[Peace Talk] Film “YUKIKAZE” Director Toshihisa Yamada x Nakayoshi Gakuen Representative Yuichi Nakamura
Nakayoshi Gakuen Project (NPO) Press Release: September 16, 2025 [Peace Talk] Film “YUKIKAZE” Director Toshihisa Yamada x Nakayoshi Gakuen Representative Yuichi Nakamura From Japan, 80 Years After the War, to the World, Zero Years After the War — A Dialogue to Connect Peace to the Future To commemorate the release of the film “YUKIKAZE” (official website:
https://www.yukikaze-movie.jp
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-5cf5e035ad91343179086c5b0d907529-3900×2925.jpg Director Yamada talks about the film “Yukikaze” I was given a poster and flyer for “YUKIKAZE” The movie “YUKIKAZE” depicts the “aftermath of the war” Director Yamada’s first feature-length film, “YUKIKAZE,” is not simply a work that recreates the horrors of wartime. At its core is the message of “We entrust Japan to you,” entrusted to the future by our ancestors who died in the war and those who survived the war and built postwar Japan. This film does more than just allow viewers to relive past events; it also asks the pointed question of how we, living in the postwar era, can inherit that will and pass it on to the future. In this discussion, based on this perspective, What kind of country should Japan be today, a country that our ancestors risked their lives to protect? With the world once again showing signs of conflict and war, what path should the Japanese people choose and what should they protect? A heated discussion unfolded around this theme.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-3bb49296236f097c0847d2a92deb44f4-3900×2925.jpg Message from Coach Yamada to Nakayoshi Gakuen Based on his
on-the-ground experience gained through peacebuilding activities in 10 countries in Asia and Africa, and speeches at the United Nations and Windsor Castle in the UK, Nakamura praised “Snow Wind,” saying, “It’s a film that not only asks how we can prevent war, but also how we can live as actors in the ongoing creation of peace.” He went on to say, “Through this film, children, who will lead the future, will be able to realize that ‘peace is not something that is given to us, but something that we continually choose every day,'” and expressed his intention to screen the film in schools across the country and use it as teaching material for inquiry-based learning. Meanwhile, Director Yamada nodded deeply to Nakamura’s words and commented, “‘Yukikaze’ is not just a film that looks back on the past. I hope it will serve as an opportunity for us, living in the present, to realize that we ourselves are agents of peace.” Furthermore, regarding Nakayoshi Gakuen’s nationwide “Learning Project Connecting with the World,” he commented, “I strongly resonate with this initiative, in which children learn about Japan’s 80 years since the end of the war and engage in dialogue with regions around the world that are still in the ‘zero year since the end of the war,’ expanding the opportunities for practicing peace.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-b3fbbee2f7b690e5687ef78268a37c4e-3030×1401.jpg Nakayoshi Gakuen conducts peace activities on battlefields and conflict zones around the world. The power of images to weave the future At the end of the discussion, Director Yamada presented a signed poster with the message “Toward World Peace.” Nakamura enthusiastically proposed that “we someday work together to teach children about filmmaking” in areas where war has yet to end, such as Syria, Rwanda, and Congo. “Just as Japan has filmed its history from 80 years ago, leaving a legacy of the journey from war to peace in the world’s conflict zones will serve as an important lesson for the future,” he said, to which Director Yamada responded, “Yes, I would love to.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-55823ec4ef91d020dcad3e4a90cd37b2-3900×2925.jpg Director Yamada signed a movie poster and gave it to me as a gift. Through this conversation, two people from different fields who share a desire for world peace sent a powerful message of peace to Japan and the world. Furthermore, if Nakayoshi Gakuen and Director Yamada collaborate in the future, the power of film and the power of education will come together, spreading the message of hope that “peace comes from the choices each and every one of us makes today” from Japan to the world. Nakayoshi Gakuen strongly recommends the film “YUKIKAZE” to children who will lead the future, to those in the educational field, and to all those who wish for peace. We sincerely hope that this film will serve as a new step in thinking about and acting for peace.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-59fdc19f34e25cbd18d14719b7173ef7-3520×1980.jpg Yuichi Nakamura, Representative of Nakayoshi Gakuen, which provides classes to people affected by war and poverty. Work introduction: Movie “YUKIKAZE” Just 80 years ago, the sea was a battlefield. Since the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which sparked war between Japan and the United States, there was one destroyer that survived every fierce battle, from Midway to Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands, and the Marianas. In every battle, it rescued countless comrades cast overboard and always returned to Japan with them. Its name was “Yukikaze.” Over time, the Navy came to call this ship the “Lucky Ship.” This was due to the calm and collected captain’s excellent ship-handling skills and the quick decisions of the senior corporal, who led the non-commissioned officers and soldiers and earned their trust. Though they sometimes clash, the two come to trust each other. And so, Yukikaze finally heads for the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where the Japanese and American navies will decide the outcome…
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-7bcbe8530657035ca91b4d227ddd80b8-3900×2925.jpg Nakayoshi Gakuen visits Etajima, where filming took place. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-dd2d82ddf2ac3811d4d4b4aaa3e7dd0e-3900×2925.jpg The anchor and steering wheel of Yukikaze are currently on display.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-6b3d87984ba8dbba13eeae9b084ff053-3900×2925.jpg Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Officer Candidate School Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-63e7d36b9074163e9d1f755746dd0ba6-3900×2925.jpg A row of historic buildings, including the filming location for “Clouds Above the Hill.” Reasons for Recommendation The film “YUKIKAZE” not only conveys the horrors of war, but also asks each and every viewer how they can live as actors in the ongoing creation of peace. By watching this film, children and students will not only learn about war as a “past event,” but will also consider peace as something that concerns them personally and become aware of their responsibility to pass it on to the future. Furthermore, by
incorporating it into screenings and inquiry-based learning programs at educational support sites overseas, it has the potential to share Japan’s journey toward peace with the world and become an educational resource that sparks peace dialogue across borders. Nakayoshi Gakuen has engaged in peace activities in 10 countries in Asia and Africa, and has utilized its knowledge of global inquiry-based education, which has been recognized in presentations at international
conferences such as the United Nations and Windsor Castle in the UK. We will actively use this film in collaborative classes, screenings, and inquiry-based learning materials with schools, local governments, and civic groups both in Japan and abroad, spreading the idea of peace to the next generation.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-87d51a7728c493137bc3f0fb848e2e2d-3900×2925.jpg Nakamura provides food aid at a Congolese refugee camp.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-8ca8050f3bffe4362d99f5c5074fe6f8-3900×2925.jpg Nakamura teaches calligraphy at a Rwandan elementary school About Nakayoshi Gakuen Nakayoshi Gakuen is an international NGO that utilizes Japan’s advanced technology and services as teaching materials to provide peace education and disaster prevention education in 10 countries around the world, including Syria, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Congo. Under the theme of “What can Japan, 80 years after the war, do for Syria, 0 years after the war?”, we are promoting sustainable peacebuilding through education.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-1f856ae519b3968451060a63640c2900-3900×2925.jpg Kenya
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-a1c02bc32283372b362eaef5a6454537-3900×2925.jpg Rwanda
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/166170/19/166170-19-d9d0d3ac7936da02419a29d9d56a1a46-3900×2925.jpg South Sudan Inquiries regarding this matter Nakayoshi Gakuen Project NPO Public Relations Officer: Rie Nakamura Email:
nakayoshigakuen.office@gmail.com Web:
https://www.nakayoshigakuen.net/npo/index.html