Films

Sakae Oba: The Fox of Saipan

If you’ve been watching a lot of Japanese TV lately, you’ve probably noticed that there are many commercials for a new war movie, Taiheiyō no kiseki –fokksu to yobareta otoko ( 太平洋の奇跡−フォックスと呼ばれた男−, or, Miracle of the Pacific: The Man Called Fox). It’s based on the story of Sakae Oba, a Japanese officer who refused to surrender when American forces captured Saipan in 1944:

On 7 July, Captain Ōba and his men participated in the largest banzai charge of the war in the Pacific. After 15 hours of intense and unrelenting hand to hand combat, almost 4,300 Japanese soldiers were dead. Allied forces declared the island secured on 9 July 1944. By 30 September 1944, the Japanese Army made an official presumption of death for all personnel of unknown status and they were declared killed in action. That included Captain Ōba, and he was awarded a “posthumous” promotion to Major.

In reality, Captain Ōba survived the battle and took command of 46 other soldiers. Ōba then led over 200 Japanese civilians deeper into the jungles to evade capture. He and his men organized the civilians and placed them in mountain caves and hidden jungle villages. When the soldiers were not assisting the civilians with survival tasks, Captain Ōba and his men continued their battle against the garrison of U.S. Marines. Ōba used Mount Tapochau as their primary base; at 473 meters (1,552 ft), the peak offered an unobstructed 360-degree view of the island. From their base camp on the western slope of the mountain, Ōba and his men occasionally conducted guerilla-style raids on American positions. Due to the speed and stealth of these operations, and the frustrated attempts to find him, the Marines on Saipan eventually referred to Ōba as “The Fox”.

Captain Ōba and his men held out on the island for 512 days, or about 16 months. On 27 November 1945, former Major General Umahachi Amō, commander of the 9th Independent Mixed Brigade during the Battle of Saipan, was able to draw out some of the Japanese in hiding by singing the anthem of the Japanese infantry branch. Amō was then able present documents from the defunct Imperial General Headquarters to Captain Ōba ordering him and his men to surrender themselves to the Americans. On 1 December 1945, three months after the official surrender of Japan, the Japanese soldiers gathered once more on Mt. Tapochau and sang a song of departure to the spirits of the war dead. Ōba then led his people out of the jungle and they presented themselves to the Marines of the 18th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company. With great formality and commensurate dignity, Captain Ōba surrendered his sword to Lieutenant Colonel Howard G. Kurgis, and his men surrendered their arms and colors. They were the last organized resistance of Japanese forces on Saipan.

The movie seems to place emphasis on how Oba saved the lives of civilians by helping them hide in the jungles. Considering the fact that many other Japanese civilians died in the battle and thousands committed suicide rather than face capture, Oba’s actions probably did save some from such a fate.

Here’s a couple trailers for the film (which demonstrate how the f-word is perfectly okay in Japanese movie previews):

From the trailers, we can see that Oba gets major hero treatment in the movie. In addition to saving babies and convincing his fellow Japanese keep living, he also seems to earn the respect of his American foes.

There are also a few seconds of footage that show Toshiaki Karasawa’s character:

Karasawa plays an ex-Yakuza who fights alongside Oba. He shaved his head and bulked-up for the role, making him look very different from his typical appearance.

According to the Saipan Tribune, the film is expected to help the island’s tourism industry:

The movie has also sparked interest from tour agency Kinki Nippon Tourist (KNT), which is developing a special tour package to Saipan, with Japanese tourists expected to visit the major sites shown in the movie. KNT’s tour also offers a 300 Yen Discount coupon to view the movie.

“Despite our limited resources, we agree this tour program is a worthwhile promotion and are allocating a portion of the Japan office’s baseline budget to support its development,” said Bateman.

The film hits theaters across Japan on February 11th. I haven’t seen any information about an international release date, but its IMDB page shows that the film has been given the English title of “Oba: The Last Samurai” (based on a book of the same title).

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Mothers’ Way, Daughters’ Choice

This morning, I came across the trailer of an interesting-looking documentary about Japanese women who moved to New York to achieve career and life goals that they didn’t believe were possible within Japan:

“I love my mother, but I just don’t want to be like her.” Why would successful women from the world’s second largest economic power choose to start their lives in New York City? This documentary film explores how several Japanese women struggle to reconcile their traditional upbringing and their desire to create unique lives. To understand these struggles, the director, Kyoko Gasha, shows the deep, powerful influences of Japanese culture on her own life. Kyoko has uncovered stories of other Japanese women in New York City, weaving parallel tales of guilt, sacrifice and joy. This is a story of cultures clashing on a personal level.

A schedule of screenings can be found on the film’s official website.

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Pre-WWII Japanese Animation

We found this reel among my grandfather’s things after he died. Buzz Wagner was born and raised in Kariuzawa, Japan. He lived there in the 20′s and 30′s and came back to the states just before the War. His father was a missionary and a film nut. We’ve got some great footage from his life that I am currently assembling into a documentary. This animation must have been something my great grandfather picked up along the way.

However, we don’t have a clue what this is from or who created it. If anyone has any information about this film, please get in contact with me. Thanks!!

Subtitles graciously provided by Jon Nilsen

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Norwegian Wood T-Shirts

Fast Retailing-owned casual wear chain operator Uniqlo is selling a new batch of T-shirts commemorating the film adaptation of the 1987 literary work, according to a company news release. The cotton tee design depicts various scenes from the novel, a story set in the 1960s about a sensitive university student’s tribulations of love and loss. There are nine pictures printed on the front as well as the title. The shirts, which went on sale earlier this week, are available for 1,500 yen ($18) at the select Uniqlo outlets in Japan and online. The film opens in Japan Dec. 11.

The retail chain is also throwing in an extra goody to Murakami devotees: a discount off the admission ticket to go watch the film. Adult theatergoers receive a 300 yen markdown and students and children tickets are 200 yen off.

The trailer, if you haven’t heard about the film yet:

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Shugendō Now

This feature documentary is an experiential journey into the mystical practices of Japanese mountain asceticism. In Shugendô (The Way of Acquiring Power), practitioners perform ritual actions from shamanism, “Shintô,” Daoism, and Tantric Buddhism. They seek experiential truth of the teachings during arduous climbs in sacred mountains. Through the peace and beauty of the natural world, practitioners purify the six roots of perception, revitalize their energy and reconnect with their truest nature – all while grasping the fundamental interconnectedness with nature and all sentient beings.

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Japan’s Samurai Actors: A Dying Breed?

Samurai movies once made Japanese cinema famous worldwide.

In the 1950s, films such as the Seven Samurai by Akiro Kurosawa were extremely popular both in Japan and abroad.

But waning interest is now leaving many of Japan’s silver screen swordsmen out of work.

They probably have a point about the decline of samurai action movies, but it is a pretty huge stretch to claim that Japan’s samurai heritage is “dying out” because choreographed sword-fighting scenes aren’t as popular as they used to be.

Al Jazeera fails to inform viewers about the huge “history boom” taking place in Japan right now, which can be observed in high ratings for N-H-K’s historical TV dramas, sales of samurai-related video games, and increased tourism to castles and other samurai-related attractions.

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)