{"id":35194,"date":"2026-09-06T03:14:30","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T07:14:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35194"},"modified":"2026-09-06T03:43:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T07:43:11","slug":"fujiko-exclusive-interview-with-director-taichi-kimura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemadailyus.com\/?p=35194","title":{"rendered":"Fujiko : Exclusive Interview with Director Taichi Kimura"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: \u00a9 2026 FUJIKO Film Partners<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Fujiko<\/strong> : Shizuoka, 1977: a Japan still telling women where they belong, and a young mother who refuses to listen. Fujiko gives birth during a storm and a hospital blackout, and within months her in-laws have taken her baby. She wins her daughter Mari back, and sets out to raise her alone through low-paid work, scarce childcare, and the judgment of nearly everyone around her. Yuki Katayama plays Fujiko at full volume, swearing and laughing her way through what another film would stage as martyrdom. Taichi Kimura builds this female-emancipation story like a rock song: angry, alive, profane, impossible to keep down. FUJIKO took the audience award at Udine’s Far East Film Festival, then again at Nippon Connection. It plays like gangbusters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Director:\u00a0<\/strong>Taichi Kimura<\/div>\n
Producers:\u00a0<\/strong>MEGUMI, Takuma Hiramatsu, Masahiko Sato<\/div>\n
Screenwriters:\u00a0<\/strong>Shota Gajin, Saki Kuniyoshi<\/div>\n
Cast:\u00a0<\/strong>Yuki Katayama, Lily Franky, YOU, Issey Ogata, MEGUMI<\/div>\n
Languages:\u00a0<\/strong>Japanese with English Subtitles<\/div>\n
2026; 95 min.; DCP<\/div>\n
Country:\u00a0<\/strong>Japan<\/div>\n
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\"Fujiko<\/div>\n

Photo: \u00a9 2026 FUJIKO Film Partners<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

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Exclusive Interview with Director Taichi Kimura<\/b><\/p>\n

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Q: I hear this film was conceived based on the story of your mother and was planned, produced, and made in collaboration with actress and producer MEGUMI. How did you meet MEGUMI, and how did this project come about? You two have initially teamed up before on “Afterglows”, haven\u2019t you?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: That\u2019s where it started (it felt like that\u2019s when my partnership with Megumi began). It really felt like we teamed up on \u201cAfterglow\u201d. Then, since she said she wanted to get into producing, I asked, \u201cI have this story\u2014what do you think?\u201d and that\u2019s how it all began.<\/p>\n

Q: I thought this film really captured Ms. Katayama\u2019s attraction. I heard that MEGUMI had worked with her before. Could you tell us what aspects of her attraction led you to cast her, and also, after working with her on this project, what new aspects of her attraction did you discover?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: Well, as for what made her appealing, first of all, her appearance was incredibly close to the image I had of Fujiko. But the biggest draw was really that her life story\u2014her background\u2014resonated so strongly with Fujiko\u2019s, and there were so many similarities that I felt she would be able to portray the role with a high degree of accuracy. Working with her, I realized she really gets it\u2014our ideas about what\u2019s \u201ccool\u201d or \u201chow it should be\u201d just clicked perfectly, so I guess we were just on the same wavelength. We hang out all the time in our personal lives now, too.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll be like, \u201cThis is so cool,\u201d or \u201cWe don\u2019t actually wear makeup like this in real life, do we?\u201d One interesting piece of feedback I got during the screening in Japan was that, since there was no air conditioning in the Showa era, the characters looked shiny and sweaty. People asked me, \u201cWas that intentional?\u201d But no, it wasn\u2019t intentional\u2014it\u2019s just that if I wanted to sweat, I\u2019d sweat. That really made me realize just how much in Japan, they tend to hide everything (the actress\u2019s face) with makeup.<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n

