カテゴリー: Yaho Story

The movie Summer Blooms (literally “April’s Long Dream”) is a love story set in Kunitachi. It beautifully captures the everyday moments of a woman (played by Aki Asakura) who has lost her lover, as she gradually frees herself from grief and her inner pain. In June 2017, it made Japanese cinema history by winning two major awards at the Moscow International Film Festival!

The movie ‘Izakaya Choji’ was based on a novel by Hitomi Yamaguchi, a writer who dearly loved Yaho. The story portrays the intersecting lives of the various people who gather at a tiny bar called ‘Choji’ near Yaho Station. Starring the legendary actor Ken Takakura, the film brought a sense of drama and romance to the town of Yaho.

Seki Gantei (1919–2020) was born in Yaho village and dedicated his entire life to working as a sculptor and painter. He often inscribed his personal philosophy onto his artwork: ‘Live life effortlessly. Do not worry. Be like the wind; be like the water.You can see some of his art pieces like this Budda statue(Fudo-Myouou)at the Sato Meiso-joukikan in Kunitachi now.

Koheiji Miura (1933–2006) lived in Kunitachi. In 1997, he became Japan’s first master of Seiji (celadon) pottery to be named a Living National Treasure.

Seiji is known for its mysterious blue color and unpredictable crack lines. It is so beautiful and hard to make that people say celadon lovers would lose all their money and sacrifice their lives just to have it.

When he was young, Miura saw an exhibition of Chinese celadon and often said, ‘If I can make Seiji like this, I will become a National Treasure.’ At the end of his long journey, he made it happen!

This is Japan’s oldest upright piano, imported in 1885. Fudeko Ishii, who started this facility for people with intellectual disabilities, used to play this piano at Christmas parties long ago. We call it the ‘Angel’s Piano’ because there is an angel emblem in the middle.

This gentle 200-meter slope marks the border between Kunitachi and Kokubunji. It is famous as the home of the late Kiyoshiro Imawano, Japan’s ‘King of Rock,’ who once boarded nearby. His rock band, RC Succession, captured his life here in the famous ballad ‘Tamaran-zaka,’ making this hill a legendary destination for rock fans.