In the land-locked city of Saitama was a public pool affectionately named “the ocean” by the locals. The public pool stood for 52 years until it was doomed to demolition in 2023 to make space for the construction of a new school. This decision sparked a public outcry. Not only was this public pool a site of recreation, this beloved pool was where rhizomes of social connections were made. This was a place where the people of Saitama shared their memories in their leisure.
Numakage Public Pool (2025) is a documentary that treats the inevitable demolition of a well-cherished public site quite tenderly—like mourning a loss of a loved one. Mirroring Kübler-Ross’ model of the stages of grief, this documentary structures itself through: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In these chapters, we observe the day-to-day activities of the public pool through the eyes of frequenters, families, and the passionate pool workers that ensure the safety of the pool-goers. These public servants show the utmost dedication to keep the space well-loved and safe for there were no accidents the 52 years the pool has been opened!
Director Shingo Ota makes sure to document public efforts to keep the pool from being demolished in the documentary. Passionate council meeting speeches, letters made by children, and the pool-workers’ hard work highlights the humanity of communities coming together to uphold collective care. Even when there are vacant lots in Saitama, those couldn’t be touched because they are privately owned. In the name of austerity, a place so dear to the locals has to be destroyed for a new school. Not to say that education doesn’t deserve the attention it gets, but neoliberalism makes the options very limited. Looking at the bigger problem, the issue isn’t leisure versus education—that is a false dilemma. The problem is the neoliberal logic that undermines social intimacy under the rhetoric of modernisation. This loss, then, serves as an affective fallout to the people of Saitama.
This neoliberal phenomena doesn’t only see public low-cost third spaces as something disposable, it also devalues public care in the name of fiscal rationality. As the Numakage Public Pool is closed and its efforts to keep it in place fail, the public are forced to accept the unfortunate truth. Its pools of care and connection are drained, its lifeguard towers bulldozed, leaving the people of Saitama with grief and the ruins of what was once a place of joy.
Unfortunately these things happen everywhere—this issue is close to us too. Public spaces near us are also on the brink of demolition. Even with the abundance of privatized land, several public sites in South Jakarta are going to be destroyed to make space for a bigger park with unnecessary facilities. The parks in its vicinity are going to be “refurbished”. Markets and its shopkeepers are going to be evicted so they could build a court for padel—a sport that simultaneously functions as a class signifier. Accessible parks, then, are turned into havens for the upper-middle class—excluding everyone else that are in desperate need of affordable third spaces. Familiarise yourselves with these neoliberal tendencies, for realizing its heartlessness will make us aware that this is not the only way. Realize that austerity is not inevitable. Uphold our empathy and collective care and we will be reminded that our beloved public spaces are central for our wellbeing too. Most of all, no land should be exclusive. It should belong to everyone. (Timmie) (Ed. Vanis)
Film Details
Numakage Public Pool (沼影市民プール)
Shingo Ota | 80 Min | 2025 | Japan
Official Selection for Utopia/Dystopia
Festival Film Dokumenter 2025
