Numakage Public Pool

For over 50 years, Numakage Public Pool, known as the “ocean” in a landlocked city near Tokyo, has brought together older people seeking better health, families enjoying their leisure time, and gay men who made it one of Japan’s best-known cruising spots. When an urban redevelopment plan calls for its demolition despite residents’ opposition, the community faces the loss of a beloved shared space. Drawing on the five stages of grief identified by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, director Shingo Ota explores the emotional impact of losing a place and asks how mourning extends beyond the loss of human life.