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Yokai Festival ("Yokai Matsuri") Field Report: August 24

It’s been a week since I came back to Tokyo from Yokai Festival ("Yokai Matsuri") in Toei Movie Land, Kyoto. Let’s wrap the field reports up with the details of the talk shows and the monster night parade on August 24.

In contrast to rainy weather on the day before, it was, fortunately, a sunny and hot day. While many visitors, like families and tourists, enjoyed various attractions in the land, fans of Yokai (folk monsters) and Kaidan (monster, ghost or horror stories) gathered at the Theater “Nakamura-za” for the first talk show “Kwai Radio ~ the vicinity of Yokai folk monsters ~” that started from 16:00. After Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Kenji Murakami and Satoshi Gunji as radio personalities had a chat over their real radio program which had been broadcasted every Saturday from November 2007 to March 2008, a music group Yokai Project (with Hirokatsu Kihara) and Yumeaki Hirayama joined their talks as guests. Here, my favorite part of the show was the message from Yokai Project; 'Yokai folk monsters actually want to be friends with humans.' Following this, Mr. Hirayama presented his funny experiences that he met people who quite look or behave like Yokai… yes, it seems that the distinction between human beings and Yokai folk monsters can be ambiguous and interlaced.

The second talk show, titled “The 13th World Yokai Conference” started at 18:00 with ‘Full House,’ even the standing room was packed up with enthusiastic Yokai-lovers.  On the stage of the Theater “Nakamura-za,” Hiroshi Aramata, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Katsumi Tada, Kenji Murakami, Satoshi Gunji and Etsuko Mizuki who is a daughter of Shigeru Mizuki enjoyed their talks. Firstly, they looked back the past World Yokai Conferences that has being held since 1996 with video clips, and summarized what Shigeru Mizuki had done for Yokai folk monsters so far. According to him, Yokai is a creation by people who felt something we cannot find by our eyes, and we need to make efforts to see what we cannot see so that Yokai can be cherished. Then, the panelists discussed that it is Shigeru Mizuki himself who is getting like Yokai folk monster. Ummm, it seems they got a point. In the end, there was a jolly video message from Mr. Mizuki that pleased all five-hundred audiences and the panelists in the theater.

When I left the Theater “Nakamura-za” with satisfaction at those talk shows, the sky already got dark. Finally, it was time for the gorgeous monster night parade as the finale. A hundred (probably there were more…) volunteers in Yokai costume walked from the gate of Town Magistrate’s Office to Center Plaza, and danced around the Yagura tower. In Old Shopping Street, children laughed and screamed, and many Yokai fans took pictures with them. I loved the atmosphere so much as it was so surrealistic!!

But it is not the end of the whole story about Yokai Festival (“Yokai Matsuri”)… After I left the Toei Movie Land to go back to Tokyo, I found the bullet trains, so-called Shinkansen, stopped their operations because of heavy rain around Shizuoka prefecture. In fact, Kyoto Station was so crowded with businessmen, tourists from overseas and also the participants of the Yokai Festival. Since the station worker suggested that I might need to stay a night in platform or Shinkansen, I decided to extend my stay here. I guess, quite possibly, Yokai caused this trouble to trick and kept us their favorite place, namely Kyoto. Thanks very much Toei Movie Land, and Yokai folk monsters please don’t miss me, I’ll be back!!

 

 

 

 

Mai KATO

Yuya Yagira's suicide attempt

I was shocked to hear this news...  Yuya Yagira attempted suicide and was hospitalized...

See Ryuganji's entry:

Yagira Yuya nearly emulates Heath Ledger

Michi

"Django" in NY this weekend and Miike interview

As I wrote in my previous entry, Takashi Miike's "Sukiyaki Western Django" is coming soon.  According to Ryuganji, it opens in NY on Aug 29, and in LA on Sep 12.  I am hoping that we will have it over here in SF area sometime later...

There is also an interview of Miike on Ryuganji blog.  Check it out!

Ryuganji Miike Interview entry

Michi Kaifu

Yokai Festival ("Yokai Matsuri") Field Report: August 23 – part 2

Today, I introduce the two talk shows that were held on August 23 at the Yokai Festival (“Yokai Matsuri”) at the Theater “Nakamura-za,” Toei Movie Land.

