Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentHamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Drive My Car” is now making headlines in Japan after winning the best international feature Oscar.
The film is only the second from the country to take the prize, the previous one being the 2008 “Departures.” Released domestically in August, “Drive My Car” had earned only $250,000 by the end of 2021, despite winning three awards at Cannes, including best screenplay for Hamaguchi and co-writer Oe Takamasa.
But as accolades continued to pile up, including eight prizes at the Japan Academy awards this March, anticipation here grew that Hamaguchi and his film would also do well at the Oscars.
And once it snagged four Academy Award nominations, including a first-ever best picture nod for a Japanese film, local pride swelled, as did speculation about its broader impact.
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