Wood Job!

Wood Job! is a 2014 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Shinobu Yaguchi and based on the novel Kamusari naa naa Nichijō (神去なあなあ日常) by Shion Miura. The film stars Shota Sometani, Masami Nagasawa, and Hideaki Itō. The main theme song is "Happiest Fool", sung by Maia Hirasawa.[1] The film was released on 10 May 2014, and made its North American premiere at LA Eigafest 2014.

Wood Job!
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Shinobu Yaguchi
Written by	Shinobu Yaguchi
Based on	Kamusari naa naa Nichijō by Shion Miura
Starring	Shota Sometani Masami Nagasawa Hideaki Itō
Production company	Asahi Shimbun Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting Chugoku Broadcasting Django Film Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Hokkaido Broadcasting Mainichi Broadcasting System Nikkatsu RKB Mainichi Broadcasting Shizuoka Broadcasting System Toho Tohoku Broadcasting Company Tokuma Shoten Tokyo Broadcasting System
Distributed by	Toho
Release date	10 May 2014 (Japan)
Running time	116 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	¥107 million (Japan)

Plot

The story revolves around Yuki Hirano (played by Shota Sometani), who, after failing his university entrance examinations and being left by his girlfriend, decides to join a forestry training program on seeing an attractive female face (Nagasawa) on a promotional leaflet.[2] The program is difficult, and while he wants to quit, he continues. Many others from the program drop out. Initially being skeptical of the newcomer, the villagers grow to like him and accept him as one of their own.

However, he soon discovers that the job is harder than he expected, working under the hard-working superior played by Hideaki Itō.[2] Yuki learns respect for the forest, and the traditions of the town, opening his eyes to life outside a big city. All the while, he pursues the woman from the pamphlet whose beauty motivated to move in the first place. The film ends with the Onbashira Festival, a dangerous festival involving riding huge logs down a hill.

Cast

The following people appear in the film.[1][3]

• Shota Sometani as Yūki Hirano
• Masami Nagasawa as Naoki Ishii
• Hideaki Itō as Yoki Iida
• Yūka as Miki Iida
• Naomi Nishida as Yūko Nakamura
• Sports Makita as Iwao Tanabe
• Masashi Arifuku as Saburō Koyama
• Yoshimasa Kondo as a senior executive director of forestry association
• Ken Mitsuishi as Seiichi Nakamura
• Akira Emoto as Toshirō Yamane
• Yuki Furukawa

Production

The film was shot on location in the mountains of Mie Prefecture, taking approximately six weeks and completed by 31 July 2013.[4]

Reception

The film has grossed ¥107 million in Japan.[5]

References

1. "マイア・ヒラサワ、映画『WOOD JOB！（ウッジョブ）～神去なあなあ日常～』主題歌担当" [Maia Hirasawa to sing main theme song for movie "Wood Job"]. Barks (in Japanese). Japan: Global Plus. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
2. "染谷将太「WOOD JOB！」特報公開 ヒルに血を吸われ、ふんどし一枚で体当たり演技" [Shota Sometani on "Wood Job": tough acting wearing only a loincloth and bitten by leeches]. Eiga.com (in Japanese). Japan: Eiga.com Inc. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
3. "Wood Job!". AllCinema Movie & DVD Database (in Japanese). Japan: Stingray. 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
4. Nakayama, Yuichiro (8 August 2013). 『ウォーターボーイズ』矢口監督の最新作！染谷将太×長澤まさみ×伊藤英明クランクアップ！ [Filming completed on director Yaguchi's latest work]. Cinema Today (in Japanese). Japan: Cinema Today Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
5. Kevin Ma (13 May 2014). "Frozen tops Japan B.O. for tenth weekend". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 15 May 2014.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Wood Job! at IMDb