By 2024-12-23T07:30:00+00:00 the Japanese director of Oscar-nominated animated feature Mirai which will be co-produced and co-financed by Sony Pictures The animated film will be produced by Hosoda’s Studio Chizu and Nippon TV telling the story of “a brave princess who transcends time and space” It marks the first time Sony Pictures has teamed with acclaimed animation outfit Studio Chizu which has produced Hosoda’s hit features Wolf Children Sony Pictures will distribute Scarlet globally with the film’s US release set for winter 2025 Toho will handle theatrical distribution in Japan Producers are Studio Chizu co-founder Yuichiro Saito Toshimi Tanio of Nippon TV and Nozomu Takahashi Studio Chizu Hosoda is one of Japan’s most renowned animation directors He began his career at Toei Animation in 1991 as an animator before making his feature directorial debut in 1999 with Digimon Adventure followed by Digimon Adventure: Our War Game which proved a sleeper box office hit and was the first winner of the newly established Japan Academy Prize for best animation He won the same prize in 2010 with Summer Wars which also performed strongly at the box office and screened at Locarno and the Berlinale After establishing Studio Chizu with producer Saito in 2011 he wrote and directed Wolf Children (2012) and The Boy and the Beast (2015) His work on 2018’s Mirai secured an Oscar nomination for best animated feature premiered at Cannes in 2021 and became the highest-grossing film of his career of which $58m came from its release in Japan where it ranked as the third biggest title of the year Oscar winner proposing federal tax incentives Monday’s statement to reporters follows Truth Social The posting on Trump’s Truth Social platform is sending shockwaves around the world Bookmark this page and keep track of the latest film release dates in the UK & Ireland Bookmark this page to keep track of all the latest festival dates EXCLUSIVE: Film shoots in Dublin and Dundalk this summer Screen International is the essential resource for the international film industry access to the Screen International archive and supplements including Stars of Tomorrow and World of Locations Site powered by Webvision Cloud Academy Award-winning distributor GKIDS announced today that beginning this year Studios all-new 4K UHD releases of award-winning director Mamoru Hosoda’s early film catalog The first titles in the series to receive a reissue are the Oscar-nominated director’s seminal 2009 feature Summer Wars and critically lauded 2012 hit Wolf Children The new home entertainment releases will be presented with brand new artwork in a 4K UHD SteelBook version a standard Blu-ray issue and on digital download-to-own platforms New issues for Summer Wars will be released on April 1 (pre-order here) and Wolf Children on August 5 (pre-order here) GKIDS announced it had acquired the North American distribution rights to Hosoda’s catalog of films GKIDS previously released the Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated Mirai (2018) and the critically acclaimed Belle (2021) which became Hosoda’s highest grossing film to date in North America The director’s six features have all been nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for “Animation of the Year.” Hosoda remains the only Japanese director outside of the famed Studio Ghibli to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Learn more at HosodaCollection.com the virtual reality world that powers everyday life until pretty and popular Natsuki recruits him to be her fake boyfriend While posing as an affluent suitor to Natsuki’s family Kenji finds that a rogue AI program has stolen his online identity and Kenji is accused of hacking OZ and causing real-world catastrophes As the destruction in OZ throws Natsuki’s family into disarray Kenji must unite his newfound connections to overcome an impending cyber apocalypse College student Hana falls in love with a “wolf man” and together they have two half-human, half-wolf children, Ame and Yuki. 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Your Ads Privacy ChoicesIMDb The Academy Award-nominated Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda‘s new animated feature Scarlet is being co-produced and co-financed by Sony Pictures, Studio CHIZU Sony Pictures will distribute the film globally The animation studio co-founded by Hosoda and producer Yuichiro Saito in 2011 is the first time Sony Pictures has collaborated with Studio CHIZU and Nozomu Takahashi are all part of the film’s production team Hosoda’s journey in animation began at Toei Animation in 1991 After directing Digimon Adventure (1999) and its sequel Digimon Adventure: Our War Game he gained widespread recognition with The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006) The film captured the inaugural Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation and launched a string of successful features including Summer Wars(2009) which earned him an Annie Award nomination for Best Director and screened at the Berlin International Film Festival Hosoda has developed his creative vision through Studio CHIZU which was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the Oscars is dedicated to the development and production of animated films with a stated objective of exploring new creative territories in animation Even though the story isn’t disclosed yet Scarlett is a princess of a certain country and the fact that she carries a sword at her waist may give the film a fantasy worldview which is unusual for a film directed by Hosoda “19 years have passed since “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time The birth of a strong princess who transcends time and space” it seems that the story will be related to time and space like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time the Academy Award®-winning producer and distributor of acclaimed and artist-driven animation from around the world announced today it has acquired theatrical and home video rights for North America to the critical and box office sensation LOOK BACK Directed and adapted for the screen by Kiyotaka Oshiyama the film is based on the critically acclaimed original… Photo by Nobuhiro Hosoki Academy Award-winning animation distributor GKIDS has acquired the North American distribution rights to the entire film catalog of a Japanese director Mamoru Hosoda “One of GKIDS’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of ‘Summer Wars,’ when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one… Nominations have been announced for the 50th annual Annie Awards which honor special achievements by animated filmmakers Netflix garnered the lion’s share of nominations with a total of 50 in the feature and series categories Leading the pack is Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio which earned nine nominations on the heels of its Golden… We’re less than forty-eight hours away from the start of the 74th Cannes Film Festival but a new film has been officially added to the lineup Animation fans will be excited to learn that director Mamoru Hosoda’s latest is now officially a premiere selection slated for July 15th and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" @Courtesy of Peacock Poker face :Starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale the casino worker with an uncanny ability to spot liars the show follows her escapades as she evades the dangerous casino head of security Cliff LeGrand (portrayed by Benjamin Bratt) and uncovers various killers Charlie’s back on the lam after a new twist of… ©Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics  Director Gareth Evans has hinted that he may indeed be making a third installment in The Raid series following up on the original release in 2011 and its 2014 sequel The Raid 2.The filmmaker was quoted in Entertainment Weekly as saying,… Courtesy of Paramount Pictures Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning‘s underwater scenes were filmed by Tom Cruise and film crew