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- Movie: Penguins in the Sky-Asahiyama Zoo
- Romaji: Asahiyama Dobutsuen Monogatari
- Japanese: 旭山動物園物語 ペンギンが空をとぶ
- Director: Masahiko Tsugawa (as Masahiko Makino)
- Writer: Yasuhiro Koshimizu, Masao Kosuge
- Producer: Taiichi Inoue, Hisao Nabeshima, Tsuguhiko Kadokawa
- Cinematographer: Katsuhiro Kato
- Release Date: February 7, 2009
- Runtime:
- Studio: Kadokawa Pictures
- Language: Japanese
- Country: Japan
Plot
Asahiyama Zoo in Hokkaido, is the northernmost zoo in Japan. The unpopular zoo welcomes a new zoo keeper, young Yoshida (Yasuhi Nakamura), who has more affection for insects than people after years of being bullied at school when he was young. Yoshida soon realizes that Asahiyama Zoo is facing a financial crisis and the zoo director Takizawa (Toshiyuki Nishida) has been doing everything in his power to save the zoo from closing down.
Moved by Takizawa’s passion, Yoshida and other zoo keepers came to share the zoo director’s belief that one’s dreams can come true, and together they tackle this seemingly impossible task of revitalizing Asahiyama. A breakthrough arrives in the form of “Behavioral Exhibition,” a method that is pioneered by Ashiyama’s zoo keepers and which eventually makes the zoo renowned throughout the world.
Notes
- Based on the true story of the Asahiyama Zoo, which opened in 1967.
- In 1994, when a Gorilla and a Lemur died of Echinococcus, the zoo was closed before the regular season to prevent contagion, which resulted in a decline in the number of visitors.
- Since 1997, the zoo has built unique interactive animal viewing facilities to attract more visitors (initiated by chief manager Masao Kosuge - played by Toshiyuki Nishida).
- Since that time the Zoo has now become one of the most successful zoos in Japan (ranking second in visitors in 2006 just behind the Ueno Zoo).
Cast
Trailer
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