5 Japanese Movies I Recommend

Movies! If truth be told, I've never considered myself to be that much of a movie buff, but I feel like a good movie sticks to you, and either keeps you thinking about it for a few days or gives you perspective on something else in your life. And, though I like Hollywood moves just as much as any other guy, Japanese cinema is full of brooding writers and directors who dedicate their lives into putting out deep, well-thought movies. I'm not saying my personal list of favorite Japanese movies all fit into that description, but each of these movies renewed my interest in Japan's cinema in one way or another, so I thought I'd spread the word.


TOKYO SONATA - 2009 - Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Tokyo Sonata is, in broad strokes, the story of a middle-class family where each individual family member is disconnected from one another and turns to secrecy rather to than to each other. Though Kiyoshi Kurosawa is most often cited as a director of Japanese horror movies (amongst which are the excellent Cure and Kairo, which I've spoken of on this blog previously,) Tokyo Sonata is his stab at the drama genre. The themes, though, are similar to those of his previous works, and yet the familiarity of the domestic life portrayed in Tokyo Sonata sort of makes it all the more horrifying in a way. I'll never forget the scene in which the father, who lost his job and yet keeps it a secret from his wife and kids, waits in line for free food, encounters a friend of his who's in the exact same situation, and both men hide the truth everyone from one another, saying they're just there to try the food out. It's funny and yet so messed up, but it says a lot about life in Tokyo and the masks people put on just to keep face. It's as backwards as it sounds.


TO LIVE (Ikiru) - 1956 - Akira Kurosawa

Ikiru isn't the type of movie you'd watch for entertainment so much as for enlightenment. Although Akira Kurosawa's known for his other films, including the amazing Seven Samurai, Ikiru will always remain, to me at least, his greatest work of art. Story-wise, it simply follows that of an old man who realizes he's wasted most of his life away doing nothing but working, and his quest to attach some meaning to the time he has left before he passes away. Ikiru doesn't have to try to be moving to reach in and to touch something profound within the viewer. The film had me thinking, only a little at first, about the importance of living for myself versus fulfilling society's expectations of me, but I definitely feel like it eventually contributed in my decision to come to Japan and build my own collection of memories.



GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (hotaru no haka) - 1988 - Isao Takahata

The one movie made by Studio Ghibli I chose to put on this list is neither directed by Hayao Miyazaki nor an epic fantasy, as much as I love those, too. Grave of the Fireflies is a movie about the tragic chain of events that befall two children who lose their parents to the second World War, thus putting the focus on a side we rarely get to see - the home front. As expected of Studio Ghibli, the movie is beautifully animated, and it's difficult not to get attached to the characters, which makes the sadness of the movie that much more effective. Don't expect this one to fall into any of the conventions of modern story-telling. It's as real as a drama about World War II can be, if you look past the thin veil of animation.




DEPARTURES (okuribito) - 2008 - Yojiro Takita

An Academy Award winner, and it's easy to see why. Okuribito is flawless in its execution, when it comes to acting, music, and the sheer compelling of its drama. The plot revolves around a musician who loses his job and enters a whole different line of work - that of a traditional Japanese ritual mortician. Though his change in career is met with the disdain of all those around him, he eventually becomes learns to love and cherish the importance of his duties - and even find in it the art that went missing in his life. If anything, Okuribito's strongest point is the lead actor, Masahiro Motoki, and his portrayal of the very silent protagonist, who, through means other than words, conveys emotion to the viewer so well. This is pretty much the only movie on this list that I listed for no other reason than for being an overall excellent movie, and plainly rewarding to watch.


ICHI THE KILLER (koroshiya 1) - 2001 - Takashi Miike

By far the most controversial movie on my list, and the one most people would disagree with. Ichi the Killer, though, is whirlwind of chaos, confusion and gore, and it's weaved by a director who  could not care less about what viewer or reviewer may think of the movie, but made the film for the simple love of movie-making. Every character in Ichi the Killer is more despicable than the last - with the two front runners being the ultimate sadistic serial killer and the man seeking him - the ultimate masochistic Yakuza boss. With such a colorful cast of characters, it's hard to make a bland movie, and Ichi the Killer, at the very list, will succeed in blind-siding the viewer at several occasions. Whether the plot makes sense at all is something you'll want to debate after seeing the film, but really, it could just be that director Takashi Miike just wanted to flip everyone off with this one. If you're a Tarantino fan at all, and don't mind the excess gore, you'll probably find yourself loving this one.

