An original film is born from the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM: "Room Laundering" starring Elaiza Ikeda is set for release in 2018!
2017.12.07
Press Releases
Culture Entertainment Co., Ltd. / TSUTAYA Co., Ltd.
We are pleased to announce that "Room Laundering," the 2015 runner-up project of the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM (TCP), a video creator support program run by Culture Entertainment Inc. (C.E.), a member of the CCC Group, and TSUTAYA Co., Ltd. (TSUTAYA), has been made into a film starring Ikeda Elaiza and scheduled for release in theaters in 2018.
TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM FILM 2015
Runner-up award winning film: "Room Laundering"
Official website:roomlaundering.com
"Room Laundering" is a project that was born from a total of 474 submissions at the first TCP held in 2015. This original work, which won the runner-up prize at TCP FILM 2015, is a collaborative work by Katagiri Kenji, who has studied under many masters of Japanese cinema and served as assistant director, and Umemoto Tatsuya, who runs his own film production company.
This is a sad, funny, and heartwarming occult fantasy in which Yakumo Miko, who keeps moving to haunted properties with a particular problem, works hard to solve the problems of the ghosts that linger in the rooms in order to "purify" the properties (room laundering) by living there herself.
This time, Miko, a "secret girl" with the ability to see spirits, will be played by Ikeda Elaiza, who was selected to play the heroine in the film "Everyone's an Esper!" (released in 2015) and has expanded her field of activity to films and TV dramas, elevating the project's worldview into a fascinating piece that delves even deeper.
Filming and editing have already been completed for this film, which will be released nationwide in 2018. We would like to introduce comments about the film from lead actress Elaiza Ikeda, co-star Joe Odagiri, director Kenji Katagiri, and co-writer Tatsuya Umemoto.
Comment from Ikeda Eliza
I felt truly happy to have come across a script that I loved. Meeting and being influenced by many different people as a child was a very meaningful and precious time for me. Who do you meet, what do you think, and what do you consider important? This work teaches us that this is what nurtures people's hearts, transcending the boundaries of life.
I hope that people will look at it with tender feelings, like a little girl holding a stuffed animal. Please enjoy these slightly funny characters.
Comment from Joe Odagiri
Unfortunately, it's not easy to adapt an original screenplay into a film these days.
Given this situation, I think that TSUTAYA's efforts are wonderful, and I decided to participate in this project in order to support them in whatever small way I can.
And of course, the script was full of emotion and gave me the feeling that it had a very unique and fascinating world view, which was another big reason why I wanted to participate.
Comment from Kenji Katagiri (director and screenwriter)
How can I turn the suffocating loneliness of everyday life into comedy?
I was racking my brains... but once it started, the wonderful cast members all started moving,
My beloved staff members made the fantasies in my head come true.
By the end, I had forgotten what I had written and had become a fan of "Room Laundering"...
I'm sure the fun we felt during filming will overflow onto the screen!
Please come and see it at the theater! Thank you!
Comment from Tatsuya Umemoto (co-writer)
My beloved cast members and reliable staff members each used their own mysterious pockets to make Director Katagiri and I's wishes of "I wish this was possible, I wish we could do this" come true. Thank you very much. This film is an inspiring story for those searching for their place in the workplace, school, or home. Although the title is "Room Laundering," it is designed to launder (purify) the rough feelings you have every day, so please try it out at the theater first.
Through TCP, C.E. and TSUTAYA will provide many up-and-coming creators with a forum to propose "video projects" and opportunities to produce, thereby discovering and supporting new talent who will lead the future of the film industry.
We will continue to utilize the group's resources to adapt original works into films so that we can continue to deliver new projects to more people.
TCP is a program that invites proposals that can be turned into films from both professional and amateur artists, discovers creators who can create the films, and provides comprehensive support from production to rental, sales, and distribution. By supporting "Seeds of Masterpieces" in cooperation with various companies in the industry, we will create an environment that produces new talent and opportunities to meet new creators, thereby contributing to the revitalization of the film market. The winning work will receive a total production budget of 50 million yen or more to provide financial and production support, and the completed work will be available for rental and sale as an original work at TSUTAYA stores nationwide, TSUTAYA DISCAS, TSUTAYA TV, and other outlets.
About Culture Entertainment Inc.
A business company within the Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (CCC) Group that handles planning and production of entertainment and lifestyle fields such as film, publishing, and music. By utilizing database marketing based on the promotions and service infrastructure of the CCC Group's platform, we will support the activities of artists and creators in various fields and propose the works, events, and services they create, thereby contributing to the revitalization of markets in each field.
TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM FILM 2015
Details of the runner-up award winning film "Room Laundering"
Yakumo Miko keeps moving to properties with a bad reputation.
Is her job to "cleanse" properties (room laundering) by living in them?
However, he finds himself rushing to solve the problems of the ghosts who are lingering in the room and have "regrets about this world"?
Tokyo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, and there is life, death, troubles, and drama corresponding to its population.
While there are people who move after succeeding in business, there are also people who move after their dreams are shattered. Tokyo is an "unstoppable city" where various people continue to move, experiencing ups and downs. There are many properties there with a bad reputation and reasons for their existence. The protagonist, Miko, finds herself moving from one property to another with a mysterious past, and begins to see the ghosts that linger in the rooms, and develops the ability to talk to them.
