Sonatine (1993) – Filming Locations
Action / Crime / Thriller · Directed by Takeshi Kitano · Starring Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai
Murakawa, an aging Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life, is sent by his boss to Okinawa along with a few of his henchmen to help end a gang war, supposedly as mediators between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, his group is attacked in an ambush. The survivors flee and make a decision to lay low at the beach while they await further instructions.
Where was Sonatine filmed?
- Okinawa, Japan, Okinawa – Yakuza gangsters retreat to the beach for leisure and bonding, including the famous beach playtime sequence. The idyllic Okinawan beaches provide a stark contrast to the violent yakuza world and serve as the film's emotional and thematic core
- Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo – Opening yakuza conflict and gang warfare in the city. Tokyo's urban streets establish the gangland setting and the violence that drives the protagonists to Okinawa