# Nagasaki: Memories of My Son

Nagasaki: Memories of My Son (Japanese: 母と暮せば, Hepburn: Haha to Kuraseba, "Living with my mother") is a 2015 Japanese drama film directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Sayuri Yoshinaga and Kazunari Ninomiya. It was selected as the Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.

## Plot

Midwife Nobuko Fukuhara lost her husband and eldest son during World War II and lost her youngest son, Koji, as a result of the bombing of Nagasaki. Following the war, she has been living alone with only work to keep her occupied. However, one day she is visited by an apparition of Koji. The mother and son begin to spend much time together, reminiscing and catching up on lost time. Although these moments together make both of them happy, it leads Nobuko to reflect more on her losses and the relationship she has with Koji's fiancée Machiko.

## Cast

* Sayuri Yoshinaga as Nobuko Fukuhara
* Kazunari Ninomiya as Koji Fukuhara
* Haru Kuroki as Machiko Sata
* Kenichi Kato as "Shanghai Uncle"
* Tadanobu Asano as Kuroda
* Yuriko Hirooka as Tomie
* Miyu Honda as Tamiko
* Christopher McCombs as Charles Sweeney
* Nenji Kobayashi as Demobilized Officer
* Kazunaga Tsuji as Senior Man
* Isao Hashizume as Kawakami Professor

## Production
### Filming

Principal photography began on 26 April 2015 in Nagasaki and was completed on 11 July 2015.

### Music

The musical score for Nagasaki was composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto. A soundtrack album was released by Milan Records on 23 September 2016.

## Reception
### Box office

Nagasaki: Memories of My Son grossed ¥1.98 billion in Japan.

### Accolades

| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2016 | 89th Kinema Junpo Award | Best 10 Films | Nagasaki: Memories of My Son | 9th Place |
| 2016 | 89th Kinema Junpo Award | Best Actor | Kazunari Ninomiya | Won |
| 2016 | 89th Kinema Junpo Award | Best Supporting Actress | Haru Kuroki | Won |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Picture of the Year | Nagasaki: Memories of My Son | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Screenplay of the Year | Yoji Yamada and Emiko Hiramatsu | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Actor in a Leading Role | Kazunari Ninomiya | Won |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Sayuri Yoshinaga | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Tadanobu Asano | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Haru Kuroki | Won |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Cinematography | Masashi Chikamori | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Lighting Direction | Kōichi Watanabe | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Art Direction | Mitsuo Degawa | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Sound Recording | Kazumi Kishida | Nominated |
| 2016 | 39th Japan Academy Prize | Best Film Editing | Iwao Ishii | Nominated |
| 2016 | 70th Mainichi Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Kenichi Kato | Won |
| 2016 | 70th Mainichi Film Awards | Best Film Score | Ryuichi Sakamoto | Won |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Picture | Nagasaki: Memories of My Son | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Director | Yoji Yamada | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Actor | Kazunari Ninomiya | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Actress | Sayuri Yoshinaga | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Supporting Actor | Kenichi Kato | Nominated |
| 2016 | 41st Hochi Film Award | Best Supporting Actress | Haru Kuroki | Nominated |