Godzilla Is Relevant

When it was announced that the 2014 Godzilla movie would be released in cinemas later than any other country (July as opposed to May), I flipped my shit. I didn't think I could wait two months. As a child, Godzilla was my hero, odd as it is to say. And while it's hard to relate to a man in a giant lizard rubber suit, I genuinely tried. Looking back now, I can see I was just one kid in many in the grand scheme of things. A very large amount of those movies were totally marketed for kids, before they were turned into rather mindless action movies.

 There was an exception! The first film, released in 1954, is astounding even
to this day. No one really thinks of it anymore, but the whole thematic for Godzilla was that mankind created him and unleashed him upon the world, and that his one purpose was to leave destruction and death and radiation in his wake. If it sounds like I'm talking about nuclear weaponry, then we're right on the same page. That's right, the 1954 film was an allegory about the tragedy that is nuclear warfare. All you have to do to believe it is look at the scenes during which the characters walk through overflowing hospital grounds, filled with the dead or the dying - the direct aftermath of Hiroshima in a nutshell.

 In truth, I was hoping the newest movie would share similar themes. It doesn't, not truly, though it's hard not to wince a little bit at the sight of a nuclear reactor crumbling and the tsunami scene. If this iteration of Godzilla's saga were made in Japan, that might not have flown, but for Legendary Pictures, it's pretty much fair game.
 And although it's a fair criticism to make that the titular monster shows up pretty late in his own movie, my, what a presence he has when he does. The first time Godzilla roars, it's hard not to feel like the ground is actually shaking. It also helps that the cameras are placed near ground, as if we're looking up at the action. All in all, everything seems so much bigger.

 Legendary Pictures' film is more of a sci-fi movie than any of the previous films, and there's genuine effort put into making this story of giant monsters stomping on cities believable. It's worlds apart from the pseudo-science of the previous generations' Godzillas ("ooh! that alien looks suspiciously like a Japanese guy in spandex!") After looking it up, it turns out that the fighting patterns of large animals such as bears were integrated into the way Godzilla moves in order to add an extra degree of realism to the creature. With that on top of the movie boasting the incredible CGI it does, we've come quite far from the people in costumes punching each other on top of model cities.

 One last thing before I spoil too much, is that I have to mention the brilliance of the HALO drop scene that appeared in so many of the trailers, where soldiers parachute down in the ruins of San Francisco. That scene could've been replaced with nothing but the soldiers jumping out, and then fast-forwarded into them landing. Following one soldier through the whole drop, though, does so much to put the viewer right into the action on top of allowing the camera, usually on ground level, to see the creature from above, where its size can really be put into perspective when measured against the surrounding skyscrapers. And the tension is so palpable.

Stand Back, I'm A Pokemon Master

You've come to the wrong neighborhood.

I lied, actually. I'm retired. I'm a retired Pokemon Master. But then again, hundreds of thousands of children from my generation can probably say the same. Ongoing fans, rejoice, though! In the Land of the Rising Sun, the passion still burns strong, and young fans are renewed. The television series is still going strong, and new movies and games still pop up sporadically. Pokemon even has its own morning talk show thing, hosted by a fairly well known model/celebrity.
Be that as it is, it's not surprise that the top of the Roppongi Hills Mori Arts Tower has been turned into a giant Pokemon fandom center in celebration of the, like, 40th movie or something. Alright, the 17th. Whatever the case, it's been deemed that this event calls for a great celebration, so the observation deck floor of the towering building is now filled with thematic art and sketches by the creator of the series as well as fun games for children and the disabled. Shall I take you through one such delightful activity?
 Yes, yes I believe I shall.

 Behold! It's a labyrinth of Pokemon! If you encounter a turn, you have to turn. And you end up with one of four different Pokemon at the exit! Okay, to be fair, it's a game for young children, but it's amazing that the presenters will let any adult try with a straight face. Somewhere in here, there's something insightful to be said about rediscovering your inner child and getting giddy about something that used to be all the rage a decade and a half ago. You'll notice soon enough that most of the crowd here is actually not small children.

 A Pikachu-themed restaurant has also temporarily been opened on the observation deck floor. Going there on a Saturday afternoon, though, proved to be tantamount to queuing for a Disneyland ride. It actually costs 15$ to even have access to the observation deck floor, so I wasn't to keen on spending much more on dinner and having to wait in line on top of that, so I skipped this time around (a rarity, I know!) But it seemed to me that the food was actually really neat looking in terms of presentation! Yeah, that actually looks like Pikachu, alright. I've learned after my fair share of themed restaurants though, that presentation doesn't equal delicious taste, and you're only paying for the former. But what would I know!

