A partially-animated documentary about the preservation and restoration of the canal system in Yanagawa, Fukuoka
Direction
Takahata treats civic engineering with the care most give to romance.
Editing
Three hours that somehow never drag—rhythmic as water itself.
Director
Isao Takahata
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Takahata spent years lobbying for this project; Ghibli's producers initially refused, calling it 'uncommercial.' He was right.
Yanagawa's canals were built in the 1600s and nearly paved over in Japan's 1960s economic boom—this film literally saved them from destruction.
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