Happy Weekend, everyone!
I hope you are all well!
I’ve written this the day after arriving in Japan. Yes, I am back in Osaka and getting ready for work at the Osaka Asian Film Festival 2019. I hope to provide coverage of the Japanese films and interview the directors and others who make them. I also intend to review films from other countries. Expect a lot of cross-posting between this blog and V-Cinema.
I wrote this trailer post while suffering jet lag so there’s a lot of brevity. I’m surprised I got it done in two sessions over one day! It was completed after walking around Osaka for about four hours.
This week, I reviewed Au Revoir l’ete and Human Comedy in Tokyo, two films from Koji Fukada. I intend to finish the mini Koji Fukada season with a fifth film, Harmonium, next Monday and then from Wednesday, it will be Osaka. I’m going to try and do it in a condensed time and not string it out.
Anyway, what’s released this weekend???
Until I Meet September’s Love 
九月の恋と出会うまで 「Kugatsu no Koi to Deau Made」
Running Time: 105 mins.
Release Date: March 01st, 2019
Director: Toru Yamamoto
Writer: Toru Yamamoto, Shogo Kusano, Mai Yamada (Screenplay), Yumi Matsuo (Novel)
Starring: Issey Takahashi, Haruna Kawaguchi, Kenta Hamano, Yuko Nakamura, Rina Kawaei, Yutaro Furutachi, Mickey Curtis,
Synopsis: Shiori Kitamura (Haruna Kawaguchi) works for a company and has just moved to a new apartment where her new neighbour Susumu Hirano (Issey Takahashi) turns out to be an aspiring novelist. She hears strange conversations involving a man from the future visiting coming from Hirano’s home and she decides to investigate, little realising that she will fall for the writer.
Afternoon Breezes 
君がまた走り出すとき 「Kimi ga Mata Hashiridasu Toki」
Running Time: 105 mins.
Release Date: December 11th, 1980
Director: Yuya Nakaizumi
Writer: Yoshiro Oka, Yuya Nakaizumi (Screenplay),
Starring: Kanichiro, Rio Yamashita, Chieko Matsubara, Nahana, Yuuki Tsujimoto, Erika Tsunashima, Hatsunori Hasegawa, Miyoko Asada,
It has been about 40 years since this was released and it has been given a digital remaster after being subject to a crowdfunding campaign. It put Hitoshi (March Comes in Like a Lion) Yazaki on the map and earned him comparisons with important directors from avante-garde cinema movements of the 60s and 70s. Here’s an interview. This one is playing at the Osaka Asian Film Festival and you can find out more about it over the festival’s site.
Synopsis: It is Mitsu’s birthday.
Her roommate Natsuko is planning on giving her a matching virgo necklace and roses.
But there is a white handkerchief in the window of the apartment. It is a sign that Mitsu’s lover, Hideo is coming.
Natsuko secretly loves Mitsu.
Natsuko wants Mitsu all to herself and to do that, she tries to get closer to Hideo…
In the midsummer afternoon, the last shock that shook the world –
Siblings of the Cape 
岬の兄妹 「Misaki no Kyodai」
Running Time: 105 mins.
Release Date: March 01st, 2019
Director: Shinzo Katayama
Writer: Shinzo Katayama (Screenplay),
Starring: Yuya Matsuura, Misa Wada, Masayasu Kitayama, Yutaro Nakamura, Kenji Iwatani, Takumi Matsuzawa, Tateto Serizawa, Yuki Kazamatsuri,
Synopsis: Yoshio (Yuya Matsuura) and his sister Mariko (Misa Wada) live on the outskirts of a coastal town. Mariko has a mental disability and often stays at home while Yoshio earns money despite his bad leg. One day, Mariko goes missing, but she turns up later in with pockets stuffed with 10,000 yen bills. Apparently she had had sex for money and saw no problem with being used like that. When Yoshio loses his job, he gets the idea to turn his sister into a prostitute.
Running Again 
君がまた走り出すとき 「Kimi ga Mata Hashiridasu Toki」
Running Time: 105 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Yuya Nakaizumi
Writer: Yoshiro Oka, Yuya Nakaizumi (Screenplay),
Starring: Kanichiro, Rio Yamashita, Chieko Matsubara, Nahana, Yuuki Tsujimoto, Erika Tsunashima, Hatsunori Hasegawa, Miyoko Asada,
Synopsis: Shota (Kanichiro) is a criminal on the run and he hides out at the house of an elderly lady named Tae (Chieko Matsubara). She mistakes Shota for her grandchild and takes him in but when Tae’s real grandchild Kaori (Rio Yamashita) arrives, the two confront each other. Things develop unexpectedly when she ropes him into running a marathon in order to help others.