members The upcoming film stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt ©Courtesy of Rolling Pictures Fighting against any obstacle in order to report the news without fear of death or reprisal is an admirable sign of the world’s most courageous journalists is a prime example of such an innovative writer Her story is chronicled in the new biographical movie,… Y"},"category":false,"taxonomy":{"active":false,"name":"category"}},"markup":{"custom_html":true,"wpp-start":"","wpp-end":"<\/ul>","title-start":"","title-end":"<\/h2>","post-html":"{thumb} {title} {stats}<\/span><\/li>"},"theme":{"name":""}} The songbook Studio Chizu Music Journey Vol 2 – Masakatsu Takagi: Uta no Jikan will be released on CD on April 30 (Wednesday) and on LP on October 1 (Wednesday) who composed music for Studio Chizu films directed by Mamoru Hosoda It includes 13 tracks from the three films with lyrics written by various artists Studio Chizu Music Journey at Billboard Live Masakatsu Takagi “Uta no Jikan” will be held on May 17 (Saturday) at Billboard Live OSAKA in Umeda and on May 31 (Saturday) at Billboard Live YOKOHAMA in Kanagawa and Saeho Terao (only in Yokohama) will join as guest vocalists to perform “Uta” alongside Takagi and the band Tickets for the performance will go on sale for Club BBL and Corporate Members from noon on March 29 (Saturday) This will be followed by a special pre-sale through ePlus starting on March 31 (Monday) and general sales through Billboard Live from April 5 (Saturday) 2025Price: CD 3,300 yen (tax included) / LP 4,950 yen (tax included)Item number: CD SICL-30070 / LP SIJP-1162Participating artists: Clemontine Asahi ni wa Hoshi wo Tadoritte with Mamiko Kado06 Mada Umaretemo Inai Daichi kara with Saeho Terao07 Note: The CD is high-quality Blu-spec CD2 format Studio Chizu Music Journey at Billboard Live Masakatsu Takagi “Uta no Jikan” [Billboard Live Osaka] (Two performances per day)2025/5/17 (Saturday)1st Stage: Doors open 15:00 Performance starts 16:002nd Stage: Doors open 18:00 [Billboard Live Yokohama] (Two performances per day)2025/5/31 (Saturday)1st Stage: Doors open 15:00 Members:Masakatsu Takagi (Piano)Yoko Kumazawa (Violin)Taro Kishimoto (Flute etc.)Naoko Sato (Percussion)Joji Sawada (Bass) Guest Artists:Ann Sally (Vocals)Hana Hope (Vocals)Saeho Terao (Vocals) Only in Yokohama Ticket Prices (Food and drinks not included)[Osaka]Box Seat: ¥23,300 (Pair sales)S Reserved Seat: ¥11,100R Reserved Seat: ¥10,000Casual Seat: ¥9,500 (Includes 1 drink) [Yokohama]DX Seat Counter: ¥11,100S Reserved Seat: ¥11,100R Reserved Seat: ¥10,000Casual Center Seat: ¥10,600 (Includes 1 drink)Casual Side Seat: ¥9,500 (Includes 1 drink) Release Dates:2025/3/29 (Saturday) 12:00 PM = Club BBL Members & Corporate Members Pre-sale (Billboard Live)2025/3/31 (Monday) 12:00 PM = ePlus Special Pre-sale (ePlus)2025/4/5 (Saturday) 12:00 PM = General Sale & Guest Members (Billboard Live) NiEW Best Music is a playlist featuring artists leading the music scene and offering alternative styles in our rapidly evolving society the NiEW editorial team proudly curates outstanding music that transcends size The film will center on a strong princess named Scarlet who crosses space-time Hosoda is directing the film and writing the screenplay and is also credited for the original work Hosoda stated the film is not 2D animation or "Hollywood-style CG," and he is aiming for a completely new look Hosoda also stated the film will have a different feel to his past works and will also have action and romance elements He added that the film is based on a "global classic." Comic Natalie noted that since The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Hosoda's films have previously opened in Japan in summer Source: Studio Chizu's X/Twitter account, Comic Natalie Director Mamoru Hosoda’s new movie, Scarlet (Japanese title: Hateshinaki Scarlet), has been officially announced for a Winter 2025 release. Known for movies like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006), Summer Wars (2009), and Belle (2021) Hosoda is once again taking on the roles of director a “strong princess who transcends time and space,” as its central character While the Japanese title translates to The Endless Scarlet the official English title has been confirmed as Scarlet Hosoda has revealed that Scarlet draws inspiration from a well-known classic following a trend seen in his previous work which re-imagined Beauty and the Beast in a modern Although Hosoda has not revealed the specific work that inspired the new movie he noted that it is a “world-famous work on par with Beauty and the Beast.”The story will also include a second key character and Hosoda has described the movie as incorporating elements of a “road movie” and a “buddy story.” The movie will focus on the journey of two contrasting characters who deepen their bond through shared experiences.Themes of human relationships are expected to play a prominent role once again with the director hinting that this movie will explore these themes more deeply than before Mamoru Hosoda teased that the Scarlet movie will feature a distinctive style relying neither on traditional 2D animation nor Hollywood-style CG as Studio Chizu seeks to create a completely fresh look The innovative visuals are expected to match the scale of the story Studio Chizu producer Yuichiro Saito confirmed that Scarlet will be distributed in Japan by Toho with Sony Pictures handling the movie’s international release signaling a significant push to bring the movie to a global audience.Hosoda stated that the movie is intended to resonate with viewers worldwide by addressing universal emotions and challenges “I believe animation has the potential to explore new possibilities and tell stories that connect deeply with audiences,” Hosoda said The movie also aims to explore how individuals can find hope and strength to move forward in a chaotic and uncertain world Film Review 80th Anniversary Announcement We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively None too close to the outside.\u201D - The Aviator (2004) Studio Chizu's reworking of Beauty and the Beast makes for a timely fairy tale Mamoru Hosoda had founded Studio Chizu which produced his Oscar-nominated feature Mirai in 2018 and now gives us his latest work I missed Mirai but was suitably bowled over by Belle which gives us animation at its most spectacular Hosoda is also the writer here and he has created a work which brilliantly blends traditional elements with concerns that could not be more contemporary The full length version of the title is Belle: The Dragon and the Freckled Princess an indication in itself that this tale draws on the familiar tale of Beauty and the Beast is an ordinary freckled schoolgirl named Suzu and aged seventeen She is well aware that other girls such as Ruka are more popular and more glamorous than she is Suzu has to cope with her own insecurities which have grown out of her deep sense of loss and betrayal (her mother had drowned trying to rescue a child in danger and young Suzu had been unable to escape the notion that this tragedy meant that her mother had valued the life of this young stranger over that of her daughter) takes an interest in Suzu and she has a best friend in Hiro but her feeling of not being worthy becomes a major factor in encouraging her to partake in an internet game which is all the rage Those who join up for it enter the world of ‘U’ that being a massive virtual world in which each member can become an avatar a glamorous figure with a great voice who becomes the nemesis of Peggy Sue the favoured performer who until then had been an idol in ‘U’ It is also in this world that Suzu encounters a threatening and violent figure known as The Dragon who is treated by others – notably by the flying superheroes of ‘U’ who call themselves the Justices and are led by Justin – as an evil figure who should be destroyed Suzu in her online persona as Belle is drawn to him sensing that he is in pain and takes his side All of this