Film & TV

‘Perfect Days’ Starring Koji Yakusho Shown in Cannes Film Festival

The Yomiuri Shimbun
From right, director Wim Wenders and actors Koji Yakusho, Arisa Nakano and Yamada Aoi react to the audience’s applause after the official screening of “Perfect Days” in Cannes, France, on Thursday.

By Takuya Matsuda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

16:22 JST, May 26, 2023

CANNES, France — The film “Perfect Days” starring Koji Yakusho, was officially screened at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on Thursday evening.

The film, which is in the Competition category, was shot by German director Wim Wenders in Tokyo last autumn. The film depicts a taciturn public restroom cleaner named Hirayama, played by Yakusho, as he finds small joys in his daily life and is shaken by unexpected events.

Director Wenders and Yakusho, along with cast members Arisa Nakano, Min Tanaka and Aoi Yamada, were present at the screening. The audience gave the film a standing ovation that lasted over 8 minutes.

In an interview with Japanese media, Yakusho recalled, “The warm applause the film received made me feel relieved. as I thought, ‘Oh, everyone enjoyed it.’ I felt that the Wim Wenders crew were a really good team.”

Nakano, who played the role of Mei, Hirayama’s niece, said: “The film focused on Japanese sensibility, which at first glance seems to be hidden in the shadows, and [it was] portrayed it delicately and beautifully. I’m very happy that it was conveyed to the world, and I’m glad to be born Japanese.”

“Perfect Days” was planned and produced as a derivative of “The Tokyo Toilet,” a project to renovate public restrooms in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo. A release date in Japan is yet to be decided.

The results of the Competition section will be announced at the awards ceremony on Saturday evening local time.