Vol.10: CINEMATIC TOKYO

Welcome to TOKYO BEAT – a special series by your trusty Tokyo Tourism Representative (New York Office) that aims to provide you with story ideas and inspiration. Since the Japanese film industry rose to prominence over a century ago, Tokyo has been the setting for some famous films, both Japanese and American. With the Tokyo International Film Festival (Oct. 25 – Nov. 3) in the vibrant Roppongi Hills district soon to begin, now is a good time to take a look at some film-related locations throughout Tokyo.

Classic Tokyo Time Capsules When it comes to classic films that offer a good look at Tokyo, no other movie may be as significant as Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953). In the film, an elderly couple takes a vacation to Tokyo to visit their children, only to face disillusionment. The film has a lot of establishing shots revealing Tokyo 65 years ago; while many of the locations have been redeveloped, one can still take a Hato BusTour, visit Matsuya Ginza, and sit on the riverbank on Arakawa to reflect your experiences as the elderly parents once did. Tampopo (1985), the ‘ramen western’ (a play on the ‘spaghetti western) comedy, is another Tokyo gem, satirizing the food culture of the 1980’s boom-time Japan. While locations aren’t explicitly specified, it is believed that the ramen joint is modeled after the one in Ogikubo, a mecca of ramen in Tokyo. Fans can savor the version of Omurice (fluffy omelet over chicken rice) that appears in the film at Taimeiken under the name, Tampopo Rice.

Outside In, and In Between Tokyo has inspired American filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, whose obsession with Japanese samurai, revenge, and anime films is showcased in Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003). When his film’s antihero travels from the US to Japan so that she can exact her revenge on a female yakuza boss, she famously speeds across Rainbow Bridge in Minato Ward on a motorcycle. But it’s the restaurant Gonpachi in Nishiazabu that is best remembered, as its multi-level interiors were recreated for the climactic fight scenes. Also released that same year was Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, which – along with its iconic shot of the famed Shibuya Crossing – helped popularize Suntory Whiskey and made the piano bar New York Bar at Shinjuku’s Park Hyatt Hotel a popular destination. The shabu- shabu restaurant Shabuzen in Shibuya is still open for business, and karaoke lovers recreate Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson’s songs at Karaoke Kan in Shibuya (though the chain has multiple locations throughout Tokyo).

New Award Winners Other recent films that have made an international splash recreate Tokyo in different ways. The anime Your Name. (2016) by Makoto Shinkai, the highest grossing film (live or anime) in Japan that year, connected with global audiences with its time traveling, identity-swapping love story. Fans can visit the café at the National Art Center in Roppongi like the characters do, but many more are flocking to Suga Shrine in Shinjuku, where one of the most hopeful, yet tear-inducing scenes takes place. Finally, there is Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005), the 2006 Japan Academy Prize-winning film by Takashi Yamazaki that recreated 1950’s Tokyo to stunning effect in CG. While the Yuhi (sunset) district no longer exists, visitors can visit Tokyo Tower, which looms in the movie’s background as a symbol of the country’s post-war economic growth. Tickets to the tower’s two observation decks are available all year round, and offer views of the city that have been enjoyed for decades.

For more information about Tokyo in the movies, contact press@tokyo-nyc.com or call 917-200-4887. For general information on traveling in Tokyo, head to TokyoTokyo.jp and Gotokyo.org/en/