Free Screening of Zen + Zazen Session in Tokyo

Last month I was told about an upcoming movie entitled Zen (『禅 ZEN』), which depicts the life of 13th century religious figure and philosopher Dôgen, who was the founding father of the Sôtô sect of Zen Buddhism in Japan (the country's largest).

The Sôtô school emphasizes a particular brand of shikantaza, "zazen meditation in which one focuses on sitting without actively seeking enlightenment" (couch potato joke withheld by request).

I was told the distributor, Kadokawa Pictures, was looking for opinions from non-Japanese attendees at the series of press screenings being held before Zen's release on January 10th. You can see a trailer and read background about the film on the official site (Japanese only). The director is veteran filmmaker Banmei Takahashi (高橋伴明監督).

Then came word from friend and longtime Japan resident Rob Schwartz, a journalist who writes the Japanese film reviews for Metropolis and runs his own record label, that there would be a public screening specifically for foreigners:

Date: Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Venue: Myôgon Temple, Toyokawa Inari, Tokyo Betsu-in (妙巌寺 豊川稲荷　東京別院), 1-4-7 Motoakasaka, Minato-ku (港区元赤坂1-4-7)

Time: 6:45pm (doors open), 7:15~7:35 (zazen session, with English interpretation), 7:40~9:47 (screening, with english subtitles)

Entrance Fee: Free

In Attendance: Lead actor Nakamura Kantarô (中村勘太郎), who is also a well-known kabuki performer


If you want to attend, please RSVP by contacting Rob Schwartz at rob[at mark]dynasticrecords.com by the afternoon of January 5th. Please note, the screening is only for non-Japanese guests.

I can tell you that a screening like this is a very rare case in the film industry here, so be there or be one hand clapping.

Yoji Yamada Pays Homage to Kon Ichikawa with Otouto

Japanese film fans may be interested to read about Yamada Yôji's latest film production (his 81st). Entitled Otouto (『おとうと』), which means "younger brother", it's a family drama starring Yoshinaga Sayuri and Shofukutei Tsurube that pays homage to Ichikawa Kon's 1960 film of the same name (see Midnight Eye review here).

Read more about it in my article for Screen here (don't forget, Asia articles are free).

A Merry Christmas from JG

A very Merry Christmas to my regular visitors, you know who you are, and those just dropping in! For most people in Tokyo, Christmas is all about shopping, Christmas Eve dates and sprawling illuminations (economic woes have scaled those back in recent years). Family time is reserved for New Year's (oshôgatsu).

John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" are in constant rotation around the city, but as usual I'll be putting on the first third of "Fairytale of New York (Christmas in the Drunk Tank)" by The Pogues, the Bing Crosby-David Bowie duet of "Peace on Earth - Little Drummer Boy" and the original version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (the remake was yuck).

There are even Japanese covers of Wham's classic "Last Christmas" courtesy of EXILE, and going back a few years further, Bayside Shakedown star Oda Yûji...Dou omou?

Pictured above is a very nice tree that was in the lobby of the resort we stayed at in Thailand last week. If you look closely you can see photos attached to the branches. The hotel organized a gift drive for underprivileged kids at the local elementary school, who wrote out their wishes. Most of them wanted stationary supplies or new running shoes. So here's to them.

First Image from Sabu's Kanikosen (The Crab Cannery Ship)

Usually there's very little news published on the Emperor's Birthday (Tennô Tanjôbi, 天皇誕生日) but yesterday Nikkan Sports ran an article about Sabu's latest film, The Crab Cannery Ship (Kanikôsen,『蟹工船』-- which reminds me, I have to come up with an export title).

I previously wrote about the film on here and for Screen (see my November 12th entry). As we've all heard, Sabu is adapting this famed piece of proletarian literature his way, as you can see!

One thing I like about Sabu is his strong belief in his own work. "[The Crab Cannery Ship] will definitely become a classic. It'll surprise the world," he states. Sabu also hopes the film clicks with disaffected youth. "The amazing sets really ratcheted up the tension," commented star Matsuda Ryûhei.

The film is set for release next summer and IMJ Entertainment will push the film internationally, so hopefully Sabu fans and everyone else will be able to see it sooner than later.

Oshii's Assault Girl to go Feature-length

Very quickly -- reader Raku sent me a link to an eiga.com article from last week about feature omnibus Kill (Kiru, 『斬〜KILL〜』) to confirm whether it mentioned the possibility of a feature version of Assault Girl. It does. Both Oshii Mamoru and star Kikuchi Rinko want to do it but the details aren't set. Oshii has already shot some location footage and should know by next May or June what the production's schedule will be.

I didn't see Kill, which closes with Oshii's own Assault Girl 2, nor did I see last year's The Women of Fast Food, which featured Oshii's original Assault Girl short. The whole concept does very little for me but I know a lot of people are excited by the prospect of 90+ minutes of Kikuchi in black leathers cutting down foes.

