This time we visit Chofu, a suburban area rich in nature located about 15 minutes west of Shinjuku. Known as a movie town, it's home to film studios and many other related businesses. As we explore, we learn from industry veterans about the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. We also discover how Chofu's geography and abundant natural water supply shaped the city's history. Later, we visit a major temple and get a taste of a local specialty: soba (buckwheat) noodles.
Today on "Dive in Tokyo," it's Chofu in the spotlight.
Chofu is a suburban area with a reputation as a movie town.
During the golden age of Japanese cinema,
many films were produced here.
It's quite light and more comfortable than it looks.
It's also been called a "city of water"
because of its abundant natural water supply.
And those two things have more to do with each other than you might expect.
I'm lucky to have grown up in such a wonderful place.
It's time to explore Chofu, the city of cinema and water.
"Dive in Tokyo"
Chofu - The City of Cinema and Water
Chofu lies roughly in the geographic center of the Tokyo metropolis.
It's a commuter town located about 15 minutes west of Shinjuku by train.
It's home to Tokyo Stadium
which served as one of the venues for the 2019 Rugby World Cup
and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Next to the stadium is Chofu Airport,
which connects mainland Tokyo to a string of remote islands off the coast.
The city offers plenty of green areas and natural beauty.
Hello, my name is Akino Roza, and I'm here in Chofu City.
Let's check out the city together.
Akino Roza is a Tokyo-based actor who studied Japanese in college,
and has a passion for the tea ceremony and horseback archery.
Oh, look at this!
It looks like a piece of film.
What do we have here?
Is this the turtle?
And here we have a flying monster.
The inside of Chofu Station features illustrations and characters
from old live-action special effects movies.
So, it's my first time here in Chofu City,
and I'm really excited to see what kind of city it is.
It's time to meet up with our first guide for the day.
Nice to meet you. I'm Akino Roza.
Nice to meet you.
Saiki Tomonori was a film specialist
at the Agency for Cultural Affairs for many years.
He currently heads a film festival held here in Chofu.
Today he'll be taking us on a tour of Chofu's cinematic history.
We begin in a local residential area.
Our first stop is a movie studio.
- It's just up ahead.
- Great!
There it is.
There's a movie studio in this residential area?
Yes.
This movie studio was built in 1954
on a plot of land measuring about 66,000 square meters.
It produced many of postwar Japan's best-known films
and gave rise to many star actors.
There are currently five sound stages on site where movies,
TV shows and commercials are filmed.
Back in the heyday of Japanese cinema, this studio was four times the size.
As movies were overtaken by TV, our studio had to downsize.
This is the studio's green screen sound stage.
It's so green!
With roughly 165 square meters of space,
this stage is one of the largest of its kind in Japan.
We build physical sets here and replace the background digitally.
So we might build a mountaintop and have someone arrive there.
And digitally insert the mountains and clouds in the distance.
The studio uses the latest technology
to create visually immersive environments.
Next, we head to the cafeteria,
which over the years has served some of Japan's biggest film stars.
So, we have a movie studio in Chofu.
Why Chofu?
Chofu was a very convenient location for shooting movies.
There are hills and forests. Lots of nature.
So you could film on location when building a set wasn't practical.
What's more, Chofu is very accessible from central Tokyo.
Chofu's geography made it ideally suited
to become the production center of a film industry.
Let me show you the other studio.
The other one?
Chofu is actually home to two movie studios!
- That's impressive.
- It is.
- That's why this is a movie town.
- I see.
That other studio is just a short walk away.
Take a look.
Who's that?
Daimajin.
Daimajin, the Great Demon God is one of the studio's iconic characters.
Who is that?
The same character, awakened and angry.
That's like me
when I get angry.
This is the oldest studio in Chofu.
A Kyoto-based film company purchased the 20,000 square meter plot
and established a base of production in 1934.
That included building company housing
for the film crews and actors it had under contract.
At night, the studio lights would envelop the studio in a brilliant glow,
and it came to be dubbed the "Hollywood of the East."
Saiki introduces us to a man who used to live on the studio grounds.
Yamane Hisayoshi is a veteran actor who continues to perform on screen.
Filming went on from morning into the night.
If they suddenly needed someone in the middle of the night,
we'd rush over in our pajamas.
Look. It's a film camera.
This is where the first films were shot in Chofu.
The local industry exists today thanks to this studio.
Yamane offers to show us where the studio's housing quarters used to be.
Where did you live, Yamane-san?
My house was over here.
Yamane's family lived in a house just up the hill from the studio.
For kids like me who lived here, the studio was our playground.
Records show that about 100 households lived here at the time.
Sometimes scenes were even filmed in the housing area.
Yamane's father was the head of the production department.
My father was production manager.
