Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

If anyone is curious as to what this part of Japan looks like keep an eye out for the film The Harimaya Bridge, which premiered here in Kochi a week ago with a visit from the director Aaron Woolfolk, who spent a year working as a language teacher for Kochi prefecture some 17 years ago.  Aaron went to University of Columbia film school and then made his way to Los Angeles, luckily getting sponsorship for his script for the film, which he wrote over a decade ago; he premiered several short films here a little over a decade ago; this one has made it to a bigger audience.  The Harimaya Bridge opened in the rest of Japan yesterday and the director hopes to get in into a festival somewhere in the U.S.A. or Canada later this year.  It was filmed mostly in Kochi and has some nice shots of Kochi city, including the castle, Katsurahama beach, the summer Yosakoi festival, and also some excellent footage of the countryside.  Those who have spent time teaching in Japan's countryside may find themselves identifying with various aspects of the film's story.  I recommend the film highly (I may be a bit biased living here in Kochi) though I do think the soundtrack needs a little shakuhachi...    Maybe next time, Aaron?