Actress Utano Aoi will star in the film Boku no Naka ni Saku Hanabi (The Fireworks That Blossom Within Me).

The film is directed by Yuto Shimizu, who won the Best J. Horror Award at the Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2022 at the young age of 20 for The Soloist. Set in his hometown of Gifu Prefecture, he penned the screenplay after being inspired by his own life experiences. This marks his first feature film as a director.

After a painful incident, protagonist Minoru slowly begins to open up to his family and friends and gradually starts to accept his fear of death, deciding to live entirely in the present. The film focuses on the finite amount of time we have on this earth and Minoru’s knowing that even that nature around him will someday disappear, which is all the more reason to show love while you can. The heroine, Jyuri Mizuishi, is played by Utano Aoi.

Crowdfunding for the film is currently underway.

<Comment from Utano Aoi (Jyuri Mizuishi)>

“Strength and weakness, harshness and gentleness…we must juggle these extremes in order to learn how to live in the midst of unfathomable loneliness and despair. I hope to show all sides of Akari with subtlety. I want to feel the sights, smells, people, and emotions of the city. At the moment, I can already feel the power that the cast and crew are bringing to the filmmaking process. I’m also looking forward to the emotional location. I’m so excited. Please look forward to the film!”

On August 10, the apparel brand tiit tokyo released a short film titled ESCAPE starring model and talent Nagomi.

The film comes prior to tiit tokyo’s first solo pop-up shop at Shibuya PARCO, scheduled to open on August 24. The final scene of the film was filmed at Shibuya PARCO and features the location’s classic symbol–a neon ‘P.’

The story follows a woman who lives a strictly controlled life who, after witnessing an incredible scene, begins planning her escape and a new beginning. Nagomi plays the main character, a female vampire.

ESCAPE was written and directed by fashion event director and filmmaker Hajime Tsuda, who previously worked on the film Daughters. The creative director for tiit tokyo, Sho Iwata, served as fashion director.

『

ESCAPE (Part One)

*Part Two will be released on August 22

Actress Sora Nomoto will star in the film Fanfare, set to premiere on November 17, 2023.

The film tells an emotionally-charged story as two women who have graduated from an idol group struggle to pursue new careers. Sora Nomoto will play the role of Rei Sudo, the former center of the idol group Fun☆Fare who left the group to pursue a career in fashion.

The film will be directed by Ryohei Yoshino, whose works include Spring Has Come (2015) and Eternally Younger Than Those Idiots(2021). The idol music, costumes, and choreography are all original to the film.

Crowdfunding is also underway to support the film’s nationwide release.

Actress Haruhi Ito will star in the upcoming film Matatakimade, which will be screened at Ikebukuro’s cinema rosa for one week only starting August 5.

The film is the fourth from the independent film production company Rune Cinema and follows Kazoku Awase, which received record attendance in 2019 despite its late-night run at cinema rosa. The company’s film Arano no Hate won three awards at the Kadoma International Film Festival in 2020, including Best Film, while Tooi Raimei appeared at numerous domestic and international film festivals and won Best Director at the 2022 Asian Film Festival. Matatakimade tells the story of a family through the events that take place in a single room in an apartment.

Ito will play the role of Chiho Matsui, a childhood friend of the main character Ami Tokita, a popular novelist.

<Comment from Haruhi Ito (Chiho Matsui)>

“What is family? I’ve been thinking about that question since I read Matatakimade. Is it something ambiguous? Something solid, or corrupt, or something that’s warm and occasionally cold? I’ve thought about it so much, yet I haven’t found a complete answer. When you glimpse a family through a single telescope or a single book, I hope you’ll search for the answer too.”

[Summary]

Ami Tokita (Hitomi Maki), a popular novelist, is in the middle of dealing with a divorce settlement over custody of her only child, an elementary school student. One day, a mysterious man (Ryo Ikeda) appears at the apartment where she works, asking to rent a room for the night. Despite pushback from her editor, Reiko Iijima (Karin Nishina), Ami agrees to the man’s request out of curiosity. Strangely, the mysterious man intends to look through a telescope at the apartment building across the street. The next morning, Reiko casually peeks through the telescope left in her room, only to see a small child being abused. Ami’s best-selling novel, titled Snow, Moon and Flowers, tells the story of a young girl who was abused by her mother. Is what happened in the apartment across the street a coincidence? Or was it inevitable?

Tokyo Community Radio (TCR), an online radio platform run by Licaxxx, has announced a new event titled communities. The event will be held at Daikanyama UNIT / Saloon in Tokyo on June 30 and at Osaka JOULE on July 1.

