Kumamoto — A String Sound (2020)

In 2020, after leaving my job as a journalist, I directed my first short narrative film, A String Sound. Set during Japan’s first COVID-19 lockdown, the film follows a female violinist in Tokyo who, isolated at home and struggling with creative depression, finds herself at a breaking point.

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One day, a chance outing leads her to a traditional Japanese garden, where she encounters kyūdō—the martial art of archery. Immersed in its quiet discipline, she begins to understand the essence of balance, breath, and stillness. As she learns to release with intention rather than control, her confusion around music begins to dissolve.

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The project was produced in partnership with Meihodo, who provided full production support and filming locations. It was my first time directing a short film, stepping into fiction with a story shaped by silence, distance, and the invisible arc between sound and aim.