List of accolades received by Departures (2008 film)

Departures (おくりびと, Okuribito) is a Japanese drama film written by Kundō Koyama and directed by Yōjirō Takita that was released in 2008. Based on the book Coffinman by Aoki Shinmon, it follows a young man, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki), who loses his job as a cellist and moves back to his hometown. Despite objections from his wife Mika (Ryōko Hirosue), he finds fulfilment in performing traditional encoffinment ceremonies with his boss, Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki), and his coworker, Kamimura (Kimiko Yo).^[1]

List of awards won by Departures

Awards & nominations Award Won Nominated Academy Awards 1 1 Asia Pacific Screen Awards 1 2 Asian Film Awards 1 1 Blue Ribbon Awards 1 1 Camerimage 0 1 Eigakan Taishō [ja] 0 1 Élan d'Or Award 2 2 Golden Rooster Awards 3 3 Hawaii International Film Festival 1 1 Hochi Film Award 1 1 Hong Kong Film Award 1 1 Japan Academy Prize 10 13 Kinema Junpo Award 4 4 Mainichi Film Award 1 1 Montreal World Film Festival 1 1 Nikkan Sports Film Awards 2 2 Palm Springs International Film Festival 1 1 Tokyo Sports Film Award 2 2 Trailer ZEN Film Festival 1 1 Udine Far-East Film Festival 1 1 Wisconsin Film Festival 1 1 Yokohama Film Festival 4 4 Yomiuri Prize 1 1
Total number of wins and nominations
Totals	41	47
Footnotes

The film was premiered by Shochiku in Japan on 13 September,^[1] with a North American release on 29 May 2009^[2] and a British one on 4 December.^[3] Owing to traditional Japanese taboos about death, Takita did not expect the film to be a success.^[4] However, Departures was the highest-grossing domestic film of 2008 in Japan, earning ¥3.05 billion in box office revenue,^[5] and a total of $69,932,387 worldwide.^[2] The film was also well received by critics, with an approval rating of 81% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes;^[6] reviewer Roger Ebert described it as "excellent at achieving the universal ends of narrative".^[7]

International awards for Departures began to accrue before its domestic release, when the film was granted the Grand Prix des Ameriques at the Montreal World Film Festival.^[8] Over the next several months it received multiple awards, including four from Kinema Junpo,^[9] and in September 2008 it was selected as Japan's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.^[10] In February 2009, Departures dominated the Japan Academy Prizes, receiving thirteen nominations and winning ten. During the 81st Academy Awards held later that week, Departures became the first Japanese submission to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, over the critical favourite Waltz with Bashir (Ari Folman).^[a][12] Into 2010 Departures picked up several further awards, including Best Asian Film at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

This international success led to the development of a tourism industry based around the film, with some sites receiving thousands of visitors,^[13] and stimulated both a theatrical re-release and a reprint of Coffinman. A hearse based on Kobayashi and Sasaki's vehicle in the film was likewise put into production.^[14]