The first session that was titled “Kyoto Kaidan,” literally means the Yokai folk monster/ghost/horror stories of Kyoto, started from 16:00. Chaired by Masao Higashi who is the editor in chief of ghostly magazine “yoo,” four Japanese Kaidan authors spoke the unexplained stories that happened around Kyoto area. Yukito Ayatsuji, a native of Kyoto, delivered the hypothesis; it is possible that human being will forget real terror that can threatens their life or sanity, just as women can forget their fierce pain in childbirth. Then, Ichiro Nakayama talked about Japanese Yokai called “Zashiki-warashi.” Also, Nanami Kamon and Higashi Moriyama presented the mystery of Kyoto’s traditional Japanese restaurants, so-called “Ryotei,” “Ochaya” or “Machiaichaya,” which have a well inside their house.

From 18:00, the second session “Ironmen of Kaidan” began with a reading by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, a mystery writer whose novels have been often adapted for the movies. As the chairman Mr. Higashi describes that it is “the Olympic Games of Kaidan,” three other Kaidan writers, Tetsuzo Fukuzawa, Hirokatsu Kihara and Yumeaki Hirayama competed for the scariness of their stories. All their episodes were introduced as non-fiction, and their talks drew the audiences into their unknown world.

As for the talk shows and the monster night parade on August 24, I will write another report soon. See you later and Ciao!

 

 

Mai KATO

Yokai Festival ("Yokai Matsuri") Field Report: August 23 - part 1

Now in Kyoto, it is time to reach the climax of Toei Movie Land's Yokai Festival ("Yokai Matsuri") that has been held from July 19 to August 31. This weekend, August 23 and 24, some really special and unique events related to Yokai folk monsters have been scheduled, and I will deliver a fresh atmosphere of the festival from Kyoto!!

Although it rained from time to time, once the special shops opened at 14:00, the Old Shopping Street in Toei Movie Land was packed with Kaidan (Yokai folk monster/ghost/horror story)-lovers who rushed to get books autographed by popular author such as Shigeru Mizuki. Also, there were many varieties of goods, like towel, T-short, foods which the collectors cannot stop being seduced.

In front of the Old Kyoto Street Car, the famous Yokai animated character Kitaro in “Gegege no Kitaro” came out so that the children / family / lovers can take a picture with him. In fact, there was a long queue… you see how Kitaro is accepted as a Japanese people’s favorite.

If you go to the Center Plaza, you can enter the exhibition about Yokai folk Monsters, and enjoy the live concerts by a band called Yokai Project. I was so attracted by their jolly talks before/after the performance as well as their music.

Lastly, the talk shows at the Theater “Nakamura-za” were truly stunning. Today, there were two shows, and the guest speakers introduced their Kaidan stories that scare and make audiences laugh a lot. Tomorrow, there will be two more talk shows, so I am going to report the details together on later post.

If you live or travels near Kyoto, I truly recommend you to join the festival. Then, I will see you tomorrow for more reports!!

 

 

Mai KATO

No, wonder! It's Takashi Miike!

I accidentally stumbled across this TV drama called "Keitai Sousakan 7" ("Mobile Detective 7") while I was in Japan in July. It's a cyber-detective story, featuring a mobile phone-shape robot and a high-school student, mainly targeted at kids and young adults.  My son loves it, so I am renting the earlier episodes of this drama series, and somehow, I am SO into it.

So I did a little googling, and found out why - IT WAS SUPERVISED BY TAKASHI MIIKE!!  No wonder!

The drama is on TV Tokyo, the least significant of all the TV channel line up in Tokyo, who survives with an odd combination of kids animations (Pokemon et al.) and economic news by Nikkei.  So it is the most suitable venue for this strange hodgepodge of high-tech, suspense, humor, sarcasm, horror, pop culture etc.  And YES! That is what exactly Miike is!

(and of course, it is sponsored by Softbank Mobile - a mobile phone company in Japan, and Bandai - the toy maker.)

I hope this program will be someday picked up by G4 in the U.S.

DVD on sale in the U.S. - "HANA"

Another favorite movie of mine that came out in the past few months is "HANA - The Tale of a Reluctant Samurai" by Director Hirokazu Koreeda.

