Category: JAPANESE FILMS

This is the conclusion of 4-part series. How to Delete the Past The war devastation made people realize that Japan had not been as modernized as they had thought. It became embarrassingly clear that Japan had had no chance of winning the war. Compared to their sorry state of material shortage, food shortage and poor industrialization, United States had everything they wanted and more (at least they thought so). Japan had a lot to catch up. Accelerate industrialization and modernization. Forget about anything old. In July 1945, most of Japanese seriously believed they should fight against incoming Americans with bamboo …

(This is part 3 of 4-parts series. Part 1, Part 2) Bombing of Tokyo Through 1944 to 1945, Tokyo was bombed more than 100 times. Especially, the bombing on March 10, 1945 was the most devastating. Incendiary bombs burned the whole city to the ground. Fukagawa, Ozu’s birthplace has been bombed most heavily and destroyed completely. After the war, shabby looking shacks gave immediate shelters to those who survived the bombing or came back from the war zones. These shacks became the symbols of Tokyo rebuilding.

September 1, 2010 Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Film Center 1. News Reel; Yomiuri News, No. 164 (1940) 2. News Reel; Japan News, No. 177 (1943) 3. Fighting Tuberculosis (1951) 4. There Was A Father (1942), Gosfilmofond Print, Directed by Yasujiro Ozu Apart from 3, this screening was very disorienting. In 2, there is a footage of aircraft carrier Hornet attacked by Japanese, followed by send-off rally of young soldiers. And “There was a Father”. It was like sitting in the movie theater in 1943 Japan. “There Was A Father” The history of this particular print is here. Finally I …