Director / Screenwriter: Takuro IJICHI

Producer: Natsuka OGAWA
Cast: Gaku FUCHIGAMI / Yuki IZUMISAWA / Natsuka OGAWA / Kounosuke FURUYA / Junya ABE

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Genre: Coming-of-Age

Theatrical Release in Japan: January 2026
[2025 / Color / HD / 1:1.85 / 5.1ch / 93 min. / Japanese with English subtitles]

 

[Festival Record]

Winner: Chongqing 35mm Critics Week – Best Critics Prize

Official Selection: Shanghai International Film Festival – Asian New Talent Competition

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[Logline]

In the rigid world of Japanese high school baseball, a boy is pushed to the edge—but reconnects with his lost sense of wonder through memories of nature and friendship. A poetic journey told with minimal dialogue, VICISSITUDE explores the quiet strength of healing and the beauty of simply being.

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[Synopsis]

In Japan, high school baseball is more than a sport—it’s a form of education, often shaped by grueling discipline and military-style training. Gaku, a quiet teenage player, struggles under the weight of this rigid system. As the seasons change, so does his spirit, faltering under emotional strain and physical exhaustion. But a chance reunion with his childhood friend Ryu, and gentle support from his teacher Mr. Kirishima, awaken forgotten memories of simpler times—climbing trees, chasing the wind, laughing in the forest. Through these recollections, Gaku begins to heal.
Set against the backdrop of rural Japan, VICISSITUDE is a poetic, meditative film told with minimal dialogue. Through carefully composed visuals and natural sound, it evokes fleeting moments of life, the pain of growing up, and the quiet dignity of simply being alive. It invites the audience to reflect on the beauty of impermanence—and to ask, “Do we need an answer to life?”