feeds on the legend of Beauty and the Beast while also evoking distinct thoughts of The Wizard of Oz – ‘U’ like Oz is a dream world which promises much (the publicity claims that in contrast to people in the real world those in ‘U’ can always start over and that it provides the chance to have a new life Yet the real fascination of Belle lies in the way that it combines with this exciting vision of a fantasy world so many issues to be found now in our own technological age which finds so many youngsters being drawn into the internet universe by showing how Justin and his Justices cannot be trusted it echoes the deceit that can be practised in the world of the internet.A minor subplot involving a student who is a solo canoeist hesitant in his relationships with others is might well have gained from a little trimming The animation is of a very high quality and the visual impact is considerable but above all what creates such a strong impact is the fusion of the fantastical and imaginative with recognisably serious issues of the day the latter meaningful to children and adults alike may realise that in truth home is the better place to be but it's a theme treated here in strictly 21st-century terms.Original title: Ryû to sobakasu no hime.This review is based on viewing the film with subtitles but a dubbed version is also available.MANSEL STIMPSONJapanese voices  Kaho Nakamura Studio Chizu/BookWalker/Dentsu/Kadokawa/Toho Company-National Amusements.121 mins FilmReviewDaily@gmail.com © 2015 - 2025 FILM REVIEW. All rights reserved. Privacy Notice Mamoru Hosoda’s film ‘Scarlet’ is set to be released in the winter of 2025 This film marks Hosoda’s first new work in approximately four years following ‘Belle’ and is his next project after celebrating the 15th anniversary of ‘Summer Wars.’ Hosoda serves as the director The film is a collaborative production between Studio Chizu with worldwide distribution handled by SPE featuring a striking image of a woman with red hair standing under a gradient sky and Original Story: Mamoru HosodaRelease: Winter 2025Credits: ©2025 Studio Chizu / International Credits: ©2025 STUDIO CHIZU Sony Pictures Entertainment has taken on the quest to globally distribute Scarlet the new time-traveling animated fantasy from Oscar-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda (Belle Sony will co-produce and co-finance the pic with Hosoda’s Studio Chizu and Nippon TV theatrical release planned for Winter 2025 Toho is handling theatrical release in Japan Scarlet will center on “a princess who transcends time and space.” The project is produced by co-founder Yuichiro Saito and Nozomu Takashi for Studio Chizu In addition to the Best Animated Feature Oscar-nominated Japan Academy Film Prize- and Annecy Prize-winning Mirai and most recent (and highest-grossing) pic Hosoda’s filmography includes Wolf Children Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt through Time all of which were also awarded Animation of the Year by the Japan Academy Hosoda directed Digimon: The Movie and One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island for Toei Sony Pictures will release the highly anticipated new animated film ‘Scarlet’ from Academy Award-nominated animation director Mamoru Hosoda with Studio CHIZU and Nippon TV in the US winter 2025. pic.twitter.com/4FPtEFK2En — Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) December 23, 2024 We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns 2019 at 2:17 pm PDTPortland's sushi-style cheese counter is letting go of its brick-and-mortar shop in downtown Portland Owned by Steve Jones, who also operates the nationally renowned Cheese Bar in Southeast Portland wedges and chunks of cheese sourced from across the globe While you could order as many individual portions as you'd like what really set Chizu apart was its omakase option where the cheesemongers used their expertise to create a unique Related: Jones Dreams of Chizu. You can still get your cheese fix at the downtown storefront through Sunday Cheese Bar will remain open and Chizu gift certificates will be honored at that location or future Chizu pop-ups As first reported by Portland Monthly, a cart that's been elevating a campfire favorite for nearly four years, 1927 S'mores Company Expect a menu that features classic torch-fired gooey graham cracker sandwiches along with seasonal specials and savory and boozy offerings A portion of the business's profits will be donated to Oregon's foster care community Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today. Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today. By 2024-01-16T10:40:00+00:00 Charades has taken on worldwide sales rights outside of Japan for anime master Mamoru Hosoda’s library and has partnered with acclaimed animation house Studio Chizu to expand the brand across borders Hosada’s full library will now be consolidated under the Charades banner after the two powerhouse companies previously joined forces for sales on the filmmaker’s Oscar-nominated 2018 coming-of-age anime Mirai and 2021 metaverse fairytale Belle that premiered in Cannes and was a box office hit in Japan The accord adds Hosoda’s previous films including his first official title for Studio Chizu The Wolf Children The Boy And The Beast that earned $49m at the Japanese box office in 2015 2009 multiple award-winning Summer Wars that screened at Locarno and Annecy Cristal award winner The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Charades said it has already initiated talks with key territories to bring Hosoda’s collection to a broader audience and the aim of the deal is to develop a cohesive global Studio Chizu brand and turn releases into events Studio Chizu was launched in 2011 by Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito and has become a leading global animation outfit.  who has worked with Saito and Hosoda since 2015 hit The Boy And The Beast said of the deal: “Charades has always been looking at the future and Mamoru Hosoda’s films are ageless so we felt there are still many major international audiences who are lucky enough to now be able to discover his films for the first time.” EXCLUSIVE: Film will release in cinemas this summer Company’s latest foray into genre will open theatrically on October 10 The extended version of Anselm Chan’s ‘The Last Dance’ also picked up two awards I am a member of a once despised minority group who spent three-and-a-half years incarcerated in an American concentration camp during World War II the impact of that experience on my life and its broader implications for American society resonate deeply to this day roughly 10 percent of the adult “alien” men on the West Coast (Japan-­born persons being ineligible for ­citizenship) were picked up by the FBI as potentially dangerous and interned by the Justice Department effectively robbing the community of leadership We had been under surveillance for quite a while None ever were convicted of a crime or act of sabotage though many were held for years in captivity but the distinction meant nothing at the time and I — was sent to Poston in southwestern Arizona geographically the largest of the 10 War Relocation Authority (WRA) camps where American Japanese were held spent the better part of four years in desolate areas where we were monitored and our tar-paper barracks were so flimsy I remember wind and dust storms so strong that rooftops were torn off Perhaps even more of a shock to me than the prison-like conditions was the fact that for the first time in my life I was living totally surrounded by others of Japanese descent with a scattering of Mexican-American kids Although I was one of the few American Japanese in my small town my farm upbringing contrasted sharply with the sophistication and clothes of the American-Japanese kids from Los Angeles and other cities My mother disapproved of the camp’s faster growing-up process She wasn’t sure about my going to the parties and dances that were a big part of teen life at the camp and she