Cinema Paradiso of my childhood
A collection of memories from my hometown movie theaters
I grew up in a mid-sized city called Fujisawa, the suburbs of Tokyo. I lived relatively close to the center of the city, within a walking distance to the train station. There were several small movie theaters scattered around the station as I grew up. In 2010, Fujisawa Chu-ou movie theater had closed its doors. With it, all the local movie theaters in my hometown had officially closed down. This hit me really hard as those theaters were a big part of my childhood and adolescent years.
The first theater to close was Miyuki-za. It was a tiny theater in the basement of a run-down building. I lived only two doors down from the theater. The most distinct memory of the theater I have was me and my neighbor friend running down the slope leading to its ticket booth, where a lady sat behind the counter looking slightly bored. They did not mind kids running around the theater. They did not have many visitors anyway. It definitely was not a destination theater, but it rather catered to the locals seeking a good passing time. Even in my earlier memories, the place was already falling apart. Probably to compensate it, they often held double features. I remember watching a double feature of Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey and Aladdin as a kid. In fact, that was my earliest memory of visiting a movie theater. I thought those movies were so magical. I still remember the sheer fascination listening to Robin Williams as Genie. This visit most likely triggered my obsession with movies and America. The theater quietly closed its doors about 20years ago and they built a high-rise apartment.
We as a family loved visiting the movie theaters. We used to check the local section of the newspaper all the time to see which movies were on at the theaters. It became somewhat a tradition of me and my father to go see a movie each New Year’s holiday. He was pretty busy with work, so New Year’s was the only time he could catch a movie. We usually watched funny and light movies, then in the year 1998, we went to see Titanic. The theater was packed and we had to sit on the floor. I still remember having goosebumps seeing Kate Winslet as Rose for the first time. I thought she was the most beautiful person. I cried so much while watching the movie and cried all the way back home, even having to stop several times because I was sobbing too much. I remember my father standing uncomfortably beside me on the street. “Haruko was crying so much I did not know what to do, over a movie!” I heard him telling my mother at home. I became obsessed with Titanic afterward and even read several books on it. It is funny seeing that I no longer have interest in Titanic whatsoever. I seriously caught Titanic fever back then. It definitely made me aspired to make a movie someday that would hit people this hard.
One day, I went to catch a movie by myself after school. I attended this very uptight Catholic high school which did not allow students to stop by anywhere after school. Yet I could not care less. I wanted to watch a movie so bad that day. The movie had already started when I arrived, so I slipped in quietly and took a seat towards the back. I believe it was The Man Who Cried. As the movie ended and the theater lights were back on, I saw my mother sitting towards the front by herself. “Shoot,” I thought. I had not even told her that I would go catch a movie. She noticed me and walked up to me. I was expecting her to say, “what the hell are you doing here?” Instead, she smiled and asked, “did you like the movie?” I said yes. We walked home together.
The last time I watched a movie at the local theaters was only a few weeks before I left for the U.S. I believe it was Chicago. I enjoyed it so much and could not wait to move to the country that produced movies like that as well as all the other movies I was fascinated with throughout my childhood. While my high school classmates read fashion magazines and talked passionately about Japanese boy bands, I read Screen magazines and dreamed of meeting someone like Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, or Keanu Reeves. A slightly obnoxious kid who was obsessed with Disney movies had turned into an almost full-grown film fanatic. I was so excited about the idea of moving to a new city that it never occurred to me it would be the last time to watch a movie in my hometown.
A few years after the last local movie theater had closed, they opened a huge shopping mall near the next train station of Tsujido. It housed a cinema complex. As a movie lover, I have visited there several times, but it did not offer the same feel the local theaters had. On the train back from the cinema complex, I realized how lucky I was to have those local theaters near me growing up. They have made going to movies a part of my life, not a special occasion to wait for. I loved the tiny screens, the squeaky chairs, the heavy leather doors, and the smell of the old carpet. The more wonderful movies I watched, the bigger my passion for films grew. Those theaters have essentially raised me who I am now.
Several weeks ago, a couple of local movie theaters have closed their doors here in New York City. Even though I did not have as many memories there as I did at my hometown theaters, it still saddened me to see them go. At the same time, my friend in Japan has told me that she had discovered a local theater in Tokyo which offered a great selection of indie films. It is a relief to know that small theaters are still thriving to cater to movie lovers. My city might have changed, but people’s love of movies has not diminished, as mine has definitely not. (The story initially written in February, 2018)
