Starring Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka. Shall We Dance is the original Japanese version from which the Hollywood version with the same title
Shall we Dance starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez is based. Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) is an accoutant who finds an outlet to his humdrum daily life, by finding joy in dancing. On his commute home one day, by chance Sugiyama spots the beautiful dance instructor Mai (Tamiyo Kusakari) through her dance studio window. He initially signs up for dance instruction not so much because of any interest in dancing, but because of his attraction to Mai. Unexpectedly however, he develops a genuine interest in dancing and realizes that he has a real talent for it. An accountant by trade, Sugiyama at first feels somewhat embarassed about his interest in dancing. To his surprise however, he learns that he is not the only one who has such an interest after seeing one of his co-workers, Aoki (Naoto Takenaka) attending the same dance studio and specializing in Latin dance. About taking a chance in life, about finding life's joy in unexpected places, this feel good drama in its original version is worth a viewing. In Japanese with English subtitles.