did not want me to have a brassiere or wear makeup We had the trappings of society like schools My father did some woodcarving while my mother took sewing lessons I spent a lot of time reading books from the library The usual social hierarchy was turned upside down with the elders stripped of power and the young freer to pursue their interests It was the pettiness of life in camp that got to me Almost every aspect of everyone’s life was known to all and this promoted a culture of gossip and rumor mongering with whispers and speculations about others filling our time it was a manifestation of the cramped living conditions A group formerly known for hard work and pride in our accomplishments was reduced to committing little acts of rebellion aimed generally at the government and administration who were oppressing us People “stole” wood scraps to make furniture and pilfered food from the mess halls Many did not feel that manual work was worth doing and slacked off and quit their “jobs.” My father “borrowed” a tractor and took a mob of kids to the Colorado River I was too young and naive to understand the bigger picture but the smaller world I inhabited was beset with contradictions a white schoolteacher from Massachusetts ordered us to memorize a Marc Antony speech from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones.” We labored mightily to master those lines and dozens more who listened to Japanese propaganda broadcasts on smuggled-in radios Reports of Japanese victories would elicit some cheers Clumps of men would discuss the latest “news,” sneering at those who didn’t believe severely criticizing those who remained loyal to the U.S Our community was caught up in this international war at a particularly sensitive period My parents’ generation was still culturally old country I joined the Girl Scouts and edited the junior high newspaper it was customary to send children to Japanese school because many believed that eventually they were going to return to their home country we attended an hour of Japanese lessons each day I perfected my calligraphy and reading and writing but the authoritarian style and emphasis on obedience went against what we were learning in the American school Even though most of us spoke Japanese at home with our parents typical of the American immigrant experience because no Issei (immigrant generation) were allowed any leadership roles in the camps the block managers and elected members of the camp councils were all young people who had been born on American soil This powerlessness of the older men was manifest in continuous grumbling about how callow and ill-prepared for leadership the young were A call by the Japanese American Citizens League (composed of young men and women who acted as the liaison between the people and the government) to allow young men to serve in the American military to prove their loyalty provoked intense conflict but I know that my parents thought that to send our youth to fight for this country I had cousins who “resisted,” refusing to comply with draft orders and I also had an uncle who served as an officer in the Army These divisions in the camp were reflected in my family my father decided that he would apply for repatriation feeling that prospects would be better in Japan authoritarian style of Japanese society in my own family and others to know that I didn’t want to be a Japanese woman but nothing I did would change their minds As the war wound down I watched as friends left my father learned that there was nothing to go back to He changed his mind and we resettled in Oceanside we never talked about the camp experience in a serious way He started farming again but wasn’t very successful Two years later my mother died of bleeding ulcers I was relieved that the ordeal was over and determined to put it out of my mind I protested the Vietnam War and was active in the civil rights movement The wars against Korea and Vietnam made me very aware of American attitudes toward Asians and the topic of camp came up from time to time I ran into a therapist at a party who questioned me about my experience and I brushed it off as not very important telling me how formative those early adolescent years were and when a movement for redress began to take shape I joined in and worked at the legislative level and as a named plaintiff in a court case that went to the Supreme Court I learned that the most damaging event that occurred in the camps was a so-called “loyalty questionnaire” administered in 1943 It was used to separate the “loyal” from the “disloyal.” It was a poorly designed instrument On the question of agreeing to serve in the American military to say no was to automatically designate “disloyalty.” My cousins said no and were charged with being draft dodgers After the government turned the camp at Tule Lake into a segregation center for all “disloyals” and troublemakers I watched friends loaded onto trucks to be taken there our family should have been sent there as well — I never learned why we were not we were very good at adapting and melting into the American middle class earning the label of “model minority.” In my own case distanced myself from the American-Japanese community and the issue of identity has always dogged us: Can we truly be American and one would think that Poston would be a fading memory seeking a better understanding of our history Though I have spent my years in white society and my children are half white I am certain that given particular circumstances I could be targeted again for my political views for my religion or being a member of a group identified as other I don’t think that our Founding Fathers really meant to extend equality to everybody but the words and sentiments remain part of our Constitution and it is necessary to remind us about what happened to me and 120,000 other Americans Chizu Omori is a freelance journalist and co-producer of the documentary Rabbit in the Moon with her sister Emiko Omori chronicling the experiences of Japanese Americans in WWII internment camps This essay is part of What It Means to Be American a partnership of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and Zócalo Public Square This article is featured in the May/June 2017 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art Originally published at Zócalo Public Square (zocalopublicsquare.org) “More than two-thirds of the people force to live in the internment camps were U.S I like share this story with my good old neightbor of Fountain Valley who herself was once confined in this camp Oakland writer ChizuOmori and her family were among the near 120,000 Japanese Americans forced to leave their homes and relocate to incarceration camps during World War II Omori was just 12 years old when she was sent to Poston Now in her late eighties,Omori's part of a group of Japanese Americans activists here in the Bay Area called the Nikkei Resisters, who use the legacy of their incarceration to fuel their message Chizu and the Nikkei Resisters are hosting an event called “Why We Remember the Japanese American Incarceration” this Sunday in San Francisco’s Japantown This story originally aired in February 2018 The game’s official logo was also revealed these elements are connected to the game’s story A teaser website and the official Twitter account are also live Nijigasaki High School Idol Club: TOKIMEKI no Mirai Chizu has yet to be announced Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without acknowledgment of Gematsu is prohibited Use of this site is governed by all applicable laws Website by 44 Bytes Starting out as an animator at the studio now renowned for Dragon Ball Z the early days of Mamoru Hosoda’s directorial career were spent in the company of powerhouse franchises Digimon and One Piece International attention first came calling for Mamoru Hosoda and the release of time-travelling romance film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Mamoru Hosoda has not only earned a global fandom with award-winning