Analog: A Japanese Love Story

Analog was another beautiful movie I discovered on a Swiss Air flight home. 

“Satoru Mizushima meets a mysterious woman, Miyuki, at a coffee shop. They promise to meet every Thursday at the cafe, but one day she doesn’t show up.”

With a description like that, I had to check it out. It started off as a typical Japanese movie but it was wonderful. Also lots of sliding door moments. About loneliness and human connection. How two odd people meet each other yet they cannot keep in touch except for meeting at the cafe every thursday. Both people who pay very close attention to the details around them. A very Japanese trait. Every scene is soaked in the craft mentality. 

Satoro: “Time. It may seem like a wasted effort. Cooking and design. But I think people appreciate the time and thought that goes into things.” 

Miyuki: “And that time and thought give them the “human touch”

The whole movie was whimsical. Satoro is an architect & designer who uses paper models and pencil drawings to make his beautiful designs. Miyuki is a traditionalist who doesn’t have a mobile phone and walks around discovering new places. No wonder they get along so well. 

Miyuki is a violinist. “When I hold a violin, it becomes a part of me. We become one. I draw the bow, and the moment a sound is created feels like a miracle. The tone changes depending on the place, the weather, my mood.”

They are both artists in their own way. And it is a joy watching the two of them develop their relationship as they explore Tokyo together and all its myriad places like the beach, the forest, making soba or listening to an orchestra. 

“If you open your eyes, you’ll see the world is a kind place, I realized that recently.” Especially in times of sorrow and tragedy. This movie makes you understand how thin the threads of life are, so you better enjoy it. 

If you love Japan and appreciate a good movie, I do recommend watching this one. A beautiful and touching story.