JAPANESE FILMS

100 Million Idiots

Mondrian-like composition in “Ohayo (1959)” Over the cups of sake, Chishu Ryu and others in the Izakaya murmur “TV creates 100 million idiots”. Yes, TV will blow their intellect out of all Japanese brains. Somebody said that. Ozu’s “Ohayo” was released in 1959. TV culture was still at its early stage and everything was experimental and new. Its technology was cutting edge of the time, and this box was the object of industrial accomplishment. However, the virtual world it offered was prime example of dysfunctional contemporary world. “TV creates 100 million idiots” was a buzzword in late 50’s. Souichi Otake, …

 
JAPANESE FILMS

What are they eating ?

In one scene in “Tokyo Story”, Fumiko, Koichi’s wife, speaks of “Kid’s Lunch Plate”. What is it? “Kid’s Lunch Plate” or “Okosama Lunch” was a staple menu in department store canteens across Japan. This lunch menu was first introduced in 1930, in Mitsukoshi Department Store’s canteen to attract family customers with children. Served on a section plate, it usually consists of fried shrimps, potato salad, Neapolitan pasta, and fried rice, all in small portions. Fried rice is usually molded in a cup, with a small Japanese flag on top. Let’s not forget this menu usually comes with a small toy. …

 
JAPANESE FILMS

Frames Per Second

What is the right speed for silent film projection? 16fps. That’s the standard. Right? Or, somewhere between 12 and 24 fps, some says. There are on-going debates about the speed even for Hollywood studio films in twenties, let alone some early films of 1910s and 1900s. When it comes to early Japanese cinema, the question sounds like a bad joke. Makoto Ohmori, the cinematographer since the wake of Japanese film production, gave a vivid picture about how the shooting and projection of films had done in early 20th century Japan. First of all, the camera speed during the shooting was …

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