【Review】　The Japanese Movie 'Stone Steps (Ishidan)'

I watched the movie ’Stone Steps’ (Japanese title ‘Ishidan’) directed by Koichi Kuwada.
It features Kojima in Okayama, where Mr. Kuwada was born and raised.

The main character, Natsuki Kimura (performed by Kanna Fukui), is a high school student.
Although she was dreaming of becoming a singer, her mother was strictly against it.
Natsuki was trying  to relieve her stress by hanging out with her bad classmates.

The story begins with the scene where another main character, a middle aged man, Tsutomu Katayama (performed by Akitoshi Otaki), came across Natsuki and her friends and got injured by them.

Although Mr. Katayama was suffering from a disease, he was doing ‘Henro’ or making a pilgrimage to temples in Kojima.

First of all, I got interested in this ‘Kojima Henro’ because one of my hobbies is visiting shrines and temples.
Although ‘Henro’ is actually a longer pilgrimage visiting temples around Shikoku, it is believed that a shorter version of ‘Henro’ was made in Kojima for people who didn’t have money or were too sick to go to Shikoku in the Edo period.

Several temples in Kojima appear in this movie.
Among them I was especially fascinated by Hannyain, the site of which was covered with yellow leaves.
It was such a  beautiful scene that I want to see the scenery with my own eyes.

Although Natsuki and Mr. Katayama had the worst meeting at the beginning of the story, they ended up visiting temples together and Natsuki’s feelings gradually changed.

Why did they visit temples around together?
Did they successfully visit all the temples?
And how about Natsuki’s dream of becoming a singer in the end?
Find out in this movie.

The story was simple but impressive with the beautiful scenery in Kojima.

Some of you may feel to have a dream is for younger people.
However, when we ask ourselves sincerely, we will still find some things to achieve before the end of our lives.
Mr. Katayama said something to Natsuki at the end of the story.
I think it was not only for her but also for us.

Although some may say these are hard times or at least challenging times, I think it is important to move toward our dreams, as if we go up 'stone steps' to temples.

(’Stone Steps’ won Japanese Film Festival Award in Hamburg in 2022.)