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Then And Now, Again

In Ozu’s “There Was A Father”, the pivotal moment early in the film was the school trip to Hakone. Below is the Ashinoko, the Lake in Hakone area. Hakone has been one of the most popular resorts in Japan, being close to Tokyo metropolis. This is 1942, almost 70 years ago. Ashinoko and Mt. Fuji, “There Was A Father (1942)” This is Ashinoko now. A Pirate Ship ans Mt.Fuji (via hakone-kankosen.co.jp) No, they are not shooting “Pirates of Caribbean : Final Chapter -There Was A Captain”. There are three pirates ships in operation as tourist attractions. I don’t know what …

 
JAPANESE FILMS

Kochiyama Soshun

Kochiyama Soshun, Setsuko Hara When I finished watching it, I didn’t want to see it again. It gradually descended into depressing finale, killing off every lovable character one by one. The survivor is the reckless kid who started all. No, it’s not fun. Then, after a day or two, it started to crawl back on me. That scene. The duel between Kochiyama and Kaneko. They were determined to have it. Kochiyama, a local gambler and a bookie, and Kaneko, a Yojimbo for the local gang leader, were destined to have it. But when they are on the verge of bursting …

 
JAPANESE FILMS

What are they eating ?

In “Tokyo no korasu (1931)”, the little daughter gets sick from eating “Mizumanju”. This is Mizumanju/Kuzumanju. Recipe is here. As you can see, its soothing appearance and chilled preparation are very inviting in a hot summer day. And the girl must have begged for it. In “Late Autumn (1960)”, Mamiya (Shin Saburi) takes Akiko (Setsuko Hara) and, later Ayako (Yoko Tsukasa), to lunch. They go to the place with the sign “う”. What are they eating ? This is what they are eating. This is Unagi (Japanese eel). This was one of the Ozu’s favorite Japanese cuisine. Here is the …