films like Summer Wars It was those experiences that inspired his fifth independent feature film The story of a family adapting to the arrival of a new baby Mirai holds the honour of being the first anime film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival Ahead of the film’s release in the United Kingdom and Ireland next month I had the opportunity to talk with Mamoru Hosoda about Mirai What inspired you to make “family” a central theme of your recent films and are there any relationships you’re hoping to explore in a future one people think that the films are family-centric but actually what I try to make movies about is childhood But obviously when you’re working on a movie about children I wanted to make a movie from a small child’s perspective of the world so the central characters of your movies are getting younger and younger so how young are they going to be for the next film?” I think four years old is the youngest I think it will go With your experiences as a father inspiring Mirai do you think it’s important for an artist to reflect a part of themselves in their work I think it’s not about importance; it’s more like a necessity all the people I was influenced by were artists or filmmakers in different countries – people who are far away So I used to find that whatever was happening around me was mundane I actually wonder why I used to admire these people who are far away. I came across with an idea that they used to create something out of their own lives so I think that what you may find mundane in your everyday life actually aren’t and they’re all kinds of things you can take inspiration from I think it’s more like a necessity that my experience is reflected onto my art I really liked the depiction of Kun’s parents in the film as they had their own struggles with the arrival of Mirai What inspired their dynamic and development in the film Many of these dialogues are based on actual discussions I had with my missus proper and they’re bringing up immature children it’s not like that and I think your parents are not necessarily as mature as you you don’t know anything about bringing up kids I think that’s pretty much the reality of working parents anywhere in the world Parents are also vulnerable; they’re not perfect and they know it The way both Kun and Mirai move really captured how real children move like Kun contorting his body during a tantrum I observed my young children with a lot of care; if you don’t do it properly you might notice a small adult in the movie I have to bring up the reality for these children which isn’t necessarily the reality for us I brought my kids to the studios a few times Not only did they [the animators] do sketches to touch their cheeks to see how soft they are so they know what to bring out onto the screen While I don’t have any children of my own at the moment I do have a baby brother and some of the little things really impressed me her family had to support her head so she wouldn’t topple over which is the kind of thing I used to have to do with my brother because you don’t need to be a parent to appreciate that so I never thought I’d make a movie about a brother and sister what motivated you and Saito-san to form Studio Chizu We met when we made The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Madhouse was in danger of being bought by someone else and were financially struggling at the time I thought we had to have a secure place to make our movies so small that you can actually have a typhoon and the office might just go somewhere Maybe you’d like something like “We wanted artistic freedom With your films appealing to broader audiences than most would consider for anime here do you think it’s important for films to appeal to more than just the typical otaku market I believe in the possibilities animation has as a method of filmmaking you just can’t have live-action – you can’t have a four-year-old actor and make it convincing animation is thought as kids’ entertainment I hope people find the possibilities of animation what they didn’t know and I hope people look at it [Mirai] as a good drama from the point of view of a four-year-old boy As an example of how your films have already done that my step-dad is very old-fashioned and doesn’t like animation for some reason I managed to persuade him and the family to sit down and watch Wolf Children Having previously directed Digimon and One Piece films would you be open to more franchise films in the future I’m really interested in what’s around me at the moment But I don’t want to limit myself to that and any material is welcome It doesn’t have to be Japanese; it could be from anywhere What I don’t want to do is make movies that appeal just to the Japanese audience I definitely want more people to look at my movies and I want to make something that will appeal to a broader audience Like how Kun learns lessons from family across time if you could leave one lesson for future generations What I’m probably trying to say here is more like a broader message to society I get comments that kids should be more disciplined; they shouldn’t be running around But I think that’s a bit too old-fashioned in a way I think back in the day we used to play in roles So I was really quiet to help please my Mum and Dad but I think social roles people have to play were far more important than being individual to that extent So I think giving children a bit of freedom or independent thinking It’s not necessarily right to discipline them or make them obedient to the parent; it’s not always good That’s what I was thinking when making the film It’s been a fantastic opportunity to talk to you; I’ve been a fan of yours for many years and I’m looking forward to seeing Mirai and more in the future “The Works of Mamoru Hosoda” Exhibition will run from Saturday 13th October until Saturday 20th October Mirai opens in cinemas nationwide from Friday 2nd November. It will receive its Scottish premiere at Scotland Loves Anime on October 14th. For more information on subtitled and dubbed screenings click here . You can also read our reviewer Darkstorm’s review here and other elements from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and more will be exhibited for a week in London’s West End which will cover themes of familial ties and friendships that transcend species in a virtual world will be released in Japanese cinemas in Summer 2021 While this release may be lacking some of the extras that the US release has the film itself certainly deserves its Oscar nomination The first teaser trailer for the latest anime film from Mamoru Hosoda (“Summer Wars” “Mirai from the Future” has been released – alongside news of a summer 2018 Japanese theatrical date The latest film from director Mamoru Hosoda is coming very soon We recap everything you need to know in preparation for its theatrical release Having been established since February 2004 Anime UK News is constantly striving to deliver high quality UK anime news and reviews to your computer screens each and every day being sure to maintain high standards of writing and reliability Designed and maintained by devoted anime fans Anime UK News and it’s fledgling forum community is growing with each passing month proving we are an ambitious and trusted resource for UK-based anime fans and beyond Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map The frequent comings and goings of Beaches-area restaurants continued recently with the temporary closings of two familiar and popular eateries There were few businesses on Third Street South in Jacksonville Beach when Bobby Nakajima and his business partner opened Chizu Japanese Restaurant about 26 years ago Nakajima said he plans to reopen in mid-July at the former Gene's Seafood Restaurant site in the 1200 block of Penman Road customers are missing the home-cooked meals at the Rite Spot Restaurant at 1534 Third St That restaurant has been around the Beaches sold the business to Scott Biggerstaff of Chicago in May according to state licensing