Everyone wants to take home precious memories from Japan. Often the trip of a lifetime, and a holiday that’s been looked forward to and saved towards for years, it’s important to capture the special moments to savour and look back on. Obviously everyone has access to a personal camera these days in the form of our mobile phones. But not everyone has the skills to use them effectively. Simple holiday snaps can only take you so far. That’s why Ryohei Sasatani caught my eye while scrolling through Instagram. He’s a film-maker based in the legendary scenery of Kyoto and offers bespoke “video portraits” for travellers who are visiting Japan. These expertly filmed creations truly take in the grandeur and impact of the country, alongside tender portraits of holidaymakers and travellers enjoying the scenery. It’s a brilliant idea.
I sat down with Ryohei to talk through his project, and learn more about the man behind this ambitious new way to hold onto your Japan memories forever.
First some backstory from Ryohei about his film making influences. Which prove to be quite international:
“I’ve been working as a filmmaker for 18 years. Kyoto was once called the “Hollywood of Japan,” with many films produced here in the 1950s. Influenced by that legacy, I watched many films from the 1960s and was deeply moved by them. Among Japanese filmmakers, I particularly admire Kaneto Shindo, especially The Naked Island and The Witch [Onibaba]. From Europe, I love Theo Angelopoulos’ Eternity and a Day and Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia. Just naming these films makes my heart race.”
Ryohei was inspired to meld his love of Kyoto with his own filmmaking skills, to help tourists and visitors remember their visit in proper style.
“Cinematic Travel Film in Kyoto offers video portrait sessions for travellers visiting from overseas. Drawing on my experience as a documentary and feature film director, I create cinematic and poetic, portraits of people’s journeys.
Kyoto is a rare city where landscapes, architecture, and Buddhist statues, all carefully preserved by human hands over centuries, exist in harmony. Born and raised in Kyoto, I have long been searching through filmmaking for the essential beauty of Japan. These poetic travel films are something only I can create, and that’s the heart of this project.”
Kyoto offers a wealth of beauty, history and culture.
Returning to some of the deeper roots of the project, there turns out to be a linguistic link which inspires Ryohei
“In Japanese, the word for “tourism” is 観光 (kanko). “観 (kan)” means “to see,” and “光 (ko)” means “light.” Originally, tourism in Japan meant “shining light upon a place” to understand its true nature. Kyoto is now filled with visitors, but I often feel it’s a missed opportunity when people rush through temples in large crowds. I believe the true beauty of Kyoto lies not in consumer-driven sightseeing, but in its quiet, contemplative atmosphere.
As a filmmaker, I realised that what I could offer was to help visitors experience that tranquillity, to create a film that reflects the spirit and depth of Kyoto.”
I always love to ask people who live and work in Japan what their favourite hidden location is, somewhere that they feel more people should know about:
“In this era of deep digital access, true hidden spots are hard to come by, but one place I love is Seigen-ji Temple in Nantan City. It’s a bit remote, but the temple houses many wooden Buddhist statues carved by Mokujiki, an 18th-century monk and sculptor.
Mokujiki travelled across Japan, carving over a thousand unique Buddha statues during his humble pilgrimage and offering them to local people. To me, these statues express the quiet inner beauty that once lived in the hearts of the Japanese people.”
Ryohei leaves me with a roundup of his philosophy of filmmaking, something for me to think over.
“Documentary filmmaking, screenwriting, and directing are all acts of empathy, they’re about imagining how others feel. To me, filmmaking is ultimately an extension of kindness, sustained by a healthy mind and lifestyle.”
Ryohei Sasatani of Cinematic Travel Film in Kyoto
