Nostalgia Kinky

Cult Epics continue their excellent line of Nobuhiko Obayashi special edition Blu-rays with the lovely The Island Closest to Heaven (1984). A charming coming of age story and family film, The Island Closest to Heaven trades in some of Obayashi’s more chaotic cinematic traits for a more straightforward but still beautiful production. A vehicle for Japanese idol, Tomoyo Harada, The Island Closest to Heaven is a sweet film, kind at heart and finally quite moving.

The third of three films Obayashi directed in 1984, The Island Closest to Heaven lands in between the first two releases in Cult Epics new line, School in the Crosshairs (1981) and His Motorbike, Her Island (1986). Compared to those two masterful and technically adventurous works, The Island Closest to Heaven feels downright mainstream but this still very much has Obayashi’s stamp on very frame. Scripted by frequent Obayashi collaborator Wataru Kenmotsu, The Island Closest to Heaven is a tender film about youth, memory, faith and young love.

The Island Closest to Earth once again finds Obayashi working with cinematographer Yoshitaka Sakamoto and perhaps more than any other of their works together I’ve seen, Sakamoto’s beautiful color photography is THE big selling point of the film. Shot nearly entirely around the gorgeous New Caledonia islands, The Island Closest to Earth’s photography is quite breathtaking and Obayashi achieves a real youthful summery feel here that’s quite refreshing.

Kenmotsu’s script is deceptively slight. Yes, The Island Closest to Earth’s plot about a young girl on summer holiday searching for a mysterious island her later father told her about is fairly simple, but there is a melancholic weight to the film. You can sense it some of the stories the older characters tell about the war, internment camps and hunger. Obayashi creates a lighthearted film for young people here and an elegiac one for older ones making The Island Closest to Earth the best and rarest kind of family film.

Along with the film’s glistening photography, the highlight is unquestionably star Tomoyo Harada, who is believable and captivating here. She’d just been acting a couple of years, making her debut with the famed 1982 production Sailor Suit and Machine Girl, but she turns in a fully-rounded and moving performance for Obayashi here. The very talented Harada continues acting to the day, appearing just earlier this year in The 35-Year Promise.

We get to go behind the scenes with Harada via one of the main supplements on Cult Epics’ new Blu-ray with the terrific 1985 documentary New Caledonia 28 Days, a really charming and fun near feature-length behind the scenes look at Obayashi’s film. Shot for television and running an hour long, this film follows Harada to New Caledonia for the shooting of Obayashi’s sun-soaked film. It’s both entertaining and fascinating. On the one-hand, this is designed as a promotional piece for Harada’s young fans, but at the same time it works as an in depth making of documentary. It’s neat. It is especially cool to get to see so much behind the scenes footage of Obayashi at work and the whole thing is super enjoyable.

Just as good is a brand new video essay from Alex Pratt centered on the working relationship between Obayashi and producer Haruki Kadokawa. This is a really engaging and expertly researched look at two real memorable mavericks. I liked this a lot and found the stories surrounding Kadokawa particularly entertaining. Along with a trailers gallery we also get a brand new audio-commentary from critic Derek Smith, who provides lots of valuable information about the film, Obayashi’s career and some of the cast. I particularly liked Smith pointing out a connection to the great band Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Cult Epics Blu-ray also includes a limited edition slipcover, reversable sleeve and a (web-exclusive) full reprint of the wonderful promotional booklet that coincided with the film’s original release. It’s another great release for Cult Epics, who have Obayashi’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (1983) coming out next.

Even though it was released in 1986, The Island Closest to Heaven has an absolutely timeless feel about it. I can imagine this story being told 100 years ago and a 100 years from now and it would carry the same resonance. After the film wrapped, Obayashi didn’t have much time to consider the timelessness or much else anything else as he immediately began making Miss Lonely (1985), which reteamed him with much of this film’s crew. The Island Closest to Heaven is a real heartwarming and especially warm work in general…highly recommended.

-Jeremy Richey, November 2025-