There are moments that demand to be preserved not just as memories but as lasting cultural treasures. For Hitoshi Ōne, director of Tokyo Swindlers and longtime collaborator of Shintaro Sakamoto, capturing the live performance of Sakamoto was one of those moments. The result is Shintaro Sakamoto LIVE2022 at Cabaret New Hakuba, a film shot on evocative 16mm film that premiered on Netflix on May 1, 2025.
Known for directing the iconic footage of Yura Yura Teikoku’s Hibiya Open-Air Concert, Ōne poured his passion and vision into this independent project determined to create something that would endure far beyond the night of the show.
In an exclusive interview with music writer Ryohei Matsunaga who also played a role in choosing the unique venue they explore the motivation behind the film the deliberate choice of 16mm and the deep bond between the director and the musician stretching back to the Yura Yura Teikoku days.
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“Preserving Shintaro Sakamoto’s Live Performance.” The Sense of Mission Carried by Hitoshi One
Let’s begin by talking about how the live shoot at Cabaret New Hakuba in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture actually came to be. I was a bit involved in that from the very start.
Hitoshi Ōne: Yes, that’s right. It happened around January 2020. I had the opportunity to have dinner with Shoichi Kuroki, a Fuji TV producer who sadly passed away last year in 2024. You were also at that dinner.
Video director born in Tokyo on December 28, 1968. Known for his distinctive touch on late-night dramas like Tada’s Do-It-All House and the iconic concert film Yura Yura Teikoku 2009.04.26 LIVE @ Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, Ōne made a powerful entrance into feature films with his debut Moteki in 2011. Since then, he has crafted compelling stories both behind the camera and on the page with works such as Bakuman., SCOOP!, and Sunny: Tsuyoi Kimochi Tsuyoi Ai. In recent years, his creative reach has expanded to directing the intense drama Elpis — Hope or Disaster and helming the Netflix series Tokyo Swindlers, showcasing his talent for blending emotional depth with striking visuals.
This was just before the pandemic hit. Since Ōne and I are the same age and had spent time in similar circles when we were younger, he had taken an interest in my book. Because I was friends with Kuroki, the Fuji TV producer, it naturally led to us meeting.
Ōne: During that dinner, Matsunaga told me about New Hakuba, a grand cabaret with a unique atmosphere in his hometown of Yatsushiro City, the last of its kind in Japan. Matsunaga said, “I’ve always dreamed of seeing Shintaro Sakamoto perform there.” I didn’t know about New Hakuba before, so I looked it up right away and was impressed. That night, we got excited and said, “If this actually happens, it would be incredible.” That was how it all started.
But it wasn’t immediate. In 2022, when the “Like A Fable” tour schedule was announced and New Hakuba was included, I thought, “That’s it!” At first, I just planned to go watch the show like any other fan.
Just as an audience?
Ōne: Yes, that’s right. But then, suddenly, I thought, “I want to film that live show…” Since Shintaro Sakamoto released four solo albums and started live performances in 2017, I had been watching him all along. If I may say so, I felt the band had really come together. The variety of songs, the musicianship, the performance, and the energy from the audience — everything had grown stronger. I thought, “I want to film this current Sakamoto band! This concert absolutely must be preserved on film!” It felt almost like a calling.
I get that. And the setting was perfect too.
Ōne: But I knew from Sakamoto’s Yura Yura Teikoku days that he wasn’t really interested in recording live performances. Still, this time I really wanted to film it. The feeling that this should be preserved as a cultural treasure kept growing inside me. One night, I decided to ask Sakamoto directly. I emailed him saying, “Hakuba is amazing. I want to film the live show there.”
How did he respond?
Ōne: As expected, he said he wasn’t really interested [laughs]. But after a few exchanges, I proposed, “Then I’ll film it independently as a personal project. Would you allow that?” And he said, “If you’re filming it on your own, that’s fine.” So, I was granted permission strictly as an independent project inspired by my own passion.
Around that time, I was shooting the TV drama Elpis — Hope or Disaster (2022). The cinematographer on that project was Yutaro Shigemori, who isn’t just a drama cameraman but also worked on music videos for Cornelius. Shigemori is a big fan of Sakamoto’s music. When I told him on set, “I’m going to film Sakamoto’s live show,” he said, “I want to shoot it.”
It feels almost fated that you were directing Elpis at the same time. That drama’s visuals were incredible.
Ōne: When we looked at photos of the inside of New Hakuba, Shigemori said, “If we’re going to film Sakamoto here, wouldn’t 16mm film be a perfect fit?” That idea never occurred to me. Shigemori mainly shoots on film rather than digital. The look of 16mm film is unique — it’s not as sharp or detailed as 35mm film, but it has a special charm and texture. I thought, yeah, that might actually work. But filming on actual film costs money. Luckily, Kodak and Imagica had a program to support 16mm film productions to keep the format alive, covering costs like film stock and development if the project qualified as a movie or video work. Shigemori reached out to them, and in the end, they agreed to support us. That was when things really started moving forward.
