There is an animation that can only be seen at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing: the 60-second short animation "Tokino Crossing," which is currently being crowdfunded and can be viewed on YouTube, but only tentatively. Each of the four monitors shows a slightly different image.
The "Tokino Crossing" was shot partially in live action and features the much talked about "Yane," a beautiful woman who makes people with a belly button fetish fainter in agony. The film is directed by "Kimi no na wa. and "In a Corner of the World," but has maintained a delicate distance from the animation industry. Director Shiromiya approached the production of "Tokino Crossing" with several issues in mind: art and commerce, the individual and the team, and so on.
The dilemma of participating in a film directed by Makoto Shinkai and having a "Shinkai style
─ I understand that you majored in Japanese painting at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Where did you first come into contact with commercial animation?
Shinomiya: I always wanted to make animation as my own work, but I didn't really know how to do it. At one point, I sent my resume to Madhouse because I wanted to know how animation was made in the commercial animation field. I ended up not joining the company, but I did meet Ryoichiro Matsuo, the producer of "Tokino Crossing. Later, around 2009, through a different route, I began taking on subcontracted art for a film directed by Makoto Shinkai.
─ Around that time, "Children Who Chase Lost Voices" (2011), is that right?
Shinomiya: That's right. Since my college days, I have been showing my paintings and sculptures in solo and group exhibitions. However, I could not make money from my artwork alone, so I started doing animation backgrounds as a means of earning money. As I mentioned earlier, I was interested in animation, so I did some independent short films. That is why I never thought of joining an animation art studio.
─ You made an independent animation called "Aquarium Tiger" (2012), didn't you?
Shinomiya: I received a grant from the Japan Media Arts Festival, so it may be misleading to call it an independent production. I had a strong desire to do animation as an extension of Japanese-style painting, and I wanted to do everything I could on my own. For the backgrounds, I took pictures of my own Japanese paintings that I was working on at the time and retouched them digitally.
─ ─ I heard that you worked on the poster for "Garden of Words" (2013).
Shinomiya: Before the posters, I drew image boards for "Garden of Words" when the project was launched. One of those boards was used for the teaser visual, and I also helped with the art for the full-length film. After the production reached its climax, I was asked to do the posters.
─ ─ The NHK-AC Japan joint campaign commercial "'Mottainai' will change tomorrow" (2015) has a very Makoto Shinkai-like style.
Shinomiya: Comics Wave Film was the one who gave me the job, and I also had help from staff who had worked on Shinkai's films. Perhaps that is why it looks like a Shinkai director. However, I was happy to be able to design my own characters and, above all, direct an animated film.