Sisterhood 
シスターフッド 「Shisuta-fuddo」
Running Time: 87 mins.
Release Date: March 01st, 2019
Director: Takashi Nishihara
Writer: Takashi Nishihara (Screenplay),
Starring: BOMI, Manami Usamaru, Nina Endo, Ryo Iwase, Mika Akizuki
This one is playing at the Osaka Asian Film Festival and for the third year in a row, I am working for/at the festival again. It’s an interesting film so stay tuned for a review. Anyway, Takashi Nishihara reunites with Nina Endo and Mika Akizuki, two of his stars from the film, Starting Over (2014) as they play variations of themselves in this semi-fictional semi-documentary-style film.
Synopsis: Tokyo-based documentary film director Ikeda (Ryo Iwase) interviews people about feminism. His subjects include a student in a bad relationship, a nude model, a musician and others who provide fresh material. Their fragmented lives are interwoven with the director’s personal issues throughout a narrative that creates a cohesive whole that speaks of the changes to society we are living through today.
Haman 
歯まん 「Haman」
Running Time: 95 mins.
Release Date: August 11th, 2018
Director: Tetsuya Okabe
Writer: Tetsuya Okabe (Screenplay),
Starring: Nonoka Baba, Yusuke Kojima, Maki Mizui, Mukau Nakamura, Shohei Uno, Miwako Izumi,
Synopsis: The first time Haruka has sex, she killed the person she loved when 
she had a sudden physical change. After fleeing the scene she lives a life filled with fear and self-loathing but becomes attracted to a man who speaks to her gently…
Noise
Running Time: 124 mins
Release Date:March 01st, 2019
Director: Yusaku Matsumoto (松本優作)
Writer: Yusaku Matsumoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Kokoro Shinozaki, Urana Anjo, Kohsuke Suzuki, Kentaro Kishi,
Like looking at videos from home since I spent so much time in and around Akihabara. Minus the violence of course. This is a multilayered drama from director Yusaku Matsumoto who has a credit on a horror movie as an editor. A short of his was released last week.
Synopsis from IMDB: Eight years have passed from the Akihabara massacre. A pop star whose mother was killed in the incident, a teenager who left her home to Akihabara, a delivery boy who turns his directionless anger to the city. This is a story about the characters striving to grasp the string of hope within the darkness surrounding the city, the incident, and the people.
A Japanese Boy Who Draws 
ある日本の絵描き少年 「Aru Nihon no ekaki shonen」
Running Time: 20 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Masayoshi Kawajiri
Writer: Masayoshi Kawajiri (Screenplay),
Starring: Takeshi Uehara, Yasumi Yajima, Kenta Abe, Yoshiko Ishii, Shota Suzuki,
Synopsis: An experimental short animation work depicting half of a life of a boy aiming to be a cartoonist. The visual style changes according to the progress and growth of the hero. It starts off in elementary school all the way through to him being a manga artist’s assistant and gives us a glimpse of the life of a professional…
Goro no Shin Sekai 
吾郎の新世界 「Goro no Shin Sekai」
Running Time: 35 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Takatsugi Naito
Writer: Takatsugi Naito (Screenplay),
Starring: Shuntaro Miyao, Manami Hashimoto, Hanya, Shodai Fukuyama, Azusa Nakazawa, Hiromi Hakogi,
Synopsis: Shuntaro Miyao, a ballet dancer, makes his acting debut with his role of a hunter from a small village who takes his vocation seriously and respects the goddess of the mountains. Things are all on track and he might marry a local girl named Yu, however, one day, tragedy strikes and he is stuck in a mysterious world.
Umeko
梅子 「Umeko」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2009
Director: Takatsugi Naito
Writer: Takatsugu Naito (Screenplay),
Starring: Shun Sugata, Momoka Ono, Chiharu, Kazuki Hiro-oka, Jungiku Uchida, Ren Osugi,
The same video as above because the trailer for this film follows on from the second.
