Chapter 1222: Growing up starts with the passing of familiar people!

Ever since the casting began, "Departures," a movie that gathered explosive elements such as "Sayuri Yoshinaga's comeback," "Tomokazu Miura and his wife reunited," and "Naoki Nagayama's masterpiece," had been attracting the attention of the entire entertainment industry.

Finally, after such a long production, the preview screening of "Departures" began!

Outside the "Bungeiza" in Ikebukuro, reporters from various media began to gather early in the morning, blocking the entrance hall into a group.

Fortunately, Tree Friend sent employees to maintain order, allowing the invited preview audience to enter the screening room.

Naoki Nagayama brought Akina in from the back door, let her wait in the screening room for the movie to start, while he, Tomokazu Miura, and Sayuri Yoshinaga tidied up in the lounge, preparing to welcome the audience in the hall later.

"Tomokazu-san, Momoe-san... this seems to be your first time watching 'Departures' too?"

Naoki Nagayama said to the two with a smile,

"Is there a feeling of anticipation?"

"Of course... after all, so much effort was put into this movie..."

Tomokazu Miura couldn't help but recall the running on the snowy mountain, that was a memory he would never forget for the rest of his life...

Sayuri Yoshinaga also smiled and said: "I am also looking forward to it. This is my first appearance on the big screen since my comeback."

"Alright~"

Naoki Nagayama patted Tomokazu Miura on the shoulder,

"Let's go to the front to welcome the guests first! A lot of people are coming today!"

"Good."

When Naoki Nagayama appeared in the hall with Tomokazu Miura and Sayuri Yoshinaga, a commotion broke out among the reporters gathered in the hall, and camera shutters kept clicking.

But fortunately, with staff maintaining order and constantly shouting "This is not the time for interviews," they didn't continue to surround them, allowing Naoki Nagayama and the others to welcome the guests.

"Masaki-san... Masahiro-san, you really came together again!"

Naoki Nagayama greeted Masaki Kobayashi and Masahiro Shinoda. It seems every time he has a movie preview, these two will give face and come to watch.

"Haha, Naoki-san's movie, we must come to help out~"

Masaki Kobayashi replied with a smile, then looked at Sayuri Yoshinaga and Tomokazu Miura,

"Mr. Miura, Mrs. Miura... it would be great if we could cooperate in the future!"

"There will be a chance, there will be a chance..."

The Miura couple responded with a smile.

And Masahiro Shinoda on the other side chatted with Naoki Nagayama in a low voice:

"Naoki-san, I just seemed to see government personnel and members of parliament coming over. Is there something about today's preview screening?"

"Ah... they were all invited by the Tokyo Film Industry Association."

Naoki Nagayama didn't mean to hide it,

"The association wants to take advantage of the high exposure of the 'Departures' preview screening to reveal a stance to the entertainment industry..."

"Hmm?"

"It's the 'Proposal for Labor Protection of Film Industry Practitioners' that has been hotly discussed before. After today, it will be the hearing, so let's build up the momentum!"

"Oh..."

Masahiro Shinoda had naturally heard of the Tokyo Film Industry Association's proposal. He actually thought it was a good proposal, which could provide a guarantee for grassroots practitioners in the film industry...

However, because he was considered the upper level of the film industry, he didn't feel deeply about this proposal, so he didn't speak out in support.

"Since it's a proposal supported by Naoki-san, then I will also voice my support!"

"That's really grateful! Every voice is support for the Film Association! It is a help for the further development of the film industry!"

"Naoki-san speaks more and more like a politician!"

"Hahaha~" Naoki Nagayama shook his head. "Near vermilion, one gets stained red; near ink, one gets stained black. I've been in contact with Xiu-san too much..."

Thanking Masahiro Shinoda and Masaki Kobayashi, and guiding them into the screening hall, Naoki Nagayama saw Haruki Kadokawa of Kadokawa Pictures again!

"Haruki-san, why did you come over?"

"Can't I come to see Naoki-san's new movie?"

Haruki Kadokawa wore a loose and brightly colored POLO shirt, and his temperament was very casual. He shook hands with Naoki Nagayama and then looked at Sayuri Yoshinaga and Tomokazu Miura beside him,

"Momoe-san's comeback work, the golden boy and jade girl returning to the screen, I can't miss it!"

"Thank you for the support of President Kadokawa!"

Sayuri Yoshinaga and Tomokazu Miura bowed slightly to express their gratitude. When Sayuri Yoshinaga debuted and made movies, Kadokawa Pictures was already one of the five major film bosses in Japan, so naturally, there had been contact.

"Haruki-san... please go in quickly, it's a bit rushed today, let's go for a drink together later!"

"Haha, good!"

