Bill Murray plays Bob Harris in the Sofia Coppola film ‘Lost in Translation’, an ageing, lonely and fading actor who experiences a midlife crisis after flying all the way to Tokyo to promote a Japanese whisky called Suntory. He runs into another alienated American named Charlotte, a young woman who has travelled with her celebrity photographer husband, in the hotel bar while he is in the city to record a commercial for the whisky.
Following their unusual encounter, Bob and Charlotte begin meeting frequently and develop a profound relationship that alters their outlooks on life. The cast of the romantic comedy-drama film from 2003 includes Scarlett Johansson, Giovanni Ribisi, Anna Faris, Fumihiro Hayashi, and Catherine Lambert, all of whom deliver strong on-screen performances. The action takes place as Bob and Charlotte negotiate their relationship and Tokyo amid the brightly illuminated Tokyo Metropolis. So, if you want to find out where “Lost in Translation” was filmed, you’ve come to the correct place!
Lost in Translation Filming Locations
Japan served as the backdrop for “Lost in Translation,” particularly Tokyo, Kyoto, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka. The Bill Murray starrer reportedly began filming in late September 2002 employing a “run-and-gun” strategy, and the schedule was completed in November of the same year. Let’s jump straight into all the precise locales that occur in the romantic drama movie now, without further ado!
Tokyo, Japan
The filming of a significant portion of “Lost in Translation” took place in Tokyo, the metropolis and hub of Japan’s economy. The production crew set up camp on a number of busy Tokyo Metropolis streets and neighbourhoods. The Park Hyatt Tokyo, specifically the New York Bar at 3-7-1-2 Park Hyatt Tokyo 52F in Shinjuku City’s Nishishinjuku, was the location of a few significant scenes. Bob and Charlie go about Shibuya City in the movie, stopping at various locations.
For instance, the scene involving Bob, Charlotte, and a few others at the karaoke bar was filmed at Karaoke-kan at 150-0042 Tokyo’s Udagawacho neighbourhood. Additionally, Bob and Charlotte go to Kamiyamacho’s Shabu Zen and Sushiya no Ichikan shabu restaurants. Charlotte travels to Nakano Ward’s 2-26-6 Honcho to visit the Jogan-ji Temple. Additionally, the final goodbye kiss scene was filmed in Shinjuku City, while the train station scene was filmed in Omote-sando Station, which is located at the intersection of Avenue Omotesand and Aoyama Street in Aoyama, Minato district.
A few significant scenes were shot near Minato, Tokyo’s Rainbow Bridge and famous Shibuya Crossing. Fascinatingly, the production crew shot the majority of the scenes on public streets and subways without obtaining any filming licences and just used passersby from the city as extras. In a February 2004 interview with Indie Wire, filmmaker Sofia Coppola was questioned about the difficulties they had while filming in Tokyo.
According to Coppola, the hardest problem was just completing the project within the allotted time (27 days) and financial constraints. (She would only indicate that the budget was “a couple of million dollars,” refusing to give the precise amount.)) The hours were really insane because there were visitors at the hotel. But it was definitely challenging not speaking Japanese while working with a primarily Japanese crew.
Kyoto, Japan
In addition, certain significant scenes for “Lost in Translation” were filmed in Kyoto, the Japanese prefecture’s capital. When Charlotte encounters the newlywed Japanese couple in the temple, Nanzen-ji Temple in 86 Nanzenji Fukuchicho in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward was the location for the scene. The Ryan-ji Temple at 13 Ryoanji Goryonoshitacho in Kyoto’s Ukyo Ward and the Heian-Jingu Shrine at 97 Okazaki Nishitennocho in Sakyo Ward are two other sacred sites where the production team set up camp to film a few crucial scenes for the film.
Other Locations in Japan
For filming, the director and her crew also travelled to additional locations across Japan. Particularly, some crucial scenes for “Lost in Translation” were recorded in Kawaguchiko Country Club in Yamanashi’s Minamitsuru District, 6236 Funatsu, Fujikawaguchiko. Additionally, the sequences that were filmed in Fuji City have the iconic Mount Fuji as a backdrop.
