For the February Curator’s Choice, we selected works by two directors who represent recent Japanese cinema. Miyake Sh？’s 2025 film Journey and Days, whom director Ryusuke Hamaguchi has introduced as “the Japanese Kelly Reichardt,” quietly portrays the journey of an outsider unfolding across two seasons. Underground by Kaori Oda, who studied at Béla Tarr’s Film Factory and who passed away recently, conveys the memories of civilians who hid in caves to escape U.S. bombardment through a sensual soundscape and experimental imagery.