Our Memories on the Beach!

Shigeo Kato answers a question about his career. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I did something today that I usually try to avoid: get up early on a Sunday morning. But I did it for a very simple reason. I wanted to catch a screening of Shigeo Kato's newest movie, Our Memories on the Beach (2018). 

Congrats, Kato-san! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Our Memories on the Beach is a 52-minute feature, and it also happens to be Kato-san's first starring role in his 70-year career. Kato-san plays a 93-year-old fisherman named Shigeta, a widower who's very much set in his ways. He encounters a 20-year-old aspiring photographer who takes an interest in him. The two have enjoy each other's company on and around the beaches of Kamakura, but when Shigeta's daughter gets involved, things suddenly take a dramatic turn.

The movie was quite enjoyable, and it was fun to see Kato-san essentially play himself. Kato-san began his acting career in 1950 when he joined Toho Studios, but it wasn't until 2018 that he starred in his first film. And what a role it was for him! Suffice it to say, I was glad to attend and personally congratulate Kato-san on a job well done.