Japanese movies show scenes from beautiful scenery and buildings from all over Japan. If you have the opportunity to visit in person, you can enter the world of movie stories again and get the feeling of being there. The Nikkei Shimbun (Chinese edition: Nikkei Chinese selected 1,000 movie fans who wanted to actually visit the filming location.
The coast of Kamakura Kiza, which appeared in the first "Sea Street Diary" (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
No. 1 "Sea Street Diary" (Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
505 mins I hope to reminisce about the aftermath of the movie
"Sea Street Diary" is a live-action film by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda who adapted Akio Yoshida's hit manga into a live-action version. Set in Shonan, Japan, the family bond is depicted by welcoming a half-sister and living together with four sisters. In the story, the sisters live near Kerakuji Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway, and there are "Sakurahashi" around the station where they need to pass to commute to school and commute, and "Guide Ji Tsun", the younger sister played by Suzu Hirose.
Japanese film critic Kenio Matsuzaki said: "There is a Kanemaru direct store near the Waikoshi fishing port in Kamakura City, which filmed scenes of making soup and boiled small silverfish, and actually sold fresh small silverfish (except for the fishing ban period). This is both a film that depicts the ideal state of the family, and a tourist film that (of Kamakura) has appeared on the stage such as Yukinohama and Enoshima." Film critic Naoto Mori also recommended many highlights in the film, saying, "In addition to the Nanari-nohama Coast and Inamura-nosaki Coast (photo), the Sazuko's café 'Beach Muffin' that served as the filming location of Yukinohama's café 'Mashin' and 'Bobcat Pavilion' also appeared one after another. You can enjoy "Kamakura Monogatari".
A female movie fan in her 40s in Kanagawa Prefecture said, "This is a beautiful movie shot by the sea, and I feel very warm when I watch it, and I hope to reminisce about the rest of the rhyme." A man in his 60s in Ishikawa Prefecture said, "The film depicts the change of the seasons, and I am very interested." Many fans have expressed that they want to visit the sea and streets of Kamakura in Shonan and spend a quiet time.
(1) Release time: 2015
(2) Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda
(3) Main cast: Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, Natsuho, Suzu Hirose
No. 2 "Calling Love in the Center of the World" (Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture)
425 Mins To this day, there is still an endless stream of fans who visit
This is a live-action film by Japanese director Yuki Seihoon that adapts the novel of the same name by writer Kyokazu Katayama into a live-action film, telling the love story that has sparked a craze for "Sekatyu" (nickname for "Calling Love in the Center of the World") throughout Japan. With 2 time axes intertwined, it depicts the pure love of the protagonist Shotaro and his first love Aki in high school, and the anecdote of Shotaro and his fiancée Ritsuko as an adult.
The location of the film was chosen to be the town of Anji (now Takamatsu City) in Kagawa Prefecture. At its peak, the "Tourism Exchange Hall," which recreates the photo studio set featured in the film, was visited by more than 30,000 people a year. On the fence of the square of the "Prince Shrine" (photo) where Shotaro and Aki swing, tourists hang wish locks to pray for the success of their love during the film's release. Although the number of tourists has decreased due to the coronavirus epidemic and other reasons, Naoki Ito, director of the Tourism Exchange Center, said that "people visit every day to this day."
According to Ito, as the town with a fishing industry as a filming location, "local houses are used as resting places, and local residents come to visit the filming site every day." Matsuzaki recalled, "This is a milestone in becoming an opportunity for the Film Commission (which provides filming support) to become active throughout [Japan]. It inspired to create tourist destinations through movies."
Fans in Japan's big cities have enthusiastic eyes on the scenes of the coast of my youth and the road to school in the countryside, who said that "I envisioned scenes from the coast of my youth and the road to school in the countryside," and women in their 60s in Fukuoka Prefecture who said that they wanted to see the beautiful sea of the Seto Inland Sea.
(1) Release time: 2004
(2) Director: Xing Dingxun
(3) Main cast: Takao Ozawa, Masami Nagasawa, Mirai Moriyama
3rd place "Jump the Great Search Line THE MOVIE 2: Blockade of the Rainbow Bridge" (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
381 Mins It is also interesting to compare the scenery at the time of the release and now
The film is set in Tokyo's Bayan Police Station (Police Station), and Yuji Oda plays one of the police-themed TV series in which Aoshima, the patrol chief who was originally an office worker, runs to solve the case, "Why is there blood? The lines in the play of Qingdao and others have also become a hot topic. Many of the location locations were located in Odaiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo, where Odaiba Park and Odaiba Seaside Park are located, and Koto-ku, where Tokyo Teleport Station, Ariake Station, and Ariake Bridge are located.
The Rainbow Bridge (photo) in the title also appears frequently in the movie. The action "Rainbow Bridge Blockade Operation" that blocked the suspect on the street became an impressive scene, but the actual Rainbow Bridge could not be closed due to filming, and "the blockade scene was filmed at the Kugoyama Expressway entrance and exit in Kyoto Prefecture" (Matsuzaki).
