Yasujiro Ozu. A name synonymous with Japanese cinema. Here at the Ozu interchange, we find a connection, not to the silver screen, but to the man whose family name graces this junction. The name Ozu, meaning “small port” or “small shelter,” offers a glimpse into the director’s heritage. While this motorway junction may seem a world away from the quiet, domestic scenes of his films, it stands as a modern testament to a family name’s journey through time. The director’s surname, made famous through films like “Tokyo Story” and “Late Spring”, echoes in the very ground beneath our feet at the Ozu interchange. It’s a small, perhaps unexpected tribute to a giant of cinema, whose films captured the subtle nuances of Japanese life. While we won’t find any film sets here, the Ozu interchange offers a unique pause for reflection. A moment to consider how a name, imbued with the legacy of one man, can become etched into the landscape, connecting the everyday with the extraordinary.
芸州廿日市御本陣旧跡
“A castle built on the plain?” you might ask. “Isn’t that a bit…exposed?” And indeed, the Hiroshima Gokoku Jinja, the