A film about life in Okugawa, Nishiaizu Town, Fukushima. "Soumatou" (Flashback), a documentary born from the residents' thoughts and feelings

The documentary film "Soumatou" ( Landscape), which chronicles the lives of people living in harmony with the mountains in the Okugawa district of Nishiaizu town, Fukushima Prefecture, will be released at Theater Image Forum in Shibuya, Tokyo, from December 12th, 2026 (Saturday). The director is Itaru Matsui, who also directed the documentary film "Watashi Dake Kikoeru" (Only I Can Hear).

The project was initiated by a request from a resident of Okugawa who had been involved in community development. Their desire was to document, through video, what kind of life was lived in this area and why people continued to live here, amidst a declining and aging population

---

Why did the residents of Okugawa decide to make a film?

According to the film's official website, the population of the Okugawa district isapproximately 500 people.

The local Okugawa Community Development Council also addressed the population decline in its crowdfunding campaign for Okugawa rice, which it launched in 2023, citing issues such as farmers leaving the industry due to aging and a shortage of agricultural workers

In this situation , it was Yoshihiro Yabe, the founder of the Okugawa Community Development Council, who commissioned Director Matsui to produce the film, and who has returned to his hometown to continue community development .

When Mr. Yabe asked director Matsui Itaru to produce the film, he said:

"It's too late now. If Okugawa doesn't send one last message, he'll just disappear."

These words convey a palpable sense of impending crisis

Upon receiving the request, director Matsui suggested making Mr. Yabe the main character. Mr. Yabe, who had asked for his life in Okugawa to be documented, decided to stand in front of the camera himself

---

Music born from the four seasons of Okugawa and materials from Nishiaizu

The film centers on a man who returned to his hometown of Okugawa in 2012 after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, and depicts life in the mountain village

Director Matsui filmed the four seasons of Okugawa throughout the year, capturing the residents' daily lives, from gathering wild vegetables and mushrooms to continuing festivals and worshipping the mountain gods. Filming lasted for over a year, showing everything from gathering in the mountains to paying respects to their ancestors

The music was composed by musician Tomoki Nagai, who has stayed at the Nishiaizu International Art Village and has frequently visited Okugawa .

By incorporating sounds of water and wind collected in Nishiaizu, and utilizing stones, old wood, and farming tools in instrument making, the music created from sounds and materials gathered in Nishiaizu is superimposed on footage of life in Okugawa

Trailer for the movie "Soumatou" (Official YouTube channel for the movie "Soumatou")

---

The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and will be released in Tokyo on December 12th

"Soumatou"the Wide Angle Documentary Competition at the 31st Busan International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.

The production team is also aiming to screen the film in Fukushima, and it has been decided that it will first have a theatrical release in Shibuya, Tokyo

---

Please support NEFT's article creation!

NEFT gathers and publishes articles about the history, culture, and tourism information of various regions in Tohoku

If you enjoyed this article, we would be grateful if you would consider supporting our future interviews, article creation, and website management

*Clicking "Tip" will open the tip sending screen for the external service "codoc"