News & Reports

　The Academy Awards® accredited Asia’s one of the largest international short film festivals, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia has been developing creation of stories all around Japan project with Japan Cultural Expo. In 2022, the project was inaugurated to draw on the essence of cultures and tales that lie dormant in various areas of Japan and condense them into short stories. Short stories set in Iwate, Shizuoka & Fukuoka Prefectures were submitted & selected　and the short story “The Two of Us, in a Town with a View of the Sea” by Kento Norikane which was inspired by the novel “Konjiki Yasha (The Golden Demon)” by writer Koyo Ozaki, a famed author whose statue is in Atami City, has been adapted into a short film written & directed by Karin Miyagi and is distributed worldwide through online screenings Today.

  Staged at Shizuoka rich in nature, the story depicts that  two young boys who grow up to be adults while still carrying the pain & doubts from their youth.

URL：https://www.shortshorts.org/japanculturalexpo/en/creation-of-stories-all-around-japan/

“The way back home”
Writter / Director / Editor :Karin Miyagi / 24:52 / Drama/ Japan /2023
Cast:Rintaro Mizusawa, Takara Sakumoto and  Masato Hagiwara
Original Story: “The Two of Us, in a Town with a View of the Sea” by Kento Norikane
Short Film Synopsis: Childhood friends Hinata and Hayato are training hard in kendo for their final high school inter-high school competition.
One day, Hinata is scouted by an entertainment agency. This causes a rift in their relationship.
The film depicts these two young boys who grow up to be adults while still carrying the pain & doubts from their youth.

※From top left
【Director】

Karin Miyagi
Born in 1992, Okinawa Prefecture.
Debuted as an actor in 2017 in the drama “Under the same sky far away,” co-produced by Vietnam National Broadcasting and Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting.
In 2021, she directed, wrote, and starred in the short film “CHIMUGANASA”, which is based on her hometown in Okinawa, and was selected in the SSFF & ASIA Japan Competition. She directed and starred in “Bami Tori,” set in Iriomote Island.
Currently based in LA and Tokyo, she continues her activities across genres & boundaries.

【Casts】

Rintaro Mizusawa
Born in 2003, Saitama Prefecture.
Exclusive model for Men’s Non-no. In 2017, he made his debut in the Nippon Television drama “Handle Your Wife Carefully.” Followed by “My story is long”, “Black school rules” (both Nippon Television), “17. 3 about a sex” (ABEMA), “Koi ni no wasteokuchi” (TV Asahi), “One Night Morning” (WOWOW), “Tepachi” (Fuji TV), “Masked D” (ABEMA), “Crescendo.” Has also appeared in “Advance” (Nippon TV series), “Stand UP Start” (Fuji TV series), “Shoutou na Bokura no Romance Theory” (Nippon TV series).

Takara Sakumoto
Born July 22, 1998 in Okinawa Prefecture.
As Tatsuya Chinen in the movie “Ikari,” won the 40th Japan Academy New Actor Award. Appearances include the NHK serial TV novel “Ale, “Nagimachi,” “Fuyubara,” & “With Love from Largeri.”

Teruhiro Tanaka
Born November 23, 2015 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Member of the Himawari Theater Company.
Has appeared in the NHK drama “The 13 Lords OF THE Shogun,” NHK Drama 10 “Honest Real Estate,” TV Asahi Friday night drama “Liaison -Children’s Heart Clinic,” OGK Giken CM, Takara Tomy product models, etc.

Sora Shiota
Born June 11, 2015 in Tokyo. Member of the Himawari Theater Company.
E-tele “Inai Inai Baa!,” NHK Drama “Idaten ~Tokyo Olympic Banashi~,” NHK Taiga Drama “The 13 Lords OF THE Shogun,” UNIQLO CM, Milk Land Hokkaido Infomercial, etc.

Kyanhitomi
Born in 1960 in Okinawa Prefecture.
Moved to Tokyo after working as an announcer for Ryukyu Broadcasting. In addition to being an actress, newscaster, and personality, she is also the vocalist of the group “Ryukyu Kajin Sansyousei.”
Has tried rakugo and chanson. The main stage appearances are Tamiya Kuriyama’s “Onna Navi I live now,” “Chiru,” & “Kajimaya Kame Obaa no Seikatsu.” “Okinawa world.” Movies include “Hachigatsu no Kariyushi,” “Ale from heaven.” Also TV – NHK “Chimu Dondon.” Radio regular at Bayfm “Tidakyan,” Ryukyu Broadcasting “Ryukyu Flower Story.” She has served as the host for Begin’s “Uta no Hi Concert” for 13 years.

Yoshi Sako
Born 1958 in Gifu Prefecture.
After working at On Theater Jiyu Gekijo, built a career as a stage actor. Has performed in many stage productions. In 2018, he appeared in “Prosecutor’s Sinner.” Since then – Squad! TV “Delicious lunch,” “Group demotion,” “Rikokatsu,” “Beloved,” “What to do Ieyasu.” TV & Paravi- “Hold hands in the dusk,” Disney Plus “Gannibal.”

【Special Cast】

Masato Hagiwara
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture. Debuted as an actor in 1987.
Appeared in the TV drama “High school graffiti 2” (1990), and in 1993, won the Japan Academy Award for Best New Actor and Topic Award for “School,” “Guru Tanjou,” & “Where is the Moon?.” 1995, “Mark’s Mountain,” 1997, “CURE” won the same award for Best Supporting Actor Award and others.Recent movie appearances include “Fukushima 50,” “All of us couldn’t grow up,” “Shimamori no Tou,” “Tonight, from the world to this Even if love disappears,” “Gaki laughs,” “There, touched, future.”
In June 2023, “From Spice With Love,” & “Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia” will be released