4,950,000 yen to “make you the star of a sci-fi comedy film! …What is the contents of the too novel “fukubukuro” of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Nihonbashi?

Director Minoru Kawasaki is back after a four-year absence from the lead role in films!　His previous film “Meg Lion” was released on a nationwide roadshow

The Fukubukuro, a popular item in the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store’s Fukubukuro in ’19, in which the purchaser is given the opportunity to star in a film, is back with “2024 Mitsukoshi Culture Salon: Mitsukoshi’s First Dream Fukubukuro”.

This grab bag, “Director Minoru Kawasaki, a genius, will make you the star of a sci-fi comedy film! The lucky bag, “You can play the leading role in a science fiction comedy film directed by Minoru Kawasaki, known as the master of “silly films” such as “The Sinking of Everything but Japan,” “The Squid Wrestler,” and the “Den Ace Series,” is worth 4.95 million yen.

The amount was 4.95 million yen. The first prize in 2007 (4.86 million yen) was purchased by an ordinary woman in her 50s, and “Meg Lion,” which was produced with her in the lead role, has been released on a nationwide roadshow.

The brand image of the long-established Mitsukoshi Nihombashi department store and the style of director Minoru Kawasaki seem to be far apart, but why did this project come to fruition and why is the second installment being sold after four years? We asked Atsushi Imamiya, the buyer at the Mitsukoshi Nihombashi flagship store and the person who proposed this project, how it came about.

He told us, “We had previously sold a grab bag in which the purchaser played a leading role in the production of a movie. We had previously sold a grab bag in which the purchaser played the main role in the production of a documentary film.

For the first one in ’19, we wanted to create an interesting film from scratch with the customer. So I consulted with the Shochiku Group, with whom I have a regular relationship, and they introduced me to a director who they thought would be a perfect fit: Kawasaki. Director Kawazaki gave us his OK with a simple “yes” and “no.” (Mr. Imamiya)

Although Director Kawasaki was introduced to us by Shochiku, his style of work may be far removed from the image of the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi main store. In the general sense, one would imagine that it would have been quite difficult to coordinate within the company in order to get this project approved, but in fact that was not the case, according to Mr. Imamiya.

There were a few voices within the company that said, ‘This doesn’t look like Mitsukoshi,’ but there were stronger voices that said, ‘This is interesting,’ and the project went through without a hitch.

In the beginning, Mitsukoshi was one of the first to sell magic tricks before World War II, invented children’s lunch, which was then called “Gosho-sama Yosoku” (children’s lunch for children), made the rooftop into a ski resort by bringing snow, and in 1957, held “Children’s Dream Land Fun Disneyland” (sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun Welfare Cultural Organization) for a limited time on the rooftop. We were one of the first to introduce “new” and “interesting” things to our customers. I think our corporate culture is to be the first to introduce “new” and “interesting” things to our customers.

Customers today are looking for comedy and laughter.”

When sales began, a woman who was a fan of director Kawasaki’s purchased the bags. This was in line with Mitsukoshi’s assumption that the bags would be aimed at Kawasaki’s fans as well, and from the outset, the company had the intention of cultivating a new customer base.

However, as one would expect from a fan of director Kawasaki’s. He said that the purchase was made not by the purchaser himself, but with the intention of having his favorite idol play the lead role.

The customer was thinking of having an idol he was rooting for play the lead role. The idol had just retired, so he thought, ‘If there is anything I have left to do, I would love to do it in this movie.

However, the idol, as a retired person, declined to appear in the film. So, the customer who purchased the film decided to star in it, and the director, while listening to the customer’s profile and other information, held discussions and created “Meg Lion.

The first film, “Meg Lion,” starred a single office worker in her 50s. She is in fact the princess of the planet King Lion, and fights against the Ultra Tiger aliens who attack her to obtain a certain secret.

The film also co-stars Anna Asano, formerly of Magical Punchline, Yuta Watanabe, Jonathan Cigar & Shimako Iwai of “5 o’clock! The film has been shown in 11 movie theaters from Hokkaido to Okinawa, as well as at film festivals in Spain, and has also been released on DVD.

The film was released in 11 movie theaters in Hokkaido and Okinawa, as well as at film festivals in Spain and on DVD. “Some adjustments were necessary, but the story was decided through discussions between the client and director, and the casting was done by director Kawasaki, so the filming went smoothly.

Fukubukuro successfully fulfilled its role, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, this second installment has been four years in the making. During the period leading up to the second installment, Mr. Imamiya sensed a certain change in the customers visiting the main Mitsukoshi store in Nihonbashi.

