WAVE at CEU: International Premiere of Mayday Rain and Panel on Child Protection

Friends of Megumi, in partnership with the Chotto Matte Kyodoshinken Network (the Japanese Network Against Joint Parental Authority After Divorce), Central European University (CEU), PATENT (People Opposing Patriarchy), and WAVE Network invite you to the international premiere of Mayday Rain in Budapest and Vienna, followed by a conversation with experts, advocates, and allies.

Mayday Rain is inspired by survivors’ stories and campaigns. The film exposes how a law presented as a “modernization” of Japan’s family system instead deepens the risks for those it claims to protect. Moving between Tokyo and Budapest, the documentary highlights global failures in custody systems, child protection mechanisms, and violence-prevention structures – issues that resonate far beyond Japan.

This screening is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.

About the Film

Mayday Rain (Japan, 2025, 74’)
Director: Reo Tomita

How far can law protect? How far can it harm?

In May 2024, as rain poured relentlessly over the National Diet in Tokyo, survivors of domestic violence and child abuse stood outside in opposition to a rewritten Civil Code that introduced joint parental authority after divorce. Despite their outcry—and the warnings of lawyers, women’s rights groups, and advocates—the law passed.

Mayday Rain is the first professionally produced Japanese film created in close collaboration with survivors of domestic violence. It portrays the lived realities of those most affected by the reforms, weaving together survivor testimonies, legal insights, and movement-building reflections. The film exposes the deep, systemic flaws in joint custody regimes and their consequences for women and children worldwide.

WAVE’s Contribution

WAVE’s strategic priority on child safeguarding, and our work to strengthen protection systems across Europe, is deeply connected to the themes raised in the film. Through the WAVE Safeguarding & Empowering Children Project, we have been advocating for stronger, survivor-centred safeguards in family law, child protection, and prevention policies.

As part of this commitment, Branislava Arađan (WAVE Project & Youth Ambassador Coordinator) will join the panel to share insights on European prevention frameworks, cross-border protection challenges, and the role of women´s specialist services in demanding safer systems for mothers and their children.

Event Details

This event is open to the public and free of charge.

The film will be screened simultaneously in Budapest and Vienna, with a joint discussion afterward.
Language: Film in Japanese with English subtitles; discussion in English.
Free on-site childcare available with pre-registration.

Panel & Discussion

• Harumi Okamura – Association of Lawyers Seeking to Provide Accurate Information about Joint Parental Authority
• Julia Spronz – PATENT (People Opposing Patriarchy)
• Krisztina Les – Hague Mothers
• Branislava Arađan – WAVE Network
• Moderator: Stasya Sokolova, international journalist and Friend of Megumi

Register here: https://forms.office.com/e/RheUJGfsR2

An informal reception will follow the discussion.

In Memoriam: Megumi-san

This event is dedicated to the memory of Megumi, a Japanese woman, long-time resident of Budapest, and mother of two. On 29 January 2025, after years of enduring domestic violence and abuse, she was killed. Her case—now pending trial—exposed grave systemic failures in domestic violence prevention and cross-border protection between Hungary and Japan.
May this screening honour her life and strengthen our collective call for justice, safety, and hope.