Sonatine ソナチン Kitano's Sumo Beach Scene, Then & Now On The Same Exact Beach in Ishigaki, Japan!

[@otto8schneider846]

いまも変わらない景色がいつでも迎えてくれる

[@JamesAutonMCR]

This made me smile I've loved Sonatine since my uncle shown me it when I was a teen in the uk, he lives in Japan now! lol

[@blasstd327]

Glad it gave you a smile James, it put a big one on my face making it.:)

[@Luke-Nightingale]

YES !!!!!! that is bloody brilliant. My wife and I are moving to her Hometown in Hokkaido next year. I would love to go to this location.

[@blasstd327]

Thanks. It is well worth it to visit. Ishigaki Island is beautiful!

[@ewanbauld607]

Wow we have been there! It took us 20 years to find it lol we almost wanted to cry at that moment.

[@blasstd327]

Awesome, yes its is very emotional to actually finally be there in person. When did you visit and how did you go about finding it?

[@ewanbauld607]

@@blasstd327 So we have been to Okinawa maybe 6 or 7 seven times when we first went we though yes easy to find it lol. My wife who is Japanese read it was shot on Ishigaki after 20l years or trying to find it, I found an internet post that roughly told us where to go we drove through all sorts of sugarcane fields and we were really unsure. We stopped at a diving school and they said yes its next door close the gate! Walking down to the beach was so emotional we still couldn't believe then we saw the rock behind the sumo part that confirmed it all. I will never forget this as long as I live.

[@ewanbauld607]

It was 2014

[@blasstd327]

@@ewanbauld607 Well that took you a few years:) Glad you finally where able to find your way there. There is a parasailing company right before you get to the gate you were talking about. They knew about Sonatine being filmed there. I did the parasailing first so flew right over the beach and big rock to get a good view of it all before we walked down. Its pretty cool that others want to find the same locations all these years later. We need to get Kitano to do a sequel to Sonatine.....he could wake up in modern day Japan, and most of the movie Sonatine was a dream so they are all alive as old Yakuza:)

[@blasstd327]

Here is a link imgbox.com/lAciYyz9 to an aerial shot I took from video showing the big rock, the beach where they filmed the sumo dance, and the location of the gate. Whoever goes next be sure to shut and lock the gate with the chain so the cows do not get out:) They had cows there when they were filming in that location also.

[@junkihidaki4863]

sonatine is best movie!! 素晴らしいですね！

[@blasstd327]

It is one of the best for sure :)

[@てんちん-h7j]

Amazing！

[@blasstd327]

Thanks, it is well worth the trip to the same beach if you are a fan of Sonatine. おかげで、あなたがソナチンのファンなら、同じビーチに行く価値があります

[@Davakira]

Great video! :)

[@blasstd327]

Thanks, and glad you enjoyed it.

[@Leon-xv1nh]

This is wonderful

[@blasstd327]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@PopcultureGalore]

This is amazing! Thanks for sharing :)

[@blasstd327]

You bet. Its interesting how others who are big fans of Sonatine have sought out this exact location to go to.

[@ArsenalRox007]

This is amazing ... I've always loved this film but you are REALLY into it ... can you explain what struck you about it so much?

[@blasstd327]

Kitano just had such a different style, way different, long quiet camera shots, then BLAM, he hits you with violence! Also the first shot I used in my video is from the film, right after they have to ditch one of their buddies, which is a dark scene light wise,after he is killed in the bar shootout. Then to go to driving toward the awesome gorgeous beach just grabs ones attention, and Joe Hisaishi doing the soundtrack had me hooked! Went through almost of of Kitano's catalog after watching Sonatine. Liked it so much I vowed to visit the beach where some of the scenes were filmed.

[@gerardstuart3542]

Where in Ishigaki is that beach? Was on the island in the summer of 2019. Will be going back in the future and want to check this out.

[@blasstd327]

I was there in April of 2019 during the Ishigaki Triathlon, so pretty close time wise with your visit:) That beach is in the Northern part of Ishigaki Island. KZL posted in this thread that he found my thread on Bluray.com(which is currently down right now or I would include a link) and saw the pics I posted of a map, and he came of with the location being: 24°32'54.9"N 124°18'26.3"E

[@gerardstuart3542]

@@blasstd327 thank you for this :) will try to get there the next time I visit Ishigaki

[@blasstd327]

@@gerardstuart3542 You bet. Its well worth the time to look it up if you are there again.

[@Zx93.]

Don't you have any gps references for google maps? Cool vid, thx ;)

[@blasstd327]

@@Zx93. Good job on finding the GPS location, and glad you enjoyed the video. I would like to find some of the other locations in the film, such as that opening shot in my video from the film where the car is going towards the ocean on a dirt road. Probably need some help from Japanese film fans or crew who actually worked on the film...anyone have more details?:) Ishigaki and the surrounding islands are a fantastic place to visit.

[@motwhom3230]

@@Zx93. are you sure that is it, the beach does not look wide enough, or is that just rising sea levels...

[@yoyoma2831]

Wow..how was it finding the exact location?? Was it hard??

[@blasstd327]

Had to do some work to find it. I knew it was filmed somewhere on the Okinawa Islands, so contacted the Okinawa Film Office and got great help from Rina who answered all my questions and gave advice. Thats when I found out that particular scene was filmed on Ishigaki Island, which is around 250 miles south west of Okinawa. Used Goggle maps to go around the Island and finally found the exact beach and spot where it was filmed!! Was very exciting to have found it and was surreal to actually go there and film the same scene:)

[@Popkajopa]

@@blasstd327 I did the same research as you, but couple years back now (2016) and dreamed to visit this beach, and now i found this video! I'm happy than some one else had a pleasure and opportunity to visit this place before me! Some day i will visit it too:)! It makes me happy to think that im not the only one person in the world who tried to find a location of a beach in a Japanese movie they liked! p.s - OST in this movie is extraordinary

[@blasstd327]

Raymond, its nice to hear you were thinking the same way. I am sure there are others who have found that spot, speaking Japanese would help in the search. To actually walk on the same beach was surreal. That opening shot of the car driving in my video is from the movie itself, I have not been able to find out where that was filmed. I think they may have filmed some in Okinawa also, like the airport scene etc. There is probably a Japanese forum somewhere that has all the details.....let us know guys if you do lol.

[@jaf49]

わざわざ来たのか、すごいな

[@blasstd327]

Yes it was a long way from California, but well worth it:)