Okayama Prefecture's Asakuchi City and Kasaoka City are gaining attention as filming locations for the movies "Tombi" and "Radiation House: The Movie."
There are not many opportunities to learn how filming locations are decided and the efforts behind it.
On May 29, 2022 (Sunday), a talk show titled "Kasaoka Location Hunting" was held, featuring Mayuko Seno, the coordinator of the Okayama Prefecture Film Commission.
At the auditorium of Share Atelier Umi no Kosha (formerly Oshima Higashi Elementary School) located in Oshima Naka, Kasaoka City, we heard exciting stories about attracting filming locations.
The event was organized by the Kasaoka Small Cinema Project.
As the movies "Tombi" and "Radiation House: The Movie" are being released, the Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1 was held as one of the commemorative projects for the 70th anniversary of Kasaoka City.
This report covers the "Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival" (documentary film screening) that reflects the nostalgic early Showa period of Kasaoka, and the talk show "Kasaoka Location Hunting" where we could feel the passion of coordinator Mayuko Seno for attracting filming locations.
The information provided is based on the article published in June 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1 is a commemorative project for the 70th anniversary of Kasaoka City
The Kasaoka Small Cinema Project, which organized the Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1, is a group established by film fans aiming to promote Kasaoka City through movies.
Established on July 14, 2021.
We are active mainly in screening films at the Ido Community Center (Kasaoka City), digging up Kasaoka's film culture, publishing materials and videos about Kasaoka's films, and holding film viewing events for both adults and children.
The Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1, organized by the Kasaoka Small Cinema Project, is one of the commemorative projects for the 70th anniversary of Kasaoka City’s establishment.
On May 29 (Sunday), the venue was fully booked with a capacity of 80 people, and the event started with a full house.
The venue is the auditorium of Share Atelier Umi no Kosha, located in Oshima, Kasaoka City, which has a rich history.
The Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1 started from the "Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival (Documentary Film Screening)" of the Kasaoka Small Cinema Project.
After that, there was a talk show by Mayuko Senoo, the FC Coordinator of the Okayama Prefecture Film Commission, titled "Kasaoka Location Hunting," which lasted about an hour.
The event became lively during the Q&A session with Senoo, and there was also a lottery where tote bags and T-shirts featuring "Tombi" were given away, making it a two-hour film-filled experience.
Learn about Kasaoka City in the early Showa period at the Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival
The first film in the "Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival (Documentary Film Screening)" is a documentary from the 1960s titled "Our Town Kasaoka."
This is a digitized and colorized version of a black-and-white video held by the Kasaoka City Library.
With an explanation from the chairman of the Kasaoka Small Cinema Project, Masuhira Ippei, we all enjoyed viewing nostalgic scenes of Okayama Station and the townscape of Kasaoka, as well as the process of cutting stones.
The second video is an even older documentary film from the early Showa period.
The film, which was handed over to the Kasaoka Small Cinema Project by residents of Kasaoka City, was skillfully edited and adjusted to be playable, complete with background music and subtitles.
The footage from the early Showa period captures school events at Kasaoka Girls' School (now Okayama Prefectural Kasaoka High School), Junwa Practical High School for Girls (now Okayama Ryukoku High School), and Okayama Prefectural Kasaoka Commercial School (now Okayama Prefectural Kasaoka Commercial High School).
At the sports festival from the early Showa period, the participants in kimono are the parents.
It evokes a sense of the times.
The footage depicting Kasaoka from the early Showa period is precious, and while reflecting on the transition from the old townscape to the present, we were able to enjoy watching it.
Fun Stories about Filming in Kasaoka from FC Coordinator Mayuko Seno
After the nostalgic "Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival (Documentary Film Screening)," we will hear from Okayama Prefectural Film Commission Coordinator Mayuko Seno about the start of "Kasaoka Location Hunting."
We had a rich discussion about Ms. Seno's work introducing various regions of Okayama Prefecture as filming locations for movies, television programs, and commercials, as well as the challenges and rewards of attracting filming locations to Okayama Prefecture.
I will pick up some memorable stories from the approximately one-hour non-stop talk show, including how she attracted filming to Kasaoka City and behind-the-scenes stories of movie shoots in Kasaoka.
