TOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - The 24th Tokyo International Film Festival kicks off on Saturday with a diverse slate of art house and mainstream fare, but the biggest theme at the annual event may be the country's real-life struggle to recover from the massive March earthquake and tsunami.

Organizers at one stage even pondered whether the Oct 22-30 show could go on after the devastating disaster threw the nation into a period of ''jishuku,'' or self-restraint, which resulted in many events being cancelled. In addition, the Fukushima nuclear crisis scared away many foreign tourists.