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Over 1 Million Views! The Inside Story of Fukushima Komuten's 70th Anniversary Film That Brought Talent and Passion to Otaru During the Pandemic

2022.04.22

A short film produced in the winter of 2021 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Fukushima Komuten, a construction company in Otaru, Hokkaido, is now gaining attention as a "never-before-seen branded movie." After its release in China, it surpassed 1 million views in just one week. The overwhelming response, reaching approximately 1.63 million views as of April 2022, is by no means a "fluke."

We spoke with Mr. Keisuke Fukushima, President and CEO of Fukushima Komuten Co., Ltd., and Mr. Tomohiro Yamashita, CCO of Nulunulu Inc., who handled the overall direction and starred in the film, to get the inside story they can now share.

Table of Contents
1. Becoming the Third-Generation Head of a Long-Established Firm Amidst the Headwinds of COVID-19
2. Starting Activities in Japan in 2020, Leveraging Influence in China
3. Turning an Unseen Side of Otaru into a Branded Film
4. "Sometimes We Get Difficult Requests": A Coordinator's Confession
5. Your Town, Too, Can "Always Be Reborn Anew"

Becoming the Third-Generation Head of a Long-Established Firm Amidst the Headwinds of COVID-19

The roughly 8-minute film, created to celebrate Fukushima Komuten's 70th anniversary, is titled "Jōcho (Emotion) ~ 'Re:' - A New Dawn for Otaru -". The protagonist is 36-year-old "Tomohiro Okagawa," who loses his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returns to his hometown of Otaru. The sigh he lets out upon seeing the deserted state of his hometown for the first time in 15 years reflects the reality faced by regional areas all across Japan.

"Normally, when you think of a branded movie, you imagine a black-and-white image of the founder's face gradually turning to color. But this one surprises the audience right from the start with Yamashita-kun's comical acting and an over-the-top battle with Saito-san, who plays his grandfather. I was most nervous when I showed it to my employees and stakeholders for the first time."

Says Keisuke Fukushima, president of Fukushima Komuten and the film's executive producer, with a laugh. During his university years in Tokyo, he studied architecture from the perspective of urban planning and community development, and made a U-turn back to Otaru in 2007. He has been breathing new life into the town, such as by personally acquiring and renovating the (Former) Okagawa Pharmacy, a designated historical building in Otaru City, into a café and guesthouse.

Mr. Fukushima took over Fukushima Komuten, founded by his grandfather Masao Fukushima in 1952, in June 2020. Although it had been planned for some time, taking the helm amidst the raging COVID-19 pandemic was a start against the wind.

"Otaru, where tourism is a key industry, was hit hard as a whole. At the (Former) Okagawa Pharmacy, we applied for every available subsidy and used the opportunity to review our past practices, making improvements and capital investments. The most difficult part was maintaining employee morale. I think everyone did a great job."

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The star, Tomohiro Yamashita, is also from Otaru. He is actually an influencer with immense popularity and view counts in China!

Starting Activities in Japan in 2020, Leveraging Influence in China

The same year Mr. Fukushima became president, another person shifted his activities as an influencer from China to Japan: Tomohiro Yamashita.

"I originally wanted to curate contemporary art. At 26, I decided to base my activities in China, which was experiencing remarkable economic growth, while also engaging in my own creative expression. Thanks to that, I became well-known there over the past 10 years, but with the pandemic in 2020, I started a new chapter with Japan as my home base.
In my China days, I was on the advertising side as a performer. From now on, I want to focus more on producing, which involves thinking more broadly, including about budgets. To people who purely want to create, money talk might sound like noise, but I've come to believe that being unable to discuss finances properly when trying to promote international exchange or revitalize a region is actually insincere. In 2019, I founded Nulunulu Inc. with the aim of being a 'lubricant between Japan and China,' and I'm still diligently studying business and economics."

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The location shoot lasted only one day! This scene was filmed in a Japanese-style room on the second floor of the (Former) Okagawa Pharmacy.