Synopsis: Shun Sugata plays Jiro, a single man who lives in an ordinary town sandwiched between mountains and the ocean. His brother Taro (Ren Osugi) asks him to look after his 7-year-old daughter Umeko so he and his wife can go abroad. Jiro has to get used to looking after kids but an incident involving a missing wallet causes all sorts of changes…
Giwaku to Dansu 
疑惑とダンス 「Giwaku to Dansu」
Running Time: 53 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Ken Ninomiya
Writer: Takatsugu Naito (Screenplay),
Starring: Eri Tokunaga, Kenta Kiguchi, Masashi Komura, Mayuko Fukuda, Aki Kawamochi, Katsuya Kobayashi,
Synopsis: No rehearsal or screenplay, all improvisation. Satoshi, Sana, Tsubaki, and Komura are holding a party after news that Kanna and Masao will not marry. They all belonged to their university’s dance club and the theme of the party is suspicion however, in the middle of events, doubts arise that Kanna and Komura might have had sex during their student days.
Fukushima wa Kataru 
福島は語る 「Fukushima wa Kataru」
Running Time: 170 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Toshikuni Doi
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Synopsis: This documentary collects testimonies from a variety of people who suffered due to the damage caused by radioactive contamination caused by the accident at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. Shot over four years, the director, Toshikuni Doi, boiled down 100 interviews to 14. This is not the first film from director Toshikuni Doi who also did Itatemura Hoshano to Kison (2012) but with the approach of the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, he reminds people of the many victims who have had their lives wrecked by the disaster.
Yoake no takibi 
よあけの焚き火 「Yoake no takibi」
Running Time: 72 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Koichi Doi
Writer: Koichi Doi (Screenplay)
Starring: Raiju Kamata, Akira Sakata, Yasunari Okura, Motonari Okura,
Synopsis: A father passes down some of the techniques of Noh to his 10-year-old son while also giving life lessons. The son is puzzled by some of the actions of his father but a local girl who visits them helps ease the days of practice and observes family history in the flesh.
Happy Island 
ハッピーアイランド 「Happi- Airando」
Running Time: 75 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Yuuya Watanabe
Writer: Yuuya Watanabe (Screenplay)
Starring: Keita Yoshimura, Suzaku Oogosu, Koichi Miwa, Takae Okamura, Naoki Nakamura, Masato Hagiwara,
Synopsis: Shinya is a 23-year-old guy living in Tokyo who is introduced to a farmer from Fukushima Prefecture. He decides to up sticks and head out into the country where he engages with tough farming work. Over time, he gets used to it and wins people over and even begins a small romance with a nursery teacher named Risa.
The next five films are from the New Directions in Japan class of 2018.
Uchi uchi no men-tachi (tsura-tachi) wa. 
うちうちの面達（つらたち）は。 「Uchi uchi no men-tachi (tsura-tachi) wa.」
Running Time: 28 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Kan Yamamoto
Writer: Kan Yamamoto (Screenplay)
Starring: Kanau Tanaka, Hiromasa Taguchi, Mari Hamada, Mayu Ogawa, Shun Yamamoto
N/A
Synopsis: One of 5 shorts produced for 2018’s “New Directions in Japanese Cinema = ndjc”. This is an annual selection of films supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and some of them go on to bigger festivals and the directors go on to bigger projects. This one features a story of a mother who disappears from her family for a break.
Last Judgement / Saigo no Shinpan 
最後の審判 「Saigo no Shinpan」
Running Time: 29 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Shinya Kawakami
Writer: Shinya Kawakami (Screenplay)
Starring: Ren Sudo, Hitome Nagase, Asuka Kurosawa, Kiyomi Aratani,
N/A
Synopsis: One of 5 shorts produced for 2018’s “New Directions in Japanese Cinema = ndjc”. This is an annual selection of films supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and some of them go on to bigger festivals and the directors go on to bigger projects. This one features students who are battling to get past a test and into Tokyo University of Art.
Sayonara Kazoku 
サヨナラ家族 「Sayonara Kazoku」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Kohei Sanada,
Writer: Kohei Sanada (Screenplay)
Starring: Hoshi Ishida, Toshie Negishi, Yui Murata, Shiori Doi, Kazuhiro Sano, Yosuke Saito,
N/A
Synopsis: One of 5 shorts produced for 2018’s “New Directions in Japanese Cinema = ndjc”. This is an annual selection of films supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and some of them go on to bigger festivals and the directors go on to bigger projects. A man leaves his pregnant wife and goes back to the family home where his father has died. Strange phenomena happens.
