Japan, Our Homeland
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(officially capitalised as ''JAPAN, Our Homeland'') is a Japanese
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...
film directed by Akio Nishizawa and his second long feature film effort, after his 2004 release '' Nitaboh, the Shamisen Master''. It premiered in 2006 (film festival in Lyon, France), being released theatrically in 2007 in Japan. The film was produced at the animation studio WAO World.


Plot with background

The film is based on an original story by director Nishizawa, who spent his childhood in the setting of the film. The film takes place in the Tokyo neighbourhood of Kiba, where Nishizawa (born in 1942Profile.
Akio Nishizawa's World. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
) was a freshman in junior high school in 1956, the year in which the film takes place."Interview with the Director."
Furusatojapan.com. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
''Japan, Our Homeland'' describes the life in a class of schoolchildren in 6th grade, in an elementary school in Kiba, downtown Tokyo. The year is 1956, some ten years after the end of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and people struggle getting by. A telephone at home is still considered a luxury, and the teachers at school are concerned sometimes with what kind of future will await their pupils. The effects of juvenile delinquency are felt within the whole family, and people still mourn their beloved ones gone missing after the war. In this environment, the school competes for the local choir competition, led by their own musical teacher, Ms. Sakamoto. This competition is seen as one form of bringing pride and togetherness for the school and the local community. The film starts with a new pupil, Shizu, transferring to the school from her hometown Kobe. The film ends with her in a central position, but in another sort of way. At the end of the film, there is a public announcement about Japan finally being able to become a member of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, the announcer mentioning the word for their homeland in the international language of
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
– ''Japan''. Their country is to enter a new era, hopefully one of prosperity.


Cast

* Naoya Sekine (関根直也) as Akira Yanagisawa, class deputy and a bright kid. Afraid of going against the will of the group. * Maika Kawagushi (河口舞華) as Shizu Miyanaga, transfer student from Kobe. Has studied piano and song for some time. Clever but risking to be an outsider in her new class. *
Subaru Kimura , known professionally as , is a German-Japanese actor and rapper. His best-known role is voicing Takeshi Goda in the ''Doraemon'' series, which has spawned numerous specials. Biography Kimura was born in Blankenburg (Harz) and raised in Japan ...
(木村昴) as Gonji "Gon" Abe, a childhood friend of Akira. Sturdily built and the leader of the gang of boys. * Sayaka Hanamura (花村さやか) as Ms. Rieko Sakamoto, a new teacher at school. Teaching music. * Seigo Kuwabara (桑原成語) as Yoshio Kawabata, a schoolboy, member of the boy gang. * Tetsuya Kannami (神南哲也) as Kazuteru "Teru" Yoshimura, a schoolboy, member of the boy gang. * Kengo Kumagai (熊谷健吾) as Hiroshi "Hakase" Sugiura, a learned schoolboy, member of the boy gang. *
Eri Osonoe Eri may refer to: People * Eri (biblical figure) * Eri (given name), a Japanese feminine given name, including lists of people and fictional characters * Eri (king), the progenitor of the Umu-Eri and Umu-Nri-Igbo ancient Nigerian city-states * ...
(小薗江愛理) as Yayoi Tajima, a schoolgirl. * Nana Takada (高田奈々) as Hikaru Goto, a schoolgirl. * Kurumi Honta (本多薫実) as Kimiyo Arima, a schoolgirl. * Yasuo Iwata (岩田安代) as Mr. Ikeno, the school president. * Yogi Ueda (上田洋司) as Mr. Akiyama, a school teacher. *
Masaki Terasoma is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is affiliated with Mausu Promotion. Biography After graduating from Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, Terasoma joined Haiyuza Theatre Company. In 1984, he made his film debut in ''W's Tragedy''. Afte ...
(てらそままさき) as Mr. Takii, a school teacher. *
Masakazu Suzuki is a former Japanese football player and manager. Playing career Suzuki was born in Yamanashi Prefecture on January 1, 1955. After graduating from Nippon Sport Science University, he played for Yamaha Motors (later ''Júbilo Iwata'') from 1977 ...
(鈴木正和) as Masaki Sakamoto, Ms. Sakamoto's brother. Seven years her senior and a moral mentor to her. Disappeared during World War II, as an airforce pilot. *
Takaya Hashi Sharp Takaya Electronics Industry Co. Ltd. is a computer equipment manufacturer mostly owned by Sharp Corporation. Description Some products have been sold directly to original equipment manufacturers under the Takaya brand. One of the many tes ...
(土師孝也) as Genji Yanagisawa, Akiras' father. Hard-working carpenter. *
Hikari Yono may refer to: Places *Hikari Station, a station on Sanyō Main Line in Hikari, Yamaguchi *Hikari, Chiba, a former town in Sousa District, Chiba, Japan *Hikari, Yamaguchi, a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan People *Hikari (name), people and c ...
(よのひかり) as Fukuko Yanasigawa, Akira's mother. * Rumi Nakamura (中村るみ) as Kazuko Yanagisawa, Akira's elder sister. * Kanon Nagashima (永嶌花音) as Reiko Yanagisawa, Akira's younger sister. * Ikkyu Juku (塾一久) as Shizu's father * Keiko Sonoda (園田恵子) as Shizu's mother * Yasuko Hatori (羽鳥靖子) as Owner of Miki stationery store *
Eri Saito Eri may refer to: People * Eri (biblical figure) * Eri (given name), a Japanese feminine given name, including lists of people and fictional characters * Eri (king), the progenitor of the Umu-Eri and Umu-Nri-Igbo ancient Nigerian city-states * ...
(斎藤恵理) as Mrs. Aoki, Akira's neighbour. *
Sayuri Sadaoka is a Japanese voice actress from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Filmography Anime *''The Ancient Magus' Bride'' – Lizbeth Sergeant *'' Another'' – Amane *'' Fruits Basket: 2nd season'' (2020) - Mayuko's Mother (ep 12) *''The Brave of Gold Gold ...
(定岡小百合) as Mrs. Shimazu, the landlady, often lending (not always happily) her telephone to the Yanagawas. *
Yuko Kobayashi is a Japanese actress, voice actress and narrator, currently affiliated with 81 Produce and married to voice actor Mitsuaki Hoshino. Filmography Television animation *'' Attacker You!'' (1984), You Hazuki *''Ranma ½'' (1989), Atsuko, Anna and L ...
(小林優子) as Announcer at the choir competition


