Adrift in Tokyo

Tenten
Directed by	Satoshi Miki
Written by	Yoshinaga Fujita Satoshi Miki
Starring	Jô Odagiri Tomokazu Miura Kyôko Koizumi Yuriko Yoshitaka
Cinematography	Sôhei Tanikawa
Edited by	Nobuyuki Takahashi
Music by	Osamu Sakaguchi
Release date	10 November 2007 (2007-11-10)
Country	Template:Film Japan
Language	Japanese

Adrift in Tokyo (Japanese title 転々, tenten) is a 2007 Japanese film based on a novel by Yoshinaga Fujita.

Synopsis

Leading a lazy life, Fumiya has been a student for 8 years and owes money to loan sharks. One day, a man named Fukuhara comes to collect the loan, which Fumiya cannot pay. So Fukuhara makes a proposition: He will cancel the debt as long as Fumiya agrees to walk with him across Tokyo to the police station of Kasumigaseki, where he intends to turn himself for a crime he deeply regrets. Not having much choice, Fumiya accepts the deal. Thus begins their journey. Based on the original novel by the 125th Naoki Prize winner Yoshinaga Fujita.

Cast

• Joe Odagiri (Plastic City, Shinobi, Hazard, Retribution) as Fumiya Takemura
• Tomokazu Miura (The Taste of Tea, Heaven's Door, Flowers in the Shadow) as Aiichiro Fukuhara
• Kyôko Koizumi (Three for the Road, Sakuran, Tokyo Sonata) as Makiko
• Yuriko Yoshitaka (Cyborg Girl), as Fufumi

Credits

• Director: Satoshi Miki (Damejin, Turtles Swim Faster Than Expected, The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia)
• Writer (Screenplay) : Satoshi Miki (Damejin, Turtles Swim Faster Than Expected, The Insects Unlisted in the Encyclopedia)
• Writer (Novel) : Yoshinaga Fujita
• Cinematographer : Souhei Tanigawa
• Editor : Nobuyuki Takahashi
• Sound : Mitsuru Seya
• Production Designer : Keiko Mitsumatsu
• Production Companies : Aoi Promotion, Geneon Entertainment and Style Jam

Festivals

• Udine Far East Festival 2008
• New York Asian Film Festival 2008
• Neuchâtel International Fantasy Film Festival 2008
• Fantasia Festival 2008
• Raindance Film Festival 2008
• Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2008 - Closing Film
• Ottawa International Film Festival

Awards

• Fantasia International Film Festival: Best Script (Satoshi Miki); Special Mention (Jo Odagiri and Tomokazu Miura)
• Kinema Junpo Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Tomokazu Miura)

International Release

• Japan : November 10, 2007
• Canada : Montreal : April 10, 2009 - (DÉRIVE À TOKYO) Toronto : May 1, 2009 & Vancouver : May 22, 2009

Reviews

• “Satoshi Miki makes a Masterpiece. ...Miki puts together a great comedy from start to finish.”

Mark Schilling, The Japan Times

• “Together, (Odagiri & Miura) make for good cinematic company. Their trip through Tokyo shows us the city from a perspective we may not have seen and reminds us that the world is full of small and large beauties...”

Jay Seaver, eFilmCritic

• “... has the kind of low-key, effortless charm that most movies sweat for. ... it is a masterpiece of throwaway lines and little oddities. This is a lovely film that should not be missed.”

David Austin, Cinema Strikes Back

• “...one of the five best films in the world for 2008. It’s just as good on second viewing. ...a meandering, quirky and surprisingly beautiful piece of work that perfectly balances humour and emotion.”

Todd Brown, Twichfilm

• “...a droll charmer. ... gently but heartily amusing throughout...”

Russell Edwards, Variety

• “... a comic stroll that is indeed aimless, but consciously, introspectively, and out-of-left-field hilariously so.”

Aaron Hillis, The Village Voice

• “...before I knew it I was hooked in and in step with two characters as they lead me on a walking tour of Tokyo and their pasts.”

Emer Schlosser, Inside E Online

Other Reviews :

• eFilmCritic
• Twitchfilm
• Critical Culture
• Variety

Technical specifications

• Original Title : Tenten
• Origin Country : Japan
• Format: 35 mm
• Duration: 101 min
• Color
• Sound: Dolby SRD

References

• Adrift in Tokyo at IMDb
• Japanese Distributor: Stylejam
• Canadian Distributor: Evokative Films
• Trailer
• Pictures
• Adrift in Tokyo review by The Globe and Mail
• Map Of Adrift In Tokyo