Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, is the snow that many people imagine! Apples! Apples! Hachinohe City in Aomori Prefecture has a different landscape and culture from the Tsugaru region. Hachinohe is said to have the coldest winters in the region, as it is almost snowless. Instead, a cold and wet wind called “Yamase” blows through the city.
Perhaps because of this climate, the area has often appeared as the setting for movies and TV dramas in recent years. This is quite unusual for a place with neither movie theaters nor film commissions (non-profit organizations that attract and support filming on location). In this issue, I will introduce some of Hachinohe’s highlights, immersing you in the film world.
Tanesashi Coast – “My Broken Mariko” and the Entrance to the Life Force
Released｜2022
Director｜Tanada Yuki
Original Story｜Hirako Waka
Cast｜Nagano Meiku, Nao, Kubota Masataka
Official Website｜https://happinet-phantom.com/mariko/
▲ Tanesashi Coast
Location｜Tanakubo, Same-machi, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
The location of “Cape Marigaoka,” an essential story motif, is on the Tanesashi Coast. The director had to painstakingly search the country for an area where the silver grass and the sea could be captured in the frame. The director described the scenery as “the third or fourth cast.”
The vast sky and the powerful waves lapping against the rocky shore remind me of the earth’s life force. On the other hand, don’t you feel that the lonely look of silver grass is somehow tinged with a hint of death? This work depicts the protagonist’s process of finding hope for life again after her best friend’s death. It is a remarkable fact that the motifs of life and death coexist at the Tanegashima Coast, which was chosen as the setting for the film.
▲ There is not even a sidewalk, a human figure, for 200m before and after.
Incidentally, the protagonist was snatched near the “Nakasuka” stop of the Umineko bus, which takes them on a tour of the Tanegashima Coast; it was such a pleasing memory.
▲ A landscape so spectacular that someone could unintentionally compose a free-verse haiku.
Korekawa Jomonkan – Prayer in “Rhea’s Prayer
Released｜2015
Director｜Kurokawa Hiroyuki
Cast｜Suzuki Anju, Ukaji Takeshi
Official Website｜http://raianoinori.com/
Korekawa Jomon-kan
Address 1, Aza-Yokoyama, Korekawa, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, 031-0023, Japan
Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (except Mondays and national holidays) *entry by 16:30
Closed days: Mondays (open on national holidays), the day after national holidays (open on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays), year-end and New Year holidays (Dec. 27 – Jan. 4), and other temporary closing days
Phone number｜0178-38-9511
Next is the Korekawa Jomonkan, the filming location for the movie Rai’a Prayer. Kumagorou, played by Ukaji Takeshi, appears as a researcher at the Korekawa Jomonkan.
The “Gassho Clay Figure,” also used as the key visual, is designated as a national treasure and a symbol of peace and fertility in the Jomon period, when no significant wars took place. This film was released four years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The film is based on a love story between the two main characters, but it also reveals a sincere prayer for peace that lies beyond the love story.
▲ Four goats are active this year!
Three village ruins (Ichioji, Nakai, and Hotta) are spread around the pavilion, and visitors can walk around. In addition, from May to late October, visitors can meet goats released for weeding. Spend some relaxing moments with the goats while thinking about the Jomon prayers entrusted in the film.
©️Cake House Arpajon
There were also many energetic community-wide campaigns, typical for a local film, such as creating sweets in collaboration with Alpajon, a confectionery store famous for its “Morning Hakkoda Cheese Cake.” It was before I moved to Aomori Prefecture, so I still regret not having been able to be in the boom back then.
Hachinohe Ferry Port – Travels in the Land of Kenta, Jun and Kayo
Released｜2010
Director/Screenplay｜Tatsushi Omori
Music｜Yoshihide Otomo
Cast｜Shota Matsuda, Kengo Kora, Sakura Ando, Tasuku Emoto
Trailer｜https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTvYzjd7oew
Address: 25 Kawaraki Kaigan, Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture
Phone number: 0178-20-3085Last but not least is the Hachinohe Ferry Port, the filming location for the movie Kenta, Jun, and Kayo’s Country. This painful and sad road movie is about three young people with nowhere to go. The film’s highlight is the impassioned performance by Ando Sakura, who has just made her debut.
The three protagonists, who call each other “ugly” and “stupid,” are not connected by friendship or love. In other words, they share a common struggle with the world, walking together on the road to ruin. Their journey should not be a quick ride like a bullet train or an airplane. The ferry is a device that provides ample time to contemplate life and makes people move regardless of their will, a device from which there is no turning back.
▲ The location where the old terminal building used to be has already been cleared.
Hachinohe Port, the filming location, is at the northernmost point of Honshu, together with Aomori Port Terminal and Tsugaru Kaikyo Terminal. It can be interpreted as a representation of the disconnection from the past.
▲ Inspired by an ice city, the white exterior walls look beautiful against the blue sky.
The ferry terminal building will be renovated and reopened in February 2024! Although the old-fashioned atmosphere of the time when the photo was taken has been reduced, visitors can still enjoy the chic architectural design with motifs of “Nanbu Hishi Sashi” and “Nanbu Sakiori.” Even if you’re not planning to board the ship, you can still visit the observation deck and enjoy the sea breeze! It’s a great way to enjoy the view and relax by the water.
▲ Wooden benches created by Hachinohe Institute of Technology students
Closure
I hope you have found Hachinohe interesting. Although all three spots are relatively well-known, I have introduced an alternative side of the city that needs to be covered by the major media. Hachinohe City is easily accessible by the Tohoku Shinkansen and ferry ports! Please come visit us!
Profile of the writerName｜ Uehira Miki
Representative of Inter-mission. Working to stop the decline of movie culture in Hachinohe City, where movie theaters have gone out of business. She is also involved in the start-up and core operation of the “Hakumado no toro” project, which supports film screenings.