Once you enter the alleyway in Tanga Market, you’ll see a small movie theater with a striking retro sign called Kokura Showakan. It was a playhouse back when it opened in 1939, and has been passed down for 3 generations. The current owner remembers when she was a child who always wanted to see the projection room more than anything, but her father never let her in. However, she still visited the Showakan all the time. It had a very special charm and was loved by everyone in the neighborhood. Even today as I interviewed the owner, I could tell how her radiant personality draws people to her theater-- both spectators and actors alike.

To my surprise, she told me that originally she wasn’t planning on taking over the family business, and likewise, her father didn’t intend on letting her. With that prospect out of the picture, she got married and left Kokura, but she quickly returned when she heard that her father was about to close the theater, which was passed down to him from his father. To her surprise, the news shocked her more than she expected.

She said, “I just didn't see myself as an owner.”
She showed me a letter as we were speaking, signed “Ken Takakura." I couldn’t hold back my excitement from seeing the signature of the “Clint Eastwood of Japan,” but she indulged me by explaining.

When it was decided that she would be taking over the family business, fate had it that she was cast as an extra in a Ken Takakura film, and that’s when she met him in person.
“The Showakan theater? Of course, I know it. I was actually thinking of visiting yesterday, and our staff goes there too.”

As they spoke, Mr. Takakura kindly extended his hand for a handshake, something he was rumored to never do. It was such a special experience that she immediately returned to Showakan and just sat in front of the screen as tears poured from her eyes. Unbeknownst to Takakura, he had given her the strength to take on the role as successor in the family business. She wrote him a letter to express her gratitude. Little did she know he would eventually reciprocate.

Ken Takakura mentioned her letter in an interview, saying he was crying when he read it.
“Those are the kind of words that an actor lives for.”

He was a bit embarrassed as he said this.
As a major actor, Takakura was well aware of the dire situation of the movie theater industry. Once something goes out of style, it's hard, if not impossible, to revive it. So he did what he could, and wrote a response letter to encourage the owner of the Showakan theater.
She was moved beyond words when she received the letter from Takakura. He helped her find the strength she needed to overcome her apprehension of taking over the business and find pride in doing so. She soon took on the title “owner” and referred to herself with her family’s last name “Higuchi,” connecting herself to the generations before her. She even started accepting interviews from newspapers.

Mr. Takakura read Higuchi’s interviews as they were published, and decided to send another letter. This time, it was a playful letter. Even I couldn’t help breaking out a smile as I heard her read it aloud.

The letter explains how he wanted to visit the Showakan theater. "But I knew I might cause a big stir if it went public, so I’ll do my best to visit in secret.”

Showakan was faced with the challenge of maintaining its relevance while also holding on to its culture and history. But her business strategies are working and customers are gradually returning. At Showakan, you can see two movies for 1,200 yen, what a deal.

Memories of the late Ken Takakura are still cherished here at the Showakan theater.