Notes on K-20 / Japan Close-Up / BCI Belly Up

Before I left for Thailand I had to finish off a couple of jobs, one of which was translating the press notes for K-20: Legend of the Mask (K-20: Kaijin Nijû Mensô Den, 『K-20 怪人二十面相・伝』). Website Sci-Fi Japan, who checked out (and greatly enjoyed) the film at AFM, have scored them from the good people at NTV along with some images. See it all attractively presented here.

K-20 Trivia 1: K-20 is the biggest production ever directed by a woman in Japanese film history. Spending time with director Satô Shimako was fun -- she is one cool lady.

K-20 Trivia 2: Inventor/engineer Nikola Tesla figures heavily into the film's plot. Who is one of the world's leading experts on Tesla? None other than American horror meister Eli Roth.

See collected posts that mention K-20 here. K-20: Legend of the Mask opens in Japan tomorrow.


Another job was a feature article for Japan-based English magazine Japan Close-Up. The essay looks at the reasons behind the production boom/glut in the Japanese film industry in recent years, put into historical and financial context. It was a good excercise in boiling down and taking a fresh look at many of the things I've been writing about for Screen International over the past three years. Several of the topics touched on come up in Kanazawa Makoto's film industry overview for the February 2008 edition of magazine Aera, which Don Ryuganji has taken the time to translate here and there.


Marc Walkow provides comprehensive coverage of the demise of American DVD label BCI Eclipse. BCI recently released Sabu's Unlucky Monkey (see my November 24th entry) and were set to release more interesting Japanese titles which Marc worked hard to provide supplementary materials for...Time and again it's been proven -- the margins on Japanese films and Asian films in general, when they're marketed as a "genre", are too small or even money-losing no matter how lovingly packaged they are. It's becoming like the music industry -- live shows (in this context, film festivals) are where it's at while sales of personal media formats are drying up.

Tyger! Tyger!

I am back in chilly Tokyo after a stay in Thailand that was both relaxing (our favourite resort paradise) and stimulating (local culture, historical sites and natural wonders).

Above is a shot of me and some new friends at the Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno Forest Monastery, nicknamed "Tiger Temple". This place of Buddhism and wildlife is absolutely unique in the world. Explore the official website to learn about how the sanctuary began and its ambitious plans for the future.

Part of me was ready to spring off that rock at a moment's notice, but in fact the situation was very safe. The chains may seem cruel but they're only on when the public arrive at the "tiger canyon" to meet the great beasts for a few hours. The monks and numerous animal loving volunteers from around the world that make this place possible have only the best of intentions. It's not only tigers -- camels, water buffalo and wild boars roam free while a leopard and lions are among the secured creatures.

But what keeps the striped stars of the show from snacking on all the humans walking around? Being hand raised and fed boiled meat rather than raw helps. Nonetheless, all visitors sign a waiver at the entrance to the grounds.

Trivia question: what famous American movie (one of my all time favourites) features a scene with a caged tiger and dialogue that mentions the source of this blog entry's title?

Not far away, we also visited the legendary bridge that spans the Khwae Yai River (made famous in the novel and film The Bridge over the River Kwai).

Hope to put up a Flickr photo set with comments, time permitting.

Treasures of Buddhism & Martial Arts Movies

Haven't been spending much time in front of the electronic brain lately -- I'm in the middle of a vacation in the Kingdom of Thailand.

Pictured above is Khao Luang cave in the provincial capital of Phetchaburi. 99 stone steps lead you down into a cavernous underground world where five separate chambers house 170 revered Buddha statues, including a 12-foot sitting monument (pictured right) and a giant, smiling Buddha lying on his side. The collection was curated and maintained by King Rama V in respect to IV, who is buried there with his multiple wives. The statues are not limited to Thai embodiments of the religion but also Indian and Chinese. The cave's massive stalactites and gnarled rock walls are illuminated by sunlight streaming into the two largest chambers.

A few kilometers away, Phetchaburi Palace ("Khao Wang"), which served as Rama IV's summer house, is equally stunning. The combination of European and Thai architecture and decor is fascinating. Both sites were crawling with monkeys hoping to score food and drinks from careless tourists. It might have been my imagination, but when you attempt to get closer to snap a photo, they'll turn away and scratch their asses. I'll post a Flickr slideshow at a later date.



Being in Thailand and being the martial arts movie fan I am, I made time to see Ong Bak 2. For an in-depth review and background from a Thai film expert, see here.

Having watched MA films regularly for the past 25 years or so, I can confidently claim it's one of the greatest displays of pure physical ability ever committed to celluloid. There are too many jaw-dropping action highlights to list but I will say that the fights that take place on and around the elephants have to be seen to be believed. One other aspect that warrants mentioning is the range of martial art styles paraded out. The kung fu master recalls Shaw Brothers star Lo Meng at his peak, there's a Zatoichi lookalike, a 7-foot high White Lotus, 36 Chambers-style training, ninjas, a wild she-cat with sharpened fangs and more. Jaa himself even pays homage to, and perhaps goes beyond, Jackie Chan's best drunken fu.

