FOUR FILM LOCATIONS FEATURED IN LOST IN TRANSLATION

In September, 2003, Focus Features released a fantastic film about two despondent Americans staying in Japan who meet and then form a close personal friendship. Entitled, 'Lost in Translation', the film was directed by Sofia Coppola and stars Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, and Giovanni Ribisi. Today, we're going to take a look at some of the locations featured in the aforementioned film, which includes an interactive map for each one. Please enjoy.


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Shinjuku Park Tower, Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan
(Park Hyatt Tokyo)

When the film begins, we're introduced to an aging American actor named Bob Harris (as played by Bill Murray), not so long after he arrives in Japan to help promote a specific brand of whisky, Suntory's Hibiki whisky. While he's in Japan, Bob stays at a luxurious hotel called, Park Hyatt Tokyo, which in real life, occupies the top fourteen floors of the second-tallest building in Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Shinjuku Park Tower. It was designed by the Japanese architect, Kenzō Tange, and its construction was completed in 1994.

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Jōgan-ji Temple, Nakano City, Tokyo, Japan
(Charlotte Visits a Shrine)

Another American who's staying in the same hotel as Bob is a young lady named Charlotte (as played by Scarlett Johansson). But unlike Bob, Charlotte is staying in Japan with her husband, John (as played by Giovanni Ribisi), who's so preoccupied with his work as a celebrity photographer, that one rainy day she decides to visit a local shrine to calm her anxiety. This shrine is in fact a Buddhist temple that was originally part of an estate owned by the wealthy merchant, Kuro Suzuki, who had it constructed in 1438 to honor his daughter, Kozasa, after she died at the age of eighteen.

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Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
(Tokyo Nightlife)

One memorable day, Bob meets Charlotte, and over time the two of them gradually get to know each other by going out and visiting some of the places nearby in Shibuya City. This includes the Karaoke-Kan, where they sing songs with their friends; the Sushiya no Ichikan eatery, where they eat freshly prepared sushi; as well as the Shabu-Zen restaurant, where they cook and eat their own thin slices of raw beef.

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Chūō-dōri, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan
(A Busy Street in Tokyo)

At the end of the film, Bob and Charlotte both come to the realization that they're more than just friends. But neither of them does anything about this until Bob confronts Charlotte while he's making his way to the airport. The area where they meet is called Chūō-dōri, and it's located in Nishi-Shinjuku (or Nishishinjuku), which is known as a business district that's populated by many tall skyscrapers, such as the Keio Plaza Hotel, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and the Shinjuku Mitsui Building.

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So, there you have it, folks, four film locations featured in the 2003 film, 'Lost in Translation'. More articles featuring famous film locations will be coming soon, but before then, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.