I am in charge of the stage at the Mitsukoshi Theater as well as the fukubukuro, and what I sense now is that customers are looking for comedy and laughter. Comedies are very popular on stage as well.

So we wanted to realize a project that would make everyone laugh and have fun, so we have planned a second version of this project.

With this project, we hope to provide our customers with the “valuable experience” of appearing in a film, as well as the “fruits” of a theatrical release and a DVD.

Director Kawazaki’s idea of “turning the lions at Mitsukoshi into monsters” was rejected.

On the other hand, Director Kawasaki recalls how he felt when he was offered the project in 2018.

At first, of course, I thought it was a surprise!　Of course, it was Shochiku and Mitsukoshi. When I found out they were serious, I was very happy.

At first, since it was Mitsukoshi, I proposed a story in which the lion statue at the entrance (of the main building of Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi) would start moving and become a monster. But Mr. Imamiya rejected my proposal rather bluntly and in a roundabout way (laughs). (Laughs.) Then, because of the lion connection, we came up with ‘Meg Lion.

The main roles are played by amateurs, and the casting was done by director Kawasaki, so there must have been some difficulties with the budget.

Once the image was created, all we had to do was shoot the film, and it went well. It is natural for a professional to take pictures even if the budget and time are limited. So those who are interested in purchasing the film need not worry.

And since Mitsukoshi and Shochiku will back us up, please feel as if you are on a big boat and leave it to us!　Films are for fun, so please come and play with us!　We will discuss the contents and you can keep expressing your wishes as well.

However, in the previous case, there was absolutely no problem with the shooting itself, but we had to decline the request of the person who purchased the film to have one of the members of a certain idol group play the lead role, as it was indeed not possible due to the budget (laughs). So, please consider it difficult to co-star with a very popular idol celebrity!”

Director Kawasaki’s “certain thoughts”…

As director Kawasaki says, he has a thought for the film he is about to shoot, including this Fukubukuro film.

He has one thought in mind for his upcoming films, including this Fukubukuro film. That thought is for Shuntaro Kanoi, a film producer with whom he has worked on many films, including “The Sinking of Everything but Japan” and “The Squid Wrestler. Although Mr. Kanoi has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has been told that he does not have long to live, he is still working energetically as a film producer.

He distributed and promoted the film “Meg Lion” and sold it to movie theaters so that it could be released nationwide from Hokkaido to Okinawa.

I don’t know if he will be alive until this film is completed, and he has already decided where to release my other film, which is not a Fukubukuro film, but one that I have not yet shot. I want to continue making films for him.

Mitsukoshi wants to share new and interesting things with the world and deliver experiences and products, and director Minoru Kawasaki wants to make a film for his friend. It is truly unpredictable what kind of film these two will make together, and the chemical reaction between Mitsukoshi, Director Kawasaki, and the purchaser may possibly leave a mark in the history of cinema, possibly …….

Such a remarkable grab bag, “Director Minoru Kawasaki will make you the star of a sci-fi comedy film! is 4,950,000 yen, and applications will be accepted until January 3, ’24, with a drawing if there are too many applications. This is a chance to make your name in the history of Mitsukoshi and film!　Maybe?

Mitsukoshi’s New Year’s Dream Fortune Bags” “Director Minoru Kawasaki, a genius, will make you the star of a sci-fi comedy film! You can also perform in a magic show at the Mitsukoshi Theatre (1,100,000 yen). (1,100,000 yen), “Dream Game Plan with Masataka Sugimoto 8-dan: Including Dinner” (888,888 yen) or “Complete Game Video Recording Plan” (1,388,888 yen), “Exchange Meeting with Karate Player Kiyoshi Shimizu” (165,000 yen) and many other experience-based plans. All plans are limited to a certain number of people, and will be selected by lottery if there are too many applicants.

For more details about the “Mitsukoshi’s New Year’s Dream Fukubukuro”, click here.

Minoru Kawasaki was born in Tokyo in 1958. He made his professional debut in “Iko Chikyu Bouei Shoujo Iko Chan” (’87). The movie “Ika Wrestler,” released in 2004, was a long-running hit and won the Audience Award in the Asian Film Category at the Canadian Fantasia Film Festival. Other notable works include “Chief Koala” (’06), “Crab Goalkeeper” (’06), and “Detective Zura” (’06), as well as “The Sinking of Everything but Japan” (’06), based on the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui. It was a hit and won the Special Film Award at the 16th Tokyo Sports Film Awards. His new film “Den Ace Chaos” is currently in theaters.

For more information on director Kawasaki’s new film “ Den Ace Chaos,” click here.