J-FILM
J-FILM
| Diamond Diplomacy
October 2025
84 min
Documentary
Not Rated
Directed by Yuriko Gamo Romer
Just before the World Baseball Classic in March, the JICC is happy to host the Mid-Atlantic Premiere of Diamond Diplomacy, a compelling new documentary that captures the exciting history of baseball as a shared national pastime between Japan and the U.S.
After the screening we will be joined by director Yuriko Gamo Romer for a discussion and Q&A about the film.
While many know that baseball is Japan’s national pastime, few realize just how profound a role the sport has played in the relationship between Japan and the U.S. This film explores the incredible 150-year history of baseball diplomacy between the two nations—from its introduction by an American professor in the 1870s to the legendary goodwill tours of Babe Ruth and the modern-day impact of stars like Shohei Ohtani.
Join us for this special screening and Q&A and see how baseball has become not just a game but a force for cultural exchange and mutual respect.
EVENT INFO
Thursday, February 26, 2026
6:30PM EDT (Doors open at 6:00PM EDT)
Located at the JICC
Send any inquiries to
jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Award winning director Yuriko Gamo Romer's recent films explore the cultural and political dimensions of sport. Her short Baseball Behind Barbed Wire, about WWII Japanese American incarceration, won Best Short Documentary at the Chandler International Film Festival and Waco Film Festival.
Mrs. Judo, about Keiko Fukuda, first woman tenth-degree black belt in judo, screened at 25+ festivals and broadcast nationally on PBS.
Romer’s thesis film Occidental Encounters won the Student Academy Award (Gold) and the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Award, Heartland Film Festival.
Born in Japan and raised in the U.S., Romer is bilingual/bicultural and holds a Master’s degree, Documentary Filmmaking, Stanford University.
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