Cinema Walk No. 7 "Atsugi Eigakan Kiki, a Cinema Close to the Community"

"Cinema Walk" introduces mini-theaters in Kanagawa Prefecture. In the seventh installment of the series, we will introduce "Atsugi no Eigakan Kiki." It is a local movie theater located in "Amuse Atsugi," a five-minute walk from Hon-Atsugi Station on the Odakyu Odawara Line.

"Amu Atsugi," which combines shopping with public facilities for Atsugi City, is a place of relaxation for the citizens of Atsugi. "Atsugi Movie Theater Kiki" is located on the 9th floor, the top floor of "Amu Atsugi." When you get on the elevator, you can see the week's screening schedule posted on the wall. There are three screens, but on this day there were 15 films being screened! Even those who hadn't planned on seeing a movie will be drawn in by the lineup of popular and nostalgic films. When you get off the elevator on the 9th floor, a wide space is filled with movie posters lined up. People from all walks of life were spending their time in their own way, looking at the posters or waiting for the screening time on the sofas in front of the ticket counter.

Manager Tsubasa Kaneki says that they don't have a set genre for the films they show. Because they show films of all genres, they attract customers of all ages, from small children to the elderly. "Art films tend to be seen by seniors, but we also show animated films for children, so I think that this attracts people of all ages." They also rent out car seats for children to use inside the theater.

Atsugi Eigakan Kiki screens about 380 movies a year, which is a lot for a mini-theater. Of those, 80% are selected from requests from visitors. In front of the ticket booth, there is a corner where visitors can make requests, and on the bulletin board, requests for all kinds of movies are lined up, from nostalgic classics to popular new releases.

Originally, there was a movie theater called Eiga.com Cinema at this location, but it went bankrupt due to poor management. After that, Atsugi City began looking for a successor, saying, "We want a movie theater in the area," and in 2018, Visual Equipment Systems Co., Ltd. began operating the theater. Visual Equipment Systems Co., Ltd. mainly operates video, audio, and lighting equipment, and Kaneko was originally in the technical department, involved in the wholesale and repair of video equipment. However, since there were no initial members to run the theater, Kaneko supported the operation of the theater for several years, going back and forth between the operating company and the theater. Then, from around 2021, he completely transitioned to theater work, and in 2022, he was appointed manager.
As the operating company is a company that deals in video equipment, Atsugi Eigakan Kiki is equipped with first-class equipment. The speakers are particularly noteworthy. One of the highlights of this cinema is the "Kyo-on" screening, which uses 21-inch speakers, one of the largest in Japan. "We emphasize the bass. The volume is not that loud. It doesn't hurt your ears, but the bass is loud enough that you can feel the vibrations in your body." When selecting films for the "Kyo-on Screenings" that are based on this concept, the manager first listens to the sound of the film himself. Then, the film that is judged to have "good sound" is selected for screening.

This movie theater is designed to meet the needs of the local residents and to ensure that no one misses out. As a movie theater rooted in the community, it also holds screenings and lectures in partnership with Atsugi City. Of course, the homey atmosphere also warmly welcomes people from outside Atsugi City, making it a comfortable movie theater.

Kaneko spoke about his thoughts about the cinema: "Because we show a wide variety of films, there are probably many that you don't know about. However, there are still many interesting films that you don't know about, so I hope that you will discover those films."

Just to digress, the digitally remastered version of "Billy Elliot", which I wanted to see, was just about to start screening after the interview, so I managed to slip into the theater just in time. I first saw this movie when I was a student. It was part of a class, and I watched it projected on a whiteboard through a small speaker. Now, more than 10 years later, I saw the same movie at the cinema, and while I felt nostalgic for the lines and scenes, I was able to enjoy a completely different movie experience. Music plays an important role in this movie, and the sound coming from the speaker next to the screen was both comfortable and powerful, and I felt as if my whole body was enveloped in the sound. It may be a cliché, but I felt as if I was part of the movie. My heart warmed when I saw Billy jumping around happily in front of me.

Nowadays, it is easy to watch movies through streaming services, but there are some experiences that can only be had at a movie theater. In this seventh installment, I was able to go back to the origins of this series. It was thanks to the special encounter I had at the movie theater that I was able to enjoy Billy's dance from a new perspective for the first time in over a decade.

Atsugi movie theater kiki
Address: 9F Amusement Atsugi, 2-12-15 Nakamachi, Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Official page: here