Kobo Abe’s Novel ‘The Box Man,’ a Creature Free of Everything, Made into a Film; Film Comes to Life After 27 Years

The Box Man wears a cardboard box as armor and tries to make the world his own.

In August, a film adaptation of Kobo Abe’s novel “Hako Otoko” (“The Box Man”) was released.

Director Gakuryu Ishii, a film giant, was supposed to make a film based on the novel 27 years ago, but the project was canceled the day before filming began and turned into a ghost story.

Ishii devoted himself intensively this year to completing the film “The Box Man,” which marks the 100th anniversary of Abe’s birth.

The story portrays a man who chooses to live with his upper body completely covered by a cardboard box, observing the outside world through a peephole without being watched by others. A photographer, known as “Myself” and played by Masatoshi Nagase, encounters the box man and becomes fascinated by his existence. Myself then takes a step towards becoming a box man himself.

However, he faces a lot of challenges: a fake doctor (Tadanobu Asano) is after him, a military doctor (Koichi Sato) wants to use him for a perfect crime, and a mysterious woman, Yoko (Ayana Shiramoto), tries to seduce him.

The novel was published in 1973.

Ishii met Abe over 30 years ago and the author immediately told him that if he wanted to make a film, it had to be entertaining.

In 1997, it was decided that the film would be a Japan-Germany co-production, and a huge set was even prepared in Hamburg, Germany. However, the project was abruptly canceled due to financial problems on the Japanese side.

Still, Ishii recalls, “I never thought about not making the film.”

Nagase and Sato were also chosen to star in the film 27 years ago.

The Yomiuri Shimbun asked Nagase, Sato and Asano, a new cast member in the film, to share their thoughts on the film.

Different perspectives and interpretations

The Yomiuri Shimbun: How do you feel now that the film is finished?

Nagase: The best thing is that the audience can see the film. For director Ishii, the film is filled with feelings that he has carried with him for more than 30 years.

Sato: I felt like there was something bothering Mr. Ishii’s mind that he couldn’t get rid of.

Asano: I felt that ‘with these members the film would be a success’.

Q: Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories about the filming?

Nagase: It was warmer than I expected in the cardboard box.

Asano: It was incredibly hot!

Nagase: I came up with a technique to tilt the box slightly so that air could flow in.

Sato: The position of the peephole was not in line with my eyes. I grumbled about it and said, “What’s going on here?” We all enjoyed it when we wore them 27 years ago.

Nagase: I had to get used to the idea of ​​being a boxer, so I wore a boxer in my hotel room back then. I did the same at home this time. I slowly got comfortable in the confined space, but at the same time, it’s probably not that nice that I felt that way.

Asano: I think we’re going to be obsessed with this (laughs).

Q: Can you tell us something about the action scenes?

Nagase: Because movement and visibility were limited, we had to be creative in many ways.

Sato: It was like trying to take a turn in a car and not being able to do it.

Asano: I’m grateful to the staff for setting up a stand so I could crouch and move around, and for creating a place in the box for me to hold on to.

Q: What are some good scenes in the movie?

Sato: The audience can look at it from different perspectives — from the man outside the box and inside the box — and there can be different interpretations. That’s why I think Mr. Kobo Abe’s novels are popular abroad too.

Asano: I think it’s also interesting to focus on one of the characters and delve into the story that way.

Nagase: I want people to relax and enjoy the movie. I hope people will come to the theater to enjoy a new “Magical Mystery Tour.”

Q: The box man observes the outside world through a peephole without being watched by others. What is the one thing you can never get enough of?

Nagase: I have a cat and I can look at it for a long time.

Asano: I like to be outside and not think about anything. When I go somewhere for work, I quickly find a favorite spot and sometimes stay there for an hour or two.

Sato: I’m an indoor person, so I watch live sports broadcasts at home with the couch as a backrest. One day, my wife, who came home seven or eight hours later, was surprised to see me in the same position (laughs).