After sending Haruki Kadokawa into the screening hall, well-known figures from Toho and Toei, as well as senior big shots from the entertainment industry, well-known film critics, etc., entered the entrance of Bungeiza.

Watching Naoki Nagayama chatting and communicating with the guests with ease, Tomokazu Miura and Sayuri Yoshinaga truly felt Naoki Nagayama's fame, status, and connections in the industry.

Sure enough, from a nameless youth to the internationally renowned director and chairman of the Tree Friend Group today, Naoki Nagayama's influence in the industry is self-evident.

As the time for the preview screening got closer, fewer people came, and reporters also began to enter the screening hall to wait for the opening. At this time, a car stopped at the entrance of Bungeiza...

"Ah... Hamada-san! Finally waited for you..."

Naoki Nagayama stepped forward to welcome Koichi Hamada.

"Naoki-san's new movie, how can I miss the opportunity to see it first!"

Koichi Hamada's face was also full of smiles, and it seems that the financial report of Tree Friend Capital before made him very satisfied.

Naoki Nagayama said polite words, very affectionately leading the person to let Tomokazu Miura and Sayuri Yoshinaga greet him.

"This is Diet member Koichi Hamada... These two, Hamada-san should be familiar with them, right!"

"Hahaha, Tomokazu Miura and Sayuri Yoshinaga, they starred in 'The Dancer of Izu,' which was the movie I loved to watch most when I was young!"

Koichi Hamada was born in the 30s. When "The Dancer of Izu" was released, he was only 40-something, which was considered young compared to now.

"Hamada-san..." The Miura couple was a bit restrained at this time. "It is our couple's honor that Hamada-san can come to watch our movie..."

"Haha... the time should be almost up, I'm ready to enjoy the new movie!"

"Please this way, the seats reserved in the front row..."

The reporters outside who hadn't entered the venue noticed the closeness between Koichi Hamada and Naoki Nagayama.

Because Koichi Hamada was from a gangster background, he was a famous "Diet thug" in the eyes of the public, famous for directly breaking through the protective fence in the Diet and overturning tables and chairs to fight with political enemies during the "40-day struggle" infighting of the Liberal Democratic Party.

It can be said that this is a member of parliament with a very distinct personality, and also has seniority, fame, and strength.

Now he is actually chatting and laughing with Naoki Nagayama in a public occasion like a preview screening?!

This is not just a relationship of private friendship~

Sharp reporters had already secretly pressed the shutter, preparing to send out this hot spot at the fastest speed~

In the screening hall of "Departures," the audience filled the seats.

The bustling discussion continued, some talking about the leads, some talking about the plot, and others stretching their necks to look at the people in the first few rows, because they were all famous people in the industry.

Among them was one of the top stars in the entertainment industry today, Akina Nakamori~

She was in the second row, talking in a low voice with Sayuri Yoshinaga who had just sat down, and there was an empty seat beside her... Everyone knew who would sit there.

It is very normal for a wife to come to watch her husband's new movie, right?!

Some reporters complained in their hearts, why didn't Akina Nakamori show her face in the front hall? If so, today's report would have more topics~

Only hoping that Akina Nakamori could accept some interviews during the media interview session later~

After Naoki Nagayama came in and sat down, the lights in the screening hall dimmed, and the audience stopped making noise. The preview of "Departures" was about to begin.

The images on the big screen lit up, and the story belonging to the mortician unfolded slowly.

The male lead, who had achieved nothing, was originally a dispensable cellist in the orchestra. After the orchestra disbanded, because he carried a loan, he had to bring his wife from Tokyo back to his hometown in Yamazaki to live...

And at this low point in life, a recruitment advertisement made him accidentally step into the profession of "mortician."

During his first mission, Tomokazu Miura, who encountered a rotting corpse, was full of refusal... On the way back, he felt the stench of the corpse seeping into his body...

So he couldn't help but get off halfway, found a bathhouse, and washed his whole body fiercely...

After returning home, seeing the cold and pale feeling of raw chicken, the feeling of death suddenly made him feel nauseous, and his whole body was resisting.

Until he was comforted by Sayuri Yoshinaga as his wife, he felt the breath of life from his wife's vibrant body...

Naoki Nagayama heard low exclamations from the audience. In "Departures," this scene of passion is actually very implicit and carries a very deep symbolic meaning. Both of them are wearing clothes!

The audience is superficial, seeing Sayuri Yoshinaga's appearance makes them can't help but fantasize... The only warm scene in the whole movie is actually just this much.

As the plot continued, the fact that the male lead was a "mortician" was still discovered by his wife...

The originally peaceful life was like a big stone thrown into it!

"How can you find such a job?!"

"Wouldn't it be shameful?!"

