Directing
A docudrama about Tetsuo Kinjo and Shozo Uehara, two writers who worked on the original Ultraman series. It also features interviews with other production staff.
Hotel Hibiscus is the story of one very young energetic girl named Mieko and her international family who live in Okinawa. They live in a run down old hotel called Hotel Hibiscus with only one room for rent.
In his later years, Rosanjin is visited by Yoneko, a young journalist from a publishing company. Although Yoneko is taken aback by Rosanjin's arrogant attitude, she finds herself frequently visiting his home to dictate his memoirs. As she witnesses his interactions with many famous people, including Shigeru Yoshida, Isamu Noguchi, and Rockefeller III, Yoneko comes to realize that, contrary to his words, Rosanjin sees cooking as a form of beauty, rejects all compromises, and strives to perfect it.
An essayist, he finds peace in his mountain life. His routine is pleasantly disturbed by occasional visits from Machiko, his editor and love interest, as he struggles to let go of his late wife's ashes.
Yuriko (Yuki Shibamoto) is tired of her relationship with a married man. She leaves Tokyo and goes back to her hometown of Yugafu, which is located on small island in Okinawa. The married man though follows Yuriko to the small island. In addition, the married man's wife also arrives on the island. They married couple causes all kinds of disturbances...
Taiko drummer, Hisakatsu Yokoyama, and fellow evacuees of Futaba, Fukushima fight to keep their beloved “Futaba Bon-Uta” alive after their hometown, is wiped out by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that hit the Töhoku region in Japan.
Nanako returns to her hometown on the tiny island of Aguni to meet her grandmother Nabbie. However, when Nanako's ferry arrives, it is also carrying Nabbie's former lover, who has returned to Aguni after a long absence.
An anthology film consisting of three linked stories by different directors, all set on an Okinawan island. The first story, 'Aunt Reiko' concerns an opera singer who travels back to her home island to consult a spiritualist about the loss of her voice. The second story, 'Haruko & Hideyoshi' concerns an outsider to the island who is tricked into marrying an island girl after visiting the island god of fertility with her. The final story, 'Bomb Kids' concerns two kids in a punk band who set out to win (or steal) a large amount of money. Linking these stories is the ongoing search for an unexploded WWII bomb, a large model pineapple, and the possibility of a hotel development coming to the island...
Shirayuri Club is an amateur band started in 1947. They still are playing wonderful music in various occasions. The documentary captures their first tour to Tokyo.
A woman follows an inner journey from island to island in search of "Pai Pati Roma"
Kanako joins a high school where she is reunited with her childhood friend, Eijun. Following the idea of Seiryo, Kanako's elder brother, they form a band. They aim to perform at the school festival, however, they are unable to get through the audition. The following year, they perform at a local music event, Yaeyama Band Tengoku, under a new band name.
