37th Japanese Academy Awards - Winners

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)

Sayonara Keikoku

Based on the 2008 novel of the same name by celebrated author Shuichi Yoshida (吉田修一). Sayonara Keikoku (Farewell Canyon さよなら渓谷) tells the story of a mother, Satomi (An Suzuki 鈴木杏), who is accused of murdering her young son after his body is found discarded along side a picturesque mountain stream. Her arrest brings to light her relationship with her neighbours Kanako (Yoko Maki 真木よう子) and Shunsuke Oszaki (Shima Onishi 大西信満). Directed by up and coming director Tatsushi Omori (大森立嗣).

Sayonara Keikoku is the second work by Shuichi Yoshida to see a feature film release this year. The first released earlier this year was Yokomichi Yonosuke (横道世之介) staring Kengo Kora (高良健吾) and Yuriko Yoshitaka (吉高由里子), directed by Shuichi Okita (沖田修一).

But it was the Japanese Academy Award winning Akunin (悪人) that brought the writing of Shuichi Yoshida to a worldwide audience. With a masterful performance by the lead actor Satoshi Tsumabuki (妻夫木聡), co-staring Eri Fukatsu (深津絵里), and directed by Saniru Li (李相日).