The Son's interactions with various ghosts may provide an opportunity for us, who are extremely busy, to take a moment to reaffirm the importance of caring for others. The result is a heartwarming occult fantasy that is both sad and tragic, yet funny.
Yakumo Miko (Ikeda Eliza) lost her father at the age of five. The following year, his mother disappeared. After that, the child was taken in by his grandmother, but when he turned 18, his grandmother passed away, and he was left all alone. Miko has withdrawn into her shell due to repeated misfortunes, but her mother's younger brother, Raito Goro (Odagiri Joe), appears and provides her with a place to live and a part-time job. The part-time job was "room laundering."
"One-room apartment, 40,000 yen, suicide"
The child has moved into a new room. At night, when he went to the bathroom, he found the ghost of Kasuga Kimihiko (Shibukawa Kiyohiko) there. Kimihiko is surprised that Mikoto can see him, but Mikoto is not surprised by Kimihiko. Ever since he started room laundering, he had been able to see ghosts. The two of them live together in a strange way, but one day Kimihiko finds a demo tape of himself playing. That tape was the product of his regret, as he had intended to send it to the record company but was unable to do so before he passed away. Kimihiko asks Miko to send him off right away. At that moment, Goro contacted me. Decided to move to a new property.
"2K, 100,000 yen, stabbing"
The ghost that appears in the new place he moves into is Chinatsumoto Yuki (Mitsumune Kaoru), an office lady who was murdered by a stranger. His neighbor, Akito Nijikawa (Kentaro), noticed something strange at the time of the incident but regretted that he was unable to do anything. Then, Kimihiko appears, even though he shouldn't be there. It appears to have arisen from an obsession with the cassette tape that the Son has yet to send. Kimihiko and Yuki are ghosts talking to each other. Wanting to avenge Yuki's grudge, Miko comes up with the idea of using a portrait artist to find the culprit. Akito contacted the police based on the sketch drawn by Miko, but by coincidence, the police officer he contacted was the very person who killed Yuki. Akito is being beaten one-sidedly and is in a desperate situation, but Miko's desperate idea saves him, and even leads to the arrest of the culprit.
Goro tells Miko that her mother, Mizuki, also has the ability to see ghosts and that this has caused her to become mentally ill. Miko then begs Goro to tell her where Mizuki is. It was the site of the municipal housing where they had once lived together, and Mizuki was definitely there...
Kimihiko and Yuki, and Miko and Akito... it's a wonderful story that leaves everyone with a warm feeling after watching it.
Kenji Katagiri Born in Osaka in 1979.
In 2000, he moved to France and studied under Yann Dedé, known for editing François Truffaut's films, for three years. After returning to Japan, he worked as a freelance editor for music videos, event footage, etc. before moving to directing. Since then, he has studied under directors such as Yoichi Sai, Toshiaki Toyoda, Eiichiro Hasumi, and Ryuichi Hiroki, and has served as assistant director on numerous films. He won the runner-up prize at the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM FILM 2015 for "Room Laundering," and will be directing his first feature film.
Eliza Ikeda (Elizabeth Ikeda): Yakumo Miko, born in 1996 in Fukuoka Prefecture
Model and actress. In 2015, she was selected to play the heroine in the movie "Everyone's an Esper!"
[Major appearances]
"Wolf Girl and Black Prince" (2016), "ReLIFE" (released April 2017), "Torigare Girl!" (released September 2017)
"A Bow, a Kiss (Released November 2017)" "Ito-kun AtoE (Released January 2018)"
Joe Odagiri (Joe Odagiri): Ikazuji Goro, born in 1976 in Okayama Prefecture
In 2003, she made her film debut in "Bright Future."Since then, he has been active mainly in film and has won numerous awards.
[Major appearances]
"Bright Future" (2003), "Azumi" (2003), "Blood and Bones" (2004), "Maison de Himiko" (2005), "Swaying" (2006), "Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad" (2007), "The Great Passage" (2013), "Thirst."' (14), 'Midnight Diner' (15), 'Joint Funeral' (15), 'FOUJITA' (15), 'Over the Fence' (16), 'Hot Water' (16), 'Midnight Diner 2' (16), 'Ernesto' (17), 'Pumpkin and Mayonnaise' (17), etc.
The series will start on the cover and in color in the January issue of the monthly magazine "Comic Beam," on sale December 12th (Tuesday)!
Manga: Jun Hanyu, Publisher: KADOKAWA
Starring: Eliza Ikeda, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Kentaro, Kaoru Mitsumune, Joe Odagiri
Director and screenwriter: Kenji Katagiri Co-screenwriter: Tatsuya Umemoto
Production Manager: Culture Entertainment
Distributor: Phantom Films
Production company: C&I Entertainment Plus D
Release: Nationwide release in 2018
Official website:roomlaundering.com
Official Twitter:https://twitter.com/roomlaundering
©2018 "Room Laundering" Production Committee
Materials related to this matter
An original film is born from the TSUTAYA CREATORS' PROGRAM: "Room Laundering" starring Elaiza Ikeda is set for release in 2018!
Inquiries regarding this matter
Culture Entertainment Co., Ltd. Public Relations Officer Noguchi TEL: 03-6800-4583
If you resonate with the content of this site, please feel free to share it.
