Suwa Region Rises as Japan’s New Filming Hotspot: From Hidden Gem to Blockbuster Backdrop

In recent years, Suwa, a local city of Nagano, Japan, has raised its profile by becoming a moviemaking hotspot.

After filming the most famous movie, Godzilla Minus One, which also won an Oscar, the place became more in demand. It attracted tourism and movie lovers.

The Nagano area of Suwa is famous not only for the six municipalities enclosing it along the shores of Lake Suwa and the surrounding mountains but also for its readiness to adapt film projects and its suitable nearness to Tokyo.

At this location, some other notable filming has taken place, such as “Kaibutsu” (Monster), which was awarded Best Screenplay at last year’s Cannes International Film Festival.

Another is A Hundred Flowers, also known as Hayaka, whose director, Kawamura, became Japan’s first winner in the Best Director honors award.

However, Suwa is becoming more famous as a staging location for world-famous films. In addition, it is preparing a long-running effort to promote filming in the area.

Suwaken Film Commission, Yosuke Miyasaka, said in 2006, several years after the institution’s launch, “no major film projects at all.” 

Most of the famous films, including Godzilla, which also won the US Academy Award for Best Visual Effects earlier this month, were partly shot on location in a former government office building in Okaya.

The director of the film keeps saying that this is the best old-time location for the story of the 1940s.

One of the locals, Mika Oguchi, worked for the film “‘I’m happy that people all over the world are watching a movie filmed in my hometown.”

If this continues, then one day, there will be more demand for Suwa because its economy will also increase with locals.

Kazuo Terashima, head of tourism at Suwa city government, said, “Being chosen as a filming location can help spread the word about the area’s appeal.”

However, Ruriko Sekine, Tokyo-based Japan Film Commission, stated, “Many producers are also impressed by the terrain, with mountain ranges seemingly on all sides of Lake Suwa.”