Film
Ito
Dir. YOKOHAMA Satoko, Japan, 2021, 116 mins, subtitled. Cast. KOMAI Ren, TOYOKAWA Etsushi, KUROKAWA Mei.
Soma Ito (KOMAI Ren), a high school student in Aomori Prefecture, has a remarkable talent for playing the Tsugaru shamisen – a three-string instrument originating in Ito’s home prefecture. She picked up the skill from her late mother who was an accomplished shamisen player. However, Ito’s extreme shyness makes it hard for her to play in public, and together with her strong dialect, she finds human communication difficult and hardly has any friends or social life. To change this, she decides to start a part-time job at a maid café, much to the concern of her father (TOYOKAWA Etsushi).
Based on the novel by KOSHIGAYA Osamu, this charming coming-of-age film is set in the northern landscapes of Japan. The director YOKOHAMA Satoko, who herself grew up in Aomori prefecture, skilfully mixes hidden gems of the area and its heritage with cinematic human drama. Enjoy the sound of the shamisen and the unique dialect spoken by the characters.
Soma Ito (KOMAI Ren), a high school student in Aomori Prefecture, has a remarkable talent for playing the Tsugaru shamisen – a three-string instrument originating in Ito’s home prefecture. She picked up the skill from her late mother who was an accomplished shamisen player. However, Ito’s extreme shyness makes it hard for her to play in public, and together with her strong dialect, she finds human communication difficult and hardly has any friends or social life. To change this, she decides to start a part-time job at a maid café, much to the concern of her father (TOYOKAWA Etsushi).
Based on the novel by KOSHIGAYA Osamu, this charming coming-of-age film is set in the northern landscapes of Japan. The director YOKOHAMA Satoko, who herself grew up in Aomori prefecture, skilfully mixes hidden gems of the area and its heritage with cinematic human drama. Enjoy the sound of the shamisen and the unique dialect spoken by the characters.
