{"id":4073,"date":"2019-09-30T09:04:16","date_gmt":"2019-09-30T09:04:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idahojapaneseassociation.org\/?p=4073"},"modified":"2020-09-14T09:13:17","modified_gmt":"2020-09-14T09:13:17","slug":"the-chef-of-south-polar-fact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idahojapaneseassociation.org\/ja\/the-chef-of-south-polar-fact\/","title":{"rendered":"The Chef of South Polar (Nankyoku Ryorinin) Details"},"content":{"rendered":"

By: Shuichi Okita<\/h4>\r\n

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Introduction<\/u><\/h6>\r\n

Being away from home can get a little lonely, but good food always cheers you up.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Eight men join a research expedition to the Dome Fuji Station in Antarctica \u2013 an environment so cold that even viruses cannot exist, let alone living creatures. Jun Nishimura\u2019s job is to cook for the members every day. He prepares the meals with the greatest care, sometimes with fine delicacies, and takes pleasure in watching everyone sitting down together and enjoying his food.<\/p>\r\n

In faraway Japan, Nishimura has a wife, an 8-year-old daughter, and a new-born son. He thinks of his family often and sometimes it makes him feel like crying. The assignment lasts a year and a half. While his thoughts are with his family 14,000 kilometers away, the ultimate mission away from home is still to continue.<\/p>\r\n

Antarctic life is unlike anything in Japan. The team members encounter things they had never even imagined. As they struggle to get through each day, they form a tight friendship. Each day brings a different mood; they laugh, get angry, become excited, or sink into sadness. But as long as there is good food, it gives them the strength to go on. Though the film is set in the coldest climate in the world, The Chef of South Polar<\/i> warms you up from the center of your heart. Good food and human drama, full of laughter and love!<\/p>\r\n

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Masato Sakai is the chef in Antarctica!<\/h6>\r\n

A mesmerizing performance by an ensemble of excellent actors!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The chef Jun Nishimura is played by Masato Sakai, who won major film awards in 2008 for his performances in The Climber\u2019s High, After School,<\/i> and The Two in Tracksuits<\/i>. Gaining wide popularity after appearing in the NHK period drama, Atsuhime<\/i>, he is the most sought-after actor at the moment. Sakai took cooking classes to prepare for this role and became so good that he has impressed his colleagues with his newly acquired skill. He has made sure he embodies the character of the chef in Antarctica in every aspect, also putting on eight kilos and forcing weight loss towards the end of the story.<\/p>\r\n

The other unique members of the expedition are played by a colorful cast of Katsuhisa Namase of The Wow-Choten Hotel<\/i> and Yatterman<\/i>, Kitaro of In the Pool<\/i> and Fine, Totally Fine<\/i>, Kengo Kora of Snakes<\/i> and Earrings<\/i> and Fish Story<\/i>, and Kosuke Toyohara of Cinderella Formula,<\/i> and (Children of the Dark)<\/i>. The film was shot on location in winter in Abashiri of northern Hokkaido Prefecture \u2013 one of the coldest places in Japan. As the cast all spent time together on the shoot, they bonded just like the actual characters of the film.<\/p>\r\n

Kanji Furutachi, Daisuke Kuroda, Masahiro Kohama, and other strong stage actors join the crew, with Naomi Nishimura playing Nishimura\u2019s wife and Takashi Ukaji and Kyusaku Shimada as Nishimura\u2019s Japan Coast Guard colleagues. The skillful performances by the supporting actors are also a must see.<\/p>\r\n

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Based on the hilarious autobiographical essay of a chef on an Antarctic research team.<\/h6>\r\n

Film score by Yoshiharu Abe and theme song by Unicorn!
Delicious dishes that make your mouth water!<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The film is based on the autobiographical essay \u201cFun Days of an Antarctic Chef<\/i> (Omoshiro Nankyoku Ryorinin)\u201d by Jun Nishimura, who actually used to cook for an expedition in Antarctica.
Antarctica is getting a lot of attention this year, since it is the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty and the new Antarctic research vessel \u201cShirase\u201d left for its first voyage.<\/p>\r\n

The Chef of South Polar<\/i> is written and directed by 31-year-old Shuichi Okita, who has been lauded for his work on independent films and TV dramas. This is the first major film for the promising \u201cnext generation\u201d director, who has the outstanding talent of bringing out the comic and sympathetic sides of people in daily life through a matter-of-fact approach.<\/p>\r\n

The mouth-watering dishes are prepared by the food stylist, Nami Iijima, whose previous film work includes Kamome Diner<\/i> and Glasses<\/i>, and Takako Kuretani, who has had experience on TV commercials and films with Iijima. The menu spans from extravagant cuisine with spiny lobster, Japanese high-grade beef, and foie gras, to more down-to-earth meals like rice balls and ramen noodles. The dishes are delicious to the eye as well as to eat, adding color to the dinner table and screen.
The film score is by Yoshiharu Abe, who is a producer as well as the keyboardist for the band, Unicorn. This is the first time for Abe to produce film music while Unicorn performs the theme song \u201cSurround\u201d that adds a heart-warming touch to the end titles.<\/p>\r\n

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Staff Profile<\/u><\/h6>\r\n