The Story of Yonosuke

A Story of Yonosuke (横道世之介, Yokomichi Yonosuke) is a 2013 Japanese film directed by Shūichi Okita.^[1][2] The theme song is called "Ima wo Ikite" (今を生きて, Living in the Now) and is performed by Asian Kung-Fu Generation.^[3]

A Story of Yonosuke
Directed by	Shūichi Okita
Screenplay by	Shirō Maeda
Based on	Yokomichi Yonosuke by Shūichi Yoshida
Produced by	Toshikazu Nishigaya
Starring	Kengo Kora Yuriko Yoshitaka Sōsuke Ikematsu Ayumi Itō Gō Ayano
Cinematography	Ryūto Kondō
Distributed by	Showgate Inc.
Release date	February 23, 2013 (2013-02-23) (Japan)
Running time	160 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

The film was shown at the 13th Japanese Film Festival Nippon Connection in June 2013.^[4] It premiered in America on July 13, 2013 at the New York Asian Film Festival^[5][6] and has also made an appearance at the San Diego Asian Film Festival^[7] and the Japanese Film Festival in Australia.^[8]

Plot

The story is set in Tokyo in 1987 where Yonosuke Yokomichi has arrived from Nagasaki to study Business Administration at Hosei University. Relative to the other students his suit is crumpled and his hair is uncombed.

He meets Kuramochi, another unconventional student at the introductory meeting, and meets the pretty Yui Akutsu at the formal registration and they agree to explore together rather than be alone.

He encounters Chiharu, a would-be actress in a cafe, and she uses him to extort a car from a businessman. He tells this story to a new friend, Kato, who asks him to join on a double date. His date, Shoko Yosano, the daughter of a rich businessman, arrives in a chauffeur-driven car. They go to a cheap burger cafe but are forced to sit as two pairs. Shoko likes him and tracks him down to ask him to the pool where she introduces him to her half-brother, Katsuhiko, and his rich friends. Here he re-encounters the actress.

Shoko comes to visit him at his parents' house in a coastal village. The next day they go to the beach with friends. While they are having a potentially romantic solitary rendezvous on the beach during the night, their first kiss is disturbed by the arrival of a group of Vietnamese boat people on the beach, and during the confusion a baby is passed to them.

Cast

• Kengo Kora as Yonosuke Yokomichi
• Yuriko Yoshitaka as Shōko Yosano
• Sōsuke Ikematsu as Ippei Kuramochi
• Ayumi Itō as Chiharu
• Gō Ayano as Katō
• Aki Asakura
• Keiko Horiuchi as the mother of Shōko
• Mei Kurokawa
• Noriko Eguchi
• Arata Iura
• Jun Kunimura as the father of Shōko
• Kitarō as the father of Yonosuke
• Kimiko Yo as the mother of Yonosuke

Reception

It was chosen as the 3rd best film at the 23rd Japan Film Professional Awards^[9] and as the 8th best Japanese film of the year by film magazine Eiga Geijutsu.^[10]

Award	Date	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
Mainichi Film Award[11]	January 2014	Best Supporting Actress	Yuriko Yoshitaka	Won
		Best Sound Recording	Masato Yano	Won
Blue Ribbon Awards[12]	11 February 2014	Best Picture	A Story of Yonosuke	Won
		Best Actor	Kengo Kora	Won
Japan Film Professional Awards[9]	June 2014	Best Director	Shuichi Okita	Won
		Best Actor	Kengo Kora	Won

References

1. Shiso (8 February 2013). "Kora Kengo & Yoshitaka Yuriko attend the film premiere for 'Yokomichi Yonosuke'". tokyohive. 6Theory Media, LLC. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
2. 横道世之介. eiga.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 February 2013.
3. ""アジカン、映画「横道世之介」主題歌"今を生きて"を2月にシングル・リリース"". Tower Records Japan. 7 December 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
4. Stephen Cremin (24 February 2013). "Nippon Connection reconnects". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
5. Japan Society. "A Story of Yonosuke". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
6. "Schedule". New York Asian Film Festival. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
7. "A Story of Yonosuke". San Diego Asian Film Festival 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
8. "A Story of Yonosuke (横道世之介)". Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
9. Kevin Ma (21 April 2014). "Bozo tops Japan Film Professional Awards". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
10. Kevin Ma (18 January 2014). "Eiga Geijutsu names Pecoross best film". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
11. Kevin Ma (21 January 2014). "Great Passage, Pecoross top Mainichi Award". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
12. Kevin Ma (23 January 2014). "Yonosuke tops Blue Ribbon Awards". Film Business Asia. Archived from the original on 3 August 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• The Story of Yonosuke at IMDb