So sometimes he'd assemble directors and producers,
and they'd have meetings at our house.
- At your house?
- Yes.
This was our main street.
We could stage festivals.
- You staged festivals?
- Yes.
We'd bring a prop miniature shrine up from the studio.
We were all like one big family.
How wonderful.
The company housing area was closed down in 1955.
Today, it's an ordinary residential neighborhood.
Some of the kids grew up to work in the film industry.
So this was the place that helped the industry take root in Chofu.
Although it no longer exists, we can imagine what it was like.
In addition to the studios,
Chofu is also home to over 40 companies involved in the film industry.
Saiki suggests they visit a local company that specializes in making props.
They're greeted by the company's president, Minami Kentaro.
Movies are all about realism.
Props should look as real as possible.
Along both sides of the street are warehouses
that store their inventory of over 100,000 items.
Minami offers to give us a tour of one.
How cute!
Look at this!
May I open it?
Be my guest.
I love this.
This 100-year-old prop company was originally founded in Kyoto,
the birthplace of Japanese cinema.
It established a branch office in Chofu in 1934.
Ever since, it's made props of all kinds for period films,
contemporary dramas, sci-fi, and more.
Wow, this is incredible!
There's too many things!
Akino can barely contain her excitement at their collection of period props.
Look at all this!
We have many kinds of straw hats.
These hats are worn by "ronin," that is, samurai drifters.
We have ones that are intact,
as well as ones that split open when they are "cut."
- You have hats that are pre-cut?
- Yes.
We have props in various conditions.
Take this prop katana.
Depending on the time period and the rank of the character who will wield it,
a prop maker will alter the design accordingly.
Passing on these specialized skills is an important part of the company's work.
Is that armor?
Yes, these are suits of armor.
This one here is for a general.
It was used in a period drama.
The company made the suit of samurai armor
for the main character of a historical drama series produced by NHK.
Would you like to try it on?
Oh! Yes, I'd love to!
A specialist comes over to help Akino suit up.
This is so cool.
This set of armor is the actual one used in the TV series.
It weighs about 12 to 13 kilograms in total.
What do you think?
You look super cool!
It's very becoming.
It's quite light and more comfortable than it looks.
The company also rents out suits of armor for samurai-themed events.
They've even sent costumes and specialists overseas.
This is actually a very difficult job, right,
because you have to be aware of various time periods
and various settings.
It's difficult to do.
Our job is more than just renting out props.
We also provide our expertise in these items.
That requires knowledge and sensibility.
I look around and wonder...
How many productions' worth of props are housed here?
This is a treasure trove.
Companies like this one help ground Japanese movies in reality.
Having you here in Chofu is truly a boon for the industry.
One reason Chofu became a movie town is because of the location.
But there's another reason. Can you guess?
I don't know.
The answer is "water."
Water?
Developing film requires chemicals.
And you need lots of water to wash away those chemicals.
Lots of clean water.
Chofu had an abundance of water.
It's said that's the main reason why it was chosen.
Water has played a major role in shaping Chofu's history.
To learn more, we head to Jindai Botanical Gardens.
Home to an expanse of flora that offers seasonal beauty all year round,
it's a green oasis that attracts many visitors.
One of its attractions is a wetland area for aquatic plants.
So here we are at a botanical garden
that focuses on plants that grow in the water.
Fed by crystal clear-natural spring water,
the flowers here bloom from early to midsummer.
Pardon me, are you Tomizawa-san?
Tomizawa Takashi looks after this garden.
His family has roots in Chofu stretching back to the mid-17th century,
and he's well versed in local history.
You guys want to see? Let's go.
He says there's a nearby spot that speaks to Chofu's abundant water supply.
There are natural springs in there at the foot of the cliff.
What appears to be mountains are actually the contours of a cliff.
More specifically, a 30-kilometer-long cliff that stretches across Chofu City.
We walk along the path leading into the forest.
Much of this area has been left in its original state.
Tomizawa begins pointing to layers of exposed sediment.
Look up there.
There's a layer of black sediment. The layer beneath is brown.
Each time Mt. Fuji erupted, ash would rain down here.
Over time that created layers of sediment.
Rainwater seeped through and created natural springs.
He says that there's water flowing out from under the cliff.
So we head down to check it out.
(filmed with permission)
It's really gushing forth!
Yes. This water is from underground.
The water comes out here and makes this beautiful water oasis.
Look how beautiful this is!
Thanks to its geography, Chofu has an abundance of spring water,
which in turn feeds the Nogawa River which runs through the city.
The river is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna.
What does Chofu mean to you?
I'm seeing more and more housing developments.
But I want to preserve its nature.
I want Chofu to become the envy of all.
Next, we head to another spot blessed with spring water.
