The director Koji Fukada was present at the screening of "Harmonium" at the Ghent Film Festival, where the movie was in the official competition selection. During a Q&A following the screening, he revealed that the Japanese title "Fuchi ni tatsu" could best be translated as "Standing on the edge", but the translation didn't quite have the same nuance. That's why he changed the international title to "Harmonium", referring to the musical instrument, but also because there was the wordplay on "harmony", which is an important element in the film. The use of the harmonium as a characteristic feature was a distinct choice, as the director saw it as a symbol of the traditional Japanese family.