Film Commission Coordinator Mayuko Seno is a full-time staff member
Ms. Seno joined the Yakage Town Office in Okayama Prefecture in 2013 and was active in tourism PR for Yakage Town alongside the local character "Yakappy."
Since 2016, she has been seconded to the Okayama Prefectural Tourism Federation, and from 2018, she has been a full-time staff member of the Okayama Prefectural Film Commission, successfully attracting many film and drama shoots.
In 2018, she received the 4th JFC Award for Best Award for her efforts in supporting film and drama shoots and discovering locations.
Moreover, Ms. Seno is daily striving in the film commission business, gaining great trust from many film production professionals.
Ms. Seno is a key figure in attracting filming for movies and dramas to Okayama.
Film commissions support from location assistance to promotion
Film commissions started in Japan in 2000.
Among the regions in Okayama Prefecture, the Kasaoka Islands Film Commission was the first to be established.
This was in 2002.
As of 2022, we are responding to location support and other needs by unifying the contact points in collaboration with all 27 cities and towns in the prefecture and seven regional film commissions.
The main services of the Okayama Prefectural Film Commission are as follows.
- Consultation and proposals for locations
- Coordination and accompaniment for location scouting
- Consultation and assistance with various permit application procedures
- Introduction to various related businesses and accommodation facilities
- Arrangement of volunteer extras using the extra talent bank
- Information provision and cooperation requests to local residents at filming locations in Okayama
We are open to any consultations regarding filming in Okayama.
"We don't say 'it's impossible'"
It seems that inquiries from production companies to Ms. Senoo often involve unreasonable demands and difficult realizations.
- A road that can exceed 100 kilometers per hour
- A single-family home that seems to be inhabited by an elderly woman
- A one-way road with three lanes that can be closed
Even if there are inquiries that seem a bit difficult in Okayama, Ms. Senoo reportedly does not immediately say "it's impossible."
First, she thinks about "how it can be done," and by repeatedly consulting with the production company, she has gained their trust.
Ms. Senoo says that this trust ultimately leads to attracting filming locations.
Without saying it can't be done, she collaborates with local people to fulfill the wishes of the production companies, and her attitude of supporting the success of films and dramas behind the scenes is truly impressive.
Reasons Why Okayama is Suitable for Filming Locations
There are many works that have used locations in Okayama.
Okayama appears in many works as a filming location.
What are the attractions of Okayama as a filming location?
Ms. Senoo provided the answers to that question.
Okayama has a wealth of filming locations that meet the needs of creators
Okayama Prefecture has an abundance of locations suitable for movies, dramas, and commercials.
Around Okayama Station, urban landscapes can be captured.
When you move away from the city, many rural landscapes and old townscapes still exist.
The setting of the movie "Tombi," with its Showa-era townscape, and the Kasaoka Islands, which beautifully express the remote islands in "Radiation House: The Movie."
It is rich in resources as a filming location that is not found in other prefectures.
Transforming disadvantages into advantages in Okayama
When I cut out the scenery of Okayama Prefecture and ask people living outside Okayama, "Where is this?" there are few places where they can answer immediately, which is something I, as a resident of Okayama, think, "We need to do something about this."
However, Ms. Senoo shifts the perspective of what could be seen as a disadvantage and turns it into an advantage for attracting filming.
The fact that it lacks features and has low recognition suggests the possibility of creating a "town" or "place" that fits the story of a movie or drama, and she proposes to change the approach.
This is a reversal of thinking that leads to successful filming location attraction.
The unique good weather of "Sunny Okayama"
Okayama Prefecture has one of the lowest annual rainfall amounts in the country, truly making it "Sunny Okayama."
According to data from the Statistical Analysis Division of Okayama Prefecture (from 1991 to 2020), Okayama Prefecture ranks first in the nation for the number of annual days with less than 1 millimeter of rainfall.
Okayama Prefecture, with few rainy days and low rainfall, is valued as a filming location because it makes schedule management for production easier.
Benefits of Inviting Filming Locations to Okayama Prefecture
Attracting filming locations to Okayama Prefecture has many benefits.
In particular, the ability to utilize works for the promotion of Okayama Prefecture is a significant advantage.