The guest lineup includes re:ni and Laksa, two hot up-and-coming DJs and producers reshaping the UK music scene. The duo has a monthly program on NTS Radio titled re;lax, along with a party series of the same name. In February 2023, they released a new EP, Body Score, on their new label founded to explore music with faster tempos and to carry the torch of UK techno, jungle, dubstep, and grime. Each DJ is also active individually and the two have constantly been in the spotlight.

Music fans are invited to partake in this stunning musical event led by Licaxxx and targeted at the current generation of music makers as they extend beyond Asia and take their activities around the world.

re:lax (re:ni & Laksa)

Licaxxx

On July 7, the film Sensei! Kuchisake-onna desu!, starring Gai Ueno, will open in theaters.

The coming-of-age battle and horror film focuses on the unlikely relationship between an urban legend and a group of high school punks. After three punks steal a motorcycle, they realize that the owner of the bike is none other than a Kuchisake-onna–in Japanese folklore, this is an evil woman with her mouth slit from ear to ear. Gai Ueno plays the role of F1, a member of the high school gang and a hotwiring genius.

<Comment from Gai Ueno (F1)>

“I’m Gai Ueno, and I play the role of F1. Sensei! Kuchisake-onna desu! is truly a film that I want everyone to see. The characters are somehow cute and you’ll immediately love them–I’m confident that this is the cutest-ever Japanese film focused on high school delinquents. Even now, I wonder if I can personally get fired up and serious about the smallest things. Working on this movie reminded me to have the power to believe in myself. Please enjoy the movie and take the time to think back to your high school days! I’ll be waiting for you at the theater.”

<Comment from Director Yuu Nakamoto>

“I guess it’s been about 10 years since I lived in Hiroshima, where I grew up. I’m really interested in motorcycles, and one day, I was just mindlessly driving along the country roads at night. Then, from the other side of the road, I heard a noise…and suddenly, there was a woman wearing a mask walking nearby. I had this intuition…I thought “she’s not from this world,” and in that moment, I lost consciousness. Before I knew it, I was here, directing this film. Hmm…strange, isn’t it?”

【STORY】

High school students Takeshi (Taisei Kido) and F1 (Gai Ueno) work part-time stealing motorcycles and selling them to a gang of delinquents for cash. One day, Ayaka (Reina Kurosaki) decides to join after transferring to the boy’s school, and business booms. While trying to steal a bike parked at a deserted apartment, the group is discovered by a masked woman who seems to be the motorcycle’s owner. In a panic, Takeshi and his friends rush to escape but are quickly overtaken by the woman, who seems to have unbelievable physical abilities far beyond any other human. This woman running 100 meters in 6 seconds is actually the Kuchisake-onna, her mouth slit from ear to ear! What will happen to the group of high schoolers?! And just who is this Kuchisaka-onna?!

ZEROTOKYO, an entertainment mecca known for heating up Tokyo nights, is teaming up with ASOBISYSTEM to create an exciting new party! ASOBIZA, named after the origin of Kabukicho, will be held on April 28.

The lineup includes music artists as well as charismatic figures at the top of their fields in fashion, beauty, and art. Transcending musical genres and generations, this night will embody ZEROTOKYO’s concept of being a true “Entertainment Junction.”

Additional performers may be announced in the future.

The film Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia will be released on March 3, 2023. The 42nd Doraemon movie follows Doraemon, Nobita, and his friends as they venture off to find Utopia, a perfect land in the sky where everyone lines in joy and happiness. They do so using an airship with a time warp function on their adventure, and to commemorate the film’s release, the Flying Doraemon Project began on January 14. A real-life 17-meter-long Doraemon blimp will soon appear in the sky, and fans are being asked to decide on a name for the craft.

The blimp, inspired by the Doraemon movie, will feature popular characters including Nobita, Shizuka, Suneo, and Gian. The blimp is the largest unmanned airship in Japan.

The message of the Flying Doraemon Project is to convey the feeling that in this day and age, children and adults alike can once again look upward and move forward toward their hopes and dreams.

Fans are asked to contribute ideas for the blimps name during the application period. Check the website for more details!

Natsume Mito will star in the upcoming film Kono Chiisana Te (These Small Hands). The film will debut in theaters on April 8.

The movie is an adaptation of the manga series by Mamora Goda, also known for his works Kira Kira Hikaru and Mori no Asagao. The story follows a father who never cared for his daughter and a daughter who has forgotten her father.