records and documents at the Duval Clerk of the Court's Office Neither Wampler nor Biggerstaff could be reached for comment about the restaurant changing hands No one is answering the phone at the restaurant and its Facebook page has been wiped clean of comments and information It's another day in the life of the Beaches where dozens of restaurants have come and gone in the past few years landlord of the South Beach Plaza center where Chizu has occupied a corner spot for years Although the restaurant has many regular customers business is down due to the recession and it couldn't deal with higher overhead He said some customers have told him they're happy the restaurant is moving to a more central location at the Beaches so they can avoid driving on Third Street at night "It's been a quarter of a century; that's a long time," Nakajima said about the restaurant's tenure "We're the second-oldest restaurant with the same owner in Jacksonville Beach." City Councilman Rick Knight said he and his wife where they routinely ate two or three times a week the Knights became friends with the employees and on Friday nights it wasn't unusual for 20 people to gather at adjoining tables Knight said he didn't know why the Rite Spot closed He estimated the restaurant and bar employed roughly 50 people and said he has been told that they were given no notice the restaurant was closing Wampler's termination of the restaurant's ownership was filed May 20 with the Duval County Clerk of the Court Rite Spot's restaurant and bar licenses are in good standing a Florida Division of Business and Professional Regulation spokeswoman Caren Burmeistercan be reached at (904) 249-4947 Milan Records today releases STUDIO CHIZU MUSIC JOURNEY VOL. 1 – CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA 2022, a live performance album of music from the acclaimed films of Studio Chizu. Available everywhere now the album features Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra’s live performance of music from Mamoru Hosoda’s films a special one-night concert event that took place in August 2022 in front of a sold-out audience of 5,000 people The success of the concert prompted the release of the live album allowing those unable to attend the event to experience their favorite music from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time composer Masakatsu Takagi says: “For the past several years I had been playing only with mountain creatures so the experience of performing with people for the first time in a while was a bit of a surprise/shock for me emotionally and physically and I was shocked to find myself feeling that way we had rehearsals but I was not able to match the conductor or the sound and I have never felt so ashamed of myself for not being able to play at all but I practiced over and over again while listening to a metronome until the performance I surrendered myself to the orchestra’s performance and was struck by Ann Sally’s singing as I played the piece without a care in the world.” Featured singer Hanako Oku adds: “It was an honor to perform with a wonderful orchestra and I remember seeing the animation on the big screen and how it felt in the venue moved me so much It was such a special time we spent together on that special day and I’m happy that we are able to bring it to you again as a CD and via digital platforms Singer Ann Sally concludes: “The performance with Masakatsu Takagi and the orchestra was a moving time that I will never forget We performed a new version of ‘Cradle of Myriad Stars’ which we added lyrics to for the first time and ‘Mother’s Song.’ I hope to share the wonderful performance of that day with many of you.” By | 03/19/2024 6:24 am | Be the First to Comment! Hot off its first Academy Award win with Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron North American distributor GKIDS has secured rights to the full catalog of films from Oscar-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda produced by his Studio Chizu distributor of Hosoda’s two most recent features – Oscar-nominee Mirai (2018) and Belle (2021) – GKIDS has picked up rights to four more of the director’s films: Summer Wars and Wolf Children will join the GKIDS library immediately with The Boy and the Beast and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time will arrive in 2025 Hosoda’s six features have all been nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year Hosoda remains the only Japanese animation director outside of Studio Ghibli to receive an Academy Award nomination for best animated feature GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt said in a release: One of GKIDS’ earliest distribution projects was the theatrical release of Summer Wars when Mamoru Hosoda had already cemented his position as one of the most exciting animation directors We were honored to deepen our relationship with the release of his two latest films and are excited to now be able to showcase the full breadth of Hosoda’s ambitious storytelling across his film catalog featuring some of the most acclaimed and successful Japanese animated films of all time Pictured at top: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Jamie Lang is the former Editor-in-Chief of Cartoon Brew This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Today's print edition Home Delivery When adolescent dreams of the life we wanted suddenly feel meaningless When everyone around us seems to have their relationships and careers figured out while we’re still scrambling to understand ourselves Nanae Aoyama captures this very human experience with her novella “A Perfect Day to Be Alone,” which won the Akutagawa Prize in 2007 when the author was only 24 years old Although she’s widely translated across Europe and Asia it is Aoyama’s first work to be rendered into English The slim work is a fitting introduction to the writer understated prose renders the juncture between adolescence and adulthood with humorous authenticity and tender pain.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker It was only a few hours from her home in Southern California "All I could do was watch people leave the camps and feel like I have no control over my life," explains Chizu Omori now 91 years old and living in San Francisco Chizu had just turned 12 and had just been forcibly relocated to what she referred to as "the camps." there has been some debate over what the camps are called Government still refers to the camps as "internment camps" or "war relocation centers." But today groups like the Japanese-Americans Citizens League call them "incarceration camps" or "concentration camps." RELATED: Japanese communities sent to camps during WWII, including two in Arizona Two were located in Arizona - The Gila River War Relocation Center roughly 30 miles south of Phoenix and the Poston War Relocation Center located in La Paz County any individual who was at least one-sixteenth Japanese would have been required to go to one of the camps Government records show more than 110,000 Japanese-Americans were forced to live in these camps and two-thirds of the Japanese-Americans sent to the camps were actually U.S This was a relatively unique thing in our history.. I think the camp experiences knocked out all the reasons to maintain the language and the culture and all that so that I lost it and I can't speak it anymore Chizu says the camps became almost like their own towns It was all very primitive at the beginning but Chizu says they had no choice but to try and make the best of it "Surprisingly people were really resourceful They created a lot of art and social activities theater and all kinds of things they really did make the desert bloom in a lot of ways." Chizu says people even held jobs within the camps and went to church services with their families She explains even adults were able to find some ways to enjoy life within the confines of the camp I think some of the women felt like they had some free time for themselves for the first time