FPCJ-home > Media Resourcess
> People in the News
Go to "Search by News Subject"
People in the News
Director, Kobe Film Office
Mako Tanaka
November 2003
Developing an Alternative Newspaper by and for the People
Expanding the Possibilities of Location Filming
Film commissions are springing up across Japan. These organizations promote their localities as sites for the filming of movies, television series, and commercials and help production crews with such procedures as obtaining permits for location filming and negotiating with the parties concerned. Backed by the expectations of local governments for the impact of location filming on their economy and tourism industry, as many as 59 film commissions have been set up in the last four years.
In October 2003 a national film commission convention was held in Tokyo under the sponsorship of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Part of the program was a panel discussion on actual cases of shooting restrictions and how they should be dealt with, and alongside filmmakers and officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transportation and other government offices, Mako Tanaka, director of the Kobe Film Office, sat on the panel as the sole representative of all the film commissions across Japan.
Making the Impossible Possible
Kobe is known as the birthplace of film in Japan - it is where the first-ever film screening in Japanese history took place in 1896. In addition to its urban streets, Kobe also boasts an abundance of natural film locations, including the sea, mountains, and fields. The Kobe Film Office was established in September 2000 with the ambition of launching a new film culture for the twenty-first century from this city of cinema. It is the first Japanese official member of the Association of Film Commissioners International, a US-based association of film commissions around the world.
To date, the Kobe Film Office has attracted and supported the production of over 400 movies and TV programs. Furthermore, it has been widely noted for realizing various location shoots that were considered impossible in Japan, such as filming on subway tracks and closing off public roads for car explosion scenes. "There aren't any laws or ordinances that say you can't shoot [in certain places]. Based on the assumption that the filming will take place, we firmly negotiate how it can be done as safely as possible and with the least inconvenience to others," says Tanaka. She goes on to note that the success in Kobe also owes much to the consensus-building discussions with police, fire, and other authorities that were started two years before the office was set up.
But Kobe's case is exceptional. Tanaka's overall assessment of local governments, which have charge over film commissions, is harsh. "Japanese film commissions are still in their infancy. Most film commissions in the West are headed by filmmakers and actors, but in Japan I'm the only representative who is a private citizen. Here, film commissions are regarded as just another municipal program. You can't establish a real rapport with partners if the representative changes every two years. [Local governments] need to give serious thought to the training of specialists." And to filmmakers, she warns that a single broken promise can ruin the trust that has been developed with those who agree to cooperate.
Another concern is that although film commissions now exist across the country, not enough accurate information about them is reaching filmmakers. The convention held in October brought together film commission staff and filmmakers from around Japan and appears to have been a step in the right direction. Still, Tanaka is far from content. "I'd like the Agency for Cultural Affairs to provide opportunities for filmmakers and film commission members across Japan to meet regularly, like they do in Europe and North America."
Further "Deregulation"
Mako Tanaka spent half of her school and university years in the United States and the other half in Japan. After completing her undergraduate studies at the International Christian University in Tokyo, she pursued a varied career as a TV producer, radio DJ, and interpreter for foreign artists. In 1998, at the request of the city of Kobe, Tanaka became involved in making preparations for the launch of the film commission; when the commission was launched she became its director. During the preparatory period, Tanaka took part in a training program offered by the Association of Film Commissioners International and was certified as a film commissioner. Furthermore, for two years until October 2002, she served as the AFCI's first Asian director, in which capacity she advertised Kobe not only in Japan but to the world as well.
Tanaka's next target for deregulation is the highways. Location shoots on highways have never been permitted in Japan, but she is undaunted. "Depending on the time and area, there have got to be some places where the traffic volume is not so high," she says.
Contact information:
Kobe Film Office
Phone: 078-303-2021
E-mail:film@kcva.or.jp
Go to Top