Park Where Hideo Was Training

In the movie “The Ringside Story” (2017), the training scene with Hideo (Eita), the protagonist, was filmed at Komazawa Olympic Park in Setagaya Ward. ‘I came up with the idea of a tribute to the training montage in the movie “Rocky.” John G. Avildsen, the director of “Rocky,” passed away on June 16 as we were getting ready to shoot. I thought that there was no choice but to recreate the training sequence that takes place between Rocky’s small apartment and the Museum of Art in Philadelphia. There would be no other chance like this. I could realize such a ridiculous dream because of Komazawa Olympic Park, which features a flight of stairs right at the end of the tree-lined path the protagonist dashes through as he trains. The surroundings of the park also match the settings of the town Hideo is likely to live in. The training sequence starts from his apartment in Nakano, passes through a shopping street in Nakano Minamidai, includes some training at a gym in Shin-Okubo, and finishes at Komazawa Olympic Park. I was looking for a park that is commonly used by the residents as a place to exercise, so I was really glad we were allowed to film scenes there. As we were shooting, several other young people were also running up and down the stairs. It was impressive to see them working hard, step by step, toward their dreams. Rocky’s theme song was echoing in my head while I was filming the scene. This running course definitely offered the ideal backdrop for Hideo as he was trying hard to become the best of bests. I hope the young people who watch the movie will one day follow this example. This is also one of the rewards of being a film director.’
{Masaharu Take, director of “The Ringside Story”}