Close-Knit

A short film by Naoko Ogigami.

Where are we welcome? On a quiet street in Helsinki, Sachie has opened a diner featuring rice balls. For a month she has no customers. Then, in short order, she has her first customer, meets Midori, a gangly Japanese tourist, and invites her to stay with her, and meets Masako, a formal and ethereal middle-aged woman whose luggage has gone missing. The three women work in the diner, interact, and serve customers. A somewhat brusque man teaches Sachie to make delicious coffee, then he returns under other circumstances. Three neighborhood women inspect the empty diner every day; will anything bring them inside? The number of customers gradually increases, but the diner seems to attract only those with problems. Conversation with Sachie and the tasty food seem to resolve people's woes. We learn why Sachie serves rice balls; but why Finland?

In a small town on the countryside, where everyone knows everyone, all the children pay their respect to the middle-aged woman who runs "Barber Yoshino". An old tradition is rooted in this town. Every young boy is forced to have the same ridiculous hairstyle to have their bangs cut straight, known as the "Yoshino-gari" hairstyle. Of course they all get their hair done at the only barbershop in town, "Barber Yoshino". Then one day, a drastic change occurs when a transfer student with bleached hair comes from Tokyo....

Ray is a 30 something engineer obsessed with Gundam toys. He has a motto not to become close to anyone. During his mother's funeral he showed no emotions. His life is further turned upside when he is forced to live with his older brother Maury and younger sister Lisa. Older brother Maury was a pianist but is now a recluse. Younger sister Lisa is a college student who tends to look down on those around her. Also in there home is their Japanese grandmother who doesn't speak English at all.

A haiku club comprised of five unlikely students aim to win the national high school haiku tournament.

Harried and overworked, Taeko leaves the city for a much-needed island vacation. Stepping off a propeller plane onto golden sands, she drags her giant suitcase across the beach to Hamada Inn. Owner Yuji is impressed; it's the first time in three years a guest has made it to the inn without getting lost. The next morning Taeko wakes up to the greetings of peculiar fellow vacationer Sakura who leads the townspeople in funny morning calisthenics on the beach. Thus begins Taeko's strange vacation on this strange island full of strange people. At first Taeko finds the laidback attitude and mass idleness hard to bear, but soon she too begins to see the joy in "twilighting".

A single woman runs an unconventional service that rents housecats to lonely people.

Based on the novel of the same name by Ogiue, this story follows Yamada and Shimada, two shy next-door neighbors who eventually become friends.

A short film by Naoko Ogigami.

Hajime Aoyama runs the mobile coffee shop Tako Coffee. Riding in his coffee truck, he goes from street to street. Along the way, he comforts those with wounded hearts and minds. Hajime Aoyama appears carefree, but he has a secret.