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O'Grady Film

@ogradyfilm

Born cinephile, wannabe cineaste. Join me as I dissect the art of storytelling in films, comics, TV shows, and video games. May contain spoilers.
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Recently Viewed - The Art of the Benshi: Program IV

When I previously wrote about benshi—the live narrators that would contextualize (and, on occasion, totally reinterpret) the silent images onscreen in the nascent days of film exhibition in Japan—in my review of Masayuki Suo’s Talking the Pictures, I never imagined that I would eventually have the opportunity to actually see one perform in person; after all, the advent of the talkie essentially rendered the profession irrelevant and obsolete. There are, however, a dedicated few working tirelessly to preserve the increasingly rare art, several of whom recently showcased their talents at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The selection of movies screened for the demonstration was as eclectic as it was remarkable: The Dull Sword, an animated short (featuring both hand-drawn frames and paper cutouts reminiscent of Lotte Reiniger’s The Adventures of Prince Achmed) about a bloodthirsty samurai constantly thwarted and humiliated by hubris; The Oath of the Sword, a newly rediscovered romantic melodrama starring a predominantly Asian-American cast; and The Vindictive Snake, a moody tale of ghostly vengeance (which owes an obvious thematic debt to Yotsuya Kaidan) set in the ramshackle sugar plantations of Hawaii and the seedy brothels of Okinawa. Surprisingly, amidst these obscure treasures, the true gem of the program was a widely available Hollywood classic: Charlie Chaplin’s The Immigrant; Kumiko Omori’s energetic delivery—replete with cartoonish voice acting and charmingly silly sound effects (a squeaky toy, for example, was utilized to approximate the noise of hiccups)—enriched and elevated the familiar plot and gags, adding a fresh layer to the comedic tone. Not to disrespect or underestimate the skills of her fellow benshi, of course; Ichiro Kataoka and Hideyuki Yamashiro each displayed his own distinctive style and flavor. Indeed, the trio’s cooperative rendition of Masao Inoue’s 1916 adaptation of Not Blood Relations (or what little remains of it, anyway; like far too many productions of that era, it currently exists only in fragmentary form) was an impressive feat of theatrical collaboration.

Purchasing the ticket for The Art of the Benshi (a $20 expense that feels pretty darn substantial in the aftermath of the SAG and WGA strikes) was an extremely spontaneous decision on my part—one that I second-guessed during every excruciating moment of my forty-minute-long subway ride to the venue. Fortunately, I needn’t have fretted; the most memorable cinematic experience of 2024 was well worth the relatively paltry price of admission.

#The Art of the Benshi#Benshi#Japanese cinema#Japanese film#Japanese culture#The Dull Sword#Not Blood Relations#The Oath of the Sword#The Vindictive Snake#The Immigrant#Junichi Kochi#Masao Inoue#Frank Shaw#Charlie Chaplin#benshi#Brooklyn Academy of Music#BAM#film#writing#movie review
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The Poetry of Death: Jisei and Kore-eda’s After Life

Recently, I read an exquisitely curated collection of jisei—Japanese death poetry. It was a thoroughly engrossing volume, offering unique insight into man’s relationship with his own mortality. This illuminating glimpse into a cultural practice with which I was only vaguely familiar (I was aware of the verses composed by samurai before committing seppuku, but not much else) in turn contextualized the central themes of one of my favorite movies: Hirokazu Kore-eda’s After Life.

Like Professor Yoel Hoffman’s book, the film explores core tenets of Buddhist philosophy: transience, impermanence, and the rejection of self. The plot revolves around the premise that the souls of the newly deceased are permitted to choose just a single memory to carry with them into the hereafter. Rather than selecting concrete moments in time, however, most of the characters prefer to retain emotionally evocative sensory images: the fragrant petals of cherry blossoms dancing in the breeze, the cottony texture of clouds drifting past the window of an airplane, the scent of laundry detergent on a childhood blanket.

The jisei poet’s final impression of this fleeting, illusory world is likewise deeply personal; after all, the details that he commits to paper immediately prior to his departure cannot help but be significant. When he gazes out the window, what does he notice? Are the flowers in the field wilted and withered, mimicking his aged flesh? Or are they freshly bloomed—a symbol of renewal, rejuvenation, rebirth? Does morning dew glisten on the grass, or has it already evaporated in the midday heat? Are the cicadas singing amongst the treetops, or have they long since fled, their discarded husks clinging to the bark?

