「お前の魂はあっちにとらわれて 二度とこっちに帰ってこれね。」
“Your soul is trapped over there and will never return here.”

In 1958, as a deadly typhoon approaches, a young boy embarks on a perilous journey to a haunted mountain pool, determined to calm a sorrowful spirit whose grief has cursed the village with devastating floods. 

With River Returns (光る川), Masakazu Kaneko delivers a tale infused with magical realism, exploring the relationship between nature and human beings, a connection passed down for centuries and millennia. It’s a relationship that may have once been characterized by deep respect and reverence for “the other,” seeking to value the existence of all other beings, even the invisible ones.

Between Two Eras

It’s late summer 1958. A boy named Yucha (Sanetoshi Ariyama) lives in a riverside village constantly threatened by typhoons. He learns the local legend of the floods, passed down through generations, from a Kami-Shibai (paper theater) storyteller. Showing an illustrated card for each scene, the storyteller recounts the tale of a heartbroken girl who drowned in a pond deep in the mountains. Her sorrow, it is said, has caused major floods every few decades ever since.

To transition between the two stories, the camera moves forward and passes through the small theater’s frame, shifting from the boy’s story to that of the legend. When it’s time to return to Yucha, it’s done by the sliding of the last drawing. The story of Oyo isn’t set at a specific time, as it’s a legend, a myth that has always been told. It’s a Romeo and Juliet-esque love story, where two lovers cannot be together, separated by their origins.

Unlike what is often seen in these kinds of narratives, the director doesn’t jump freely between eras. The film is clearly separated into three precise sequences. The first tells Yucha’s life, the second takes us to a “once apun a time,” and the last returns to the present, integrating the magical realism often seen in Japanese cinema.

Our Relationship with Nature

A major typhoon is approaching. With childlike curiosity, Yucha heads to the mountain pond, which even adults fear, hoping to stop the flooding and appease young Oyo’s grief.

Behind the concept is the idea that humans should cohabit with nature. In the past, the Japanese mountains housed diverse forest ecosystems. By protecting and coexisting with them, populations were able to minimize floods and enjoy nature’s bounty. However, after the wars of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the rapid reconstruction following World War II, there was a great need for wood. Consequently, trees deemed less useful at the time were cut down, and the diversity and mystery the mountains held disappeared.

With River Returns (光る川), the director succeeds in addressing ecology and environmental issues without falling into lecturing or fear-mongering. Through the myth of the sad young woman, he brings forth the idea that issues related to destructive weather events can be lessened if we make the effort. It will be difficult, but it can be done. It’s in the third part of the film that the message is conveyed, as Yucha embarks on an adventure where he must cross the forest and overcome certain trials to calm the raging nature.

A Little More…

In this film, the young boy follows a disappearing mountain tradition during the post-war reconstruction period to save his family. He goes upriver and eventually tries to save someone he has never met. His frankness, like a flowing river, will undoubtedly purify our hearts and restore our “consideration for others.” At least, that’s what we hope.

Unfortunately, we are not dealing with a great film, as it relies primarily on a love story told over and over again. But by carrying it through the ages and paralleling it with the human/nature relationship, it presents it in an interesting way. And since the actors perform quite well and the duo of lovers is touching, the film is enjoyable to watch and will make you want to snuggle up with your loved one.

River Returns (光る川) is being screened at the Toronto Japanese Film Festival on June 21, 2025.

Trailer