, we see Hirayama’s devotion to photography, literature, and music, as well as the subtle human connections that emerge in the margins of his days.
Participants joined NCTA seminar leader Tese Wintz Neighbor for a guided discussion of the film, which follows Hirayama over three weeks as he wakes early, drives his aging van through the city, tends to small tasks, and notices light, shadow, and change. Through his steady gaze, Perfect Days explores what it means to live deliberately and to find dignity in ordinary labor.
Dates and Times
Group 1: Monday, March 16, 4:00–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Group 2: Wednesday, March 18, 4:00–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Program Requirements
This movie club was held on Zoom. Participants were expected to watch the film in advance, complete a short assignment, and take part in a two-hour discussion with their video camera on.
Program benefits
- Online Resource packet
- Four free Washington State OSPI clock hours
This program was sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the University of Washington, and funded by a Freeman Foundation grant in support of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA).
Program Resources
Follow this link for the Padlet with the program resources made by the program leader.
Image credit: Perfect Days (2023), directed by Wim Wenders. Courtesy of the film’s promotional materials. Used under fair use for educational purposes.