Regarding his relationship with Mr. Fukushima, Yamashita says, "My house is close to the (Former) Okagawa Pharmacy, so we'd talk about various things whenever I returned to Otaru. We've both seen Otaru from the outside and share a sense of crisis that things can't go on like this. Mr. Fukushima now has a wealth of local information and connections, but I'm sure he struggled with the gap in mindset with the locals right after his U-turn. But now, when I hear him talk about Otaru, I feel a great sense of future. To me, he's someone who makes me think, 'We can do something together!'"

Turning an Unseen Side of Otaru into a Branded Film

Several threads led to the creation of the branded film. Here, another creator enters the scene: Kodai Ito, a videographer who showcases Hokkaido's charm using drones.

Mr. Ito, who was in Mr. Fukushima's wide network of contacts, teamed up with Mr. Yamashita for the first time in the winter of 2020. The trio won a contract for Otaru's tourism promotion video project, which was being updated for the first time in 16 years. When Fukushima and Yamashita first saw Ito's finished footage, their reaction was—

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A still from "Jōcho (Emotion) ~ 'Re:' - A New Dawn for Otaru -". Ito's directorial work 'ODYSSEY' was also screened at the Hokkaido 150th Anniversary Ceremony.

"We were astonished. What is this quality?! We saw an Otaru that even we locals had never seen before. A powerful desire to share this beautiful imagery with more people welled up inside me."

At the same time, Mr. Fukushima continues, the impact of COVID-19 on the construction industry began to appear with a delay.

"We started hearing about more projects being canceled before they even reached our construction company, and I felt we had to do something. A 70th anniversary means the company exists together with the town. If we could lay the groundwork for Otaru's tourism revival in anticipation of a post-COVID world, and at the same time, send a message internally about what we are aiming for, everything would start moving in a positive direction. All these thoughts coincided with our 70th anniversary, leading us to issue an SDGs declaration for the entire Fukushima Komuten Group, apply for the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's J-LOD(5) grant as suggested by Yamashita-kun, and create the branded film."

J-LOD(5) is the fifth round of a subsidy program that supports the production of "story-driven video content (branded content) that evokes customer empathy for a company's stance and philosophy."
The proposal they submitted was prepared by Mr. Yamashita. A quick look at it reveals a surprisingly high level of precision, with an analysis conscious of his strong Chinese market (keywords like "family" and "snowy landscapes," and casting a Chinese influencer as a guest) and a story plot that was nearly complete.

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Shunji Iwai's film 'Love Letter' ignited Otaru's popularity in China. This work pays homage to it, positioning itself as a "second love letter" from Otaru to the nation.

"When I first saw Ito-san's footage, I was unexpectedly moved. Anyone who sees that will think, 'Otaru is amazing!' I decided I had to use it at the most impactful moment."

"I wanted it to be like a memorable dinner on a special day, not an everyday meal you might forget when asked what you ate yesterday," reveals Yamashita, explaining why he set the release date for February 14th, Valentine's Day.

"I was fired up because it was a job for Fukushima-san, and I also wanted to do something positive for this place I'm so fond of. It's a work I've invested a great deal of myself into in my creative career."

"Sometimes We Get Difficult Requests": A Coordinator's Confession

For production, Mr. Fukushima reached out to Reactor Inc. in Sapporo, and Sei Takahashi, a promising young filmmaker, was chosen as the director. The production period, which began at the end of 2021, lasted a total of three months. As production progressed at a phenomenal pace, Yamashita emphasizes that "the presence of a coordinator like Fukushima-san was absolutely essential."

"Regional branding and revitalization basically start with welcoming people from the outside, right? And when those people are creators, it means embracing a 'foreign element' with ideas far removed from the locals. Friction is bound to arise. But on this set, Fukushima-san handled all the coordination and traffic control so we could focus on the creative work. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to finish it in such a short time."

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It was the first time for Yamashita, now based in Japan after 10 years, to meet the Sapporo production team. "They could have easily thought, 'Who is this guy?' but they were very welcoming."