 And of course, exit through the gift shop. Rumor around town is that if you do visit the tower at a certain time, you can meet Pikachu, in giant mascot form, but I had no such luck, though I did harbor a secret hope that I'd find him waiting in here. Still, I can think of a person or two back in Canada who would want something from this kind of gift shop, but I abstained this time around. In real life unlike in the games, you can't just nab yourself Pokemon without paying a pretty dollar. As my parents would know.

An Invasion of Doraemon

Today I passed through the Roppongi Hills complex and found a small army of Doraemon crowding the square. I guess it must've been in promotion for an upcoming movie? Apparently, there were 66 of them, and no two were exactly alike. It was neat, and, as you could probably imagine, there were lots of people posing for pictures. I managed to snag a few myself. I do wonder what the hell they'll do with all these Doraemon once they move them out of the square though.

Doraemon

 Doraemon's probably up there with Anpanman amongst the most recognizable children's characters
in Japan. The series has been around for around 40 years now, both in manga and in animated form, and I've recently read that there are plans under motion to take the series to America. As of now, the series is diffused throughout most of Asia already.
 But I wonder if American television is ready for it! Episode by episode, Doraemon is pretty light in nature, but the root of the series' plot is the story of a man whose life was ruined by bullying, who decides to buy a robot and send it back in time so that it may improve his grandfather's way of life. The best robot he can afford, though, is a rejected ear-less cat toy - the titular Doraemon. The robot is sent back to the grandfather's childhood, and advises him with his day to day problems, usually providing the kid gadgets.
 So you can see how some of the elements are a little tragic, actually. I wonder what the American audience will think! 

Cure

It's really only the second time in the history of this blog that I go out of my way to talk about a specific movie (to be fair, I did recommend a few horror films too, and the first wasn't even a real Japanese movie) but I really think this one's pretty relevant to understanding modern Japanese culture. Well, possibly to a depth you don't really even want to understand it at, but all I'm saying is it's pretty relevant!
 Ever heard of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure? Few people have. It's not a recent film (1997's almost two decades ago now) but it's a good movie, a real solid psychological thriller/mystery. It's not the exciting kind like Shutter Island, but it's more of a really deep, interesting, brooding film that makes you sit down and think.
 I'm a fan of this guy's, really. If you want to dig deep into the mental state of the Japanese people (specifically the urban population) Kiyoshi Kurosawa's the way to go. Kairo (Pulse) which I've mentioned in the previous article, and Tokyo Sonata are two prime examples of his type of work. It takes a more sophisticated person than a Michael Bay fan, but then again, so does counting to six.
 But back to Cure!

Yo, I have to warn you, I'm not aiming to spoil the movie itself, but if it means anything to you, I will be revealing the movie's message (through some minor plot spoilers too). If you want to figure it out for yourself, go watch it before reading on!
Now, I haven't gone about reading a bunch of in-depth analyses of the movie, but here's my interpretation. I could be totally wrong, too, so bare that in mind!

The "Cure" in question isn't for laryngitis.

Before I dig in too deep, let me start by saying that Cure's basic premise is simple. A string of murders occur where seemingly ordinary people just suddenly violently murder people close to them by carving an X onto their flesh. Ghastly! Eventually, a detective comes to the realization that all of these people have been in contact with one person at some point or another.
The man in question is an individual with no memories, unable to even identify himself, and his sole means of making people murder one another is asking them one question repeatedly: "Who are you?"

 On the surface, it's got plenty of intrigue to keep the plot going, and that's nice and all, but I'm not trying to write a review of the movie. You'll find plenty of totally valid ones on the internet, but this blog isn't about that.
 Rather, think about the message of the movie, as you should with most of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films. At one point in the film, it's revealed that the mysterious man's affinity in making people kill one another has to do with hypnosis.
 But you see, one can't use hypnotic suggestion to make someone do something unless it's something they were considering before! What Kurosawa is suggesting is that Japanese society is one choke-full of repressed desires. Whereas the rest of the world is fairly more open in their day-to-day dealings with people and various situations, Japan's world is one of keeping superficial appearances and bottling emotions beneath the surface in order to deal with demands imposed upon people by their status, or the desire for a higher status, which becomes the Japanese citizen's sole purpose. For instance, Americans, as we know, are more likely to speak their mind or resort to action than the much more reserved Japanese people.
 By asking people "Who are you?" repeatedly, the unidentified man opens the window to the other person's secret desires, or their true identity, and they then go on to murder the wife or boss they hate, unleashing the bottled up rage they've been keeping inside for so long -- because that's the true manifestation of who they are, and what they want to do, once the mask is cast aside.
 The chance to break free from society's expectations is the "cure" Kiyoshi Kurosawa is pointing to with the movie's very title.

