[From Ogawa Natsuka] Nearly 10 years since it was conceived! The film “Go,” which was produced after the actress moved to Kagoshima, is finally complete! It will premiere in Kagoshima on Friday, January 2, 2026, and nationwide on Friday, January 9! Advance tickets are now on sale at Mubichike! by
Letheany & Co. LLC Press Release: October 2, 2025 To Members of the Press Nearly 10 years since the idea was conceived! A 93-minute film with minimal dialogue. “Go,” an impressionist film that challenges us to see and feel with our hearts, will premiere in Kagoshima on Friday, January 2, 2026, followed by a nationwide release on Friday, January 9! Advance tickets are now on sale at Mubichike! Comments from Director Takuro Ijichi and Producer Natsuka Ogawa have arrived! In addition, we received a message of support from Junichi Yasuda, director of “Samurai Time Slippers,” which won the Best Picture Award at the 48th Japan Academy Awards! Production: Letheany&Co. LLC (Location: Aira City, Kagoshima Prefecture) About the work The film begins with a scene of high school baseball players practicing with intense intensity, drawing the viewer into its world. The depictions, provided by ARRI for the first time in Japan, are reminiscent of Terrence Malick, and the film’s focus on the magic hour throughout is a masterpiece. This debut film by director Takuro Ijichi, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy’s Department of Directing, has been acclaimed at numerous international film festivals. He studied audiovisual language and minimized dialogue, challenging viewers to “see and feel with their heart” in this 93-minute film. This film was designated and certified by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in February 2024 as a film that explores the themes of “lifestyle” and “life planning,” prompting viewers to consider “how to live in the present.” The title “Hometown” evokes thoughts of home, earth, impermanence, and nostalgia, while conveying in this single word, “We are born from the earth and will one day return to the earth—the cycle of nature and feelings toward home.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/143560/11/143560-11-7eaa969dcae56ac83cb8e2917d0581b7-1909×2700.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/143560/11/143560-11-8dceb9359559c1bac0ef568d6728f724-1874×1196.jpg (C)Go 2025 A field filled with military-like discipline, hazing, and angry shouts—the sight of high school players practicing hard, dreaming of becoming professional baseball players, is dazzling. The absurdity of human society that occurs within the baseball club and the cruel reality that stands in their way torment the fearless Gaku. He finds relief in his teacher Kirishima’s kind and encouraging words, and a reunion with his childhood friend Ryu brings back old memories.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/143560/11/143560-11-baa3a7a6be0f45cf165c795148748837-1722×1040.png Take and Takashi run through the large trees in the summer
countryside. Blue skies, large cumulonimbus clouds, and Sakurajima belching smoke. Feeling the wind and the scent of the trees, they ran in rapt pursuit of the unknown. As the seasons change and life continues, Takashi realizes that he too has lived a life filled with worries and suffering. Before them lies a vast expanse of majestic nature.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/143560/11/143560-11-f842c6dc74c4d374890c5656117ad8f5-1709×1038.png Take asks himself. I wonder what I was feeling back then… Director’s Comment: Takuro Ijichi
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/143560/11/143560-11-f1732941fb555c1cdf8eb00a830dc64c-2040×2700.jpg (C)Go 2025 “Go” depicts the ordinary, everyday life of one person, something that could happen to anyone. Things don’t always go as planned, and we live our lives struggling with unexpected challenges. But what about childhood? My motivation for this project came from the statistical facts of low psychological well-being and high suicide rates among young people in Japan, as well as a sense of crisis I felt from my own experiences living abroad. As I pondered what I could do, I discovered the possibility that film could be used as a tool to reach people’s subconscious, potentially saving their hearts. “Hometown” was born. I myself have been through difficult times. When times are tough, it’s okay to run away. Create an escape route. That’s how I’ve lived my life, and that’s how I’ve arrived at where I am today. Producer’s Comment: Natsuka Ogawa
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/143560/11/143560-11-5bfce4d1f872a1b6d3649a05c73a70a5-2448×1788.jpg (C)Go 2025 I met the director while studying abroad at the Beijing Film Academy, and was captivated by the soul-cleansing beauty of his work, his unique sound production, and his sincere approach to filmmaking. Having been involved in an accident as a student and suffering from PTSD, I felt a mission to convey the preciousness of life. This led me to make films. The theme of this film is “increasing people’s mental happiness.” I hope to bring “homeland” to many people, liberating the hearts of those suffering. (Selection date: February 2024 / Subjects: Lifestyle, Life Planning) We have created the “Go” (Three “Go”) learning program for junior and senior high schools nationwide to consider mental health and lifestyles, and it is being increasingly used in educational settings. We will continue to expand our efforts to contribute to children’s mental growth. A supportive message from Junichi Yasuda, director of “Samurai Time Slippers,” which won the Best Picture Award at the 48th Japan Academy Awards, has been released! A high school student’s dreams and setbacks as he devotes himself to baseball, and nostalgia for the hometown where he spent his childhood. Extremely few lines, a field of view close to the human eye, floating images, and grand orchestral music. The information presented sparingly with a documentary feel invites viewers to weave their own “story.” As a result, the film’s
protagonist’s childhood memories are interchanged with the viewer’s own. Self-projection arises in the process of constructing the images on the screen as one’s own story. If film is a device that evokes emotion through empathy with “other people’s stories,” then “Go”‘s unique narrative style successfully transforms “other people’s stories” into “the viewer’s own stories.” / Director Junichi Yasuda Credits Director & Screenwriter: Takuro Ijichi Producer & Casting: Natsuka Ogawa Cast: Yuki Izumisawa (narrator), Natsuka Ogawa, Konosuke Furuya, Junya Abe, Fumi Chitose, Hiroki Matsumoto, Takashi Tome Editing, Music, and Cinematography: Takuro Ijichi Costumes, Art, Production, and Acting Direction: Natsuka Ogawa Filming Location: Various locations in Kagoshima Prefecture (Tarumizu City, Aira City, Kagoshima City, Hioki City, Minamisatsuma City, Ibusuki City, Nagashima Town, Izumi City, Kirishima City) Produced by: LETHEANY Distributed by: My Way Movies, Portre Distribution Cooperation: MMC Entertainment, Kinema Junpo Awards 2024 Official selection in the Asian Newcomers category (Best Director and Best Picture) at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival *The youngest Japanese nominee ever! Chongqing 35mm Critics Week Best Critics Award Beijing International Film Festival Official Screening Movies selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (target: youth, subjects: way of life, life planning) 2025 Selected for the 25th Germany-Japan Connection Selected for the 47th Pia Film Festival Selected for the 20th Netherlands Camera Japan Official SNS X: @gou_movie Instagram: @gou.movie Official LINE: Movie “Go” screening information note：https://note.com/natsu7o [Contact Information] Distribution Contact: Portre Ishihara, Ogawa Tel: 03-6456-3990 E-mail: info@portrait-c.com (cc Ogawa:
ogawanatsukaofficial@gmail.com)