A B O U T T H E F I L M
Taking Western viewers inside a never-before-seen world, "Kokoyakyu: High School Baseball" follows two schools of the 4,000 in Japan striving to make it to the National Championships at Koshien Stadium. Much more just than a game, this martial arts baseball has a deeper purpose: the forging of the spirit. Through the stories of two schools, the film brings audiences inside this closed world where an American game has become a Japanese discipline.
CHIBEN HIGH SCHOOL
Chiben is a private, powerhouse baseball academy led by Japan's most legendary tough-as-nails coach, Takashima . Over 35 years, Takashima has led his teams to Koshien a record 21 times, and won 3 National titles. Through extensive interviews we reveal the mindset of the man many Japanese consider a "living Samurai". His training regimen focuses not on technique, but rather on developing fighting spirit . In blistering heat or driving rain, the team trains at least 8 hours a day, 360 days a year. At Chiben, two young recruits, Maeda and Hashimoto , explain their lives as aspiring professional players. They have chosen to put aside their education and their families in pursuit of their baseball dreams. But they can't go pro unless they make it to Koshien.
The Chiben Cheer Squad is also legendary throughout Japan, and their senior leader, Furukawa, explains why they too must train so hard. Whenever Chiben plays a game, they bring the cheer squad, the brass band, cheerleaders, and the entire school (one thousand strong). Chiben enters the Wakayama tournament as defending champions and coasts through their first few games. But in the world of high school baseball, there are no "sure things".
TENNOJI HIGH SCHOOL
Tennoji is one of the top public schools in Osaka, and students must pass a rigorous exam to get in. Their baseball coach, Masa-sensei , explains how high school baseball will train his students' hearts for life outside baseball. All the same, everybody dreams of Koshien. With such an intense focus on academics, baseball is squeezed into the early morning or late afternoon. They do not have the funding or the scholarships to recruit
players, so their chances of making it to Koshien are microscopic. They have not made it to Koshien since 1949. Nevertheless, they practice year-round, six days a week -- before and after school hours -- as well as during vacations, with financial support from their alumni.
Senior third baseman Daisuke wakes up at 4 a.m. to travel to morning practice, with lunch from his mom and a ride to the station from dad. Maeda , the team's senior captain, faces great pressure not only to lead, but also as the team's best hitter and ace pitcher. Maeda's father skips work to see his games. Haruki has worked hard and shown improvement for three years, but isn't a great player. When it is time for the team to be announced, Haruki faces the prospect of watching from the stands as his last chance to play in the tournament slips away. Manager-girl Misaki explains her role and gives insight into the role of women in the male-dominated world of high school baseball.
Tennoji enters the Osaka summer tournament - Japan's toughest - where 190 schools compete for just one spot at Koshien. Feeling the pressure, Tennoji plays hard through adversity when star second-baseman
Kadoya breaks his nose at practice and can't play. But for Tennoji, Koshien is an impossible dream...or is it?
This project is
sponsored by grants from:
JUSFC
The Japan-US Friendship Commission
Special thank you to our official airline sponsor:
Special thanks to all the organizations that
helped make Kokoyakyu: High-School Baseball a reality:
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A B O U T T H E
C R E W
Director/Editor
Kenneth
Eng is a Boston native who moved to New York City to study
film making at the School of Visual Arts in 1994. Ken's student
thesis, "Scratching Windows", was broadcast on WNET, New York
City's PBS "Reel Life." Co-founder of the New York based multimedia
and video production company, Python Aquarius, Director/Editor
of "Take Me To The River", a feature length documentary about
the Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest gathering in history. Ken has
directed numerous music videos and documentary productions.
Senior Producer
Alex Shear was Assistant Producer and Chief Audio Recordist for "Take Me to theRiver" in 2001. Alex also worked as freelance Production Assistant for Python Aquarius Productions in TriBeCa, NYC. He graduated from St. John's College in 2000, where he studied the great books of Western civilization. His work experience is predominantly in sales and business development for early stage start-ups. He brings the same entrepreneurial energy and determination to our projects here at Projectile.
Field Producer
Takayo
Nagasawa, after graduating college in Tokyo, started working
for OORONG-SHA music Productions in Tokyo where she worked as
an associate producer. She travelled with various bands to do
recordings in LA, NY, and London; she has also worked on scores
and soundtracks for a few movies. In 1997, she came to NY to
supervise the construction of a music recording studio in Chelsea.
After the project was completed in 1999, she began her work
in the film industry where her passion for both music and film
are combined.
Director of Photography
Jake
Clennell has spent the last 15 years based in NY, shooting
various projects. Originally a fashion photographer, Jake has
used his good taste and style to trancend documentary filmmaking.
Cinematographer
Takeshi Inamura was born in Osaka, Japan. In 1994, he came to
NY to study filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts. After graduating,
he has worked as a cameraman of several independent feature
films, documentaries, and music videos. Takeshi loves playing
chess.
A B O U T P R O J E C T I L E A R T S
Organization Overview
Mission Statement
Projectile Arts is a non-profit (501c3) organization dedicated to fostering dialogue between
different cultures and communities through the arts, with an emphasis on experience rather
than analysis. Productions focus on education through entertainment and creative expression,
using art as a tool for communication and understanding in a variety of media. We
collaborate with promising young artists and producers, often immersing them in unfamiliar
worlds where they can gain new inspiration for their work and interact directly in the
environment to share their experiences through their respective disciplines.
Art is the most effective means of experiencing the lives of those in unfamiliar environments.
Works of art strike a common human chord that is intuitive and independent of language or
logic, which can vary dramatically from one place to another, from one mind to another. We
recognizing this intuitive bond and seek to use it as a medium for education and
communication. In this way, people can better grasp the passions and concerns of others,
reducing the cause for conflict among individuals and communities alike.
Introduction
Projectile Arts was founded on the belief that the nonprofit art and community organization of
the future must focus on expanding the cultural dialogue of the community in which it acts.
Cultural dialogue is not limited in its mediums, forms or expressions- it is simply art and
community activities that inspire and promote understanding between individuals and
communities. By collaborating with artists throughout the life of every project, Projectile Arts
is able to create unique and compelling multiple purpose content that demonstrates that a
more inclusive world is possible if the rhetoric of difference is abandoned and replaced by the
intuitive understanding that we are all partners in our community. Entertaining, educational
and vibrant, Projectile Arts strives to connect artists and students of all expressive media to
collaborate and create from the palette of life that is set before us all.
Financial Note
All funding given to Projectile Arts is tax deductible. High School Baseball will be funded by
a combination of private donations and grant monies.
