In Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata, the four members of the Sasaki family are intimately followed after a tragic event affects the father early in the film. Due to the catastrophic nature of the event, the audience is quickly exposed to the individual secrets of the Sasaki family and how a family’s values could be perceived as decomposing in modern Japan. As the story progresses, each family member encounters or exposes their own obstacles in life, leading to a conclusion which, is ultimately left open to the viewer’s perception.
Within minutes of opening, the father, Ryuhei, walks away from his job rather than be laid off in the immediate future (due to the growing practice of outsourcing). In order to avoid the dishonor of this event, Ryuhei cleverly covers up and hides his unemployment from the family. Ryuhei is seen leaving for work each day in a suit and tie and returns late in the evening, just as he would have previously. Yet, the truth is an attempt to overcome his unemployment and the potential for disgrace in the eyes of his family and community. Even when the problem of unemployment is resolved, Ryuhei continues to avoid the truth. As a former director in a large company, Ryuhei expects more meaningful employment, yet struggles with accepting his fate as a simple mall janitor. All of these obstacles take their toll on the character as observed in his attitude towards the family, whether it is with his wife, or with his sons. A horrible consequence of Ryuhei’s rage presents itself when the family receives a letter from their younger son’s (Kenji) teacher asking for them to allow him to attend music school. Kenji ultimately ends up in the hospital due to his father’s overwhelming rage. This situation only further increas...
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...or Kenji, his path to overcome his father’s disapproval for playing piano is a bit more creative. Kenji, who receives an allowance for lunch, decides to take his lunch money and use it to pay for secret piano lessons. These lessons eventually pay off as Kenji is apparently a budding pianist and appears to gain his father’s approval as the film concludes during a piano recital.
In Tokyo Sonata, all four members of the Sasaki family are presented with interesting obstacles that each must overcome or resolve in their own ways. The values of the Sasaki family are challenged in a way that most definitely describes a growing trend in our world, where family values are slowly disintegrating and people are accepting individual values over family values. In closing, the Sasaki’s appear to be on the right track towards unifying again, yet the reality is not clearly laid out.
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
Soon after Papa’s arrest, Mama relocated the family to the Japanese immigrant ghetto on Terminal Island. For Mama this was a comfort in the company of other Japanese but for Jeanne it was a frightening experience. It was the first time she had lived around other people of Japanese heritage and this fear was also reinforced by the threat that her father would sell her to the “Chinaman” if she behaved badly. In this ghetto Jeanne and he ten year old brother were teased and harassed by the other children in their classes because they could not speak Japanese and were already in the second grade. Jeanne and Kiyo had to avoid the other children’s jeers. After living there for two mo...
When Denny’s late wife Eve dies, his whole world is changed. Trish and Maxwell - the evil Twins - plot against Denny by pulling him into a major court battle. As a result, Denny is forced to sacrifice major opportunities in order to win custody of his daughter, Zoë. “ “I appreciate your generous offer,” he [Denny] said. “But I’m afraid certain things prevent me from leaving this country – or even this state – at the moment. So I have to decline.” (Stein 276) Luca Pantoni – a man that worked at Ferrari – asked Denny if he wanted to move out to Italy with his family where he could test cars for a living. With the major court battle going on Denny had to politely refuse the offer. Knowing Denny’s personality it would have been difficult for him to decline such a great offer, but at that moment he had to think about his family first. Next to Eve, Zoë is the most important person in Denny’s life. The death of Eve was unexpected for both Denny and Zoë, but Denny could not let his sadness and frustration show...
The character, Miss Sasaki, who was left trapped, disabled and severely injured, by the dropping of the bomb suffered more in the long haul, from the emotional impact than just the physical destruction alone. Not only was she physically disabled, but also emotionally disabled, as the overwhelming feeling of being hopeless is a permanent psychological scar on the brain. Being unable to walk properly for the remainder of her life, Miss Sasaki, knew that she would no longer be able to provide for her family anymore; in Japanese cultural the honor of their family is of utmost importance, similar in nature to radical religious groups. Also of Japanese cultural priorities, were that of marriage. In Japan, women who were married were looked upon with higher statue and class. Miss Sasaki knew that her chances of getting married now had been reduced and for a woman of this time, that realization, also leaves damaged emotional baggage within herself. All of the aforementioned, left Miss Sasaki depressed for years to come and ultimately left her a permanent emotional scar affecting the rest of her life. By including the accounts of Miss Sasaki, in this book, John Hersey, exposes to the readers, that atomic warfare not only affects the human body physically for years to come but also
Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai is a film that encompasses various ideologies in order to allow the audience to understand the lives of Japanese people during the 1600’s. The film delves deep in social issues of the roles of the people within the society, the expectations as well as the obligations within the respected castes and elements within groups of ; suffering, working together, protecting family and working for the better good of the community.
In the book Hiroshima, author paints the picture of the city and its residents' break point in life: before and after the drop of the "Fat Boy". Six people - six different lives all shattered by the nuclear explosion. The extraordinary pain and devastation of a hundred thousand are expressed through the prism of six stories as they seen by the author. Lives of Miss Toshiko Sasaki and of Dr. Masakazu Fujii serve as two contrasting examples of the opposite directions the victims' life had taken after the disaster. In her "past life" Toshiko was a personnel department clerk; she had a family, and a fiancé. At a quarter past eight, August 6th 1945, the bombing took her parents and a baby-brother, made her partially invalid, and destroyed her personal life. Dr. Fujii had a small private hospital, and led a peaceful and jolly life quietly enjoying his fruits of the labor. He was reading a newspaper on the porch of his clinic when he saw the bright flash of the explosion almost a mile away from the epicenter. Both these people have gotten through the hell of the A-Bomb, but the catastrophe affected them differently. Somehow, the escape from a certain death made Dr. Fujii much more self-concerned and egotistic. He began to drown in self-indulgence, and completely lost the compassion and responsibility to his patients.