Some people just don't like chairs.

 Well gosh, I didn't intend for this article to turn into an essay on the movie, so I'll stop there. But in getting to know Japanese society, even from a distance, as I have (and still am,) you'll find that it's a very valid, if harsh, critique of the modern Japanese person's condition and societal expectations.
 Go see it for yourself! If all else fails, you'll have seen a better than decent mystery movie!

47 Ronin - Some Skepticism Please

The other Ronin, not so important!

Ken's about to leave for Fukuoka this year as he does annually. I got to meet up with him before his departure, and we hit the movies and watched 47 Ronin. Heard of it? It's one of (if not the first?) Hollywood movie to ever get released in Japan's theaters before America's - they usually take several months before making it to this side. But there's a reason for that, you see. If you couldn't guess by the movie title, the movie takes place in Japan! It's based on the famous Japanese story of the 47 master-less samurai who got revenge for their slain lord. You can read about the famous parade celebrating the happening here, but, the story goes,

 "A feudal lord was forced by law to commit suicide after assaulting a court official, leaving his loyal samurai masterless. After a 2 year plot, the samurai in turn avenged their master by slaying the court official and committing suicide themselves. It's a story that's referenced for its connotations of loyalty and determination in the face of duty."

The movie version stars Keanu Reeves alongside a bunch of actual Japanese actors, and that's neat. And I just want to make it clear that I didn't hate the movie. It's entertaining. I took it for what it is - it's a popcorn flick, and I guess you judge those by different standards than you would a movie that earns itself the right to be taken more seriously.
 I don't want to talk about plot (at least, not in detail) or how the actors did or what the movie looks like, but rather...how odd it must be for a Japanese person to look at the movie, think about the well-known actual story, and ponder the differences and similarities.
 In 47 Ronin, Japan is portrayed as a place of magic and fantasy and dragons! And that's alright, right? Medieval Europe is often portrayed the same way. But consider this - the actual story of the 47 Ronin happened in the 18th century. That's...not such a long time ago, folks. George Washington was president of the United States during the 18th century. Whoops!

Legit as fuck.

 The American movie being released in Japan first is a strange way of directing the attention of Japanese viewers to it, in a naive way. It's as if Hollywood was saying, look! Look, Japan! This is what Americans think feudal Japan was like! Or so I felt. Do you get what I mean to say?
 What if Japanese cinema made a movie about the aforementioned George Washington example, and the premise went like this:

"The American Revolutionary War nears its end...but in the face of the Yetis and Bear-Riding British warriors, the revolutionaries head towards bitter defeat. Little is it known, though, that the Great Warlord George Washington, raised by the great bald eagles, has a plan to turn this war on its heels. Armed with his two laser guns, named Freedom and Eagle, George sets forth to battle the British and reclaim peace for his people."

Also, the movie would be in Japanese.

"Father, why are we speaking in English?"

 No, think about it! They just pulled that shit off! What kind of reaction did they expect?
 Ken left the theater really confused, and I can't say my brain drank it all down so easily either. It's not like the movie was bad, it was just, well, queer. But hey! Feel free to check it out and tell me about your own reaction!

Ghibli Museum!

Have you ever seen a Hayao Miyazaki movie? My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, to name a few. Damn, they're good. As far as 2D animation goes, Miyazaki and his studio, Ghibli, have placed major benchmarks on the timeline, creating animated movies that rightfully create a sense of wonder in the viewer, age be damned. Miyazaki's pieces are absolutely brilliant.
 Being that they originated right here in Japan, it's no wonder that this is where his work is the most revered, and even today's children know about Totoro, despite that movie being older than I am.

Meet me on the roof!

And so it should come as no surprise that Studio Ghibli has its own museum in Tokyo, and that it's hell of popular. I had to book my ticket 40 days in advance to get in - and when the day came I realized I was scheduled to work.
 So I pleaded with a co-worker to switch shifts with me, and I ended up taking 14 of his hours so that he would liberate me for 8. Necessary measures. I can say I've been to the Ghibli Museum now, and damn was it good.
 On top of being dedicated to the studio's movies, the museum also showcases the origins of animation and the inspirations of the directors. One can even watch an animated short that cannot be seen outside of the theater in the museum itself. The one I watched was called "Mei to Konekobasu" (Mei and the Kittenbus?) It was delightful. But they switch the movie shorts out every couple of weeks. If I went again I'd probably catch a different one.

