Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541592
48 M PS E . O R G Institute of the Moving Image, a film school founded by director Shohei Imamura. At the time, I didn't have a particular interest in sound—I just wanted to try everything. During hands-on training, I often volunteered for sound work simply because it was the least popular role. By the time I graduated, I had naturally chosen the path of becoming a freelance sound recordist. I first met Akihiko when we were both working as assistants, though I can no longer remember the specific project. Since we were the same age, we naturally became friends who could talk openly and without reservation. He became a fully fledged technician before I did and had a real knack for studio work, so I always saw him as someone I could depend on. He had a calm and gentle personality, which balanced well with my own, more assertive nature. It was a stroke of luck for me that Akihiko ended up working as the sound effects mixer on the film where I made my debut as a production sound mixer. In many cases, first-time dialogue mixers are paired with more senior, veteran effects mixers, and I had seen firsthand how much pressure that could create. So I often felt grateful that I had Akihiko by my side from the very beginning. As a mixer, I strongly believe in preserving production sound and building the mix around it. Akihiko was a sound effects mixer who tailored his effects to match the sonic character of those production recordings. Because of that, his work blended effortlessly with the sync sound and always enhanced its strengths. During a mix, I'm sometimes tempted to pare back difficult production tracks to dialogue only and let the sound effects carry everything else. But whenever I stayed patient and invested the extra effort, Akihiko matched that commitment—painstakingly crafting effects that fitted the exact tonal quality of the sync sound. His dedication made my own work feel validated, and it always left me feeling truly seen and heard. For my debut film as a sound mixer, A Song to the Sun (Taiyo no Uta, 2006, Dir: Norihiro Koizumi), I wanted to create a mix inspired by an American film I loved at the time, The Notebook (2004). The story of Koizumi's film centers on the music performed by the protagonist, and my vision was to blend the score and her musical performances into a richly layered atmosphere in each scene. There's a particular scene where the lead character performs acoustic guitar and vocals on the street. Originally, I wanted to record it live on location, but since the filming was set in unpredictable places like Kamakura and Yokohama train stations, we pre- recorded the music in advance and played it back on location. To support this, I asked Akihiko to first create atmosphere tracks simulating the ambience of those station areas. We then played them Kenichi Fujimoto and Akihiko Okase during To Each His Own (2016) enichi Fujimoto is a Japanese production sound mixer known for his consistent work on high-profile films and award-winning soundtracks. He made his debut as a lead sound recordist with A Song to the Sun (Taiy ō no Uta, 2006). Major awards and recognition include: Rebirth (Yōkame no Semi, 2011) –Japan Academy Prize for Best Sound Recording, 38th edition The Eternal Zero (Eien no Zero, 2013) – Japan Academy Prize for Best Sound Recording, 38th edition Another World (Hansekai, 2019) – Mainichi Film Awards for Best Sound Recording, 74th edition The 52-Hertz Whale (52 Hertz no Kujiratachi, 2024) – Japan Association of Film and Television Sound Engineers (J.S.A.) Award for Best Sound Recording, 22nd edition When I was in high school, I was inspired by a classmate who was passionately making 8mm films. Creating those films together with friends became a fun and powerful outlet for our youthful energy. That experience led me to enrol in the Japan K