*FILM FRIDAY* | Departures (2008) | *Watch Now* (Patreon)

Last week on Film Friday, I revealed one of my favourite documentaries set in Japan; a BBC documentary called “A Story of Love and Hate” featuring the unfortunate exploits of Naoki, an impoverished postman in Yamagata city - who I had the good fortune of meeting in person several years ago.

This week, I thought I’d keep on the theme of Japanese films and documentaries that I’ve had some kind of personal connection with - so to some of you this one probably won’t come as a surprise.
 

DEPARTURES (2008, Yōjirō Takita)
Japanese title: おくりびと

Official Synopsis: Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) learns that his orchestra in Tokyo is disbanding. Daigo and his wife move back to his hometown in Yamagata, where he answers an ad for what he thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary. Despite the social stigma surrounding the role, as he masters the rituals used in preparing the dead for their final rest, Daigo finds his true calling in life, at the unfortunate risk of alienating his friends and family.

Impressively, the film was the first Japanese production to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2009.

Abroad in Japan Review: I first watched “Departures” when I was in my first year of University back in 2010 and it left a lasting impression on me. It had the rare and incredible effect of making me feel emotional and to date it’s the only movie I can ever recall where I’ve shed a brief tear.

It’s a remarkable feat, given the only other occasion I typically shed tears is when I’m forced to spend extended periods of time with Ryotaro.

It’s an excellently written story, with superb acting and cinematography, that’ll distill you with more cultural knowledge than most Japanese films. It’s a credit to the script that it’s able to frequently weave humour into a story predominantly about death.

Two years after watching the film, when I’d been told I’d been accepted into the JET programme, I received an email informing me I’d be placed in the rural seaside town of Sakata. I looked it up on wikipedia to discover a mostly empty page - except for one line revealing it was the town where the movie “Departures” was set and filmed on location.

I instantly rewatched it in anticipation, and the beautiful scenes of snowcapped mountains, luscious rice fields and the traditional public bathhouse, got me extremely excited in the run up to moving to Japan. It was utterly surreal, a couple of months later, to find myself walking alone down the quiet street so prominently featured in the film, as though I’d somehow broken the fourth wall and become a character in the story.

In my second Abroad in Japan video on Culture Shock, I paid tribute to the film by featuring the street in the video and the original thumbnail. Although to be honest, the fact the street was home to a hair salon featuring a huge piece of controversial artwork may have been another key factor...aka, 1min 26 secs in: https://youtu.be/3LS83dDqoGU?t=85

I make an effort to rewatch “Departures” every year, not just because it takes me back to how I felt when I first moved to Japan, but because it’s an excellent example of what a film should be. Superbly written, perfectly acted, accompanied by an outstanding soundtrack and with a real heart and soul to the story and its characters.

- I hope you equally find it as tear inducing as a day out with Ryotaro.

Someone's uploaded the full film with subtitles to Youtube ( https://youtu.be/cXaMTx3fc7o ). However, it's only in 360p and it's deserves to be watched in high quality, particularly given the 2hr run time. 

Available on iTunes/Amazon/Google.