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    The Spring Sea

    Koji Yamamura
    Japan | 2025 | 7’45’’ | national premiere

    A scene inspired by the Seto Inland Sea is depicted in the style of a sumi-e painting, set to a violin version of the koto piece “HARU NO UMI (The Spring Sea)” by Japanese koto player and composer Miyagi Michio in 1929. The music depicts the sound of water, birds, and fishermen’s boats, and this animation attempted to visualize the internal mental image of the piece, which was created from the impressions Michio got from the sounds, I re-image it through animation.

    Original title: Haru no umi
    Direction: Koji Yamamura
    Animation: Koji Yamamura
    Music: Miyagi Michio
    Producer: Okamoto Mitsuko
    Production: Yamamura Animation, Tokyo University of Arts

    Koji Yamamura

    Born in 1964 in Japan. Nominated for an 75th Oscar® for Best Animated Short, Mt. Head had 6 Grand Prizes. His first feature film Dozens of Norths had the Grand Prizes in Annecy and Ottawa, He has received more than 155 awards for his directed work. Extremely Short is officially selected for Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes. He is also an active picture book author with more than 100 titles published, including Viva Vegetables ! and Bell ga Naru. He is the author of Animation Nature. He was awarded the Kawakita Prize and the Art Encouragement Prize in Japan and received the Medal with Purple Ribbon. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.