A Day on the Planet

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Movie: A Day on the Planet
Romaji:
Japanese: きょうのできごと
Director: Isao Yukisada
Writer: Shoichi Mashiko, Isao Yukisada
Producer:
Cinematographer
Release Date: March 20, 2004
Runtime: 110 min.
Language: Japanese
Country: Japan

Plot

Seven friends gather at Masamichi'fs (Shuji Kashiwabara) house in Kyoto, where he'll soon begin graduate studies. All of them college students; Nakazawa (Satoshi Tsumabuki), an aspiring filmmaker still contemplating his first project, his adorable girlfriend Maki (Rena Tanaka) who decides to open a small barber shop in the bathroom, Nakazawa'fs best friend Kate (Ayumi Ito) whose sole preoccupation is the boyishly handsome Kawachi (Tosohinobu Matsuo), intimidating the insecure boy while ignoring all of Masamichi'fs other classmates, the scruffy Nishiyama (Masaki Miura) and the seemingly detached Sakamoto (Atsushi Ishino).

Bottles are emptied, but the night is still young. Breaking news about a whale stranded on a beach and a man (Koji Okura) stuck between two buildings are broadcasted live on tv.

It is just another day in their lives, and yet so many things happen; short precious moments, fleeting thoughts, mundane events, unusual incidents, both trivial and significant, whether they're experienced in their hearts or in the real world around them.

The night slowly progresses and when they cross that hazy line between today and tomorrow, they find themselves greeted by the new morning of a new day.

Notes

A Day on the Planet is based on a novel written by Tomoka Shibazaki, one of the rising authors of Japanese literature, the subtle yet moving story gently touches the subject of life and its meanings. With an ensemble cast comprised of Japan's leading young actors, including Rena Tanaka, Satoshi Tsumabuki, Ayumi Ito, Shuji Kashiwabara and Chizuru Ikewaki, director Isao Yukisada follows a day in the life of his characters, revealing the charm and small wonders that at times make up our lives.

Directors Notes

I was writing the script for A Day on the Planet when 9/11 happened. As I witnessed the almost unimaginable reality being shown on television, I felt a renewed urge to make a film that touched upon the relationship between individuals and everyday events, those tiny scrapes and marks we leave as we continue on our paths called life.

I hope you find A Day on the Planet to be an ode to the abundance of seemingly trivial and uneventful everyday lives. -- Isao Yukisada