Harmful Insect

Harmful Insect
Directed byAkihiko Shiota
Written byYayoi Kiyono
StarringAoi Miyazaki
Seiichi Tanabe
Yu Aoi
CinematographyTokusho Kikumura
Edited byYoshio Sugano
Distributed byNikkatsu
Release dates
  • November 7, 2001 (2001-11-07) (Venice Film Festival, Italy)
  • March 16, 2002 (2002-03-16) (Japan)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Harmful Insect (害虫, Gaichū) is a 2001 Japanese drama film directed by Akihiko Shiota and starring Aoi Miyazaki. Shiota credits the original story to Yayoi Kiyono, a student of his during his time teaching at the Film School of Tokyo.[1]

The film follows the life of junior high school student Sachiko Kita. Her father has abandoned their family and her mother attempts to commit suicide. Her former sixth grade teacher, one of the few people she can rely on, is compelled to leave due to rumors of an affair between him and Sachiko. As she becomes the subject of schoolyard gossip, Sachiko drops out and instead wanders around her town, discovering a world that has "no ideals or dreams to pursue, whatsoever."[1]

Cast

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Awards

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4th Cinemanila International Film Festival

  • Best Actress - Aoi Miyazaki
  • NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film - Special Mention

27th Hochi Film Award[2]

24th Yokohama Film Festival[3]

  • 9th Best Film

References

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  1. ^ a b Karolak, Nikodem (2020-04-22). "Akihiko Shiota: How did I portray juvenile characters in my early films?". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved 2025-10-21.
  2. ^ 報知映画賞ヒストリー (in Japanese). Cinema Hochi. Archived from the original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  3. ^ 第24回ヨコハマ映画祭 日本映画ベスト10 (in Japanese). Yokohama Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
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