Japanese Film

Lights! Camera! Action! Kumamoto is not the most well-known of Japanese prefectures but it has some fantastic settings for movies such as Mount Aso and Kumamoto Castle. These and others have attracted film directors over the years, either to tell stories about the city and surrounding areas or simply to use the stunning scenery as a great backdrop. Movies can be a wonderful way of promoting places to a wider audience and here is a short selection of releases that have done just that for Kumamoto. Minamata (2020) Let’s start off with a film that very much has Kumamoto at the heart of its tale. “Minamata” is based on true events, starring Johnny Depp as documentary photographer W. Eugene Smith who used his pictures to tell the story of the terrible effects of mercury poisoning on the citizens of Minamata, a bay city in Kumamoto prefecture. The poisoning was caused by a Japanese chemical company discharging untreated waste into the waters for over 30 years, leading to poisoning of thousands of locals – mostly through consumption of contaminated fish. The film was shot in Kumamoto as well as other parts of Japan. Ryuichi Sakamoto provided the music, one of his…