Such observations are not recorded for the benefit of the living; they belong to the authors alone—keepsakes, talismans, mementos intended to ease their passage to the shore beyond this material plane of existence. And despite my skepticism regarding matters of faith, I must admit that I find Kore-eda’s elaboration on this notion to be quite compelling.

For what could be more comforting than an eternity spent in the blissful embrace of one instant of happiness?

#Japanese Death Poetry#jisei#After Life#Hirokazu Kore-eda#Hirokazu Koreeda#Japanese film#Japanese cinema#Japanese poetry#Japanese culture#poetry#film#writing
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Lafcadio Hearn's In Ghostly Japan: The Afterlife of the Author

I was not emotionally prepared for what I encountered within the pages of In Ghostly Japan.

I was only vaguely familiar with author Lafcadio Hearn before purchasing the book; all I really knew was that his writing had inspired Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan, one of the most beautiful horror films ever committed to celluloid. Consequently, I expected something akin to that adaptation of his work: a rather formulaic anthology of spooky ghost stories and creepy folktales.

What I discovered instead was a collection of essays. But despite the dry, clinical, scholarly connotations carried by that label, Hearn’s observations about Japanese history and customs are anything but detached; even his more straightforward translations/summaries of popular myths and legends (“Furisode”, “Silkworms”, “A Passional Karma”) are inextricably intertwined with his own personal experiences. He frequently frames his narratives with brief anecdotes about visits to bustling marketplaces and secluded Buddhist shrines, where such evocative sensations as the lingering fragrance of incense and the gentle fluttering of a moth’s wings trigger reveries that veer off into delightfully unpredictable directions.

“Ululation”, for example, begins unassumingly enough: Hearn describes, in vivid detail, a mangy stray dog (informally “adopted” by his entire neighborhood) that has chosen his property as its territory—paying particular attention to its peculiar howl. Gradually, his mildly ironic speculation about what supernatural forces could possibly be causing the poor animal to vocalize its distress in such a haunting, mournful, tormented manner transitions into a genuinely poignant meditation on the inherent cruelty and savagery of nature, with an emphasis on the conflicting ways in which Western and Eastern philosophies address the persistent problem of human suffering.

Thus, “Ululation” offers a far more potent flavor of horror than Kwaidan’s chilling atmosphere: existential dread. Hearn, however, concludes the piece with a surprisingly uplifting coda, musing that the community will remember the dog long after it has died—commemorating it with a gravestone at the local temple and praying that it will eventually be reincarnated into a more favorable life. Indeed, with the benefit of hindsight, the beast can be interpreted as an inadvertent symbol for the writer himself: a perpetual outsider (abandoned by his family, adrift between countries) embraced by a foreign culture, celebrated to this day for the small role he played in helping to preserve the nation’s traditions during the rapid “modernization” of the Meiji Restoration.

Japan, in turn, has ensured that Hearn’s legacy continues to endure—and what a treasure that legacy is! To read In Ghostly Japan is to converse with its writer’s spirit, his distinctive voice and unique perspective resounding clearly through the mists of time.

#In Ghostly Japan#Lafcadio Hearn#Kwaidan#Japanese culture#book review#literature#writing
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Recently Viewed - Mansai Nomura’s Kyogen: Kagami-kaja (A Mirror Servant) + Shimizu (Spring Water)

I tend to focus on Japan Society’s film program, but it’s far more than just a cinema; it’s a full-on cultural enrichment center, featuring language classes, art exhibitions, and panel discussions on a wide variety of topics. If one positive thing has arisen from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it is that all of these offerings are now more readily accessible to the public. To wit: until December 31, you can register to view a pair of kyogen performances online—for free! (Or, if you so desire, on a “pay-what-you-want” basis—I highly recommend dropping five dollars to support the organization.)

