Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 461 Ken Takakura

The Japan Academy Film Prize ceremony is held at the 'Prince Hotel Tokyo'.

I mentioned a place called Akasaka Prince Hotel earlier, but these two places are not the same.

On the day of the awards ceremony, a red carpet was laid out outside the Tokyo Prince Hotel, but it was not as luxurious as the real Oscars. It was just a red carpet leading from the outside to the inside of the hotel, and there were also TV crew members on site to guide guests and conduct simple interviews and filming.

Perhaps because Tokyo is home to so many famous Japanese celebrities and companies, even though there were cars coming and going and celebrities that are rarely seen in normal times, there weren't many enthusiastic fans surrounding the area.

This gave the two doormen who greeted and saw off guests a rare moment of leisure; all they had to do was open and close the doors and greet them with a smile.

Many actors and artists attended the awards ceremony, including renowned actors such as Ken Takakura and Toshiro Mifune.

However, there are also special individuals who do not participate.

Shintaro Katsu and all the artists under his personal agency will not participate in the Academy Awards.

Akira Kurosawa also forbade people from his studio from participating in the Academy Awards.

The reasons are the same.

Akira Kurosawa believed that the Academy Awards were not authoritative enough, not the real Oscars, and did not deserve his participation. In other words, his participation was an honor for the Academy Awards, so the Academy Awards did not deserve to invite him.

Shintaro Katsu believes that the so-called Academy Awards are nothing more than a pie-sharing arrangement among a few major Japanese film companies, and that his presence or absence makes no difference. His fame and authority will not be positively affected by the existence of the Academy Awards.

In a sense, neither of them was wrong.

The Japan Academy Film Prize is nominally similar to the Oscars, but in reality, the awards are organized by several film and television companies, including Toho and Toei, while the broadcasting is handled by Nippon Television and CCTV. The judging is also conducted by these same major film and television companies.

When selecting entries, priority is given to works from these companies. Sometimes, some universally recognized outstanding works do not receive a nomination.

Many films broadcast in fewer than 200 theaters are not even eligible for an invitation.

It's fair to say that the Academy Awards are both judges and boxers.

but no matter.

In the spring of 1982, when filmmakers such as Shigeru Okada were still active, the Academy Awards, which were supported by several film and television companies including Toho, Toei, Shochiku, and Kadokawa, were quite impressive in terms of reputation.

Gu Ming arrived at just the right time; no important figures appeared before or after him, so no one was stealing the spotlight, and he didn't have to worry about taking anyone's place.

Since the nominated film is 'Sailor Suit and Machine Gun', it's natural to introduce the main creative team of this film, including Akira Tani and Hiroko Yakushimaru, as well as the director, screenwriter, and so on.

Akio Jissoji and the rest of the team were in another car, which only contained Akira Tani and Hiroko Yakushimaru.

Before even approaching the hotel entrance, Koizumi had already slowed down, allowing the car to glide at a steady speed to the hotel entrance and stop perfectly.

Looking at Hiroko Yakushimaru through the rearview mirror, Gu Ming saw that she had also changed into a dress, which was a little conservative but a cute style that suited her young age.

It's clear that it was carefully designed.

After getting out of the car, Koizumi proactively walked around to the other side and helped open the car door.

Gu Mingze went first and stepped onto the red carpet.

Although the scale was not up to the standard of overseas events, the sense of ceremony was in no way inferior. As soon as Gu Ming stepped down, the flashes of cameras went off.

"Um……"

Gu Ming lowered his head slightly before approaching.

"Aki Furuya! It must be Akira Furuya."

"Furuya-kun, after winning awards overseas, this is your first nomination for the Japan Academy Film Prize. What would you like to say?"

Gu Ming slowed his pace slightly.

He certainly had nothing to say!

The unique aspect of the Japan Academy Film Prize is that you don't need to be nominated to receive an award; it's just a matter of how big or small the award may be.

Suddenly, Gu Ming heard an unexpected question from a reporter.

"The most anticipated film this year is Ken Takakura's 'The Station.' What would you like to say, Mr. Furuya?"

