Director Nobuteru Uchida explores the impact of Fukushima with "Odayaka na Nichijo"

by Chris MaGee

One of the busiest indie production companies in Japan at the moment is Wa Entertainment. Headed up by producer Kousuke Ono and actress/ producer Kiki Sugino (above left), Wa Entertainment has been behind the international festival hit "Hospitalité", directed by Koji Fukada, as well as Pan-Asian productions such as Kah Wai Lim's "Magic and Loss". Now word has leaked online that Wa Entertainment and Kiki Sugino have teamed up with "Love Addiction" director Nobuteru Uchida (above center) to explore the impact of last year's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster on the Japanese people.

Titled "Odayaka na Nichijo", roughly translated as "Calm Daily Life", the film tells the story of two families living in the outskirts of Tokyo who are traumatized by the immediate aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear meltdown. The film just wrapped up shooting in Saitama Prefecture with Kiki Sugino and veteran actor Susumu Terajima in lead roles. Cinematographer Koji Onomichi, who shot such films as "Bandage" and "Halfway", is behind the camera on this project.

Thanks to Kiki Sugino for her gallery of 13 behind-the-scenes photos from the film shoot via Facebook. "Odayaka na Nichijo" is set for release in Japan later this year.