We take a walk through the splendid area that is the heart of Kobe.
We take a stroll along the sea and canals and head downtown.
We chatted to Toshi Shioya, a film director, who has been shooting scenes in Kobe and interviewed Mako Tanaka, the director of the Kobe Film Office.
We visited the scenes of Kobe depicted in famous stories.
Kobe City > photo à•la•Carte > Special Features > Special Features 3
What is the attraction of Kobe as a film location? We got the answers from Toshi Shioya, film director of “Futatabi: Swing me Again” (to be released in autumn 2010), which was filmed on location in Kobe; and Mako Tanaka, director of the Kobe Film Office, which is the first film commission in Japan.
In the film “Futatabi: Swing me Again” produced by director Shioya, a jazzman suffering from leprosy dreamt of performing at live music clubs in Kobe and eventually got back into society. Afterwards he visited his old band members one after another to reorganize the band. Last autumn the film was shot on location in Kobe and it is set for release in autumn 2010. We’ve got a message for Kobe from Toshi Shioya.
I read many books and materials about the dawn of jazz in Japan. During this process I found out that Kobe was the birthplace of jazz in Japan. Since jazz is alive in the citizens’ daily lives here (as can be seen on Kobe Jazz Street), it felt natural to choose Kobe as a film location.
Isn’t Kobe the only place that has both a big city and the suburbs (countryside) within a 30-minute drive of Sannomiya? In any case, I couldn’t sleep well because the time for moving around between shoots was so short! (Laughs) What was remarkable was that the City of Kobe responded to our many urgent needs and requests properly and quickly. This was largely thanks to it being the first film commission in Japan, thus having vast experience of teaming up with many film producers over the years. Lastly, I’d like to express my gratitude once again to registered local extras for their excellent performances and cooperation, which helped us greatly.
Firstly, the hybrid cultural blend of East and West that Kobe has created is something special. No matter where I shot a scene, I could sense an elegant, deep atmosphere in every part of the image. There is no end to the attractive spots that I want to film. So I’m looking forward to shooting them for my next film. The post-earthquake Nagata Shopping Street is one of them; I sensed an innate human strength in the reconstructed streets and the expressions of local people living there.
(c) “Futatabi” Production Committee
An on-location scene at a 100-year-old church / Photo credit: Kobe Film Office
A Scene Shot at Port Island Kita Park. Photo credit: Kobe Film Office
Kenzaburo Kijima, a man of 78.
After 50 years, a man sets out with his grandson for a last trip to fulfill a promise he once made to friends. Toshi Shioya, a gifted director in the field of socially-aware dramas, directed this emotional masterpiece. It depicts the musicians’ minds through outstanding acting by an impressive, talented cast and a number of jazz classics.
Producer: Junichi Kitagawa, Nichiho Marumo, and Masato Kimura
Production: “Futatabi” Production Committee
Cast: Ryohei Suzuki, MINJI, and Sho Aoyagi / Shunji Fujimura, Hiroshi Inuzuka, Mitsuo Sagawa, and Sadao Watanabe / Yuko Kotegawa and Takanori Jinnai / Ichiro Zaitsu
Distributor: GAGA Corporation
To be released nationwide in 2010
Kobe Film Office was established by the City of Kobe in September 2000 to provide assistance in the shooting of films and dramas in Kobe. As the first film commission in the country, it has assisted in producing over 1,500 films, including those in this article. Mako Tanaka has been director of the Kobe Film Office since it was founded, and is very knowledgeable about visual culture. We asked her about the role of the office and the attractions of Kobe.
The Shoot for “First Snow” at Mosaic.
The Film Shoot for “The Negotiator” at Misakikoen Station.
In brief, we provide assistance in producing visual works. We make a list of potential film locations. We obtain permission for the use of streets and facilities for shooting scenes. We provide assistance in location hunting. We arrange local extras. And if a problem arises, we address it. Thus, we assist with the shooting of films and dramas in Kobe in a variety of ways.
I’m originally from the Kansai area and I love Kobe very much. I have worked in the entertainment business and in Kobe, and I wanted to make use of my experience. So I suggested that the City establish a film commission, something which is quite common in the States. That’s how it started. At first, we encountered many new and unfamiliar things. We had many accidents and failures, but as a result of both successes and failures we have accumulated the know-how of our film commission over the past ten years.
The sea, ports, beaches, fishing harbors, rivers, canals, mountains, residential streets, shopping streets, hot springs, sake breweries and more…. Generally speaking, the biggest attraction is that various features and aspects can be shot in Kobe. The big advantages for the location crew are that they can easily move around the city and also that local people are cooperative when films are being shot. Sometimes scenes shot in Kobe are not portrayed as Kobe in the film, but film crews will come back again once they have enjoyed filming on-location scenes in Kobe.
We can show the attractions of Kobe in these film images. Our aim is not simply to have Kobe selected as a film location. Sometimes, what is very ordinary to the people of Kobe looks very fresh to those living elsewhere. We want lots of people to learn about the treasures of Kobe, to visit Kobe, and to make Kobe an increasingly lively city. This is our main aim regarding on-location filming in Kobe.
For the past ten years since “Kobe Film Office” was established and more films were shot on location, Kobe has been increasingly appreciated as a film location. In the future we hope to increase the number of film fans. And we also hope to have more people watch those films and get interested in Kobe city. It is fun to see Kobe’s scenes in a film or a drama and it’s also fun to wander aimlessly around those film locations. We would like to host a hit like “Kazamidori”, a morning serial drama by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), which was televised in 1977 and triggered a boom in foreign residences of Kobe. As a new type of tourism, we hope that film-tourism will take root in Kobe.
Inquiry
Kobe Film Office
c/o Kobe Convention and Visitors Association
Venus Bridge
Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