Now, if you visit Chofu,
there is one place that you have to see, and that is Jindaiji.
Jindaiji was established in 733
as a temple dedicated to the guardian deity of water.
Look at that building.
This is incredible.
Over the centuries, many people have come here
to pray for recovery from illness and to ward off misfortune.
Hello.
Welcome to our temple. Let me show you around.
Thank you.
Situated along the cliff line,
Jindaiji has access to bountiful spring water,
which in turn has made this area famous for a particular dish,
buckwheat noodles.
The path that leads to the temple is lined with over 20 unique "soba" shops.
Originally, the temple itself prepared the noodles for its visitors.
By the mid-19th century,
their soba was so famous it was featured in a tourist guidebook.
But the tradition faded, and after World War II,
the local cultivation of buckwheat all but ceased to focus on more lucrative crops.
Then in the late 80s, Jindaiji's then chief priest led an effort
to restart buckwheat cultivation at the temple
so they could serve up their famous soba once more.
Hayashida says there's something he wants to show us
at the temple's old kitchen building.
Wow!
This is where they process their buckwheat.
He opens the cupboard and pulls out a large box,
and carefully unfurls the bag inside.
This is the buckwheat we've kept from last year's harvest.
These are for sowing this year.
The seeds are triangular in shape. All we have to do is scatter them.
The rain and the insects going to and fro
will drive them into the ground.
- They're efficiently shaped!
- That's right.
Next, he shows us one of the temple's four buckwheat fields.
They're in the middle of preparing the field for planting in August.
It generally takes about 75 days for buckwheat to mature.
When the field blooms, it's a sign that the harvest is coming.
The temple's buckwheat fields are looked after by a team of 40 people.
Their harvests are modest in size and all used in-house,
but they say the fruits of their labor are well worth it.
At the end of the season, we get to have soba.
It's a lot of work, but also fun. And rewarding.
I'm actually on a work break. I wanted to check on the crops.
When you grow your own buckwheat, the soba tastes sweeter.
It's delicious.
We asked Hayashida what he enjoys about the soba-making process.
Soba expresses the terroir of the land in which it's grown.
So buckwheat grown in Jindaiji tastes different
from buckwheat grown anywhere else.
I'd like to try some.
Luckily, there are plenty of soba shops nearby.
I think I'm going to try some soba
at the soba place right in front of the gate.
Founded in 1955, this is one of the oldest soba shops along the approach.
Let's take a look and see what it looks like inside.
I really love this rustic feeling.
Welcome!
Hello!
Look! We match!
What shall I get you?
Can I have your recommendation?
I recommend our coarse-ground soba.
Yes, please. Thank you.
Soba noodles are made by mixing buckwheat flour, wheat flour and water,
which is kneaded into a dough.
The trickiest part is how much water to use.
That determines how hard you have to work the dough.
You have to take into account the temperature and humidity.
Because water is a key ingredient of soba,
the quality greatly affects the taste.
Their coarse-ground soba is their attempt
to recreate the temple's signature flavor.
They studied the way local farmers would make their noodles as a reference.
The water used to boil the soba is also key as it imparts flavor.
Once boiled, the noodles are drained,
then quickly rinsed in plenty of cold water to firm them up
for a smooth, chewy finish.
The buckwheat flour, coarsely ground from whole seeds,
gives the noodles an earthy aroma and a distinct texture.
This looks delicious, doesn't it?
Itadakimasu.
It's "arabiki" so the texture has a little bit of that
coarseness in it.
It's really good.
Owner Asada Shuhei has dedicated himself
to reviving the Jindaiji soba tradition.
Soba is a delicacy that is served to entertain special guests.
Priests at Jindaiji would serve soba to its visitors.
That became a culinary tradition.
It's long been said that spring water makes our soba extra delicious.
I'd say our spring water is also a delicacy.
Asada was born and raised at his family's soba shop.
He says that, growing up, Jindaiji Temple was his playground.
This is such a beautiful place.
I can't believe that you got to grow up in an area like this.
Spring water flows from the Kokubunji Cliff Line.
That abundant water supply gives Jindaiji its natural beauty.
Asada takes us around to the back of the shop.
This is my house here. Next to it is this river.
We'd climb down to fetch water for the bath,
brush our teeth in the morning, and wash our hands and feet.
This water was a lifeline for you.
Growing up here, we were never without water.
If I was tired, I'd take a drink using a hydrangea leaf as a cup.
Wow, drinking water from a hydrangea leaf!
It makes the water taste almost sweet.
Chofu, an area that's famous for its movies and its water.
What I felt throughout the day while visiting various places
was an immense love that the people have
for this land and for the history that is a big part of it.
I feel like there's a lot of care and effort put into protecting
what has been brought down through the generations.
I'm really glad that I could spend a whole day here.