INTRODUCTION:
“Haruka’s Pottery”, an acclaimed comic and the winner of “13th Okayama Arts & Culture Achievement Award”, is now adapted into a live-action film!
Haruka’s Pottery, a Japanese comic serialized in Weekly Manga Times (Hobunsha Co., Ltd.) （『週刊漫画TIMES』）（芳文社） and the winner of the 13th Okayama Arts & Culture Achievement Award in 2012, is now adapted into a live-action film!
An up-and-coming actress Nao stars as Haruka Koyama. She played Nao in NHK drama Half Blue （「半分、青い。」）in 2018, and Ono in NTV drama Your Turn to Kill （「あなたの番です」）in 2019.
In this film, her performance sparkles on screen and makes everyone wants to cheer on as Haruka changes her life in Tokyo and struggles toward the dream of making Bizen ware.
Hiroyuki Hirayama from 2017 film Honnouji Hotel （『本能寺ホテル』）and 2014 Fuji TV drama Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon（『昼顔』）, Takashi Sasano from two major film series It’s Tough Being a Man （「男はつらいよ」）and Free and Easy（「釣りバカ日誌」）, and Jun Murakami from movies When My Mom Died, I Wanted to Eat Her Ashes （『母を亡くした時、僕は遺骨を食べたいと思った。』）and Aircraft Carrier Ibuki（『空母いぶき』） co-starring in supporting roles.
The film depicts the true beauty of Bizen ware, dreams and passions of the people living in Bizen City while interweaving powerful images of real kiln firing, with full cooperation from Important Intangible Cultural Property holders and the Okayamaken Bizenyaki touyuukai.
STORY:
I thought I would spend my days indifferently. Until I met that plate…
A touching story of soil, fire, and people in Bizen City, Okayama.
Working as an office worker in Tokyo, Haruka Koyama (Nao) is just letting the days pass by.
There is nothing she wants to do or anything she can be crazy about. She believes her life remains the same forever.
When Haruka stops at a department store with her boss, one plate catches her eye. She then learns that is a piece of Bizen ware.
She thinks of that Bizen plate day by day, at work and on holidays.
Indescribable excitement makes Haruka head to Bizen City, Okayama.
She visits the Bizen potter, Osamu (Hiroyuki Hirayama) at his studio, but finds him brusque and unpleasant.
Haruka is confused by his attitude. Although he is too far from her image of a potter, but she explains her passion for the pottery.
“I know your kind. You’re just putting on the show,” Osamu says and makes her leave.
Haruka, totally devastated, meets an old local man, Toujin (Takashi Sasano), and tells why she is there and how Osamu treated her.
Toujin tell the story of “The Unbreakable Suribachi of Bizen.” Toujin gently continues, “Bizen ware are baked at a high temperature of 1200 degrees for 2 whole weeks. People say that this is the reason why Bizen ware are so unbreakable. The same can be said about the potter. The potter must have a strong will and be as unbreakable as the pottery itself. And have a passion that exceeds the powerful flame of 1200 degrees. You need to have that inside of you for the rest of your life.”
Haruka, impressed by the story, heads back to Osamu’s studio.
At the studio, she finds Osamu sitting in front of a potter’s wheel. Touched by Osamu’s sincere attitude toward pottery, words flow out from Haruka’s mouth, “Make me your apprentice!”
Encouraged by Toujin, Osamu finally accepts Haruka.
While holding down her desire to learn pottery quickly, Haruka does daily chores such as cleaning and shopping, and she gradually finds out there is a reason behind Osamu’s sincere attitude toward pottery – a firm promise to his deceased father (Jun Murakami).
To become a potter like his father, Osamu continues pottery day and night without regarding his physical condition.
One night, Osamu finally collapses in the middle of the kiln firing process.
To finish his work, Haruka volunteers to manage the kiln firing.