Japanese directors now routinely do dozens of media interviews to publicize their new films, especially if they are on the indie end of the spectrum. The stars of said films also sit down with the press, if not as commonly, but though I have been writing about local film folk since 1991, an interview with a director (Yoichi Higashi) and an actress (Takako Tokiwa) together was a first. Here to talk about their new film "Someone's Xylophone" ("Dareka no Mokkin"), neither are newcomers in need of a helping hand.
Born in 1934, Higashi has been directing feature films since 1969, ranging from hard-hitting social dramas ("The River with No Bridge/Hashi no Nai Kawa"1992) to dream-like explorations of childhood memories ("Village of Dreams"/"E no Naka no Boku no Mura," 1996). Meanwhile, Tokiwa has successfully transitioned from her 1990s fame as television's "queen of trendy drama" to a career as an in-demand film actress, starring in both indie experiments ("Cut," 2011) and big-budget spectacles ("20th Century Boys"/"Nijuseiki Shonen" trilogy).
But as the two talked about their first film together, in which Tokiwa plays an ordinary housewife who falls for and obsessively stalks a handsome hair stylist (Sosuke Ikematsu), their unusual united front began to make more sense. A big name in both Japan and Asia, Tokiwa was glad to lend her star wattage to a director she obviously respects. Meanwhile, Higashi was clearly happy to have Tokiwa by his side since she was not only eloquent about the film's talking points but quick with apt anecdotes. In other words, theirs was a mutual admiration society, not a marriage of PR convenience.