“Yasuko, Songs of Days Past” tells the story of a love triangle involving the poet Chuya Nakahara, the literary critic Hideo Kobayashi, and the actress Yasuko Hasegawa in the 1920s. These are all historical figures and the plot is based on true events. While Nakahara and Kobayashi are known in the West, Hasegawa is relatively unknown today. However, she is the central figure in the story.
Yasuko, Songs of Days Past is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam

Chuya Nakahara’s life was tragically cut short in 1937 at the young age of 30 due to tuberculosis. He was a pioneer of modernist poetry, and his work continued to gain recognition in the years following his untimely death, earning him comparisons to the Japanese Rimbaud. Director Kichitaro Negishi (“Distant Thunder” 1981) captures a moment from the poet’s youth when he fell in love with aspiring actress Yasuko Hasegawa, while also contending with the presence of the older and more experienced critic Hideo Kobayashi.
The career of director Kichitaro Negishi, whose oeuvre received little international recognition, can be compared with an on-off relationship. Emerging from the Roman Porn cadre factory of the 70s, he entered the world of mainstream cinema in the early 80s, established his reputation and won several domestic film awards. Then Negishi disappeared and scarcely made any movies during the 90s. It was only in 2004 that he released “Translucent Tree” and continued for a few years with very successful productions. Now, 12 years after his last film, “Yasuko, Songs of the Days Past” marks another comeback to the big screen.
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The screenplay by Yozo Tanaka, known for his work on “Branded to Kill” (1967) and Nikkatsu Roman Pornos, suggests the film may have originated in the 1980s as a more ambitious erotic drama. While it lacks explicit content typical of Roman Pornos (e.g. complex female vs. chauvinistic and gullible male characters), its conservative approach and technical flaws limit its potential. This also affects the film’s pacing, which tends to drag on in the middle section and leads to its ambitious runtime of more than two hours. On the other hand, the historical setting, production values, and costume design make it appealing and offer glimpses into early Japanese cinema.
The film beautifully captures the era through its elegant style, with stunning cinematography by Gima Shingo and meticulous production design by Harada Mitsuo and Sagae Yoko. As the love triangle intensifies, Negishi skillfully portrays the emotional turmoil through restrained performances by the renowned Suzu Hirose as Yasuko Hasegawa and Masaki Okada as Hideo Kobayashi, as well as the upcoming actor Taisei Kido as Chuya Nakahara. Their performances are a bit hammy but fit the theatrical sentiment of the film.
However, at its core, “Yasuko, Songs of Days Past” remains a poignant study of an artist poised for greatness and the societal constraints that challenge his creative spirit. Kichitaro Negishi set a very high bar with some of his latest films from the 2000s, “Dog in a Sidecar” (2007) and “What the Snow Brings” (2005), but this production surely will also find its audience.