"Some say that Mr. Furuya and Mr. Takakura have the same acting style and are rivals. When facing Mr. Takakura, do you feel superior to him...?"

Gu Ming clicked his tongue, stopped in his tracks, and looked at the reporters.

"The Asahi TV logo... You must be reporters from Asahi TV. I won't answer that question. I said two years ago that I would not accept any interviews from Asahi TV programs. That's all."

Gu Ming would not answer such pointed questions.

Moreover, to be honest, Gu Ming had never read the work "The Station".

Although Japan is a major exporter of culture, this export is mainly concentrated in music and animation, while Japanese films have declined somewhat. For example, Tani Akira's knowledge of Ken Takakura is limited to just a few of his films.

Gu Ming had never actually seen the train station, so he certainly wouldn't offer any opinion.

With the help of a TV station assistant, Gu Ming finally entered the venue and breathed a sigh of relief.

We've finally gotten rid of this problem.

Fortunately, there were reporters from Asahi TV present, which allowed him to refuse the interview; otherwise, it would have been quite troublesome.

The venue wasn't set up with rows of seats, making it less formal. Instead, it was decorated like a wedding with many round tables set up around the guests.

Clearly, the organizers also have some headaches.

For example, when Ken Takakura and Ken Ogata appeared together, who sat in the front seat?
It wouldn't matter if we changed it to individual round tables. Since there's no front or back, everyone can sit wherever they like!

Everyone sat down according to their respective film categories, while Toei president Shigeru Okada and other organizers sat in the front row.

There's no need to distinguish who should go first for the rest.

However, this also reveals the nature of the Academy Awards.

As soon as he sat down, Gu Ming glanced over and saw that the guest at the other end of the tea table had a face that looked familiar.

Ken Takakura.

Ken Takakura also looked at Gu Ming, studied him for a moment, and nodded slightly as a greeting.

This was the first time Gu Ming had met Ken Takakura since he entered the industry.

"So what does it mean that the organizers arranged us in such close positions? Does it mean they recognize us as actors of the same level?"

Gu Ming thought for a moment.

That's still quite gratifying.

Hiroko Yakushimaru came over in a few steps, her short legs springing up as she accurately sat down next to Taniguchi.

She looked at Ken Takakura and had a strange feeling, as if she had missed something.

If nothing unexpected happens, Hiroko Yakushimaru's entry into the film industry and her collaborations with filmmakers will likely be with Ken Takakura.

In a sense, Ken Takakura played the role of another father to Hiroko Yakushimaru during her childhood, which was filled with various filming experiences despite her happiness.

So much so that when Hiroko Yakushimaru was feeling lost, she would first run to Ken Takakura for advice.

However, things have now changed slightly.

Therefore, Hiroko Yakushimaru only stared for a moment before withdrawing her curious gaze.

Anyway, we've seen Akira Furuya all the time, so Ken Takakura isn't anything special.

On the contrary, Ken Takakura gave Tani a rather strange expression.

Actually, he wanted to say hello. After all, the idea that they had the same acting style was just nonsense from the outside world. Although Ken Takakura was tall and imposing, he mostly played the role of an artistic type, somewhat like Jean Reno.

Although Gu Ming's image and style are similar to his, he is an action actor.

The two are not in conflict.

After a brief silence, Ken Takakura still did not get up, only responding with an expression as a greeting.

There are reporters present.

Given his status in the film and television industry and his rank among artists, if he were to take the initiative to greet Gu Ming, it would be a sign that he was at a disadvantage.

Of course, Gu Ming wouldn't take the initiative to greet him, at least not in this situation.

Gu Ming fiddled with his cue cards, waiting for the members of the sailor suit and machine gun crew to take their seats.

Ken Takakura also lowered his head and looked at his cue cards.

Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress...

The film "The Station" also received a considerable number of nominations.

In addition to the awards that are guaranteed to be won, we are also certain to receive one of these major awards.

Ken Takakura looked up at Gu Ming, and the two locked eyes at that moment.

However, it's unclear which one it will be.

(End of this chapter)