Using various media for public relations requires substantial advertising costs, but with movies and dramas, information can be disseminated widely for free.
This ultimately results in promoting the charm of Okayama Prefecture as a filming location and the local appeal that Okayama itself possesses, making it highly effective as a promotional activity.
For local residents, it also leads to a rediscovery of the charm of Okayama Prefecture where they live.
With the hope that people living in Okayama will come to love Okayama even more, Ms. Senoo is said to be working daily on the film commission project.
The Charm of Kasaoka as a Filming Location
Kasaoka City appeared in two films, "Tombi" and "Radiation House: The Movie," as filming locations in the first half of 2022.
Ms. Senoo spoke about the appeal of Kasaoka City as a filming location.
Kasaoka City with Sea and Islands
Kasaoka City, which has islands among the municipalities in Okayama, is said to be very attractive as a filming location.
The seven inhabited islands of Kasaoka Islands have the potential to accommodate various situations, and Ms. Senoo expressed her hope for continued cooperation as a filming location.
Main Street and Shopping District in Front of the Station
The main street (Kencho-dori) in front of Kasaoka Station is said to be suitable for action movies.
Ms. Senoo mentioned that she would like to block off the main street in front of the station to film action scenes, and that the retro signs, which seem to have been made during the Showa era, remain intact in the shopping district in front of the station, leading her to consider how to utilize this atmosphere as a filming location.
Music Video in the Flower Fields of Kasaoka Bay Farm
At Kasaoka Bay Farm Roadside Station, you can enjoy seasonal flowers in a vast flower field, making it an ideal location for music videos and commercials.
If a popular idol were to shoot a music video among the rapeseed flowers, sunflowers, and cosmos at Kasaoka Bay Farm, Ms. Senoo believes that fans would visit Kasaoka Bay Farm as a pilgrimage site.
![Kasaoka Bay Farm Roadside Station [Spring] - Enjoy the landscape of a yellow carpet of rapeseed flowers from February to April](https://media.kuratoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/24133845/IMG_3598-485x302.jpg)
After the Nonstop Talk Show, it's Q&A Time and a Lottery
The talk show "Kasaoka Location Hunting" was packed with content and ended in no time.
Ms. Senoo's stories about her busy work with the film commission were filled with many interesting topics beyond what was just introduced.
About 90 participants gathered in the auditorium of Share Atelier Umi no Kosha, captivated by Ms. Senoo's talk for about an hour.
Finally, when Ms. Senoo announced, "Please register for the Extra Talent Bank!", voices were heard immediately expressing the desire to register from various places.
After the talk show, there was a Q&A session with the participants.
There were many questions about film shooting.
And then, a surprise lottery!
Since participants had filled out a pre-event questionnaire at the reception, a surprise project started where goods related to the movie "Tobi" would be given away through a lottery.
Unfortunately, I did not win the lottery...
I really wanted to win a "Tobi" T-shirt...
From the Writer
In the past, Kasaoka had 10 movie theaters, and movies were always a part of the lives of the citizens of Kasaoka.
Although the movie theaters in Kasaoka City have disappeared with the passage of time, the power of movies to attract us is still growing.
After the "Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival (Documentary Film Screening)" and the talk show "Kasaoka Location Hunting" concluded, I spoke with Mr. Masudaira, the president of the Kasaoka Small Movie Theater Project, and the following words resonated with me.
"We need to do something for Kasaoka.
Through our love for movies, we must think about what we can do and take action."
Here too, there are groups actively working to promote the charm of Kasaoka within the community.
Mr. Senoo is pushing forward to invite the stage of movies to Okayama Prefecture and to promote the charm of Okayama to Japan and the world.
Although the worlds of their activities are different, the shared passion of these individuals to deliver the charm of Okayama Prefecture and Kasaoka City to many people through "movies" was evident at the Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1.
Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1 (Kasaoka Location Hunting) Information
| Name | Kasaoka Discovery Mini Film Festival VOL.1 (Kasaoka Location Hunting) |
|---|---|
| Date | May 29, 2022 (Sunday) from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM |
| Location | 2553 Oshima Naka, Kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture (Share Atelier Umi no Kosha Auditorium) |
| Participation Fee (including tax) | Free |
| Homepage | Kasaoka Small Movie Theater Project |
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