It is a "jidai-gei" (samurai period drama), but is rather a heart-warming human story with lots of laughs, not a sword-swinging adrenalin-filled hero story.  Towards the end, I felt the "anti-revenge" story was a bit too prominent, maybe because I saw it among full-theater of San Francisco art-loving, war-hating people, but that was rather small, compared to the overall enjoyment of the film.  Supported by numerous skillful actors/actresses (Rie Miyazawa, Tadanobu Asano - who played Ghenghis Khan in "Mongol", Teruyuki Kagawa,etc., etc...), Junichi Okada did a good job playing the whimpy samurai whose duty is to kill a guy who killed his father years ago.

The only reason I hesitated to write about it till now is the fact that Junichi Okada is a part of Johnny's Jimusho (see here) and I am a bit annoyed by JJ's policy (very strict about showing JJ's stars photos online).  But in fact I really liked the lightheartedness, with a sprinkle of sarcasm, and beautiful screens of this movie, and I thought it is just fair to write about it.

"HANA" official site by Funimation

by Michi Kaifu

Greetings from Japan!!

Here a new writer comes to HOGA CENTRAL. My name is Mai Kato, and I am currently working as a research assistant for an educational institution in Tokyo. Although my recent field is museum management, I was also in film studies during my postgraduate.

Based in Japan, I will post the reviews, news and a variety of articles as one of the Japanese cinemagoers and sometimes as a film researcher. For instance, I will report coming Yokai Festival ("Yokai Matsuri") from Toei Movie Land, Kyoto (see also its official English website and our previous posts "Introduction of Toei Movie Land" / "Yokai (Monster) Festival at Toei Movie Land") on August 23 and 24.

Talking of August 23, it is the release of a live film adaptation of a popular Manga serial “Detroit Metal City” in Japan. Starring Kenichi Matsuyama, famous for his acting as L in “Death Note” film series, this film can be a rival for Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo on the Cliff” (aka “Gake no ue no Ponyo”) in box-office. Let’s see what will happen.

It was great to say hello to everyone, and I will see you again soon.

Mai KATO

Just watched new feature-film version "EVANGELION"

I am not a huge "robot anime" fan originally, but recently, thanks to my tween-age son, I finally am getting a glimpse of Japan's famed robot anime franchises, such as "Gandum" and "Patlabor".

Now finally, I can add "Evangelion" in my list here.  The new feature-film version "EVANGELION: 1.0 YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE", released in 2007 in Japan, is the first of four-part series, and is supposed to be a totally new production, but still is based on TV-animated series, widely considered the epoc-making franchise in Japanese animation industry in the 90's.

"Evangelion" is not exactly a robot - it looks like a huge robot, but is supposed to be a man-made human, attached organically with a pilot.  It is not a super-hero either.  It is destined to save the destiny of human beings, half of which had been blown away by a disastrous blast 15 years ago, and are getting attacked by series of mosters called "apostles", but its pilot is a shy, lonely 14-year-old boy and is not ready to take on such a scarely task.

As you can imagine, it is not a typical gun-ho super-hero movie either.  The tone of the music and conversation throughout the film is quite melancholic.  Detailed depiction of mechanical items, including the facility of the city and the defence force base, is at the level of maniacs.  The story follows the lonely and depressed psychology of the boy, with so many dark mysteries and mysterious bible (or non-authorized bible) related terminologies planted all over the place.

So...did I like it?  I am not sure.  Even with such atypical characteristics, women (including a 14-year old girl, another pilot of Evangelion) are pictured as the typical typical "rolita" figures (kindergartener face with a huge breast), which bothered me a little bit in following the tone and the story.  The whole tone is "dark", not much comic relief in between. 

Still, I am pretty sure that I will watch the next one.  My friend who watched this before told me that this first part traces the original TV series almost exactly, though Wikipedia description tells that the story will eventually departs from the original and will have a different ending.  So I am just curious.  I have to rent it anyway when it comes out, for my son...

"EVANGELION: 1.0" still does not have U.S. distributor, but DVD's of original TV series and previous feature films are sold here.

"Ghost in the Shell II: Innocence" in San Francisco on 8/10

Just noticed that Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell II : Innocence" (攻殻機動隊２：イノセンス） is to be shown at Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco on August 10, as a part of "the stoned apocalypse" series.

YBCA "the stoned apocalypse" page

Mamoru Oshii's new film "Sky Crawler" was just released in Japan last weekend, and it is in the competition of Venice Film Festival later in the month - great month for Oshii fans around the Bay Area.