Ryu Kato

The stars in the sky seem to maintain the remote, eternal order which earthbound souls can hardly hope to attain, as it would take exceptional energy to transform oneself from an earthly creature into a brightly shining star. However, the ugly nighthawk who had experienced great hardship being despised by fellow birds managed to convert that hardship into enormous energy to fly up to heaven, and in the end could glow as the nighthawk star. A short made by Ryu Kato celebrating Kenji Miyazawa's 80+ years of fairy tales based on the story of the same name. (Source: The World of Kenji Miyazawa)

Short animation by Ryu Kato.

A short animation by Ryu Kato.

Sakutaro's poem "Sad Moonlit Nights" and the phrase "a dog barking at the moon" remind the viewer of a lonely young man roaming a seaside town. I thought of the image of a lonely poet = a criminal, and turned it into a story. Men roaming the streets at night, women like prostitutes, moonlit bullfights, human shadows turning into animals, clothes dancing like ghosts, etc. The song poetically depicts the desires and fantasies of men.

Shortfilm by Ryu Kato

It depicts a summer memory experienced by a pair of brothers and sisters. Based on experiences common to many Japanese people, such as summer vacation, hometown trips, Obon, and summer festivals.

An official music video of People In The Box.