Japan

A group of old men take over an empty house and proclaim it to be a new “country” they have founded, called Yama. (“Yamato” is one of the oldest names for Japan, “yama” itself means “mountain.”) The men basically refuse to be thrown out of this domicile by some gangsters, and they are successful for several months. Their resistance started on December 8th, the date Pearl Harbor was bombed (not the 7th because one crosses the International Date Line and gains a day while heading west from the U.S.) and lasts until August 15th, the date when Japan officially surrendered at the end of World War II.Read More »

Quote:
When a naïve young man (Shinichi Tsutsumi) and his lazy best friend attempt to rob a bank, they find another robber has beaten them to the punch. After the original robber and the best friend are killed the young man serendipitously gets the 80 million yen. But when he accidentally stabs an innocent hairdresser, a cause-and-effect situation quickly spirals out of control. Meanwhile, a trio of yakuza mistakenly kill a powerful mob boss. As their paths continue to cross, the story displays some interesting parallels about just-out-of-reach redemption and the unlikelihood of atoning for one’s sins, all delivered in a black comedy package.Read More »

Yoshiaki Masaki left his family for a career as designer in Tokyo. After his father’s death he quits job and girlfriend and returns in the small town to take over the family’s weaving mill. However his mother has already sold it – against his will. Stuck in the provinces, he seeks to establish a new company against heavy competition and with none of his relatives believing in him.Read More »

imdb wrote:
Sayo has just celebrated her sixteenth birthday when she attends a temple festival. On her way back she sees a large cherry tree which is infamous for the legend of dead white horse. When her fiancé returns from war and visits her he comes across a white horse which he takes in. The man also does not see himself engaged anymore as his family has lost its wealth.Read More »

imdb:
Set in the late 1980’s at the height of Japan’s bubble economy. Midori, a struggling art student, decides to apply for a job as a hostess at one of the upscale nightclubs in Tokyo’s Ginza district. She quickly earns the attention of several wealthy executives, and soon finds herself involved with a resort hotel owner as his business partner and mistress. The bubble soon bursts, however, and Midori’s future is fading just as suddenly as it shone.Read More »

letterboxd:
Akira leaves for the Mt. Gassan foothills before winter’s onset, visiting the local temple and interacting with the residents all while falling for fair Fumiko.Read More »

It depicts the half-life of a Korean man who was forcibly taken to Japan during the Pacific War.
(Source: J-Wiki)

~~ Adapted from the novel “The Three Straits” (三たびの海峡) by Hahakigi Hosei (帚木蓬生), which was inspired by 1939 recruitment of Koreans during the Japanese colonial era. Read More »

Synopsis: Japanese sixties comedy featuring a cunning female jewel thief named Black Lizard who tries to kidnap Sanaye, a wealthy jeweler’s beautiful daughter as part of a plot to steal the jeweler’s expensive “Star of Egypt” diamond. To thwart the planned kidnapping, the jeweler hires Japan’s number one detective, the brilliant Akechi. This sets off a dual between Black Lizard and Akechi as each tries to outwit the other. In the process, the two adversaries develop a mutual respect and affection for each other. Despite Akechi’s efforts, Black Lizard and her crew are able to kidnap Sanaye and gain possession of the “Star of Egypt”. Black Lizard takes Sanaye to her secret lair on a remote island which is populated by an eerie collection of naked human dolls. There Black Lizard plans to preserve Sanaye’s beauty forever by turning her into one of her dolls. As Sanaye’s doom quickly approaches, it is up to Akechi to save the day.Read More »

imdb:
A mysterious street-painter, Jouji, wanders aimlessly, homeless. Together with his homeless pals, he makes his living by selling his paintings on the street. His paintings, dynamically exploding on pieces of cardboard, catch the eyes of Kyoko, an art dealer. He can feel alive only if he keeps painting, but unable to find something to fill his void inside, he tries to drown himself in alcohol. Drawn to Jouji, Kyoko commissions him to paint for her. The two travel to a secluded mountain-side, and there Jouji becomes inspired both by the natural surroundings and Kyoko herself.Read More »