Kowagaru Hitobito

Kowagaru Hitobito, released internationally as Uneasy Encounters, is a 1996 Japanese anthology film directed by Makoto Wada. The film is structured into five distinct episodes, each depicting a different strange or unsettling encounter.

Production

The film was directed by Makoto Wada, who also contributed to the screenplay alongside writers Jokichi Hikage, Roko Hirayama, Makoto Shiina, and Yasutaka Tsutsui. It was produced by Munetaka Inami and Youzo Sakurai. The film was released in Japan on April 23, 1996, and has a total runtime of 117 minutes.

Episodes

The narrative is divided into five segments:

• Episode 1: A businessman becomes trapped in an elevator with a woman who begins to act erratically and threatens him with a knife.
• Episode 2: Etsuko, struggling to find employment, meets a woman named Hatsue who offers to introduce her to a potential job opportunity.
• Episode 3: A novelist named Irie visits his hometown but encounters difficulties with station staff after failing to present his ticket, leading to a series of escalating misunderstandings.
• Episode 4: During a rainstorm, a traveling salesman named Jusuke assists a woman named Sumi at a rural train station. They are forced to share a room at a local inn, where Sumi discovers something unsettling outside their window.
• Episode 5: A reporter named Sasaki and his photographer, Hatayama, become stranded on a deserted island during a typhoon. While seeking shelter, they encounter two farmers who suggest an illegal airline as a potential means of escape.