Couldn't resist the urge.

The museum itself looks like something out of the movies, with the exterior looking like some kind of hobbit mound. It's enchanting enough merely to go inside and see stained-glass windows with recognizable characters, on top of elevators that look like they're made of clockwork. I thought the most enchanting thing was to go inside the one room intended to look like a home-studio, with sketchbook clippings of concept art all over the walls and a desk piled with tomes and pencils and brushes. But the other honorable mention goes to the Catbus playroom, with the would-be life-size cat-bus made of plush that children can go in and jump around inside and on top of. You're not allowed to take pictures in the inside, so the experience can't quite be shared, but man, 1000¥ is a pittance if you're a fan of either the movies or animation in general. Just reserve far enough in advance.

A Tribute to J-Horror

I recently made the purchase of a 50 inch television that dwarfs my room like some kind of gigantic looming overlord. It's amazing. And so I took this opportunity to invite a few friends over who were unfamiliar with Japanese horror cinema and expose them to it.
 I've long time been a fan of Asian horror myself, and Japanese horror in particular. Unlike its American counterpart, J-Horror has a way of creeping up on you eerily instead of outright bursting out of the shadows in an attempt to go for pure shock reaction. It opts to show you disturbing images rather than brutal, violent ones, and is altogether more subtle.
 Last night had us watching the following movies - personal favorites and great examples of J-Horror, each and everyone of them, for different reasons. Here are my top J-Horror movies.

They move slowly, their faces shadowed or distorted.

PULSE / KAIRO
 Rather than outright scary, Kairo is eery, sinister, with an underlying message bleaker than any other horror movie. The plot has several layers of depths to decode but is generous enough to provide the tools to do so.
On the surface, Kairo is a movie about ghosts reaching out to people through the internet, causing a series of sudden disappearances and suicides, and forcing the main characters not to find a solution and end the crisis, but to migrate towards one another in an attempt to find comfort in an increasingly hopeless situation. Once again, Kairo intends not to feed the viewer nightmares, but to slowly unsettle through sound and slow, deliberate camerawork that maintains a sense of mystery and queasiness throughout the movie. This movie spawned a horrible American remake.

In the darkness even of your blankets.

JU-ON: THE GRUDGE
 I first saw the American version of Ju-On when I was 12, and remember it giving me such horrible, livid nightmares and nyctophobia. No other movie had scared me since. The original Ju-On, which shares the same director, tells the story in a much more interesting manner than its counterpart, and hits the viewer with a vehement onslaught of disturbing images and sounds, with the overlaying theme being that of a curse that destroys any entity that enters a house haunted by the violent murder of a woman and child. Ju-On is merciless particularly to people who hold within them even a grain of belief in superstition.

AUDITION

The turning point.

 Audition is an interesting take on the slasher-horror genre. It's a fascinating movie split at the center into two halves: a romantic comedy and a horror movie, producing a unique and memorable tango between the two. It follows the story of a man who hopes to find the ideal woman by setting up an audition with the goal of meeting she who can play his soul mate the best. Instead, though, he makes the acquaintance of a faceless actress shrouded in more secrets than he can imagine. Audition is not a movie for the faint of heart, and is notorious for its sudden steep descent into brutality and sickening imagery.

NOROI: THE CURSE
Noroi was the only one of the four movies I hadn't previously seen, and what a startling discovery it was. The movie presents itself as a documentary, with all actors keeping their true names, and follows a paranormal journalist in his quest to find the link between a missing child, an alleged ghost, a string of deaths and a woman from whose house can be heard the crying of multiple babies. The resulting movie slowly feeds the viewer bits and pieces of an even more disturbing truth underlying the already uneasy facts. Noroi is the best found-footage horror film I've ever seen to date. 

Honorable Mentions:

RINGU (The Ring) is a slow-creeping mystery/ghost movie with an exquisitely disturbing ending and a very loyal American remake.
DARK WATER is also a ghost movie about a mother and her struggle to keep a ghost at bay from her daughter. Spawned a crappy American remake.
CHAKUSHIN ARI (One Missed Call) is another ghost mystery about students receiving a call (from their own phone numbers) forewarning them about their own deaths. Spawned a horrible American remake.