Film
Year One in the North (Kita no Zeronen)
Central Hokkaido area
In 1871, settlers from Awaji Island between Honshu and Shikoku arrive in Hokkaido. This film tells the story of their will to survive despite greater hardships than they ever imagined. Shino Komatsubara (Sayuri Yoshinaga) is exiled to the north with her husband Hideaki (Ken Watanabe) and daughter Tae (Satomi Ishihara) and must carve out a life in the wilderness. The film explores the origin of the resilient spirit of Hokkaido's population. This blockbuster opened up new frontiers for the Japanese film industry, spending seven months on location in Hokkaido and creating an open set outdoors.
© 2005, Year One in the North Production Committee
- Year released
- 2005
- Starring
- Sayuri Yoshinaga, Etsushi Toyokawa, Ken Watanabe, etc.
- Director
- Isao Yukisada
- Screenwriter
- Machiko Nasu
- Distributor
- TOEI
STAMP SPOT!
Site of Kocho Office (Town Office)
In the late 19th century, towns were run by officials called kocho in the precursor to today's town offices. This site, which appears in the film, was once used for the kocho office built in February 1880 to govern the districts of Shizunai and Niikappu. Today, the Shizunai branch of North Pacific Bank stands here, and a plaque on the wall facing the Urakawa National Highway announces its history as the site of the kocho office. In the film, the kocho is a man named Kurazo, who cheats his way into power. This may well have been the place where he hatched his schemes.
- Address
- 1-1-1 Shizunai-miyukicho, Shinhidaka Town, Hidaka District, Hokkaido 056-0017
- Phone
- 0146-42-1000 (Shinhidaka Tourism Association)
- Access
- Around 25 minutes from Hidaka-Atsuga Interchange on the Hidaka Expressway
- Open hours
- -
- Open period
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- Closed
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- Admission
- -
- Notes
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