"Asakusa Kid" Theatrical Company Solo Director The story of Beat Takeshi and his master who has been longing for is made into a movie with his own script [Director's Interview Vol.168]

Reproducing the deserted Asakusa

Q: I think Asakusa, which was once a center of entertainment, still has a unique atmosphere. I felt that "atmosphere" in Asakusa in the 1960s, which was recreated in this work. What points did you pay attention to when recreating Asakusa at that time?

Hitori: I don't really have any ties or ties to the city of Asakusa, but I think the reason why I'm attracted to Asakusa is because of Asakusa Kid . There are a lot of people in show business, but they're smoldering. But I'll try my best to see the light of day someday. I just love the world view of those clumsy and unhonest people.

I have written two novels so far, and the first one features a strip theater in Asakusa, and the second one features an entertainment hall in Asakusa. In the end, all of that was influenced by Asakusa Kid. When people ask me, ``Do you know anything about Asakusa?'', I just read or heard about it, but I haven't actually experienced it. That's why I think I'm beautifying it more and more in my head. People who have experienced Asakusa from that era may think, ``This is not what Asakusa is like.''

Netflix movie “Asakusa Kid” will be distributed exclusively worldwide from December 9th (Thursday)

That's why I didn't have much motivation to recreate the Asakusa streetscape this time. But the producers told me, ``It would be more powerful as a video if we recreated the city of Asakusa properly.'' So, if I'm going to do it, I'll do it thoroughly. However, there are some things that have been arranged somewhat. For example, I did the stained glass on the outside wall of Franceza on my own. There was no such thing at the time, and the exterior walls were actually a bit bland. I've recreated it based on the image of Asakusa that I have in my head.

Another thing I was careful about was that I didn't want the town to look too crowded. That's based on the opinion of Fumio Takada, who saw my first film, ``Raise of the Blue Sky .'' It was a movie set in Asakusa at the same time as ``Asakusa Kid,'' and someone told me, ``Asakusa back then wasn't that lively. Asakusa from that era has already passed.'' That's why people who watch "Asakusa Kid" may think, "Huh? Wouldn't it be better if there were more passersby?" But that's the result of minimizing the number of people and making Asakusa deserted.

The sex appeal of Hiroshi Oizumi who played Master Fukami