The “About” page describes kyogen as a sort of comedic counterpart to Noh theater… and that was pretty much all I knew going in. Fortunately, director/star Mansai Nomura recorded a brief introduction to properly contextualize the plays for us ignorant foreigners, using such easily recognizable touchstones as Tom and Jerry and The Marx Brothers. Indeed, both shows are biting social satires revolving around the oft-antagonistic relationship between a tyrannical master and a bumbling servant. Comparing the material to vaudevillian slapstick and classic cartoons isn’t merely an apt observation, however; it helps to clarify what exactly is intended to be funny beneath the traditional style of acting, which comes off as stilted and unnatural to American sensibilities.

Despite my lack of familiarity with kyogen, I greatly enjoyed Shimizu and Kagami-kaja—particularly the latter (a modern piece commissioned by Nomura himself), which effortlessly shifts from humor to horror as a hapless servant drunkenly dances with his own “reflection” after it emerges from a possessed mirror. The experience was entertaining and educational in equal measure.

I’d expect nothing less from Japan Society.

#Mansai Nomura#kyogen#Kagami-kaja#Shimizu#Japan Society#Japanese culture#theater#theatre#writing#review
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Recently Viewed: Edo Avant Garde

Watched Edo Avant Garde, a fascinating documentary about the innovative byobu (folding screen) art produced during Japan's period of extreme cultural isolation under the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate—with a particular emphasis on how its proto-impressionistic style would eventually influence Western modernism in the twentieth century.

The film is, of course, quite informative and educational, but it is first and foremost a sensual experience. Director Linda Hoaglund utilizes a variety of cinematic techniques in order to immerse the viewer in the featured Sumi ink and watercolor landscapes. For example, she frequently intercuts between recorded images of nature—birds, flowers, trees, rivers, et cetera—and their painted equivalents, juxtaposing objective reality with abstract representation. The movie’s sound design is equally impressive; such auditory delights as the fluttering of a crane’s wings, the whisper of a gentle breeze through grass, and the thunderous crash of ocean waves lend the otherwise static visuals a sense of weight, energy, and movement.

Thus, much like Sotatsu, Okyo, and Shohaku, Edo Avant Garde doesn’t settle for merely depicting its subjects; it transforms them, recontextualizes them, captures their innate "spirit" and elevates it to the level of the divine. It is, in short, absolutely sublime.

#Edo Avant Garde#Japan Society#documentary#art#byobu#painting#Japanese culture#Linda Hoaglund#film#writing#movie review
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Emails from Japan: Day 13 (July 23, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Finally made it to the Ueno zoo today. Got some great photos of their two pandas, and had fun watching the gorillas, monkeys, sea lions, and creepy nocturnal stuff, too. Overall, it's much easier to actually see the animals active than most places I've been to in the States.
There was also a preserved teahouse off to the side on the zoo grounds; apparently, it's where Shogun Tokugawa would rest while visiting the nearby shrines. Don't know how such a historically important site got swallowed up by zoo property, but it was cool to see.
Gonna take it easy tomorrow—a little laundry, a lot of packing, and one last trip to [animeamon’s] favorite dumpy sushi place before we head back to the U.S.

[And that concludes this little trip down memory lane. Thank you for indulging me; I hope you enjoyed reading about my journey abroad as much as I enjoyed embarking on it. Now, let’s get back to the movie reviews.]