Q: I read in an interview that, according to Mr. Katayama, he was allowed to read the revised drafts until he received the final script. As you mentioned earlier, were there any parts that were revised in a way that incorporated some of Ms. Katayama\u2019s ideas?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: There were instances like that. Not so much with the script itself, but for example, when Atsushi Hashimoto, who played Shimoda, asked Yuki (Katayama), \u201cI can\u2019t find anyone for this role\u2014who do you think would be good?\u201d she said, \u201cThere\u2019s this guy named Hashimoto\u2014he\u2019s wonderful. I think he\u2019d be perfect for the part,\u201d and that\u2019s how he was cast. Decisions like that were made based on her ideas. But basically, when it comes to the script\u2014or rather, the direction\u2014I made it clear that I wanted them to apply the standard level of precision in Japan that\u2019s taken for granted in the West, where actors can take the direction and make it their own.<\/p>\n

\"Fujiko<\/p>\n

Photo: \u00a9 2026 FUJIKO Film Partners<\/em><\/p>\n

Q: I hear that you studied filmmaking at St. Martin\u2019s College, an art university in London, and at LCC London Communication College. After that, you began your career as a live video artist in the British music industry. However, the music in this film doesn\u2019t really seem to fit the Showa-era image\u2014it feels like a completely different kind of music, which I found really interesting. Could you tell us a bit about the process\u2014how you collaborated with the musicians to create this music?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: But back then, there was actually a boom in Western music\u2014people were listening to artists like Eric Clapton, and Led Zeppelin had come to Japan. While pop songs tend to draw on that kind of influence, it seemed like the cool kids at the time were actually listening to Western rock.<\/p>\n

Q: That was my experience, too. We used to air shows like the American Top 40\u2014programs that had been broadcast in the U.S.\u2014the very next day in Japan.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: My mom and others really love CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival).<\/p>\n

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Q: Oh, really?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: Since I\u2019d been listening to that kind of music since I was little\u2014and given the spirit of that era\u2014I felt that her(Fujiko’s) attitude really matched the rock \u2019n\u2019 roll attitude of that time. So I decided to work with that. Also, musicians tend to select their own music and define things like the BPM (beats per minute), so there\u2019s a sort of foundation or reference point. During the editing phase, I\u2019d tell them, \u201cI want you to create something like this,\u201d and they\u2019d take that and make it their own, then finish the song.<\/p>\n

Q: I see. Are there any musicians you\u2019ve actually collaborated with who left a lasting impression on you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: There\u2019s this composer named Thomas Yardley\u2014I\u2019ve known him since way back in my reggae days when we used to party together\u2014and he handles all the copyrights for my film scores. But during filming, he called me and said, \u201cI just can\u2019t do this anymore,\u201d and \u201cI can\u2019t handle a task this difficult.\u201d He told me, \u201cI\u2019ll play you a demo, but it\u2019s not good at all.\u201d When I listened to it, it was absolutely amazing, so I said, \u201cNo, it\u2019s really good\u2014 it\u2019s really wonderful,\u201d and he was like, \u201cReally?\u201d I thought to myself, \u201cHe\u2019s kind of childlike, almost like a baby,\u201d but he still had that same distinctive laugh as always.<\/p>\n

Q: In the movie, the conflict between Fujiko\u2014played by Ms. Katayama\u2014and her so-called mother and stepmother was portrayed by actress You and Kayoko Kishimoto. Both of them gave powerful and wonderful performances. Could you tell us a little about how you directed that scene\u2014whether you guided them on how to approach it or left it mostly up to You and Kishimoto?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: Well, anyway, since You-san plays the villain in this movie, I kept telling her to be really nagging\u2014that uniquely Japanese, nagging kind of way. In response, Kishimoto-san pointed out that her character has many layers, asking things like, \u201cWhy is she like this?\u201d or \u201cOkay, fine, treat her like a child,\u201d or \u201cAre you really saying that from the heart?\u201d We had discussions like that about the direction. But when the two of them\u2014You and Kishimoto\u2014were actually discussing it on set, my own anger reached its peak, and that word that just slipped out before I knew it became part of the performance.<\/p>\n

