Danica Davidson
March 6, 2023 
The Orikasa Station and the Orikasa River floodgate both appear in Makoto Shinkai’s new movie Suzume. So Yamada, Iwate Prefecture, the town in that area, has put up a door referencing the movie. The door is near the bay, was designed to look old, and is decked with ivy. It’s already become a pilgrimage for fans across Japan to come and visit.
You can thank the Yamada Town Tourism Association for coming up with this pilgrimage idea. They want the door to “let visitors from afar make memories here, and experience this town’s good sides.”
The door itself was made by 64-year-old Kunimitsu Taro, who took the time to scour the door and do other things to it so it would look beaten down like in the movie. It took him about five days to get it just right. “I’d be happy if the door becomes part of their [visitors’] memories of this town,” he remarked.
Another, unofficial door also appeared in Iwate Prefecture.
The New York International Children’s Film Festival nabbed the ability to be Suzume’s North American debut. The film will see an international release on April 14.
Here is a description for the film:
“On the other side of the door, was time in its entirety—
‘Suzume’ is a coming-of-age story for the 17-year-old protagonist, Suzume, set in various disaster-stricken locations across Japan, where she must close the doors causing devastation.
Suzume’s journey begins in a quiet town in Kyushu (located in southwestern Japan) when she encounters a young man who tells her, ‘I’m looking for a door.’ What Suzume finds is a single weathered door standing upright in the midst of ruins as though it was shielded from whatever catastrophe struck. Seemingly drawn by its power, Suzume reaches for the knob… Doors begin to open one after another all across Japan, unleashing destruction upon any who are near. Suzume must close these portals to prevent further disaster.
—The stars, then sunset, and the morning sky.
Within that realm, it was as though all time had melted together in the sky…
Never-before-seen scenery, encounters and farewells… A myriad of challenges await her on her journey. Despite all the obstacles in her way, Suzume’s adventure shines a ray of hope upon our own struggles against the toughest roads of anxiety and constraints that make up everyday life. This story of closing doors that connect our past to the present and future will leave a lasting impression upon all of our hearts.
Drawn in by these mysterious doors, Suzume’s journey is about to begin.”
Source: The Mainichi
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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