#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 11 (July 21, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Today, we headed to Sanjusagen-do Temple, famous for enshrining 1001 statues of Kannon, the thousand-armed, eleven-headed god of mercy (one large, central seated statue, surrounded by 1000 smaller standing depictions), as well as carvings of 28 guardian deities, including Fujin and Raijin, the gods of wind and thunder. There was also a very small museum behind the massive shrine hallway, discussing the temple's historical significance. For example, the emperor during the Heian period (about the 1100s-1200s, a time that saw one of the largest clan wars in Japanese history) eventually retired and became the presiding monk. Apparently, he wasn't without his earthly pleasures: he was such a great fan of a particular style of folk music that he'd invite any practitioner, from beggar to court official, to perform for him, and sometimes sang himself until his throat bled. When the tradition began to die off, he compiled his favorite songs into a multi-volume collection to pass on to later generations. I was also interested in Toshiya, an archery competition held at the temple in which representatives from various prefectures would continuously fire on a target across the courtyard for 24 hours to prove their strength and devotion; a few of the original bows, score books, and signal fans were on display. And, to my surprise, a plaque announced that the temple was the site of one of the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi's numerous battles against members of the Yoshioka fencing school, his best known rivals after Sasaki Kojiro, the last man he ever dueled to the death.
Next, we wandered to Higashiyama, a more historic area of Kyoto. It's very traditional, with old wood shop fronts (some purported to remain exactly as they stood in the 1600s) that climb up a steep cobblestone incline.
In our travels, we stumbled across two more temples. The first, Yasaka, was another Shinto shrine (with foundations allegedly dating back to the 600s), this time dedicated to, among others, Susanoo, a wind god, if I remember my mythology correctly.
The second was far more impressive. Kiyumizu-dera is nestled in the side of a mountain—not quite as high as the one we visited yesterday, thankfully—with a path that loops around so you can see both where you're going and look back on where you've already been. The main shrine offers a gorgeous view of the pavilions scattered below, as well as the streets we'd traversed along the way, and the city and mountains beyond. We continued along a snaking dirt path through the mountain, which eventually forked off into a nature trail. We followed it for a while, spotting a few modest graveyards, until eventually the only sign of human interference were steps of tightly packed earth and cut branches. It seemed to continue deep into the mountains, so we returned to the main trail. 
On our way back down, we spotted smaller shrines to minor deities (the god of love/matchmaking, the god of good business), and eventually made our way back to home base.
It's back to Tokyo tomorrow.

[Day 12 was spent traveling back to Tokyo, so the next entry will cover July 23. See you then!]

#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 10 (July 20, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

What's up?
First up today was Mt. Inari, a short train ride from where we're staying. The temple there is advertised as the #1 tourist destination (per TripAdvisor), and it's not hard to see why: the temple there (Shinto, as opposed to the Buddhist sites we've been visiting) is absolutely immense. After exploring the main temple for a while, admiring the guardian statues (mostly foxes), we stopped for a bit of green tea. I explored the tranquil garden behind the teashop, so peaceful and set aside that I couldn't even hear the noise of the tourists or prayer bells. After that, we began the trek up the mountain. A series of closely packed archways (painted the traditional bright red) formed a sort of tunnel along the twisting trail, and we stopped often to take in the view and study the smaller shrines—there must have been hundreds of spots to stop and worship.
By the time we made it halfway up, we were drenched in sweat and starving, so we made our way back down and browsed the various food stalls. We decided to sample some traditional festival treats: pork kebabs and shaved ice (we both went with lemon flavored).
From there we hopped back on a train and made our way to Nijo Castle, the shogun's home when he would visit Kyoto. The grounds weren't as immense as the Imperial Palace's, but we actually got to tour the interior. Rooms included waiting chambers for guests and their servants, the meeting room where the shogun would address the various daimyos, private meeting areas for the shogun's personal advisors, and the shogun’s living quarters and bedroom (including an adjoining room for his wife and her maidservants). Unfortunately, some areas were in the middle of restoration, and all of the original wall and ceiling murals had been removed for display in a nearby museum.
Also on the grounds were a guardhouse, exactly as it appeared in the 1600s (a rarity, as most have burned down or otherwise been destroyed by natural causes), and a small cluster of trees that descended directly from plants that survived the Hiroshima bombing.
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 9 (July 19, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Yo! We're in Kyoto!
Wasn't much to report yesterday, unless you're interested in hearing about the dessert pizzas at Shaky's all-you-can-eat buffet.
The bullet train ride was pretty cool—more like an airplane than a train. Wish I could have enjoyed the view a bit more, but we didn't have the best seats.
Once we arrived, we visited a few shrines, including a pair of sister shrines built when a schism formed in a particular Buddhist sect. Beautiful architecture, and overall less showy than the temples we saw in Tokyo—rather than painting it the usual vibrant red, they left the wood in its natural state.
Now, since pretty much everything is closing for the day, we're just chilling, watching some sumo wrestling and gearing up for dinner. We have bigger plans for tomorrow. 
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 6 (July 16, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Hello again!
As planned, we returned to Ueno to make up for a few days ago. Weather was kind of nasty, so we didn't get to the zoo, but we got a full day out of the Tokyo National Museum. My personal favorite section was the one for "Modern Art" (meaning post-Meiji period works), which illustrated the tension between Japan's desire to hold on to its traditions (silk and ink paintings, and especially "decorative art" for ceramics and folding screens, which wasn't held in high regard outside the East) while also adopting more Western styles (oil paintings, naturalistic sculptures in bronze rather than wood). Two of my favorite pieces were a vivid ink painting depicting Japan's version of Heaven and Hell, complete with the minor deities Enma (who judges the dead) and Jizo (who rescues the souls of the damned) and a striking wood sculpture of an old monkey recovering from a battle with an eagle, attributed to an artist credited with merging Eastern and Western styles.
There were other interesting exhibits, too, including: a small collection of Christian paraphernalia (rosary beads, medallions and statuettes of the Madonna) from the period when the religion was outlawed in Japan (several of the medallions were meant to be trampled by suspects to demonstrate that they were not believers); a display of Noh theater masks for various female roles (I've always been fond of the Hannya, the woman transformed into a demon by jealousy); a large display of swords by various famed smiths, including an alleged son of the famous Masamune (I was more interested in the decorative grips and guards, which could depict anything from lions to butterflies to full on battle scenes); and many suits of armor (one of the more interesting ones, meant to resemble a temple guardian, was noted for being oddly anatomically realistic).
We explored until closing time, grabbed a quick bite, and headed back in.
We'll probably take it easy tomorrow, since we might be making an excursion into Kyoto over the weekend (it's an expensive trip, so we're not sure yet).