My pride as a mother wouldn\u2019t let me back down, and we talked about how things just kind of dragged on like that. Well, I\u2019m the type who likes to go through proper discussions before doing anything. There wasn\u2019t a single instance where I just said, \u201cDo it this way.\u201d It\u2019s more like, \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d or \u201cHow would you like to approach this?\u201d<\/p>\n

When they\u2019d respond with something like, \u201cCould you just do it this way here?\u201d or \u201cThis is how I feel about this part,\u201d I\u2019d be like, \u201cOh, I see.\u201d And there were a few times when I\u2019d say, \u201cThis is how I see it,\u201d only to be told, \u201cNo, that\u2019s not right,\u201d and I\u2019d end up changing my mind.<\/p>\n

\"Fujiko<\/p>\n

Photo: \u00a9 2026 FUJIKO Film Partners<\/em><\/p>\n

Q: I heard that when Ms. Katayama was preparing to play Fujiko, she actually met and spoke with Mr. Kimura\u2019s mother. Were there any elements added to the film based on those conversations, or were there any specific points that his mother specifically pointed out?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: (My mom) didn\u2019t really point out anything specific, but she did say something like, \u201cDon\u2019t make the character too gloomy,\u201d to Yuki-chan. Oh, right\u2014she said something along the lines of, \u201cTry to be strong,\u201d so since Yuki-chan wanted to portray the character that way too, in that sense, it felt like we were on the same page.<\/p>\n

Q: In this film, the coffee shop run by the mother character played by MEGUMI is incredibly popular, and I couldn\u2019t help but notice that her approach as an owner\u2014not getting too involved in her customers\u2019 lives\u2014somehow reminds me of MEGUMI\u2019s own creative approach. Having worked with her on this project, were there any aspects of MEGUMI\u2019s charm as a producer\u2014or her work style\u2014that you found particularly helpful or beneficial to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: Well, to put it simply, even though I hadn\u2019t really achieved much with my first project, she brought in a huge amount of money (as a producer) for my second project\u2014an amount that was completely incomparable to the first. That kind of faith\u2026 I\u2019ve always thought that MEGUMI is truly amazing.<\/p>\n

The fact that she believed this film would be good, and that she placed such tremendous trust in my talent\u2014that power of trust is really what makes MEGUMI so wonderful, isn\u2019t it? As for the rest, I was just doing what any producer would do, so there\u2019s no point in praising me for that. But the fact that she went out of her way to raise the funds herself\u2014to do that for a guy who\u2019s only made two films\u2014I think that\u2019s truly amazing.<\/p>\n<\/ins>\n

Q: She was part of \u201cJapan Night\u201d at the Cannes Film Festival, and she also has a deal with Netflix. When you work with her, do you feel that her approach as a producer is having a certain influence on and stimulating contemporary Japanese cinema?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: Yeah, I guess people are saying it\u2019s amazing because the actor is producing\u2014because the actor is the producer\u2014but that\u2019s actually pretty common overseas, you know.<\/p>\n

Q: Well, that\u2019s actually a pretty common occurrence in the U.S.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: It\u2019s a pretty common story, isn\u2019t it? So, even if I say \u201cthat\u2019s amazing\u201d or \u201cthat\u2019s incredible,\u201d it doesn\u2019t really change anything. I mean, I think there should be more people like that from here on out, but as far as actually getting started on it, I do think it\u2019s wonderful. Honestly, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessarily a good thing to just shower her with praise, though.<\/p>\n

Well, I think she\u2019s in a position where, once she keeps doing this and looks back, she\u2019ll be able to say, \u201cMegumi was amazing for being the first to do that.\u201d So right now, Megumi definitely has the potential to keep producing films like this and become a leading figure in the field, so I really hope she keeps working hard at producing in the future.<\/p>\n

