Special Feature

Here we present one example from the Seibu Location Service’s record of achievement.

SEIBU LOCATION SERVICE

The untold story of our hotel’s selection as the location for the Academy Award-winning movie Drive My Car

The untold story of our hotel’s selection as the location for the Academy Award-winning movie Drive My Car

At the 94th Academy Awards in March 2022, this film was nominated in four categories, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won the award for Best International Feature Film. The location for one of the iconic scenes in Drive My Car, which went on to pick up many film awards in countries around the world, was the bar counter of the Top of Hiroshima sky lounge on the top floor of the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima. So how did the movie come to be shot in Hiroshima and how was the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima chosen as the location? I explored the story behind these questions with Ms. Tomoko Nishizaki of the Hiroshima Film Commission, who worked hard to bring the film to Hiroshima, and Masashi Yumite, a member of our public relations staff at the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima.

“That film won’t come to Hiroshima” is what I thought

―― Can you tell me about how the movie Drive My Car came to be filmed in Hiroshima?

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

From around 2009, I have known about the film director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, who used to come to the Hiroshima International Film Festival. Actually, Drive My Car was already due to be filmed at Busan in South Korea, but when COVID made travel impossible, the location was switched to Japan and I heard they were looking at a number of candidate sites. As part of that search, the crew came to Hiroshima, but the director’s initial comment was that it was still too soon for him to make a film in Hiroshima. He said “Without having properly studied the history of Hiroshima, it would be wrong to barge in and set the cameras rolling.” Having heard Hamaguchi’s humble words, I had the sense that this film would not come to Hiroshima.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

Nevertheless, as he had made the journey here, I took him to see a number of candidate locations. In Hiroshima, we have a waste treatment and recycling plant designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, a pupil of Kenzo Tange, the architect of the “axis of peace” that extends from the Atomic Bomb Dome to the Memorial Cenotaph. So I took the director and his team to Taniguchi’s plant. If you carry on up the road from the recycling plant, you come to the Peace Park laid out by Tange, who was Taniguchi’s mentor. The two sites are not directly aligned, but as Taniguchi reportedly did not want a building that he had designed to block the peace axis created by his mentor, he provided it with a glass tunnel that gave an opening onto the sea. When I explained this to the director and his team, it seemed to move them immensely. Then, when I showed them out onto the open plaza beside the sea, the director said he wanted to make this a special place for Misaki, but I didn’t understand the meaning of his words.

One day about two weeks later, I had a message saying that the script was ready and Hamaguchi wanted to film it in Hiroshima. When I read the attached script, it featured the recycling plant I had shown the director and his team. Not only that, but the story I had told them about it was repeated in the dialogue. When I read that, I was so surprised that I nearly fell off my chair. It was such an unusual experience for me. The way it happens normally is that the script comes out first, and we’re then asked to advise on where in Hiroshima would be a good place to shoot the scene. Because Hamaguchi and his team were full of intellectual curiosity, they listened with interest when I spoke a little about the history. That is what led to Hiroshima being chosen as the location and I’m very grateful for that.

The director had a very clear idea and accepted no compromise

―― How did it come about that the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima was chosen for the filming?

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

The script features scenes with Masaki Okada arriving at and leaving his hotel, so I thought a hotel with a drive-in forecourt would be good. Also, there was a scene in a bar with counter seats, so I suggested to the director the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima and a downtown hotel, both of which met these two requirements.

I myself had put forward the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima as a film location a number of times so I had built up a relationship of trust with the hotel. That is definitely an important point when you need to ensure a smooth shoot and there are all kinds of requirements to meet. At that stage, it wasn’t necessarily a done deal for the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima, as that was absolutely a matter for the director to decide, but given what I said just now, I consulted with Mr. Yumite before going ahead with the proposal to the director. Having the kind of relationship where we can speak frankly made it is easier to ask Mr. Yumite whether the hotel could handle the shoot.

Yumite
Yumite

My own thought was that if we were lucky enough to be chosen, then we should definitely accept. As a member of the public relations team, I saw that hosting the film shoot would enable us to showcase our hotel’s attractive points.

In the past, we had hosted a number of shoots thanks to introductions from Ms. Nishizaki, but the filming doesn’t necessarily always give prominence to the scenic attractions we’re most proud of. From a marketing perspective, we are of course pleased to get a sales boost, but that isn’t the only consideration. We have to feel that we can provide the right atmosphere for the film and be positively useful. If the film features our hotel in an iconic scene, I think that sends out a worthwhile publicity impact.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

Drive My Car was a small-scale film with a small budget, so I think Mr. Yumite must have had a hard time selling it to the hotel management.

Yumite
Yumite

Fortunately, the cast consisted of well-known actors, so that was my leading point. When Ms. Nishizaki reaches out to me, we also have the opportunity to offer services such as overnight accommodation for the cast and waiting areas for location staff, which is also good for sales revenue. Usually, I put this additional point to the hotel management, but in the case of Drive My Car there were unfortunately no such benefits.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

I hear that the film budget didn’t stretch to staying at the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima. All the same, I’m very thankful that you responded positively to my proposal. I had a message from Mr. Yumite, who allowed me to show the director the hotel and bar in person. I showed him both of the two candidate hotels, but it seemed to be an easy choice for him. The director appeared to have a pretty clear idea of the location in his head so I don’t think there was any compromise involved. I say that because the movie features two different bars, and he picked the hotel bar without hesitation, but no matter how many suggestions I made for the other bar, nowhere seemed to fit.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

Film shooting has to wait until after the hotel’s operations have finished for the day, but Mr. Yumite said he could serve as bartender and agreed to be present during night-time filming too. I’m sure the director also felt reassured to have someone always at hand ready to respond flexibly to sudden requirements.