in their lives I think a lot of them just made the best of what they could And really I thought the government and its policies were the problems that arose in the camps." Those problems almost sent Chizu and her family packing for Japan -- a country she had never been to government asked adults in the camp to fill out what became known as "loyalty questionnaires," asking families if they'd fight on behalf of the U.S Army and renounce their allegiance to Japan "The fact that the government imposed a loyalty questionnaire on our group.. maybe it was the cruelest thing that they could have done to us I don't understand the legality of doing that.. It created a huge divide in our community over identity." Chizu's father had had enough and eventually signed repatriation papers to move the family back to Japan All I could do was watch people leave the camps and feel like I have no control over my life I thought I'd have to accompany my family and go back to Japan." But Chizu and her family never made it to Japan Family told Chizu's father that Japan was in no shape to welcome anyone back Report a typo Hosted at the Grammy Museum, the inaugural JX '23 honored Studio Chizu as a cultural pioneer for its global success in film brought together guests from all facets of the entertainment industry under one roof with the help of The Consulate General of Japan Los Angeles and the LA Next Generation Japanese American Leaders Initiative Described as the "crossover for entertainment and culture from Japan to the world,” the JX Network event aimed to promote collaboration between leaders in music sharing his insight into the studio's origin and its next steps Although the three other panelists enthusiastically presented their applications and integration of Metaverse and Web3's functionalities producer Saito did not mention those technologies during his talk he broadly highlighted the influence and power of the digital world as a bridge between people you may know the internet is a very strong and core theme of them,” said Saito He talked about the generational divide between the environment he grew up in and the one his children are currently in and how they now have the power to connect to the rest of the world at their fingertips Even though he grew up hearing the ideology of Japan as separate from the rest of the world “It's that identity that we tap into to make these films and within that are a lot of different universal themes.” When asked to expand on the studio's core values he framed how he and his team think about who those principles are important to you have to assume at some point kids are going to watch what you put out into the world,” explained Saito “How do we help guide these younger generations through the values we infuse into our films is a question that we always keep in mind.” He emphasized family as the global core value which the studio uses as a compass to “chart a map” into a “brighter Maruyama promised Hosoda he'd “make the environment” for him to stay in the industry because he was “born to tell stories.” As the story goes he introduced the two together; the rest is history “My role is to create an environment that is the best possible one for creators to flourish and enable their creativity.” Producer Saito envisions Studio Chizu's foundational purpose to share stories as its motivation behind their plans for the future translate that into…reception and critical acclaim so that we can reinvest that into the next project.” “We want to position our artists in a way that we can fully take advantage of whatever new delivery mechanism the world presents to us,” said Nakagawa He touched upon how the Japanese media focuses on the potential of “higher wages outside Japan,” possibly because people are looking for opportunities “outside their own borders.” JX awarded the Cultural Impact Award in Film to Studio Chizu for its strides in the animation industry awarded a Scroll to the animation studio for its cultural achievements also bestowed a certificate for their work in Japanese animation “I hope that through this intersection and community building we can spark the trigger for something that happens in the not-too-distant future,” said Saito I know we are on the receiving end of an award as Studio Chizu—and members of this entertainment community—we can give back and help chart the map for the next 10 JX then awarded the Global Achievement Award in Music to Japanese rock band ONE OK ROCK Taka Moriuchi virtually thanked the organizers for recognizing the band's hard work in broadening global interest in Japanese music Closing out the show, Kenko Sone, the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles, handed off the stage to MIYAVI The Samurai guitarist performed a short set of songs on an acoustic guitar alongside his live band After “WHAT'S MY NAME?” he took the time to acknowledge the efforts to bring together the different groups who attended JX '23 This barbecue restaurant was located at 506 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach Bill and Scarlett Yoden enjoy a meal.  The familiar rooster-adorned sign at the Breakfast Nook restaurant in Atlantic Beach is just a memory now Owners Joe and Georgette Cornello sold the property to the developers of the planned North Beach Center after operating the popular restaurant for 22 years.  Briny Bay Seafood Restaurant on Beach Boulevard featured chef Bo Meade who got his start in the seafood buisness at Barnacle Bill’s in St Briny Bay was known for its “lightly breaded fried seafood,” as well as offering everything broiled Buccaneer Restaurant The Buccaneer Restaurant was located at 9636 Heckscher Drive are pictured in their restaurant in September 1993.  Known for its stacked enchiladas, chicken plobano rojas and enchilada stuffed with blue crab and shrimp, Campeche Bay Cantina was a fixture at First Avenue in Jacksonville Beach for 21 years until its closing in 2019. But its history dates back 1986, when the first Campeche Bay opened in Arlington. | Read more Chizu Japanese Steak & Seafood restaurant in Jacksonville Beach was open for more than 26 years It was a popular gathering spot for birthdays and other celebrations or just a night out on the town as people gathered around large tables with grills to watch a chef prepare their food in front of them which was torn down to make rom for a hotel who says he’s the world freestyle frisbee champion shows off his considerable skills outside the Crab Pot in Jacksonville Beach in this July 22 Coleman was in town visiting friends whose regular hangout at the Crab Pot bar.  History, fresh seafood, famous Cubans: Here's our 10 favorite iconic Florida restaurants This restaurant was located on the second floor of the Ponte Vedra Health and Fitness Club in the Sawgrass Village Shopping Center were co-owners of the restaurant that featured macrobiotic and vegetarian food.  non-chain restaurant opened in September 1993 slips off several cooked chickens onto a tray are employees Kelly Allen and Angela Dixon and store manager Dolphin Depot owner Steve Rider opened his restaurant at 704 First Street N in the red development district of Jacksonville Beach The exterior of the venue is shown here in October 1993.  Formerly know as a sports bar called Fannie Dugans Schmidt believed the change would make the venue more profitable.  Famous Amos The property for the Famous Amos restaurant in Atlantic Beach was for sale in this May 19 The restaurant operated at the location for 20 years.  First Street Grille was a popular beach restaurant known for its shrimp salad The building was torn down to make room for condos just a couple of weeks before the restaurant closed.  