\"Fujiko\"<\/p>\n

Photo: \u00a9 2026 FUJIKO Film Partners<\/em><\/p>\n

Q: This character, Fujiko, can be a bit impulsive at times\u2014she thinks things through and has her regrets, but she also lives life on a whim. Yet there\u2019s something about her that makes it impossible to look away. When portraying Fujiko, were there any specific aspects that you, Director Kimura, were particularly conscious of wanting to depict, or elements that you absolutely wanted to include?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: That\u2019s right. We live in a data-driven society these days, and inevitably, even when we\u2019re just trying to decide where to eat, we end up searching online and thinking, \u201cThis place has a 3.8-star rating, so it must be good,\u201d or something like that. I get the feeling that people rely way too much on that kind of thing instead of making their own judgments. Fujiko, on the other hand, doesn\u2019t have access to that kind of data, and since she\u2019s a first-time mom, she\u2019s kind of in the dark\u2014she\u2019s just winging it.<\/p>\n

But she still gets out there on her own two feet, using her own experiences as a springboard to move forward in life. That\u2019s what I find incredibly appealing and worthy of respect, so I was very conscious of portraying that aspect. Whether that was a success or a failure doesn\u2019t really matter.<\/p>\n

Every experience is, in a way, the right answer\u2014or a success\u2014and those experiences become facts and assets. Things like, \u201cIf I do this, I\u2019ll end up making this kind of mistake\u201d\u2014that\u2019s something only someone who\u2019s actually lived through it can say. So, keeping that in mind, I defined the question of \u201cWhat\u2019s missing in today\u2019s world?\u201d as the central theme.<\/p>\n

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Q: Now that you\u2019ve worked on this film, what did your mother say after watching it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: Well, when we were making it, she(mother) kept saying I didn\u2019t want to do it\u2014I was actually pretty upset about it\u2014and even when she first saw it, she was just like, \u201cHmm\u2026\u201d But then I heard she cried the second time she watched it. To be honest, when it\u2019s someone close to you, you just don\u2019t really get that feeling the first time around. She was too worried about her own reaction\u2014even my wife has only seen it once, and she said she wasn\u2019t even focused on the actual content of the movie\u2026<\/p>\n

So, when I was on stage with my mother and she said, \u201cThank you for the first time,\u201d I\u2019d never heard her say \u201cthank you\u201d before that, so I\u2019d been wondering why she never said it, but but in the end, in the script I wrote, Fujiko goes to the soba shop and doesn\u2019t say \u201cthank you\u201d to Issey Ogata\u2019s character\u2014she just says \u201cit\u2019s delicious.\u201d And I thought, \u201cWell, she really understands me\u2014she\u2019s my son, after all.\u201d It made me realize that not everything you say is beautiful, and I thought it was interesting that she pointed that out.)<\/p>\n

Q: This film is portrayed in a way that strongly champions what is often referred to as \u201cwomen\u2019s empowerment,\u201d and it has resonated not only with women but also with many men. It won the \u201cGolden Mulberry Award,\u201d the top prize at the 28th Udine Far East Film Festival, as well as the \u201cBlack Dragon Special Audience Award.\u201d The film is set to screen at the New York Asian Film Festival soon\u2014what aspects of the film would you like audiences to focus on?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Taichi Kimura: I thought that if it were just a contest to see who could boast the most about being poor, I\u2019d definitely lose. Well, I don\u2019t mean in terms of winning an award or anything like that\u2014I mean losing as a work of art, so to speak. There are places in the U.S. that are even poorer, and the same goes for Brazil, the U.K., and other parts of Western Europe. Japan, too, had its share of hardships back then, but it wasn\u2019t as bad as it was right after the war, and so I figured there was no point in comparing levels of poverty. What I really want people to see\u2014and what I think will resonate\u2014is the \u201cpoverty of the mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about whether you have money or not; it\u2019s about how society suppresses your desires. I felt I had to focus intensely on that aspect\u2014on how that kind of suppression makes your mind feel impoverished. That aspect has resonated with audiences at film festivals so far, so I\u2019d be happy if people in New York could see that side of it as well. I\u2019m also really curious about the differences between Europe and the U.S.\u2014specifically, the differences in audience reactions\u2014and I\u2019m really looking forward to it.<\/p>\n

If you liked the interview, share your thoughts below!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out more of Nobuhiro’s Articles.<\/a><\/p>\n

Here’s the trailer of the film.<\/strong><\/p>\n