INDEX
CINEMA TAURUS
After that, we took a stroll through the shopping district in the evening. As we walked, Kato pointed out various places, mentioning that the ramen shop tends to attract a lot of delinquents but serves great food, that the sushi place is a popular spot, and that there’s a bar… He knows a ton of delicious restaurants and interesting spots. He became familiar with them while attending bands that came to perform in Tomakomai. Although I’m from a city in Hokkaido and have lived there for 30 years, I hardly know any great places to eat or fun spots.
We continued our exploration by visiting the Tomakomai Central Bowl, which boasts a 50-year history. The CINEMA TAURUS on the first floor is what you would call a mini-theater, and from the posters, it has an impressive lineup of films. The selection is quite stylish, something you wouldn’t typically find in a cinema in a regional city. Kato mentioned, “I watched ‘Summer of Soul’ here,” which highlights the quality offerings that Tomakomai has to offer. The Central Bowl itself has a rich, old-school atmosphere, and local bands even use it for filming. We also went to check out the wall of an apartment building that was used in the filming of “Your Name.” On the concrete wall, painted white, the faint remnants of the words “Yo” and “Na” could still be seen.
