Consulate-General of Japan of Nashville presents
5 Centimeters Per Second
shown in Japanese with English subtitles
Sunday
March 3, 2013
Nashville Public Library
615 Church Street
Conference Room 1A/B
Reception begins at 2:30 p.m.
Movie begins at 3 p.m.
Discussion to follow
5 Centimeters Per Second is the 2007 hit animated film from Makoto Shinkai (The Place Promised in Our Early
Days, Children Who Chase Lost Voices). The title comes from the speed of cherry blossom petals as they fall to
the ground. The film follows Takaki Tono’s relationship with his childhood friend Akari over three chapters from
their fateful meeting in elementary school, to their separation as they both move to different towns, and ending
with the difficult decisions of adulthood as speed, time, and distance challenge the bonds between them.
Cherry Blossoms are used for a variety of symbolic meanings in Japanese culture. For the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival, they are a celebration of friendship between the United States and Japan. However, in many other
forms of Japanese culture they are also used to represent the frailty and ethereal nature of life and love. These are
the concepts Makoto Shinkai explores in 5 Centimeters Per Second.
The showing of 5 Centimeters Per Second is a 2013 Sakura Season event leading up to the Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday March 23, 2013. This event is sponsored by the Japan Foundation and presented by the
Nashville Public Library and the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville.