Tokyo Cowboy

Tokyo Cowboy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Marc Marriott
Written by	Ayako Fujitani Dave Boyle
Produced by	Brigham Taylor Jeri Rafter Marc Marriott
Starring	Arata Iura Robin Weigert Goya Robles
Cinematography	Oscar Ignacio Jiménez
Edited by	Yasu Inoue
Music by	Chad Cannon
Production company	Salaryman Film LLC
Distributed by	Purdie Distribution
Release dates	October 2023 (2023-10) (Tallgrass) August 30, 2024 (2024-08-30)
Running time	118 minutes
Countries	Japan United States
Language	English
Box office	$269,625

Tokyo Cowboy is a 2023 comedy-drama film directed by Marc Marriott and written by Ayako Fujitani and Dave Boyle. An American and Japanese co-production, it follows Hideki, a Japanese businessman aiming to turn a Montana-based cattle ranch into a profitable asset for the Japanese beef company he works for.

The film stars Arata Iura in his American film debut.

Plot

Japanese businessman Hideki takes over a chocolate company built by its owner, a grandfather with no grandchildren to inherit the company. With his job security in danger, he leaves for Montana, after convincing his boss and fiancée (Ayako Fujitani) that he can turn a struggling cattle ranch into a profitable business that produced wagyu beef.

In Montana, he meets ranch owner Peg (Robin Weigert) and ranch hand Javier (Gaya Robles). Due to cultural differences, he encounters difficulties with his original plan.

Production

Development on the film was inspired by an American magazine article that director Marc Marriott came across upon his return to the United States from Japan, where he served as a filmmaking apprentice to Yoji Yamada. The magazine article covered a Japanese beef company which purchased a cattle ranch in Montana "to expand its operations". The company sent salarymen to the ranch in order to educate its staff on American cattle farming, as well as to introduce Americans to "the Japanese palate".

Arata Iura stars as Hideki, marking his American film debut. Filming took place in Tokyo and Montana. Filming in Montana primarily took place in Paradise Valley.

Release

Tokyo Cowboy premiered at the Tallgrass Film Festival in October 2023. Through Purdie Distribution, it had a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 30, 2024.

Reception

Critical response

The film has an 90% approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 reviews. Writing for World, Bekah McCallum wrote that "Due to the somewhat predictable storyline, the plot strikes a Hallmark-esque tone, but the overall film offers a bit more gravity than other family-friendly flicks. The path to forgiveness isn't straightforward, so the positive ending doesn't come across as wholly unrealistic."

Writing for the Japan Times, Roland Kelts wrote that Tokyo Cowboy "is charming and beautifully shot", calling the film "a refreshing, transcultural role-reversal drama". Writing for CineGods, Ray Greene stated "An art film that's also a crowdpleaser, Tokyo Cowboy has a big heart, and deserves any audience it finds."

Box office

The film has grossed $269,625, with $149,575 coming from its domestic release and $120,050 coming from international markets.

Accolades

In its film festival run, Tokyo Cowboy was a winner at the Tallgrass, Boston, Sedona, and St. Louis International Film Festivals.

External links

• Tokyo Cowboy at IMDb
• Tokyo Cowboy at Letterboxd