Having been involved in architectural design, video works, and spatial installations since his 20s, Mr. Fukushima is an artist in his own right, which enabled him to be a bridge between the local community and the creators. Another key factor in the success of "Jōcho ~ 'Re:' - A New Dawn for Otaru -" becomes clear here.

"My role is to help the talented creators from outside achieve the landing they envision. To be honest, when I first returned to Otaru, I think the locals saw me as a very arrogant guy. I realized that wouldn't work and went through a personality makeover to become who I am today, so I feel I understand the feelings of both the insiders and the outsiders. Sometimes we get difficult requests. And sometimes we work hard to prepare something, only for them not to film it... (laughs). But the work that results from creators focusing on their production always brings success. This branded movie taught me that."

Your Town, Too, Can "Always Be Reborn Anew"

The Fukushima Komuten Group consists of Fukushima Komuten as its core, along with the (Former) Okagawa Pharmacy, N LLC which handles architectural design, and Fukushima Shoji, a real estate company.
Despite being a branded movie, the company's promotion is only briefly mentioned at the end. Would the creativity of boldly abandoning convention, and the truly intended message embedded within, be understood by all the group's employees and affiliated companies?

On the day of the screening, which Mr. Fukushima watched with bated breath, the applause and smiles of everyone there—"That was great!" "I love this kind of thing!"—were the answers they most wanted to hear.

The project was also featured as a selected case for the fiscal year 2020 on the J-LOD(5) support program's website, receiving high praise: "Through seemingly over-the-top comical direction, the viewer is forcefully drawn into the story, and before they know it, they feel the charm of Otaru and the warmth of its people, (...) emotionally and accurately conveying the potential for regional revitalization."

Looking back on this series of projects, it's clear to anyone that the team was formidable, built on the long-standing trust between Mr. Fukushima and Mr. Yamashita, the catalyst of Mr. Ito's videography, and Mr. Yamashita's immense influence in the Chinese market.
Nevertheless, hearing the grandfather's line in the film, "You can always be reborn anew," perhaps the preconceived notion that "It might have worked in Otaru, but it's impossible for us" will quietly melt away like spring snow.

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The line written by screenwriter Mio Aoyama seeps into the heart, along with the lingering beauty of the visuals.

"I believe every region has people who are rooted in their land with a strong sense of purpose. If those people don't just stay in their small local circles but increase their contact with outsiders and keep taking on challenges, they will surely find a breakthrough. It doesn't matter how small. I want them to keep challenging themselves," Mr. Fukushima says, offering his encouragement.

For Mr. Yamashita, this work became a major stepping stone for his career in Japan. He was impressed by the talent of the Sapporo creators he worked with for the first time in his hometown and felt confident that "this could be a model for regional revitalization films not just nationwide, but across Asia!"

"I think people who are trying to make a difference in their own regions can use this work as material to persuade others, saying, 'Look, they're doing something like this in Otaru!' Even if the budget scale is different, that's where we creators can come in, rack our brains, and provide the best solution. First and foremost, please don't hesitate to consult with us. We're waiting for a call from a 'host family' to welcome us to your town!"

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This work has been nominated for the "BRANDED SHORTS 2022 Shortlist," which features corporate branding movies. The final nominated works will be announced in May 2022!

●Fukushima Komuten: https://fukushima-km.co.jp/
●Nulunulu Inc.: https://nulunulu.asia/
●Tomohiro Yamashita Official Bilibili Channel: https://space.bilibili.com/1643718
●Tomohiro Yamashita Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/jibo33
●Reactor Inc.: https://reactor.jp/
●Kodai Ito's company, Geograms: http://geograms.jp/

Writer's Profile

Yuko Sato Yuko Sato

Based in Sapporo. I support bookstores, publishers, and people related to books in Hokkaido through the web magazine "Hokkaido Shoten Navi." I am a shelf owner at the new-release bookstore "Seesaw Books" in Kita 18-jo, Sapporo. I am the author of "'The Poorest Tourist Train in Japan' Runs: The Miracle of the Nagamare Kaikyo-go," which depicts railway tourism in Hokkaido through the Isaribi Railway in Southern Hokkaido. You can find me on Twitter/Facebook.