A female movie fan in her 40s in Nara Prefecture said, "It is very impactful for people who live in the area", and a woman in her 40s in Miyazaki Prefecture said: "This is a movie I have seen many times, and I really want to see the Rainbow Bridge."
The streetscape of Odaiba, Tokyo, has changed from 20 years ago when the film was released, and "it's fun to compare the scenery then and now by visiting the location where the film was taken," says Hideaki Kawabata, GEO who runs a rental shop for CVDs and games. However, lamentations can also be heard, and a man in his 40s from Chiba Prefecture said, "(It's a pity that attractions such as the Ferris wheel and Venus Castle, a shopping complex that appeared in the play, have been closed.)
(1) Release time: 2003
(2) Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro
(3) Main cast: Yuji Oda, Toshiro Yanaiba, Eri Fukatsu
No. 4 "Drive My Car" (Hiroshima City)
372 min Want to drive on the same route as the movie
This is a film based on Haruki Murakami's short story and won the 94th Academy Award for Best International Film in 2022. The film depicts the process of the stage actor and director and protagonist Jiafu, who lives in the sense of loss of his wife, and constantly cheers himself up by meeting a woman who is a driver. Naoto Mori commented, "SAAB, the red car [of the protagonist in the film], drives through the streets of Setouchi with beautiful scenery. The Kotani Expressway Service Area, the Hiroshima International Conference Center, the Chukasho of the Environment Bureau (photo), the Yoshishima Fishing Park, and the Peace Memorial Park have also become popular filming spots for visitors."
A woman in her 50s in Ibaraki Prefecture said, "I like to travel far by car and want to drive on the same route."
(1) Release time: 2021
(2) Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
(3) Main actors: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Toruko Miura
5th place "Clubbing Detective" (Sapporo City)
361 min. Charm of Sapporo Night Castle
The film tells the story of a private investigator and his partner who spend time at a bar called "Keller Ohata" and their partner who are constantly pursuing the truth while being involved in the case. Most of the scenes in the film were filmed around the downtown area of Susukino, located in the central ward of Sapporo, Hokkaido. "Susukino Crossroads (photo), TV towers, and ramen shops are popular as tourist spots in Sapporo, Mori said.
A woman in her 60s in Kanagawa Prefecture said, "I really like this work in itself, and it feels great to condense all the sights of Sapporo into one film." Another woman in her 40s from Tokyo said, "I like Sapporo at night when I miss it, and I like it when I feel the tranquility of the northern country."
(1) Release time: 2011
(2) Director: Kazu Hashimoto
(3) Main cast: Hiroshi Oizumi, Ryuhei Matsuda
6th "Undertaker" (Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture)
289 mins The scene of cello playing is fascinating
This is a work that depicts life and death, and family bonds, etc., with a male undertaker as the protagonist. Matsuzaki highly recommends, "The scene of the protagonist playing the cello at the Moonkogawa Dam (photo) in Yusacho, Yamagata Prefecture, the beautiful performance scene with Mount Torikai still having snow in the background, and the flowing photography technology are all well-known scenes that can remain in the history of cinema." THE FILM WON THE 81ST OSCAR FOR BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM IN 2009, AND AKIRI YOSHIKAWA OF TSUTAYA BOOKS COMMENTED THAT "I THINK FOREIGN AUDIENCES [OUTSIDE JAPAN] ARE ALSO FASCINATED BY THE SCENERY OF THE DAM WHERE THE CELLO IS PLAYED."
"I was impressed by the street scene of Sakata, and although it was a movie from more than 10 years ago, the scene seemed to be coming back to life," said a man in his 60s from Yamaguchi Prefecture.
(1) Release time: 2008
(2) Performance: Takita Yojiro
(3) Main cast: Masahiro Motoki
No. 7 "Bouquet of Love" (Chofu City, Tokyo)
272 Mins The everyday scenery becomes dazzling
The film depicts male and female college students who meet by chance and spend 5 years as lovers. The area around the Keio Line station such as Meidaimae (in front of Meiji University) is very impressive in the film, especially as the city of Chofu, Tokyo, where the two live together, provides location support such as filming as the "city of movies". According to the city's Industrial Promotion Division, "the atmosphere was raised by holding mapping of the location, tourism publicity boards, and quiz activities about the location."
Matsuzaki said, "For example, the embankment of the Tama River, which appears many times in the play (photo). This is a typical example of a commonplace everyday landscape that has become dazzling with the help of film." "I didn't expect there to be such a place in Tokyo" (a woman in her 40s in Hokkaido), and there are many voices like this.