I watched The Family Game (Kazoku Gemo) by Yoshimitsu Morita. While initially hesitant I wound up loving the movie. It was a satire that succeeded both in being a pleasure to watch and also at times absolutely hilarious. The Family Game is basically a satire about Japan’s new middle class in the 1980s. The film intermixes industrial imagery between scenes which give the film a bleak feel. At the lowest level this is a movie about Shigeyuki Numata, a clearly intelligent student who (unlike his brother Shinichi) is largely unconcerned about his academics and does poorly in school. Shigeyuki’s father, a white-collar worker who is evidently comparatively affluent (but by no means “rich), relents to finding his son a tutor (e.g. what Sugimoto describes as “shadow education”). Yoshimoto takes on the challenge of increasing Shigeyuki’s grades and is relentless and demanding in his approach. However, on a more abstract level this is a film with much larger aspirations. The Family Game explores the problems with the educational systems in Japan, a dysfunctional Japanese family, gender roles, ...
Throughout history artists have used art as a means to reflect the on goings of the society surrounding them. Many times, novels serve as primary sources in the future for students to reflect on past history. Students can successfully use novels as a source of understanding past events. Different sentiments and points of views within novels serve as the information one may use to reflect on these events. Natsume Soseki’s novel Kokoro successfully encapsulates much of what has been discussed in class, parallels with the events in Japan at the time the novel takes place, and serves as a social commentary to describe these events in Japan at the time of the Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor.
Japanese film serves as a lens through which one observe Japan’s shifting culture in the era of the post-war period; specifically one can trace the changing social perceptions and obligations of women. Departures is a prime film to examine the role of women within Japanese society due to the variety of women it offers up for analysis within and outside of the film. While Departures has a male director and is not overtly dealing with women, Daigo is consistently guided and influenced by the women in the film, who are featured much more prominently in both major and minor roles. This film speaks to large universal themes and questions such as death and family, however Takita uses specific Japanese customs and filial traditions to frame these
When looking at much of the world’s ethical views and morals today, many of its standards can draw back to that of the samurai. This warrior class of Feudal Japan contributed greatly to the development of social values that people today constantly follow. It is important to look to past events and cultures to enrich the future and the ideals of the samurai are ones that better people in self fulfilling ways. Whether it be to instill positive values to children or applied to become successful in the “real world”, the virtues and morals set forth by the samurai are invaluable teachings that will influence society for many years to come.
Japan has historically taken ideas from the United States on its business, merchandise, or other corporate sectors to improve within its political borders. These practices have become massive cultural and economic movements in Japan. Interestingly, Japan takes ideas and molds them into Japanese culture and style; therefore, these products are “Japanized.” To further elaborate on this statement, Japan has succeeded in its businesses and corporations such as the automobile industries around the world (for example, the NUMMI plant production transcended those of American automobile productions due to an enhanced Japanese corporate culture). Albeit many Japanese industries have roots in the United States, they have expanded globally. The music
August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, tells a story of a family haunted by the pain of their past and their struggle to find peace to move forward. The story begins with character Boy Willie coming up from the south visiting his sister Bernice. Boy Willie introduces the idea of selling the family’s heirloom, a piano, to raise enough money to buy the land on which his ancestors were enslaved. However, both Boy Willie and his sister Berniece own half a half of the piano and she refuses to let Boy Willie sell it. Through the use of symbolism, Wilson uses his characters, the piano and the family’s situation to provide his intended audience with the lesson of exorcising our past in order to move forward in our lives. Our past will always be a part of our lives, but it does not limit or determine where we can go, what we can do, or who we can become.
As the story unfolds, Tan suggests that the piano symbolizes different things. For Ni Kan, it is the unwanted pressure her mother inflicts upon. She argues, “Why don’t you like me the way I am? I’m not a genius! I can’t play the piano” (751). However, her mother sees it as a way for her daughter to become the best. Ultimately, the young girl decides to rebel against her mother’s wishes. During her piano lessons with Mr. Chong, her piano teacher, she learns easy ways to get out of practicing. Ni Kan discovers “that Old Chong’s eyes were too slow to keep up with the wrong notes [she] was playing” (751). As a result, Ni Kan performs miserably in a talent show where her parents and friends from the Joy Luck Club attend. Feeling the disapproval and shame from her mother, she decides to stop practicing the piano.
In the best-selling novel entitled Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, Golden examines the secret world of the geisha. Contrary of what is often believed, geisha are far from being prostitutes; they are more accurately High-class Japanese entertainers. Arthur Golden shows the reader a completely different look on life in looking into the lives of geisha in mid-twentieth century Gion and sends a very strong message distinguishing the geisha and the prostitutes.
“This story takes place in Tokyo after World War II” and the drop of the atom bomb. After Hiroshima, countless lives were disrupted the shock of this event changed many peoples lives forever. The author Yukio Mishima uniquely describes this evolution from the female perspective. Probably an ability acquired from his youth “That was dominated by his grandmother.” In the story the lead characters Toshiko’s comfortable life is interrupted when her nanny graphically gives birth to a son in the middle of her child’s nursery. This one horrific experience causes the character’s personality to complete alter from self-centered individual to someone so engrossed with this child’s life that she becomes selfless.