HJAPÓN presents “Las Huellas del Samurái”, a film directed by Juanma Suarez and produced by Enrique Guzmán.

This film commemorates the 150th anniversary of the bilateral relations between the two nations of Japan and Spain. The official release date is set at 11 May and will be shown at the Pastora Soler auditorium in Coria del Rio.

This film, in form of a document, recounts the history of the Keicho mission led by Samurai Hasekura Tsunenaga whilst at the same time, looks into the legacy that the mission left in the town of Coria del Río, from which some participants of that expedition decided not to return back home to Japan. What resulted from this is the surname Japón that is now shared by hundreds of men and women.

This has had an impact, not only on a global level, but more so on the nations of Spain and Japan as since the 80s, when the origin of the shared history and surname became more widespread, interest into the Japanese Sendai community and that of ‘Coriana’ has grown. This has led to the establishment of vital ties between the two cities/groups and attracted the attention of the future Crown Prince and Emperor of Japan Naruhito – in 1992 at the Universal Exposition in Seville he brought up the historic and future ties between the two nations, and then again in 2013 when he planted a cherry tree next to the statue of Hasekura on the banks of the Guadalquivir River in Coria del Rio.

This film has seen the collaboration on various personalities such as Juan Antonio Yañez- Barnuevo ( Former Ambassador of Spain to the UN and Former Secretary of State for Foreign and Ibero-American Affairs for Spain), Juan Manuel Suárez Japón (Professor of Human Geography, Former Minister of Culture and Environment, and Former Rector of the International University of Andalusia), Miguel Sánchez Montes de Oca (Former Secretary of State for International Relations), and Fernando Iwasaki (Writer, historian, journalist, philosopher and cultural manager) amongst others.

One of the collaborators of this film has also been Marcelo Japón, a unique fact as described by Don Juan Manuel Suarez Japón, whose last name Japón has become his lifestyle, also paying tribute to Hasekura’s expedition through Barcelona.

This incredible documentary recounts this historic link between Spain and Japan which had a monumental impact on the global level, all from this tie between Coria del Rio in Seville and Sendai. Don’t miss out on viewing this fantastic documentary that sheds light on an expedition that had a profound impact centuries later, ‘Footprints of the Samurai’.