Accolades

List of accolades received by Departures

Date of ceremony	Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
August 2008	Montreal World Film Festival[8]	Grand Prix des Ameriques		Won
12 September 2008	Rooster International Film Festival[15]	Audience Award for Best Foreign Film		Won
		Audience Award for Best Foreign Director	Yōjirō Takita	Won
		Audience Award for Best Foreign Actor	Masahiro Motoki	Won
21 October 2008	Hawaii International Film Festival[8]	Audience Choice Award		Won
27 November 2008	Hochi Film Award[16]	Best Film		Won
29 November 2008	Trailer ZEN Film Festival[17]	Grand Prix		Won
3 December 2008	Nikkan Sports Film Awards[18]	Best Film		Won
		Best Director	Yōjirō Takita	Won
11 January 2009	Kinema Junpo Awards[9]	Best Film		Won
		Best Director	Yōjirō Takita	Won
		Best Screenplay	Kundō Koyama	Won
		Best Actor	Masahiro Motoki	Won
14 January 2009	Blue Ribbon Awards[19]	Best Actor	Masahiro Motoki	Won
19 January 2009	Palm Springs International Film Festival[20]	Mercedes-Benz Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature		Won
21 January 2009	Mainichi Film Awards[21]	Best Film		Won
		Best Sound	Satoshi Ozaki	Won
31 January 2009	Tokyo Sports Film Award[22]	Best Leading Actor	Masahiro Motoki	Won
		Best Supporting Actor	Tsutomu Yamazaki[b]	Won
1 February 2009	Yomiuri Prize[23]	Best Drama/Screenplay	Kundō Koyama	Won
1 February 2009	Yokohama Film Festival[24]	Best Film		Won
		Best Director	Yōjirō Takita	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Kimiko Yo[c]	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Ryōko Hirosue	Won
5 February 2009	Élan d'Or Award[25]	TV Taro Award for Best Film		Won
		Best Producer	Toshiaki Nakazawa	Won
20 February 2009	Japan Academy Prizes[26]	Picture of the Year		Won
		Director of the Year	Yōjirō Takita	Won
		Screenplay of the Year	Kundō Koyama	Won
		Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role	Masahiro Motoki	Won
		Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role	Ryōko Hirosue	Nominated
		Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role	Tsutomu Yamazaki	Won
		Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role	Kimiko Yo	Won
		Outstanding Achievement in Music	Joe Hisaishi	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography	Takeshi Hamada	Won
		Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction	Hitoshi Takaya	Won
		Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction	Fumio Ogawa	Nominated
		Outstanding Achievement in Sound Recording	Satoshi Ozaki and Osamu Onodera	Won
		Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing	Akimasa Kawashima	Won
22 February 2009	Academy Awards[4]	Best Foreign Language Film		Won
23 March 2009	Asian Film Awards[27]	Best Actor	Masahiro Motoki	Won
5 April 2009	Wisconsin Film Festival[28]	Best Feature Film		Won
22 April 2009	Eigakan Taishō [ja][29]	Film of the Year		3rd place
2 May 2009	Udine Far-East Film Festival[30]	Audience Award		Won
		Black Dragon Audience Award		Won
26 November 2009	Asia Pacific Screen Awards[31]	Best Screenplay	Kundō Koyama	Nominated
		Best Performance by an Actor	Masahiro Motoki	Won
5 December 2009	Camerimage[32]	Golden Frog	Takeshi Hamada	Nominated
18 April 2010	Hong Kong Film Awards[33]	Best Asian Film		Won

Explanatory notes

1. Before the category was formed in 1956, three Japanese films received honorary awards: Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa; 1951), Gate of Hell (Teinosuke Kinugasa; 1954), and Samurai, The Legend of Musashi (Hiroshi Inagaki; 1955).^[11] The Japanese-Soviet co-production Dersu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa; 1975) won the award, but it was submitted for the Soviet Union.^[12]
2. Also for Climber's High
3. Also for Where the Legend Lives [ja] and Oka wo Koete [ja]

