”Suzume no tojimari” (The Sparrow’s Door Closes) Director Makoto Shinkai 　 Surprise appearance at the fastest screening

The fastest screening of Makoto Shinkai’s new animated feature film “Suzume no tojimari,” his first in three years, was held at 11 theaters in six cities across Japan on November 11, starting at midnight.

Director Shinkai made surprise appearances at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) and TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku (Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo), where he expressed his thoughts on the film, saying, “Rather than a work that I made alone, I think it is a work that you all guided me to.

　Director Shinkai said to the audience, “Good evening, everyone. Today is a once-every-three-years kind of festival for us. I am happy if you feel the same way. I am standing here alone today, but behind me are the hundreds of staff members who have poured their hearts and souls into this film, as well as the cast members, including RADWIMPS and Kazuma Jinnai for the music, Nanoka (Hara) and Hokuto (Matsumura) who added their voices. I hope you enjoy their skills to the fullest,” he said.

　Director Shinkai mentioned his commercial debut work, “Hoshinokoe” (2002), and said, “Twenty years have passed since I made ‘Hoshinokoe,’ but at the time I never thought I would make a film like ‘Suzume no Dojimari’.

I think the reason I started making these films was that I met a lot of audiences with “Kimi no na wa”, “The Weather Child”.

So I think this is a work that you all guided me rather than one that I made on my own. Please enjoy the film.

　New scene photos were also released.

They depict the heroine Suzume Iwato and Sota Munakata looking surprised in front of the door that has been opened, Chika who helps Suzume at her family’s guest house, Rumi who works at a snack bar, Tamaki’s aunt who comes to pick Suzume up, Serizawa who is a friend of Sota, and Daijin the cat.

“‘Suzume no tojimari'” is a sequel to “Kimi no na wa.” (2016) and “Weather Child” (2019). Set in abandoned ruins around Japan, the film depicts the liberation and growth of Suzume Iwato, a young girl on a journey to close the “door” that leads to disaster.

I am very much looking forward to it.