[Note: The next few days were eaten up by bad weather and travel. The next entry will cover July 19. See you then!]

#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 5 (July 15, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Another long day. Started off by visiting the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace. Plenty of beautiful architecture, including impressive mason work on the reconstructed walls and three of the original guardhouses manned by the highest ranking samurai, as well as groves established by various emperors to preserve different breeds of flowers, trees, and bamboo. Near the entrance was a museum, which displays a rotating selection of the imperial family's possessions. Currently, it's exhibiting a small collection of illustrated scrolls, most of them depicting myths from various periods. Several of them felt like variations on The Odyssey (a group of warriors use their wits to slay cannibalistic monsters; a hero is killed, travels to Hell, is sent back to earth in a different form, is reunited with his wife, regains his true appearance, punishes his enemies, and ultimately ascends to godhood), catching my interest.
After we'd thoroughly explored the grounds, we moved on to Yasukini Shrine, a temple dedicated to those slain in war from the Meiji period onward. The locals seemed to be in the midst of festival: hundreds of lanterns were hung up, forming towering walls that stretched along the path between the temple gates; small parades performed for enthusiastic crowds, and stands were erected to serve shaved ice and other treats. People of all ages mingled about, some dressed in traditional garb, others in school uniforms and business attire.
We hopped on the train, grabbed some dinner on the way to home base, and here we are. We may try Ueno Park again tomorrow. Hopefully stuff will be open.
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 4 (July 14, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Hey! 
Got in late last night, so I'll type this up real quick before we head out again.
 Yesterday, we took a couple of trains out to Odaiba. [animeamon] gave me the history lesson on the way over: originally a series of manmade islands constructed for the defense of the mainland, they were merged into a single landmass with the aim of being a sort of monument to the future of Japan (kind of the Worlds Fair/City of Tomorrow deal). Somewhere along the line, it ended up home to a ridiculous number of malls and shopping centers. 
It was past lunchtime by the time we arrived, so we went to an interesting spot dressed up to look like a traditional festival market, where there were a number of stalls all serving ramen from various regions of Japan.
Afterwards, we went to Decks, an amusement center: Madame Tussaud's, LegoLand, and similar attractions all packed into one building. [animeamon] wanted to show me Sega Joypolis, an arcade/indoor amusement park (complete with roller coaster) that's a lot like the NJ Boardwalk the more I think about it. We messed around with some of the VR machines and moved on pretty quickly.
From there, we hit up the Tokyo Giant Sky Wheel, a 150m tall Ferris wheel that offers an amazing view. Would have been much nicer if the wind hadn't been so noisy, but still a good time.
It was near dark when we got off, so we wandered around Venus Fort, another nearby mall (named, I assume, for the Roman inspired design), looking for dinner. We settled on an inexpensive merry-go-round sushi place.
Then we hopped on the train and headed back in.
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 3 (July 13, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Another small day, though not by design this time. We went to Ueno Park, one of Japan's most popular parks, but a lot of the attractions we wanted to see (a few museums, a zoo, etc.) were closed for the day for some reason.
There was still plenty to see just wandering around, though: a gravestone dedicated to warriors who fought against imperial rule in the mid 1800s; a small flame kept burning from fires collected from the rubble of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; the face of a large Buddha statue, the rest of which was melted down for arms during WWII (the face only survives because it was dislodged from the body during an earlier earthquake); and plenty of beautiful architecture.
Once we figured out everything was closed, it was too late to shift gears, so we headed back to Akiba and wandered around to kill time. After a light dinner, we headed back in.
We'll hit Ueno again later in the week when things are in operation. Hopefully.
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 2 (July 12, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Hello again!
Had another fun day, but intentionally took it a little easier since our sleep schedules are a bit out of whack. First up, we went to Akihabara, a big shopping district. It's sort of a tech/pop culture center. We poked around the shops and did some people watching, then had lunch at the Gundam Cafe (themed around the giant robot anime—Akiba's that kind of place, and has many such themed restaurants).
After that, we headed for the Ginza district. After wandering down some very old school markets—open-air storefronts straight out of the Edo/samurai era, and plenty of locals in traditional garb—we came upon Sensoji Temple, the oldest temple in Japan. We met a very nice group of students who were eager to practice their English, and they explained a bit about the deities and spirits enshrined there and the significance of different symbols and carvings.
And also, while we were in Akiba, we were interviewed by some pop idols for TV/YouTube. It was very awkward, but hopefully they got something they could use.
Hope you're doing well.
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Emails from Japan: Day 1 (July 11, 2015)