What the female lead Sayuri Yoshinaga said is the basic view of ordinary Japanese people on the profession of mortician.

Engaging in a profession related to death has always been kept at a distance by mainstream society, and even regarded as shameful...

And at this time, the male lead had gradually understood the meaning of the mortician profession:

"People will die, I will, you will too... What is there to be shameful about?!"

"Please, change your job, okay?"

Sayuri Yoshinaga suppressed her emotions and requested,

"I have never requested anything from you..."

"..."

Tomokazu Miura, who played the male lead, fell into silence at this time. He finally found the meaning of life and didn't want to give up just like that.

Sayuri Yoshinaga, who saw her husband so stubborn, could only take out the biggest resistance method of a Japanese wife:

"I'm going back to my maiden home... wait until you change your job, then come to pick me up!"

And Tomokazu Miura, who wanted to stay, wanted to reach out to stop Sayuri Yoshinaga, but was shocked by the sudden outburst of emotion:

"Don't touch me! You're not clean!"

This is the wife's true view of the mortician profession, and it is also society's view of this profession... People who touch the dead are not clean!

The screening on the movie was still continuing. Naoki Nagayama felt Akina's hand reach over and hold his hand tightly, but her eyes were focused on the screen...

Watching the male lead send off the deceased one after another, watching the crying and trouble of the deceased's family and relatives, it seemed to also associate with the time when his own relatives passed away.

And among the audience below the stage, many people's eyes were slightly red. Everyone is a person who has experienced death.

When it came to the scene of Tomokazu Miura playing the cello on the snowy mountain...

In the vast world, the cello playing "Memory" carried deep reluctance and faint relief, as if it was confiding the nostalgia of the deceased to the audience...

The movie "Departures" has many differences from Naoki Nagayama's previous movies, one of which is the narrative rhythm.

The beginning of "Departures" can be said to be very slow, and there are not many ups and downs in the overall narrative. Even the only two plot conflicts and emotional outbursts are suppressed...

It is like an intense vortex under the calm water surface, reflecting the characteristics of "restraint," "endurance," and "silence" in Japanese culture.

Until the last moment, when the male lead sent off his biological father, when he discovered the pebble representing his father's best memories from his father's hand, the suppressed excitement and emotion couldn't help but burst out...

The movie ended abruptly at this moment, which seemed a bit abrupt, but it left more blank space for the audience...

Some things can only be relieved at the last moment, some people will only cherish after parting~

When the movie ended, the screening hall was quiet.

Everyone watched the rising and ending of the closing credits together silently. When the lights in the hall lit up and the staff began to arrange the interview equipment, sporadic applause began to sound.

Then the applause quickly connected into one, lingering for a long time...

This "Departures" truly moved the hearts of the audience!

"Thank you for watching!"

After the reporters were ready, the host picked up the microphone in front of the big screen and started today's media interview,

"Let us first thank the actors and crew members for their dedication, so that this 'Departures' can be previewed as scheduled!"

"Next, please invite the creative team to the stage!"

The host clapped first, and then the audience also gave face and clapped together, watching Naoki Nagayama, Sayuri Yoshinaga, Tomokazu Miura, and other actors go on stage.

Naturally, Naoki Nagayama also took the microphone without hesitation and started his speech:

"Today, thank you very much for coming..."

He scanned the officials of the Ministry of Education, the directors of the Film Association, the members of parliament in the first row, then the senior big shots in the film circle in the second and third rows, the reporters and industry insiders in the fourth and fifth rows, and the fans and film enthusiasts...

"The script of this 'Departures' was initially inspired when my relatives passed away, and then I wrote this script..."

"Some people say that growing up starts with the passing of familiar people."

"..."

Akina Nakamori in the audience, watching her husband talking eloquently, her eyes were full of emotion...

"The passing of relatives..."

When her grandfather passed away, she had been accompanying Naoki Nagayama, experienced that parting completely, and also read the script of "Departures" for the first time.

It can be said that the whole process of Naoki Nagayama writing the script for "Departures" was experienced by her. And now "Departures" has been filmed, previewed, and she has also seen it for the first time, which also moved her the most.

Naoki Nagayama on stage continued:

"Only after experiencing death can one realize the preciousness of life."

"And a mortician is such a profession that walks between life and death..."

"I hope that through a movie like 'Departures,' everyone can have a bit more relief about life and death..."

As Naoki Nagayama finished speaking, the applause sounded again.

Even directors like Masaki Kobayashi and Masahiro Shinoda couldn't help but clap. Koichi Hamada in the front row sighed in his heart, if Naoki Nagayama this guy went to run for election, just relying on this mouth, he would definitely be able to become a Diet member!

After the applause stopped, the host took over the topic and started preparing for today's interview interaction:

"Next, let's interview the leads of 'Departures'... Tomokazu Miura and Sayuri Yoshinaga!"

