Cinema Stroll, Part 3: Yokohama Cinemarine in Isezaki-cho, Yokohama City
"When you watch this movie, everyone becomes Mirai Moriyama. Regardless of age or gender, everyone will relate to his feelings and their hearts will ache."
That's what Atsuko Yahata, manager of Yokohama Cinemarine, told me about the movie poster that had caught my attention. It wasn't just an interesting movie where I empathized with the protagonist's feelings, but rather a movie where you "become Mirai Moriyama." My interest in the film was piqued, and at the same time, I could strongly feel Ms. Yahata's love and passion for movies.
Looking around Isezakicho, where I hadn't been in a while, I noticed that some of my familiar shops had been replaced by new ones. Yet, amidst all this, one corner remained, retaining its unchanging atmosphere, as if a scene straight out of the Showa era had been captured. Drawn in by movie posters and retro signs, I descended the stairs to the basement and found myself at "Yokohama Cinemarine."
The renovated interior is predominantly white, giving it a bright and clean impression. Immediately upon entering, you'll find the reception desk straight ahead, surrounded by movie posters and colorful related merchandise. Walking a little further and turning around, you'll see a projector playing movie trailers on a section of the wall that hangs from the ceiling. It's an exciting surprise, like discovering a hidden track.
This cinema has one screen with 102 seats and employs a projection system that combines digital and film projection. The high-quality sound system is also a major attraction.
The history of Cinemarine dates back over 60 years to 1954. During the golden age of film and theater, when nearly 40 movie theaters lined the street from Isezaki Mall to Bashamichi, Yoshimoto Kogyo started it as the "Kagetsu Movie Theater." Later, in 1963, the "Kagetsu Movie Theater" closed, but the following year it reopened under a new name, "Isezaki Cinema-za," with a new manager. In 1986, the manager's son took over, and while the parent company remained the same, the theater changed its name to the current "Yokohama Cinemarine" in 1989. For a time, it mainly screened Nikkatsu's Roman Porno films and all-night screenings, but around this time, it began to primarily screen Shochiku films.
Having weathered various changes and remained a part of the film district, Yokohama Cinemarine faced its next challenge in 2014: the wave of digitalization. Although they had planned to continue showing films with projectors, the complete cessation of film production pushed them to the brink of closure.
Around that time, the current manager, Mr. Yahata, received a phone call.
"Didn't you say you wanted to build a movie theater, Yahata-san? Actually, there's a movie theater that's about to close down, would you like to take it over?"
The person in charge of maintaining the Cinemarine's projectors thought about how they could keep the place afloat and remembered Mr. Yahata, who was active in a film club. Mr. Yahata had no experience in running a company, but when he was told that he had to give an answer soon because the building owner and previous managers were waiting, he was inspired and made a bold decision, saying, "Well, I guess I have no choice but to do it!"
Running a film club would involve handling large sums of money and would take time, so Yahata decided to take matters into his own hands. It was a challenge that would likely use up all his savings, but he received support from all his siblings who said, "It's a way to contribute to culture, so why not?" and in 2014, the new "Yokohama Cinemarine" was founded. This story alone is dramatic enough to make a movie.
When he first became the representative, he left negotiations with distribution companies for major films to experienced staff, but driven by a desire to "build face-to-face relationships with people at film distribution companies," he began negotiating and securing films himself. Initially, with virtually no experience or relationships, he couldn't secure films as easily as he wanted, and there were often gaps in the screening schedule. However, he thought, "I have special screenings!" and filled the gaps by organizing many special screenings himself.
"That one year was unusually full of special features. We did a Seijun Suzuki special, and a Ren Osugi special," Yahata recalled with a laugh. This strategy worked, and they began to get requests for special screenings, with people saying, "Cinemarine seems to be good at special screenings," and the number of films they were able to secure gradually increased.
As you can see, special screenings and events are truly Cinemarine's strength. When I asked about the war special they hold every summer, this was the answer I received.
"Showing peace films in the summer is something I've been doing since before I took over the cinema, even with my film club. I think it's the role of a cinema to provide everyone with an opportunity to properly re-examine the wars of the past. We do it every year with the hope that people will learn about that history through film, and we intend to continue doing so for a long time to come."
Cinemarine is a place where you can not only enjoy movies, but also learn from them and make new discoveries. Furthermore, it even provides an opportunity to experience the Isezaki-cho area.
"I want to hold more community-oriented events," says Yahata, who has already collaborated with various local businesses. When there was a Taiwanese film festival, a nearby Taiwanese restaurant held a timely discount campaign using ticket stubs, and he plans to collaborate with a jazz bar for the upcoming jazz film festival. He told us that these events and collaborations are only possible because Isezakicho is a good "commoner's town."
"Isezakicho is a working-class neighborhood. Many of the long-established clothing stores that used to be here are disappearing... It used to be a district for kimono shops, you know. That's a little sad. But for people who come here, it's not Yokohama Station, it's not Minato Mirai, it's not Motomachi, it's Isezakicho. I think that's what makes it easy to come here casually. People who come from other places come here thinking, 'There's a shopping street like this in a place like this, and there are quite a lot of people walking around, I wonder where these people came from.' That's something I'm very happy about."
As I was leaving, I glanced at the posters for the movies scheduled to be shown and asked him what he keeps in mind when choosing movies. He told me, "I don't intentionally choose movies that reflect the social issues of the time, but as it turns out, many of the movies I do choose do reflect the social issues of the time."
The movie experience at Yokohama Cinemarine is entertainment, learning, discovery, and encounter—that's what I felt all over again. Descend the stairs to this underground space and escape from reality for a while, and experience the dreamlike moment that only Cinemarine can offer.
Click here for the first installment of Kinema Stroll: "Cinema Jack & Betty"
Click here for the second installment of Kinema Stroll: "Cinema Novecento"