During the filming of a movie, having enough people at the different locations to provide assistance is a very important factor, I think. Gaining the understanding of the local community is a basic requirement, but I feel that having a place like the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima that acts as a partner really makes for a good movie.

―― The whole of your team at the hotel is supportive of filming operations.

Yumite
Yumite

People in senior management have certainly been quite supportive. That creates an atmosphere that makes it easier for me to make proposals to the hotel management. The hotel staff are also excited when they hear that we’re going to have filming.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

I remember once when we asked you to host filming for director Naomi Kawase, it was around the time of her birthday, and the staff were kind enough to leave a birthday cake for her in her room. That demonstrated the true spirit of hospitality shown by the staff of the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima.

Yumite
Yumite

We consider that a perfectly ordinary thing to do. After all, pleasing guests is our mission as hospitality professionals.

We watched the Academy Awards ceremony from a room in the hotel

―― How did it feel to see the completed work?

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

I went to see the film on the first day of its release. Before being released in Japan, it had won four prizes at Cannes, but it hadn’t caused much of a media stir. Even the Hiroshima media were silent. I also had the impression that not many people went to see it at the cinema when it first came out. The Academy Awards are announced in March, and it was around the end of the year that the idea spread that it might possibly win an Academy Award. That was when the media finally began to take notice. In any case, things remained very quiet for more than six months after its release. I did think it might win a foreign-language film award, and I even imagined it might win an award for the script, which I found brilliant.

Yumite
Yumite

I saw it when it has already started receiving a lot of attention. My immediate focus of course was on how our hotel would look in the film. As the hotel had been used in a very iconic scene, I was telling people inside and outside the hotel what an awesome movie we had appeared in.

Then, when Drive My Car was nominated for the Academy Awards, even our staff, who hadn’t been hugely concerned up till then, began to get excited, and we thought we should mark the occasion. So we decided to create a cocktail modeled after the Saab vehicle that appears in the movie and serve it in the bar lounge where the filming took place. After the award, the film became a focus of attention and many of our guests enjoyed drinking the cocktail.

―― How did you feel when the film won the Academy Award?

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

On the day, I hired a room in the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima and watched the award ceremony in the company of journalists. I asked Mr. Yumite for a room at the last minute, and he was glad to oblige me by making one available. That was another occasion when they displayed the spirit of hospitality, for instance by providing drinks for the journalists. They even put out kusudama, which are a kind of festive confetti ball.

Yumite
Yumite

As I have regular contact with people from the media, I was wondering what could serve as a focus for their photographs. I knew we couldn’t just ask them to take photos of the award ceremony on the television screen. That’s when our staff came up with the idea of the kusudama.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

I’m really grateful to the hotel for going the extra mile. Of course having been a film location gives the hotel a high profile. This has reaffirmed my feeling that, when I need help in the future, the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima is the place I should turn to for advice.

Yumite
Yumite

Even now, guests who come to the bar say to us "This is the place where they filmed Drive My Car, isn’t it?" That reminds me what an amazing film it was. Our hotel has yet to develop into a cultural landmark that radiates an aura of significance, but with the hope of establishing that kind of presence in the future, we want to continue doing our best to support Ms. Nishizaki.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

Having an Academy Award-winning film made in Hiroshima is not the kind of thing that happens all the time. "This one’s going to be a big hit!" is not what’s in my head when I propose Hiroshima as a location. I just engage as a serious professional with the job in hand.

I believe that Hiroshima is an excellent place for filming movies. The sea and the mountains are close at hand, but we also have a cityscape that can stand in for Tokyo. Hiroshima also has its iconic streetcars, while a short journey takes you into rural landscapes. We are situated within easy reach of a wide range of locations, so I believe this is a convenient place for the film crew too. Additionally, Fukuyama City has an open-air film set where Japanese period dramas can be filmed. Hiroshima also has a great number of gourmet eateries in town, which is a popular point with location staff.

Nishizaki
Nishizaki

Going forward, I’m committed to working steadily on projects that will bring pride and joy to the people of Hiroshima. That is not something I can do all alone however, so I look forward to receiving the continued cooperation of the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima and the people of the city.

Productions with connections to the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima

Movie Matchmaking Cruise (2017)
─ Guest rooms, foyer, pool, and other areas used as film locations Accommodations for film cast and staff provided along with rooms for staff use
Television drama In This Corner of the World (2018)
─ Seafront beside hotel used as film location Accommodations for film cast and staff provided along with rooms for staff use and other facilities
Movie True Mothers (2020)
Cannes International Film Festival Official Selection 2020
─ Restaurant used as film location Accommodations for film cast and staff provided along with rooms for staff use and other facilities
Movie Drive My Car (2021)
─ Hotel entrance and bar used as film locations
Television drama We’re Both Grooms (2022)
─ Chapel, banqueting suite, foyer, poolside, and other areas used as film locations Accommodations for film cast and staff provided along with rooms for staff use and other facilities
Film TOUCH (2024)
─ No filming within the hotel Accommodations for film cast and staff provided along with rooms for staff use and other facilities

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Notes

  • Please note that, depending on its filming regulations, permission may not be granted by the company in charge of the location.
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