"Mr. Miura... what score do you give to Sayuri Yoshinaga's interpretation?"

"Do I give it myself?"

Tomokazu Miura was a bit surprised, and the audience below the stage laughed.

"Hai~"

The host nodded with a smile, this was just a topic to warm up the scene.

"Then..."

Tomokazu Miura recalled the hardships he and his wife had gone through, and said very generously,

"Then I'll give it 10 points! Momoe's interpretation is very natural, completely expressing the wife's resilience and support..."

"Then Momoe-san?" The host smiled and shifted the target. "What score do you give Mr. Miura?"

"Of course it's 10 points!"

Sayuri Yoshinaga smiled gently,

"Whether in life or in performance, Tomokazu is the most perfect!"

"Eee~~" "Oh oh oh~" "haha" "The host ate dog food, right!" "..."

The audience below the stage laughed. Is it happy to eat the dog food that is stuffed into your mouth?!

"Alright alright..." The host smiled bitterly. "Then let's see what questions others have..."

Saying this, he handed the microphone to the staff below and started the formal interview interaction.

However, the first reporter who got the microphone suddenly turned his gaze to Naoki Nagayama and asked somewhat provocatively:

"Naoki-san... what score do you give to Sayuri Yoshinaga and Tomokazu Miura's interpretation?!"

"Me?"

Naoki Nagayama's mouth curled up slightly,

"I give them 9 points!!!"

"Huh?" "Hondo?" "Where are you dissatisfied?" "..."

Sure enough, everyone discussed it, and Naoki Nagayama continued to say to the reporter:

"Deduct one point, afraid they will be too proud, so I won't give it..."

"..."

The audience further away laughed at this moment, watching Naoki Nagayama teasing the media reporters, it was really interesting.

And the reporters in front looked at Naoki Nagayama with dead fish eyes... If I don't ask you to death today, you won't know how a reporter is refined!

"Director Nagayama, when casting, why didn't you choose Ms. Akina Nakamori?"

A reporter directly led the war to Akina, and some cameras also shot at Akina in the second row... making Akina show a business smile helplessly...

"Akina..."

Naoki Nagayama didn't have any concealment,

"Mainly because she was too young, she couldn't act out that gentle feeling..."

At the age of 26, she could still play a high school student without makeup. Akina, who is only 20 years old now, has smooth and delicate skin, exquisite and bright features, and the whole person looks glowing white... How can she play a role over 30?

"..."

The reporter who asked the question turned his head to look at Akina Nakamori and had to nod in agreement. Sure enough... too good-looking~

"Director Nagayama..."

Another reporter started to ask,

"It has been reported before that your 'Departures' is aimed at the Oscars... Today it was previewed, do you think the movie can win an Oscar?"

"This... this has to be said by the audience!"

Naoki Nagayama smiled and turned the microphone to the audience,

"What do you think?!"

"Can!!!" "Absolutely no problem!" "If it can't win an Oscar, I'll eat shit!" "Wai wai wai... don't mess around like that!" "..."

Other audiences below the stage gave face very much and roared, except for some strange replies, everyone unanimously recognized that this movie could win a big award.

"Naoki-san... when will the movie be officially released?"

"In a week..."

"Mr. Miura... what is the biggest difficulty in filming with Director Nagayama?"

"...... The body must be good! The athletic ability must be strong..."

"Sayuri Yoshinaga-san..."

The reporters kept asking questions to the creative team, and Naoki Nagayama also answered very properly.

Until there was a stubborn one:

"Naoki-san... we noticed that there are many political figures attending the preview screening today, such as officials from the Ministry of Education and members of the Diet... Is there any other reason for inviting them?"

"..... Haha~"

Naoki Nagayama paused,

"They are all my friends, wanting to watch the movie for the first time, what's wrong with that?"

"...."

Actually, everyone knew this answer was not satisfactory, but the reporters didn't dare to pursue it, and could only stare at each other. The scene was actually a bit silent for a while...

Seeing this scene, Naoki Nagayama could only continue to explain:

"On the other hand, this movie 'Departures' has the sponsorship of the '

"So, the officials related to the Film Association have come to take a look at the quality of the finished product..."

"I just don't know if we can satisfy them!"

The reporters' cameras turned toward the officials and assembly members in the front row; they were all applauding with full smiles, looking very satisfied.

In truth, everyone came here to show support for tomorrow's hearing of the Tokyo Film Industry Association... but such things cannot be said in public.

"Next... we enter the lucky draw segment..."

The host took the microphone at the right moment and began the next part of the preview screening.

"Audience members whose seat numbers are drawn can come up to take a group photo with the main creative team..."

(End of chapter)