References

1. Kinema Junpo staff. おくりびと [Departures]. Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
2. Box Office Mojo staff. "Departures". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
3. "Departures". British Board of Film Classification. 5 October 2009. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
4. Tourtellotte, Bob; Reynolds, Isabel (23 February 2009). "Update 3 - Mortician tale "Departures" surprises with Oscar". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
5. Eiga Ranking Dot Com staff. 『おくりびと』の詳細情報. Eiga Ranking Dot Com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
6. Rotten Tomatoes staff. "Okuribito (Departures) – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
7. Ebert, Roger (5 December 2011). "Departures (2009)". rogerebert.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2011.
8. Kilday, Gregg (5 May 2009). "Regent acquires 'Departures' rights". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
9. Schilling, Mark (11 January 2009). "Yojiro Takita pic tops Kinema Junpo Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
10. Schilling, Mark (12 September 2008). "Japan picks 'Departures' for Oscars". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
11. Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan staff. 出品作品・受賞歴 [Exhibition of Works and Awards] (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
12. Armstrong, Derek. "Departures (review)". Allmovie. Rovi. Archived from the original on 23 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
13. Yomiuri Shimbun staff (22 February 2014). "「おくりびと」ロケ地、３月末で公開終了へ" [Okuribito Shooting Locations to be Opened to the Public from Late March]. Yomiuri Shimbun. Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
14. Kyodo News Staff (24 February 2009). 光岡自動車の霊きゅう車　「おくりぐるま」を発売 [Mitsuoka Motors' Okuribito Hearse to be Put on Sale]. Kyodo News (in Japanese).
15. Yan Ping; Bai Ying (13 September 2008). 金鸡国际影展举行颁奖典礼 [Rooster International Film Festival Awards Ceremony Held]. 163.com (in Chinese). NetEase. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
16. "33rd Hochi Film Awards: Takita, Tsutsumi, Koizumi". Tokyo Graph. 30 November 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
17. 映画祭について [About the Festival] (in Japanese). Trailer ZEN Film Festival. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
18. Kobayashi, Chiho (4 December 2008). 作品賞＆監督賞ー「おくりびと」滝田洋二郎監督記事を印刷する [Best Film and Best Director Award for 'Departures' Director Yōjirō Takita]. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
19. Sports Nippon staff (15 January 2009). "本木雅弘主演「おくりびと」ブルーリボン賞に決定" [Masahiro Motoki, star of Departures, chosen for Blue Ribbon Award]. Sports Nippon. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
20. "Departures". Palm Springs International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
21. 第63回毎日映画コンクール発表　最高賞に『おくりびと』 [63rd Mainichi Film Awards Announced, Best Film goest to 'Departures']. oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
22. 東スポ映画大賞とは？ [Which Films have Won the Prize?]. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
23. Yomiuri staff. 読売文学賞　第５１回（平成１１年度）～第６０回（平成２０年度） [51st–60th Yomiuri Prize (1999–2008)]. Yomiuri Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 5 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
24. Yokohama Film Festival staff. 第３０回ヨコハマ映画祭 [30th Yokohama Film Festival] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 28 September 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
25. Élan d'Or Award staff. 2009年エランドール賞　受賞作品・受賞者（敬称略） [2009 Élan d'Or Award Winners (Titles Omitted)] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 25 March 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
26. Nippon Academy-shō Association staff. 第32回日本アカデミー賞優秀作品 [32nd Japan Academy Prize] (in Japanese). Nippon Academy-shō Association. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
27. Asian Film Awards (2009). "3rd AFA Nominees and Winners". Asian Film Awards. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
28. "2009 Steep & Brew Audience Awards". Wisconsin Film Festival. Archived from the original on 7 May 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
29. 映画館スタッフが選出する「映画館大賞」決定「映画のソムリエ」たちが選んだ08年のベストは『ダークナイト』 [Cinema Staff Announce Eigakan Taishō Award Decision: 'The Dark Knight' Best Film of the Year] (in Japanese). Oricon. 23 May 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
30. Frater, Patrick (3 May 2009). "'Departures' wins more at Udine". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
31. • Asia Pacific Screen Academy (26 November 2009). "2009 Winners Announced". Asia Pacific Screen Academy. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
    • Asia Pacific Screen Academy (12 October 2009). "2009 APSA Nominees Announced: 37 Films from 16 Countries". Asia Pacific Screen Academy. Archived from the original on 8 June 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
32. Camerimage staff. "Plus Camerimage 2009". International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography, Camerimage. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
33. Hong Kong Film Awards Association staff. 第29屆香港電影金像獎得獎名單 [List of Winners at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards] (in Chinese). Hong Kong Film Awards Association. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 8 June 2014.

External links

• Awards for Departures at IMDb