The 1977 film The Yellow Handkerchief, directed by Yoji Yamada, is a modern Japanese masterpiece and winner of the first Best Picture award at the Japan Academy Prize. The movie was filmed in the central Hokkaido town of Yubari and is a great source of pride for the dwindling community.
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The original movie set has been left relatively untouched from the time of filming, and is now an interesting open air museum which provides a unique first-hand glimpse into the making of one of Japan’s true movie classics.
![Yubari Cinema Town]()
Yubari Cinema Town
Yubari was originally known as the capital of coal, and in 1960s was thriving as such, with a vibrant population of 120,000 people. By 1990, the year the town’s last mine closed, that number had dropped to a meagre 21,000. Since then the population has dropped once more to below 10,000 after the city’s 2007 bankruptcy. This slow burn mass exodus has left the streets of Yubari feeling much like a literal ghost town.
![Yubari Cinema Town]()
Yubari Cinema Town
It’s not all doom and gloom though. The annual wintertime Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, first implemented in an attempt to boost the economy, was a final Hail Mary Pass executed by the local government. The cult festival combines blockbuster foreign releases with a number of big name and independent Japanese films, and has done its fair share in pulling its weight in attracting tourists. Quentin Tarantino is an admirer of the festival, and even wrote parts of Pulp Fiction whilst staying at a hotel in town for the festival. Yubari must have left a lasting impression on the famed film director, as he went on to pay homage to the town by naming one of the characters Gogo Yubari in his 2003 film Kill Bill.
![Yubari Cinema Town]()
Yubari Cinema Town
Ultimately, the festival was not enough to pull Yubari out of its economic black hole. Despite its woes Yubari has not given up. The Yellow Handkerchief of Happiness Memorial Park remains standing amongst the decay as an ever-present reminder of strength for the people of Yubari - a reminder of more prosperous times. After the film’s successful release the people of Yubari were delighted to say the least, and a town-wide cinema craze ensued, and brand new hand painted billboards of iconic domestic and international films were plastered all over the town.
![Yubari Cinema Town]()
Yubari Cinema Town
The billboards were soon everywhere to be seen – on the sides of shops, on family homes – almost every building at one point had an iconic film on its side. Most of the billboards are still around today, albeit a little worse for wear than when originally erected. The Dancing Girl of Izu, 007: Dr. No, and Planet of the Apes are just some of the original billboards still on display on Yubari’s Cinema Road. The old decaying images of cult classics provide the perfect backdrop for an atmospheric casual stroll through Japanese film history.
![Yubari Cinema Town]()
Yubari Cinema Town
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18 Shikanotaniyamatecho, Yubari Sapporo Hokkaido
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