This is the feature-length debut of director Hiroyuki Nakada, who previously worked as an assistant director on films such as Love is Light and Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna.

<Comment from Director Hiroyuki Nakada>

“What is a father?

This question came to me as I was watching my newborn son sleep.
Does supporting a family financially make a good father?
Can a man be a father in some other way? Can he do something else?
While I was pondering this, I came across Kono Chiisana Te.
I really wanted to find the answer to my question, so I decided to work on plans for this live-action film.

I hope that everyone who sees this film will take some time to think about their families in this fast-paced world.”

<Story>
Kazuma, an illustrator, lives with his wife Sayuri and their three-year-old daughter Hina.

One night, while Kazuma is drinking with his work buddies, Sayuri gets into an accident and is hospitalized while out shopping.

Kazuma falls asleep at the bar and Hina wakes up alone the next day. She is rescued by the police and placed in an orphanage.

Given his actions, Kazuma can’t take Hina home. Having done nothing to help raise her, he’s decidedly unfit to parent. Sayuri doesn’t wake up, and time continues to pass.

Desperate, Kazuma gradually realizes that there are people who care for him and want the best for his life. Determined, he sets out to repair his bond with his daughter.

When Kazuma visits, however, all Hina can do is cry. Has she forgotten her father’s face?

（Ｃ）映画「この小さな手」製作委員会

Based on the Tsuburaya Productions Gridman live-action tokusatsu series from 1993, the
SSSS.GRIDMAN anime series aired in October 2018. A sequel, SSSS.DYNAZENON, followed in April 2021.

Ahead of the release of GRIDMAN UNIVERSE, an all-new anime film coming in March, both SSSS.GRIDMAN and SSSS.DYNAZENON will be getting compilation films. Each will only be
in theaters for two weeks.

劇場総集編『SSSS.GRIDMAN』

The SSSS.GRIDMAN film will be in theaters starting January 20. Those buying tickets will
receive a special illustration card with a voice drama created by Akira Amemiya, the director of the SSSS series, while supplies last. The title of the drama is Hinekuremono Demo (Even if You’re Cynical) starring Soma Saito (Sho Utsumi) and Hass (Akari Kito).

The newly-revealed illustration card’s design features Yuta Hibiki, Sho Utsumi, Rikka
Takarada, and Akane Shinjo happily snapping photos.

SSSS.DYNAZENON will be released for two weeks starting March 10, and those buying
tickets will also get an illustration card and a special voice drama written by Akira Amemiya.

The SSSS.GRIDMAN compilation film is being directed by Yoshiyuki Kaneko, who served as assistant director on the anime series. The film will show a somewhat new interpretation of the story under his new direction. Both compilation films will include extra footage leading
up to the release of GRIDMAN UNIVERSE on March 24, 2023.

©円谷プロ ©2023 TRIGGER・雨宮哲／「劇場版グリッドマンユニバース」製作委員会

The Mine City Tourism Association has announced a Christmas & Valentine’s Day event at Akiyoshido Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Japan. The event will see the natural wonder illuminated by a number of colorful lights. The Christmas event will run from December 21 to 25, 2022, while the Valentine’s Day event will run from February 10 to 14, 2023.

Akiyoshido Cave is one of Yamaguchi Prefecture’s most popular tourist attractions. The interior will be decorated with colorful lights and unique soundscapes, creating a once-in-a-lifetime setting for visitors. These illuminations and sounds were directed by world-renowned lighting designer Motoko Ishii, known for her work on Tokyo Tower and the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

A story-based digital GPS rally inspired by Chainsaw Man will be held within Tokyo’s subway system from November 1 until November 28. Fans of the anime series won’t want to miss it!

Participants will be tasked with one vital mission: to find five senior devil hunters who are currently undercover at subway stations around the city.

Participants will download an app from the special website and follow the instructions within to find stamp locations at stations throughout Tokyo. When they reach the designated location, they’ll find a special poster, and they’ll just need to press a button in the app to earn a stamp. By collecting stamps in all six locations, fans will receive a unique key visual which can only be obtained through this event. 

Pop-Up Shop

During the event period, fans will also find a limited-time pop-up shop inside Ikebukuro Sunshine City. Original collaboration items will be on sale, and a game will be set up with winners able to walk away with unique prizes. From November 1 to November 20, admission to the shop will be by advance reservation only on a first-come, first-served basis to reduce crowding. Reservations can be made through the official website.

©藤本タツキ／集英社・ＭＡＰＰＡ