Hazure Kazoku no Saaya 
はずれ家族のサーヤ 「Hazure Kazoku no Sa-ya」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Mikiko Okamoto
Writer: Mikiko Okamoto (Screenplay)
Starring: Naho Yokomizu, Mei Kurokawa, Sue Masukoshi, Taijirou Tamura, Yurito Mori,
N/A
Synopsis: One of 5 shorts produced for 2018’s “New Directions in Japanese Cinema = ndjc”. This is an annual selection of films supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and some of them go on to bigger festivals and the directors go on to bigger projects. A girl named Mitsuki used to live with her mother but when she found a new man and lives with her new son and partner. Mitsuki is jealous so when she buys an old wooden from a man who sells toys, she discovers a mysterious force and…
Kumori tokidoki hare 
くもり ときどき 晴れ 「Kumori tokidoki hare」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Director: Motoyuki Itabashi
Writer: Motoyuki Itabashi (Screenplay)
Starring: Megumi, Miyoko Asada, Kenji Mizuhashi, Masashi Arifuku,
N/A
Synopsis: One of 5 shorts produced for 2018’s “New Directions in Japanese Cinema = ndjc”. This is an annual selection of films supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and some of them go on to bigger festivals and the directors go on to bigger projects. A woman named Haruko who lives with her mother receives a letter from her estranged father asking for her support. She decides to visit him but wonders whether it is the right thing to do.
KING OF PRISM: Shiny Seven Stars I – Prologue x Yukinojou x Taiga 
KING OF PRISM Shiny Seven Stars I プロローグ×ユキノジョウ×タイガ
Release Date: March 02nd, 2019
Running Time: N/A
Director: Masakazu Hishida
Writer: Jou Aoba
Animation Production: Avex Pictures
Starring: Junta Terashima (Shin Ichijo), Soma Saito (Yukinojo Tachibana), Daisuke Namikawa (Ryo Yamada), Tetsuya Kakihara (Koji Mihama), Tomoaki Maeno (Hiro Hayami), Toshiki Masuda (Kazuki Nishina), Shinichiro Miki (Jin Norizuki),
Animation Production: Tatsunoko Production
Synopsis: A “prism show” combines figure skating, singing, dancing, and “prism jumping”, something which expresses the dynamism of the mind with unconventional imagination. This has been turned into a flashy 12-part TV anime which has been split into 4 fours with extra footage added to make it worth audiences going to the screenings.
Doraemon the Movie: Chronicle of the Moon Exploration 
映画ドラえもん のび太の月面探査記 「Eiga Doraemon no Nobita no Getsumen Tansaki」
Release Date: March 01st, 2019
Running Time: 111 mins.
Director: Shinnosuke Yakuwa
Writer: Midzuki Fujimura (Screenplay), Fujiko F. Fujio (Original Creator)
Starring: Megumi Oohara (Nobita), Wasabi Mizuta (Doraemon), Yumi Kakazu (Shizuka), Tomokazu Seki (Suneo), Subaru Kimura (Gian), Alice Hirose (Luna), Soichi Nakaoka (Cancer), Shigeo Takahashi (Crab), Yuuya Yagira (Goddard)
Animation Production: Shin-Ei Animation
Synopsis: This is the 39th Doraemon movie is an original story centered around the Isetsu Club Member Badge gadget featured in volume 23 of the original Doraemon manga, according the My Anime List. With this gadget, Nobita and pals go to the moon to see if there is really a rabbit kingdom there. They take along a msyterious transfer student named Luna. It is the first Doraemon film to feature a solo female screenwriter.
Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2202: Ai no Senshi-tachi Chapter 7 “Nova Chapter” 
宇宙戦艦ヤマト2202 愛の戦士たち 第七章「新星篇」 「Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2202: Ai no Senshi-tachi “Shinsei-hen”」
Release Date: March 01st, 2019
Running Time: N/A
Director: Nobuyoshi Habara
Writer: Harutoshi Fukui (Screenplay),
Starring: Daisuke Ono (Susumu Kodai), Takayui Sugo (Juzo Okita), Noriko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori), Kenichi Suzumura (Daisuke Shima), Aya Uchida (Yuria Misaki), Rina Sato (Makoto Kato), Aya Hisakawa (Kaoru Niimi),
Synopsis from ANN: Three years after the Yamato’s return from the planet Iscandar. The people of Earth restored their planet with the Cosmo Reverse System, and they signed a peace treaty with Garmillas. In addition to reconstruction, Earth developed a new defense fleet that includes the state-of-the-art battleship Andromeda. The Earth goes down a path of military expansion, despite Starsha Iscandar’s wishes. The Yamato helps accomplish this so-called peace, but it comes at the price of many invaluable sacrifices. The goddess Teresa, who prays for tranquility in space, calls the Yamato to a new voyage. The threat of Gatlantis is sweeping over the universe and approaching Earth.
This is the final entry in this particular series.