[And now for something completely different—more personal, intimate, and spontaneous than my usual film reviews and analyses. Three years ago, my brother and I visited Japan, and (almost) every day, I sent our mother and father emails to keep them informed about our adventures. Now, I would like to share those messages and experiences. Please keep in mind that most of my knowledge about Japanese history and culture comes from the country's cinematic output; I am by no means an expert, and I’m sure these correspondences contain numerous errors—they represent a tourist’s point-of-view, nothing more. They have been edited only for spelling and grammar, and to remove our real names. I hope any blunders or faux pas won’t overshadow how much I treasured the trip.]

Hey!
[animeamon] and I just got in from a long day out. Saw some amazing sights. Started off with the view from the observatory of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building—saw the whole city sprawled out below us. Afterwards, we explored a nearby park, where we ran into a tiny flea market and visited a small temple shrine.
Later on, while bumming around the Shibuya district, we found an even more impressive shrine, the Meiji Jingu shrine. The temple gates and grounds were massive (and probably unchanged since the 1800s). After that, we moved on to a nearby museum, which displayed a few of Emperor Meiji's actual possessions.
We gradually made our way back towards where we started, by which time it was close to dinner. We ate at a small family-operated place that specialized in beef. It was a very intimate experience, with the owners (an old man and, I assume, his wife) preparing each course on the grill at the bar.
We'll be turning in shortly, but we wanted to check in. Love and miss you. We'll try and keep in touch!
#Japan#travel#personal#Japanese culture
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Recently Viewed: Effacement

Logged on to Kanopy to watch Effacement, a semi-experimental documentary that explores the process of creating a Japanese Noh mask. While many films of this kind tend to be overly didactic, director Solrun Hoaas livens things up by adopting an inverted narrative structure, beginning with the artisan delicately applying paint to the nearly-finished product and ending with her chiseling away at the raw material. Eschewing expository narration/title cards and featuring a soundtrack composed predominantly of ambient sounds (tapping, scraping, sanding, hammering), it is, first and foremost, a sensual experience—indeed, the fact that it doesn’t explain every little detail only increases its educational value, in my opinion. 

And best of all, the fourteen-minute running time makes it effortlessly re-watchable.

#Effacement#Solrun Hoaas#documentary#Noh theater#Noh#Noh mask#Japan#Japanese culture#Kanopy#film#writing#movie review
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