Rich culinary history of Japan’s Hokkaido island captured in new film

Kita no Syokukei – Northern Food Story in English – made a splash at the San Sebastian Film Festival, screening to enthusiastic applause

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A still from Northern Food Story. The film, also known as Kita no Syokukei, made a splash at the San Sebastian Film Festival, screening to enthusiastic applause. Photo: Kuani

Published: 6:15pm, 13 Nov 2024

A documentary film following the daily lives of four Japanese chefs as they create dishes within the rich culinary culture and landscape of Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, made a splash at a prestigious international film festival in San Sebastian in northern Spain, known as one of the best gourmet cities in the world.

Kita no Syokukei, directed by Tetsuya Uesugi in his feature debut, was screened in September at the annual San Sebastian Film Festival, which has a tradition of more than 70 years and is behind only the Cannes, Venice and Berlin international film festivals in status.

The film – titled Northern Food Story in English – explores traditional Japanese cuisine, French cuisine and sushi, following the chefs for a year to not only chronicle their daily lives but show how they work hand in hand with farmers in their communities to pursue the culinary arts.

The four chefs are Takeshi Takahashi, 61, owner of French restaurant La Sante in the city of Sapporo; Hiroshi Sakai, 56, of the Japanese restaurant Ajidokoro in the town of Kuriyama; Kaori Yoshida, the head chef and farm manager of Agriscape, a circular agriculture restaurant about a 20-minute drive from Sapporo; and Junnosuke Kawasaki, a sushi chef who runs Maru Zushi in Sapporo.

A poster for Kita no Syokukei (Northern Food Story), directed by Tetsuya Uesugi. Photo: X/h_foodfilm

The film – which also showcases the dazzling scenery and snowy landscapes of Hokkaido – was planned and produced by Japanese entertainment agency Creative Office Cue and others in conjunction with the Hokkaido Food Film Festival, a combined food and film event being held this month, using subsidies from the city of Sapporo.

It was nominated for the San Sebastian festival’s Culinary Cinema Award with four other films. Those involved were ecstatic, calling it a great accomplishment. After the screening, the nearly full house erupted in enthusiastic applause.