Renowned anime artist Yoshitoshi Shinomiya is set to make his feature film directorial debut with “A New Dawn,” a deeply personal project that captures Japan’s post-earthquake transformation through a unique lens.
The film follows Keitaro, a young protagonist living in an abandoned fireworks factory facing administrative repossession. At the heart of the story is Keitaro’s mission to launch a single firework left behind by his missing father before the building is taken away.
Shinomiya’s inspiration for the film came from a profound personal moment in 2016. While with his child, he noticed solar panels glimpsed through trees, which the child mistook for water. “I realized this is a new scenery of Japan,” Shinomiya told Variety, highlighting the dramatic environmental changes facing the next generation.
An international collaborative effort, the film is being produced by Tokyo-based Asmik Ace and France’s Miyu Productions. The sales company Charades will introduce the project to potential buyers at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin.
The director brings significant credibility to the project. Shinomiya was a key animator on “Your Name,” which became a global phenomenon, earning nearly $357 million worldwide and ranking as the second highest-grossing Japanese film in history.
“A New Dawn” promises to be a contemplative exploration of environmental change, personal memory, and generational perspectives. Through Keitaro’s story, Shinomiya offers a poignant look at how landscapes and lives are transformed in modern Japan.
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The film is expected to blend Shinomiya’s acclaimed animation style with a deeply personal narrative about memory, loss, and hope in a changing world.