Despite all this, Ong Bak 2 surprisingly avoids coming off as a stunt and fight showreel -- it's a full blooded movie. The story may be simplistic but it effectively sets up the revenge that burns in Tony Jaa's character of Tien since childhood, enhanced by the well-edited time jumping structure. Tony Jaa proves he can direct more than just action but smartly sticks to drama that springs from action.

Midnight movie audiences around the world will cry tears of worship. To all my friends and acquaintances who program films at fantastic fests in Europe and North America -- disregard all rules about premieres and proximity and just show it.

On a tangent, I was quite impressed with the facilities at the Major Cineplex chain as far as screen, sound and seats. Interestingly, there were two different seating prices. The first two blocks closest to the screen were slightly cheaper than the third block at the back for some reason. In any case, at 130/150 baht, admission is less than a quarter of Japan's full ticket price. Films here are subtitled, too. After the 25 minutes of trailers and ads wrapped up, I joined everyone as they stood for the anthem. I didn't want to end up like this guy.

Tokyo Koyo

Yesterday I rushed down to Roppongi to attend a press conference for Body of Lies with Ridley Scott in attendance. Too bad that in my mountain of email I didn't notice that it had been cancelled on December 1st due to Scott's chronic lumbar condition. Other than four or five uninformed bozos that rocked up, myself included, the ballroom was silent.

I had my camera with me anyway, so I drifted over to Tokyo Midtown's Hinokichô Park and took some photos of the fall colours ("kôyô") that last well into winter. See a slideshow here.

Enjoyable nighttime viewing of momiji and other trees was had at my local onsen. Only 1200 yen after 9pm to soak all your troubles away...

Fuji TV: Waiting for the Light

Snapped this photo of a subway ad for this week's video release of The Magic Hour (『ザ・マジックアワー』), on sale in three configurations no less: Standard Edition, double-disc Special Edition and Blu-ray.

Mitani Kôki fans will be glad to know the above discs all have English subtitles. Not sure about the making-of and extras, though.

Other than Ponyo and some cross-postings of Screen articles I've stuck to my rule of not talking box office numbers in blog entries, but we're almost at the end of the year so what the hell. The Magic Hour earned a very respectable $42m (Y3.9b) and might hang on to its year-end Top 10 position (currently hovering at around #9) if releases such as WALL·E, K-20: Legend of the Mask, Akai Ito and Body of Lies don't step up.

As you know, The Magic Hour was produced by a production consortium led by Fuji TV, who churn out a considerable percentage of Japan's biggest live action hits (including all time champ Bayside Shakedown 2). But their success at home seems to be in inverse proportion to their ability to sell to North America.

Not that their broadcast rivals are doing that much better, but both TBS and NTV have sold and had films released Stateside. Dororo's production ties to Universal HW helped the former. Viz Pictures' co-ownership by two of Japan's biggest publishers (Shueisha and Shogakukan) has and will continue to help the release of movies based on said publishers' manga properties for NTV, TBS, Shochiku any anybody else (NA 20th Century Boys fans, be patient).

Maybe that's one problem -- instead of manga, Fuji TV predominantly does big screen blow-ups of its own TV dramas which nobody sees outside of Asia. The one show they produced that everyone knows, Iron Chef, is the one they didn't turn into a movie. Meanwhile, Mitani is a hyphenate talent who writes megasuccessful originals -- a rare combination here (like, only him) but just hasn't clicked with eigo-speaking buyers yet.

Marc Walkow and I were talking about this phenomenon when he was here. Fuji TV was a pioneer as far as broadcasters producing movies, including 1983's Antarctica (directed by FILMeX retrospective subject Kurahara Koreyoshi), later remade as Eight Below. Going further back, they also produced Gosha Hideo chambara titles Goyokin and Tenchu! (Hitokiri).

Maybe suspense-romance Amalfi: Megami no 50-byô or Nobody to Watch Over Me (Dare Mo Mamotte Kurenai,『誰も守ってくれない』) will tickle English buyers. The latter picked up a best screenplay award in Montreal. Another snapshot of Japanese society, the excellent I Just Didn't Do It, didn't get far beyond the district court of opinion but did screen at fests including New York and was Japan's bid for the foreign film Oscar.

In the end, none of the majors are really "waiting for the light" of a North American deal, just hoping...Thoughts?

Showtimes for English-Subtitled Tokyo Sonata

Back on November 20 I mentioned the Dec 13 English-subtitled release of Tokyo Sonata at Cinem@rt Roppongi. Well, now the film's official site has been updated to include all the info you need, including showtimes. Get it here.

TOKYO FILMeX Awards

In my morning haze after last night's closing party at TOKYO FILMeX, here is a link to my awards wrap-up for Screen, which went up yesterday before festivities began. I think this year was a great edition with plenty of strong work (both new and old), a highly respectable jury and a good time for all involved.

Update: Ryuganji is back in action after a few months off with a fairly extensive recap of the festival, featuring plenty of thoughts on the J-content, including that four hour film.