FOCUS: Film Commissions Boosting Local Areas in Japan

Tokyo, May 1 (Jiji Press)–Film commissions, set up by local governments to attract production crews for location shooting of films, dramas and other works, are contributing to local communities, about a quarter century after the first such commission was launched in Japan. Demand for shooting locations is growing especially from international projects and productions of works for online streaming. Ruriko Sekine, secretary-general of the Japan Film Commission, the national body for film commissions with 128 regular members, said that the increase in productions with the involvement of commissions “has boosted economic benefits” to local areas. But she added that related problems are becoming diverse. Kobe Encourages Repeat Visits As nonprofit entities, film commissions provide services, such as location-hunting, coordination with managers of facilities to be used for shooting and support for filming operations, free of charge. They aim to revitalize local communities by getting film crews to stay longer in the area and attracting sightseeing demand from fans of works made in the area. Kobe Film Office, established in Kobe, the capital of Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, marked its 25th anniversary last year. It is among the handful of film commissions set up in 2000. The office has so far attracted crews for over 3,000 works, including foreign projects, taking advantage of Kobe’s scenic cityscape and unique geography, surrounded by sea and mountains. It has acted as an intermediary between creators and site managers, arranging access to locations usually closed to the public, as well as a shopping street scheduled for demolition. Kobe Film Office also promotes the region’s attractions to encourage people to revisit the city. A pamphlet distributed to film crews features information on local dining and sightseeing spots that can be enjoyed during days off. It also publishes maps of shooting locations and organizes tours of such sites, aimed at fans of works filmed in Kobe. As a result of these efforts, the Kobe city government estimated that the economic impact created by the film commission hit a record high of more than 400 million yen in fiscal 2023. A key driving force was the filming of “City Hunter,” which was released to a global audience on Netflix. The live-action adaptation of a manga work featured Japanese actor Ryohei Suzuki. The climax of the movie, which took place in a large underground space, was shot in the former Suma Belt Conveyor Tunnel. The now-shuttered industrial site was used for about 40 years until 2025 to transport soil from mountains to create artificial islands on the Kobe coast. Challenges to Benefits for Local Areas As the forms of video content diversify, film commissions across Japan are increasingly receiving requests for assistance in productions that are unlikely to deliver economic benefits to local communities. “Because film commissions provide services free of charge, low-budget requests are often made without much thought, and many of them do not help promote local areas,” Sekine said, citing requests from YouTube video creators. Growing public awareness of copyright and portrait rights also poses problems to film commissions’ activities. It is becoming more difficult for local governments to use the names of or images from works shot in the area after release. With local governments supporting film production with limited budgets, Sekine stressed that “it’s essential for production teams to understand and cooperate based on the premise” that commissions offer production assistance to benefit the local community. She said she wants to offer training sessions to foster video creators who are mindful of such considerations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]