served fine Italian food in a beautiful atmosphere Right on the Intracoastal Waterway at 14535 Beach Blvd., this restaurant offered fried fish, oven-baked grouper, She-crab soup and Bahamiam bread. Boats find safe mooring behind the Harbor Lights Restaurant and Marina in this photo taken Dec. 29, 1998. | Read more  Junkyard Cafe This cafe was owned by Melanie Stanford original owner of Parsons Restaurant in Mayport The restaurant got its name because it was located next to Beach Body D. This is the beach side of Le Chateau, a landmark upscale restaurant in Atlantic Beach that was owned by the Preben Johansen family. It’s featured in the new book, “Lost Restaurants of Jacksonville.” Liberace, who played concerts in Jacksonville, was known to love to visit the restaurant and listen to pianist Gene Nordan. | Read more Manatee Ray’s owner Joe Saul stands in front of his island restaurant located at 1st Street and 2nd Ave in Jacksonville Beach in April 1993.  at 10th Avenue was across the street from the beach in south Jacksonville Beach Some of their specialities were conch fritters Pagoda Chinese Restaurant Pagoda Chinese restaurant offered traditional chinese dishes and was located at Third Street and Ninth Avenue South Parson’s on Ninth Street was a mainstay of the dining scene in Jacksonville Beach for about five decades While the original restaurant in the old green building closed Parson’s reopened on Atlantic Boulevard in Neptune Beach.  Patty Wells opened this restaurant in October 1992 in the former Damnifino's building located about a mile past the Coast Guard station in Mayport waitress Wilda VonSeggren serves food to Dick Travis who all work at the Naval Air Station and come in for lunch regularly.  Sabine and George Westerman from East Arlington view birds and beachgoers on Jan from their table at the Pier Pointe Restaurant at Jacksonville Beach The couple went to this restaurant about twice a month because they said they enjoyed the ocean was a home-style cooking favorite since 1954 It had locations in Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach before moving to Jacksonville Beach This photo was from the Jacksonville Beach location.   The Sundog Steak & Seafood Restaurant at 207 Atlantic Blvd in Neptune Beach had the look of a classic American diner from the 1950s or 60s blue cheese chips and games in the back.  The Surf Maid Drive-In on Beach Boulevard was known for its hamburgers pose in front of a Surf Maid sign from the once popular restaurant The sign was on loan to the Museum and History Center for a Fletcher High School exhibit that ran in conjunction with the school’s All Class Reunion.  More: Ghost of Alpha Paynter still roams the building that for years was The Homestead was considered one of the hottest Mexican restaurants at the beach there were huge fish tanks that served as home to live iguanas and the place was decorated with psychedelic art customer Marty Vogel of South Jacksonville Beach views the menu.  This restaurant was located at 1401 Atlantic Blvd a large stuffed Panda doll sits guard over the lunch buffet in January 1993.  This restaurant was located at 1412 First Avenue N Simon Quintana holds a tray of food destined for a table of Mexican food lovers.  opened this restaurant in October 1992.  Best BBQ: Jacksonville's favorite BBQ spots, from local landmarks to latest trendsetters Hugh Scott of Sawgrass eats lunch with his daughter-in-law Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Tottori Prefecture--Drawn by scenery reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films a remote valley in this western town is attracting an audience of overseas visitors despite few Japanese knowing about the place With the novel coronavirus pandemic past its most acute stage inbound tourists are returning to the ravine lying deep in the mountains to experience nation's offering A typical starting point for traveling to the Ashizu valley An approximately 20-minute car ride along a river which supplies sand to the Tottori Sand Dunes some 30 kilometers to the north close to the border with Okayama Prefecture People visit this valley from abroad to eat lunch at Mitaki-en which bills itself as a restaurant offering “mountain village” cuisine Old thatched-roof private houses dot the premises of the restaurant under a thick foliage of trees A brook that runs between the houses drives a water mill while also chilling beers and soft drinks that have been placed into the cold waters More than 10 Japanese bantam chickens were seen crowing and cackling loudly as they ran about in a moss-covered yard Restaurant workers in cooking aprons carried cherry salmon The view of the complex in the heart of nature has led many visitors from abroad to recall scenes from Studio Ghibli’s animated films One person from abroad visiting the area declared it was Hayao Miyazaki's world in reference to the anime maestro who co-founded the famed anime studio a group of four people from Hong Kong were eating lunch at Mitaki-en He said he had long wanted to come here after he learned online about the restaurant with its unique concept of being in a forest and using ingredients grown or caught locally She said the restaurant’s tempura of edible wild plants tasted fantastic Its operators relocated abandoned farmhouses from elsewhere in Chizu onto the plot of land in an untouched forest to prepare the restaurant complex Word of the eating establishment that is “one with nature” spread among audiences both at home and abroad though its operators did not indulge in flashy advertisements Mitaki-en was listed in the Michelin Guide edition published in 2018 as a “Bib Gourmand” restaurant which it says offers good value for the money a growing number of visitors from abroad visited the restaurant Hardly a day passed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic without overseas customers visiting They accounted for about 20 percent of all its guests “One party even took a taxi all the way from Kansai Airport (outside Osaka) to come here,” said Akiko Teratani who is set to be the next proprietress of the eatery “Perhaps many of our guests are looking for an archetypal Japanese landscape here.” The restaurant had no visitors from abroad for some time during the pandemic but it began receiving inquiries from overseas via email while it was still closed for winter holidays earlier this year People have been visiting the place from abroad at a rate of approximately one group every several days since it reopened for business in April One selling point of the restaurant is the respect it pays to the area’s traditional culinary culture including by making tofu and konjac in-house for use in the dishes on the menu “We have been steadily working since the time when nobody ever imagined that people would come this deep in the mountains to eat edible wild plants,” said Setsuko Teratani Ashizu’s water is another pride and joy of the locality It has inspired the birth of a new sightseeing spot for attracting visitors from abroad opened diagonally across from Mitaki-en on June 17 a wholesale tofu manufacturer whose customers include a high-end supermarket chain based in the Kansai region The store was completed ahead of the sightseeing season of summer The outlet sells about 30 types of additive-free sweets made with soymilk freshly ground from soybeans grown in Tottori Prefecture The decisive factor for the move was the availability of soft water that flows out of the mountains where woods of the Chizu cedar Water makes up more than 70 percent of tofu The manufacturer spent 30 million yen ($208,000) to install a 1.2-km-long pipe from a fountainhead to build the plant well aware that the location is logistically unsuitable The best-before date for the soymilk donuts Rakusui still proceeded in developing the product in the belief that a growing number of visitors from abroad would create demand for on-site consumption of the blessings of Ashizu’s nature Rakusui President Hideo Yukimitsu said he believes in Ashizu’s potential but I believe you will feel the sweetness of its air and water if you spend some leisurely time there,” the president said Morioka is still business as usual after placing 2nd on NYT travel list Sweets shop in Mie offers ‘cute’ microorganism-shaped cookies Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission.