‘Numakage Public Pool’ documents the demise of a third space
Shinga Ota's "hybrid documentary" is a bittersweet lament for a community hub facing its final weeks.
In 1971, the Numakage Public Pool opened in Saitama, Japan, providing a much-needed summer escape for residents of the inland prefecture. However, in 2024, the city government decided to build a new elementary and middle school on the pool's site, leading to its closure. Despite the residents and employees' objections, the pool shut down in 2024, marking the end of an era.
Shingo Ota's documentary "Numakage Public Pool" captures the final seven weeks of the pool's operations. The film employs the five stages of grief as a framing device to depict the pool's last 49 days from various perspectives. Among the different groups featured are a team of young lifeguards who gain valuable lessons about responsibility during their first summer jobs, a group of elderly women who count on the pool for exercise and social interaction, and employees who resort to a letter-writing campaign in a desperate attempt to persuade the government to reconsider its decision.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