Production notes

*12 December 2003 – The production team meets for the first time. They try to visualise Japan in 1956 and talk about the late
Yasujirō Ozu was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He began his career during the era of silent films, and his last films were made in colour in the early 1960s. Ozu first made a number of short comedies, before turning to more serious themes in t ...
, whose films often depict this very era. Coincidentally, the centenary of the birth of Ozu is celebrated this very day. *7 & 20 February 2004 – Development of some of the main characters of the story. *20 February 2004 – Meeting with Mr. Tsutomu Aragai, slated to sing the opening theme of the film. *End of March to July 2004 – Production of storyboards. 1,000 frames of storyboard produced, for a 90-minute long theatrical film. *23 & 25 July 2004 – Recording of ''Doyo'', Japanese traditional children's song. *23 & 25 July 2004 – Creation of animation cels are under way. Some 30 animators are to produce 50,000 hand-drawn cels, based upon the 1,050 storyboard frames. *April 2005 – Colour selection, deciding the colours for the characters' skin tone and clothes, as well as for the sky and other landscape colours. *13–15 October 2005 – The process of photographing all the hand-drawn cels. What remains is the mixing of the film with the sound of voices and the orchestra. *18–25 October 2005 – Recording of the music for the film. *November 2005 – Recording of the dubbing of all the characters' voices.


Release

The first public screening of the film was at the ''Asian Connection'' (Festival de Cinéma Asiatique) in November 2006. The festival was held 7–13 November in
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
, France."The 12th Lyon Asian Film Festival."
Furusatojapan.com. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
Then it had already been pre-screened at the film market of the 11th Pusan International Film Festival the month before.Official website – main page.
Furusatojapan.com. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
On 7 April 2007, the film debuted as a roadshow in 10 cities across Japan.


Home media

The film has been released on DVD or similarly in: *Japan *France (3 September 2008, as ''La Chorale'', Kazé Éd., EAN: 3700091012988) *Germany (by Kazé Germany) *Italy (by ADC Group) *Poland (15 May 2008, as ''Japonia – moja ojcyzna'') *Taiwan (by Mighty Media Co., Ltd"JAPAN, Our Homeland - Movie.".
Jsdvd.com, 26 February 2009. Retrieved 2012-09-08.
)


Awards and nominations

The film won the Junior Jury Award (''Prix du Jeune Public'') as well as the Public Award for Best Animated Film (''Prix du Public du Film d'Animation'') at the 12th ''Festival du Film Asiatique de Lyon''. The prizes were awarded at 12 November 2006.


See also

*
Post-occupation Japan Post-occupation Japan is the period in postwar Japanese history which started when the Allied occupation of Japan ended in 1952 and lasted to the end of the Showa era in 1989. Despite the massive devastation it suffered in the Second World War, ...
* ''
My Neighbor Totoro is a 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten. The film—which stars the voice actors Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, and Hitoshi Takagi—tells the story of a ...
'' (also depicting Japan in the 1950s) * ''
Mai Mai Miracle is a Japanese animated film based on Nobuko Takagi's novelization of her autobiography, ''Maimai Shinko''. It was produced by the animation studio Madhouse, distributed by Shochiku, and directed by Sunao Katabuchi. The film debuted at the Locar ...
'' (see above) * '' Only Yesterday'' (another slice-of-life post-war anime about coming of age) * '' From up on Poppy Hill'' (see above)


References


External links

* * * {{IMDb title, 1718791, Furusato Japan 2006 anime films Films set in Japan Films set in 1956 Japanese animated films