The winners of the 37th Japanese Academy Awards were announced on Friday night. I gave a run through of the movies that were up for the major awards back in January, you can read that here. But now on to the winners.
The Great Passage (舟を編む)
Best Picture
Best Director - Yuya Ishi (石井裕也)
Best Actor - Ryuhei Matsuda (松田龍平)
Best Screenplay - Kensaku Watanabe (渡辺謙作)
Best Sound Recording - Hirokazu Kato (加藤大和)
Best Film Editing - Shinichi Fushima (普嶋信一)
The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ)
Best Animation
Best Music - Joe Hisaishi (久石譲)
Like Father, Like Son (そして父になる)
Best Supporting Actor - Lily Franky (リリー・フランキー)
Best Supporting Actress - Yoko Maki (真木よう子)
Sayonara Keikoku (さよなら渓谷)
Best Actress - Yoko Maki (真木よう子)
The Unforgiven (許されざる者)
Best Cinematography - Koichi Watanabe (渡邊孝一)
Ask this of Rikyu (利休にたずねよ)
Best Art Direction - Takashi Yoshida (吉田孝)
The award ceremony for the 37th Japanese Academy Awards will be held in early March. Here is a quick run down on the films nominated for Best Picture.
The Devil's Path (凶悪)(5 Nominations)
Director Kazuya Shiraishi's second feature film. Based on a true story of a convicted murder on death row. Starring Takayuki Yamada in the lead role with a strong support cast including Taki Pierre (ピエール瀧) and Lily Franky (リリー・フランキー).
Also nominated for: Best Director (Kazuya Shiraishi), Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Taki Pierre), Best Supporting Actor (Lily Franky).
A Boy Called H (少年H) (3 Nominations)
Based on the auto-biography of Kappa Senoh (妹尾河童), his real name is Hajime (肇) which is where the H in the title comes from. The story retells his memories of wartime Japan. Young actor Tatsuki Yoshioka (吉岡竜輝) picked up a nomination for Best Newcomer for his performance in the main role. There is an English translation of the book translated by John Bester.
Also nominated for: Best Art Direction, Best Newcomer (Tatsuki Yoshioka).
Like Father, Like Son (そして父になる) (12 Nominations)
Hirozaku Koreeda (是枝裕和) has picked up many international awards for his critically acclaimed direction, but this is his first Japanese Academy Award nomination. Masahara Fukuyama (福山雅治), Machiko Ono (尾野真千子), Yoko Maki (真木よう子), and Lily Franky (リリー・フランキー) all pick up nominations for their portrayal of two couples who deal with the fall out after it is discovered their sons were switched at birth. There is a Hollywood remake in the works being headed up by Steven Spielberg. So check out the original.
Also nominated for: Best Director (Hirozaku Koreeda), Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Masahara Fukuyama), Best Actress (Machiko Ono), Best Supporting Actor (Lily Franky), Best Supporting Actress (Yoko Maki), Best Music, Best Cinematography, Best Lighting, Best Sound Recording, Best Editing.
Tokyo Family (東京家族) (12 Nominations) Yoji Yamada (山田洋次) directed the original film version of The Yellow Handkerchief (幸福の黄色いハンカチ) which won the first Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture, although he didn't pick up the prize for best director. Yamada is well known for his Otoko wa Tsurai yo (男は辛いよ) series of films that spanned 48 releases from 1969 to 1995. Isao Hashizume (橋爪功), Kazuko Yoshiyuki (吉行和子), Satoshi Tsumabuki (妻夫木聡), and Yu Aoi (蒼井優) all got nominations for their performances.
Also nominated for: Best Director (Yoji Yamada), Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Isao Hashizume), Best Actress (Kazuko Yoshiyuki), Best Supporting Actor (Satoshi Tsumabuki), Best Supporting Actress (Yu Aoi), Best Music, Best Cinematography, Best Lighting, Best Sound Recording, Best Editing.
The Great Passage (舟を編む) (13 Nominations) Based on the book by Shion Miura (三浦しをん), and directed by young director Yuya Ishi (石井祐也). The Great Passage was nominated as the Japanese entry into the 86th American Academy Awards for best foreign film, but failed to make the short-list. The cast also picking up several nominations, including Ryuhei Matsuda (松田龍平), Aoi Miyazaki (宮崎あおい), Joe Odagiri (オダギリジョー), and Haru Kuroki (黒木華).
Also nominated for: Best Director (Yuya Ishi), Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Ryuhei Matsuda), Best Actress (Aoi Miyazaki), Best Supporting Actor (Joe Odagiri), Best Music, Best Cinematography, Best Lighting, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Recording, Best Editing, Best Newcomer (Haru Kuroki).
Ask this of Rikyu (利休にたずねよ) (9 Nominations) Based on the historical novel by Kenichi Yamamoto (山本兼一). Features kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa (市川海老蔵) in the main role of Rikyu Senno (千利休) from ages 19 to 69, and for which he received a best actor nomination. Miki Nakatani (中谷美紀) also received a nomination for best actress.
Also nominated for: Best Actor (Ebizo Ichikawa), Best Supporting Actress (Miki Nakatani), Best Music, Best Cinematography, Best Lighting, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Recording, Best Editing.
It's difficult to capture the nuance of the title in English. The original Japanese title "桐島、部活やめるってよ" is an unusual title that uses a casual form of Japanese as spoken by the high school students around which the drama unfolds.
The original novel by Ryo Asai released in 2010, features 6 intertwined short stories following 6 students and their inter-relationships. It is probably one of the most accurate depictions of social hierarchy of Japanese high school, and highlights the importance of club activities in defining a students self worth, and sense of belonging. Hiroki who is close friends with Kirishima, a gifted athlete and popular student. Apathetically avoids training, or being a member of the baseball club, even though he would be the first student picked for the team. Fusuke is the reserve ribero (defensive position in volleyball) who is unexpectedly thrown into the spotlight when Kirishima is absent during an important tournament game. Aya is the leader of the brass band as the band prepares for a big recital. Ryoya is the head of the movie club which commands little respect from the other students begins to gain some recognition after winning a local film award. Mika is a member of the softball club, she is dealing with the death of her father and the effect this has on her and her step mother. Quite often through out the novel references to music (aiko, Chatmonchy), movies (All About Lily Chou-Chou), fashion and current trends really seems to ground the novel in reality. The novel was re-released in 2012 with an additional chapter from the point of Kasumi about her relationship with Ryoya, when they were junior high school students. The relationship forms an integral part of Ryoya's story earlier in the novel. I wrote about the movie adaptation back in March. Directed by Daihachi Yoshida (吉田大八) , it won Best Picture and Best Director at the 36th Japanese Academy Awards. Featuring a superb cast of young actors and actresses including Ryunosuke Kamiki (神木隆之介) as Ryoya, head of the movie club, and Ai Hashimoto (橋本愛) as Kasumi, a member of the badminton club who was the subject of the added chapter in the 2012 re-release of the book. Some of the relationships in the movie have changed from the book, due to pacing. But I think the changes that have been made improve the cohesion of the story as a movie, even if I do prefer the additional insight provided by the more in depth back story in the novel. The movie adaptation is most noticeable for changing the focus from the characters, to the pacing of the story. The same day's story is told from several characters' point of view before moving on to the next day's events. The complete story builds up slowly as the individual character's motivations and relationships are uncovered. This unusual telling of the story makes this a deserved winner of the Japanese Academy Award.
