An unadorned perspective on impoverished life in Okinawa, an island in southern Japan whose modern history was tainted by the bloody battle for the Pacific. 17-year-old Aoi works as a nightclub hostess in order to earn rent money and to provide for her little boy. She also supports her lazy husband Masaya, who has no qualms about giving her a few slaps, particularly after he loses his job. What chance does this young family have to scrape their way out of the social mire, where they were driven by poverty and the imprudence of youth? How dark does reality have to get before it stifles the rays of hope that filter through? An intimate story that presents a less glitzy picture of Japan than is customary, demonstrating that social inequality impacts all corners of the globe.
Sakura
It is impossible to comprehensively map the ultimate extent of the damage wrought by the waves of the corona pandemic in all the layers of the society. It does not, however, require a lot of guesswork to see the links between the steeply increased numbers of corona patients, domestic violence cases and OnlyFans users.
A young man wanders and makes calls to elders who live alone. Saying “Granny, it’s me,” he lies to them that he is their grandson. An old lady, who runs a music shop in the declining shopping area in Amakusa, answers his call and warmly accepts him. Pretending as her grandson, he settles down in the town. He gets used to his friendship with young villagers, the sound and landscape of Amakusa, and the old lady’s everyday life.
