Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005 Film)

Always: Sunset on Third Street, originally released in Japanese as ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日 (Romaji: Always san-chome no yuhi), is a 2005 Japanese drama film directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The production is based on Ryohei Saigan’s manga series San-chome no Yuhi, which was serially published in Big Comic Original by Shogakukan.

Promotional still featuring the title Alwayssunset — Promotional visual for Always: Sunset on Third Street.

Plot

Set in 1958 during the construction of Tokyo's television broadcasting tower—a symbol of post-war Japan's economic recovery—the story follows young rural schoolgirl Mutsuko (Maki Horikita). She arrives in Tokyo to begin her first job with Suzuki Auto, expecting a corporate enterprise led by company president Norifumi Suzuki (Shinichi Tsutsumi). Instead, she finds a modest and rundown auto repair shop in Tokyo's Yuhi district.

While Suzuki is demanding, Mutsuko is welcomed by his wife, Tomoe (Hiroko Yakushimaru), and their young son, Ippei (Kazuki Koshimizu). Ippei frequently visits a five-and-dime store managed by Ryunosuke Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka), a struggling writer who aspires to write literary fiction rather than sci-fi stories and cheap toys. Meanwhile, a newcomer named Hiromi (Koyuki) opens a local sake bar and becomes guardian to Junnosuke (Kenta Suga), an orphaned child left behind by the previous tenant.

Production

The film was produced by Shuji Abe, Chikahiro Ando, Keiichiro Moriya, Seiji Okuda, and Nozomu Takahashi, with cinematography by Kozo Shibasaki. Shot on Toho's soundstages, the production utilized digital visual effects to recreate the appearance of 1950s Tokyo.

Scene still from the film depicting the 1950s setting — A scene illustrating the digital recreation of 1950s Tokyo.

Accolades

At the 29th Japan Academy Prize ceremony held on March 3, 2006, the film won multiple awards, including Picture of the Year, Director of the Year, Screenplay of the Year, and individual acting and technical categories. It also received honors at the Hochi Film Awards and the Blue Ribbon Awards in late 2005 and early 2006.

Related Titles

The film is the first in a trilogy:

Always: Sunset on Third Street (2005)
Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (2007)
Always: Sunset on Third Street 3 (2012)