(1) Release time: 2021
(2) Director: Yutai Doi
(3) Main cast: Masaki Sugata, Jun Arimamura
8th Tokyo Tower (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
268 Mins A symbolic building that people aspire to
This is a film adaptation of Liley Frank's autobiographical novel. A teenager who grew up in a coal mining town came to Tokyo and became a student at an art university, and a late bloomer became an illustrator. He picked up his sick "mother" and lived with him near Tokyo Tower (photo). Matsuzaki commented, "This is the most beautiful and dreamy movie that symbolizes Tokyo." Kawabata said, "I hope that people who come to Tokyo will climb the Tokyo Tower when they are haunted by homesickness and look in the direction of their hometown."
"The filming location to recreate the streets of Fukuoka Prefecture, where coal mines flourished, was actually Tohoku," Mori said, and a woman in her 60s in Aichi Prefecture said, "I cried." Just seeing Tokyo Tower makes my heart soar."
(1) Release time: 2007
(2) Director: Matsuoka Kaiji
(3) Main cast: Kirito Oda, Kiki Kirin
9th place "Swing Girl" (Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture)
229 Mins The entire region joined forces to promote the popularity of the filming location
This is a youth movie about high school girls in rural Japan who form a big band and play jazz. Shoot exteriors in the Yamagata Prefecture area where the Yamagata Railway Hanagai Line (photo) passes. Yoshikawa said, "The place where you practice your musical instrument and the final concert venue are representative of the filming places you want to visit." After the film's release, maps of the area's location were produced, and the Yamagata Railway launched a movie-themed train.
A woman in her 60s in Shiga Prefecture said, "I like cherry blossoms in the Yoshi area so much that I want to see them in spring," while a man in her 40s in Gifu Prefecture says, "I am impressed by the winter scene and want to visit," and the scenery of the four seasons has attracted a lot of attention.
(1) Release time: 2004
(2) Director: Shiyasu Yaguchi
(3) Main cast: Ueno Shuli
No. 10 "Amidado Message" (Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture)
190 Mins Enjoy the mountain landscape
This is a work that depicts the life of a couple who moved to Shinshu interspersed with scenery of the four seasons. Kawabata said, "The Sando of Kosuga Shrine in the film, which was preserved intact, and the Amida Hall (photo), which became the only exterior shooting set, were carefully preserved. Good for enjoying the mountain landscape in the terraced area". Shinshu Iiyama Tourism Bureau said that "it is a good opportunity to spread the feeling of 'home of beautiful Japan.'"
A man in his 40s in Tokyo said, "It was fun to travel while reviewing the scenes while being familiar with the area that became a stage," and fans who liked Shinshu were particularly interested.
(1) Release time: 2002
(2) Director: Yaoshi Koizumi
(3) Main cast: Satoshi Terao, Kanako Higuchi
The location supports the creation of opportunities for the group
From the perspective of the filming locations of Japanese films, the "Film Commission (FC)", a public organization responsible for film solicitation, facility application, and negotiation, plays a huge role. Since 2000, film commissions have sprung up all over Japan.
For example, the Hiroshima Film Commission provided comprehensive assistance on the filming location of "Drive My Car". The film was originally planned for location shooting in Busan, South Korea, but was abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tomoko Nishizaki of the Hiroshima Film Committee led director Hamaguchi to the Hiroshima City Environmental Bureau Middle Factory, which she also liked, and it became an opportunity to attract filming locations. The Nakasho, a modern garbage disposal site, is impressive in the film, and Nishizaki's explanation of the facilities told by director Hamaguchi is also incorporated into the lines.
However, appearing in movies alone may not have an activating effect on the region. It is necessary to have exchanges with the local area that tourists who visit the location will want to come back and wait, and to create opportunities that tourists will naturally want to spend money.
Facilities and shops at the location may be closed depending on the season and the week. When visiting the tour, it is best to check the official website in advance.
Ranking method and description
In response to "Japanese films that want to visit the filming location", the editorial department converted the fans' answers into scores. The name of the movie (the main location of the shooting) (1) the release time, (2) the director, (3) the main actor. Regarding the photos, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 8th places were taken by Ken Suzuki, and the 4th, 5th, and 7th places were taken by Eriko Sunayama, Ryu Nakagawa, and Hideyuki Miura, respectively. The 6th, 9th, and 10th places were provided by the Yusa Torikai Tourism Association, Yamagata Railway, and Shinshu Iiyama Tourism Bureau, respectively.
Survey methodology
Among the Japanese films that have been selected for the Japan Academy Film Award for Best Film since 2001 or have been rated as the top ten films by the Japanese "Film Shunbun", the editorial office lists 25 live-action films that want to visit the filming location. The compilation of the list was supervised and assisted by Hideaki Kawabata, a publicity planner of Geo Holdings Japan, Kenio Matsuzaki, a film critic, Naoto Mori, a film critic, and Akiri Yoshikawa, a film business staff member at the acting Kanayama Suya Shoten. According to the list, through the Japanese Internet research company MyVoice (located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), 1,000 men and women in their 30~60s who regularly watch Japanese movies are invited to choose 5 movies each.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Chinese edition: Nikkei Chinese website) Eriko Sunayama
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