Masters Of The Fountain Pen

[betweenthelens]

Persco, I will have to check that one out. I've not seen it. Thank you. All of Kurosawa's films have his masterful touch and I can't imagine one not fulfilling my expectations for a meaningful cinematic experience. It would be great fun to have one's own Kurosawa film festival. I may do that- have friends over who are film buffs, show one of Kurosawa's films and have a discussion afterward. Nice activity for cold winter nights.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Anyway, Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai are indispensable actors to Kurosawa's works.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFbrLMc4cI

[terminal]

I really like these journals with the marbled sides

 

 

http://misuzudo.shop13.makeshop.jp/shopdetail/002001000014/

 

[betweenthelens]

Kota, thank you so much for that video! Fantastic! I'd not ever heard a discussion about the filming or anything about behind the scenes of Ran and it was a real treat to listen to Tatsuya Nakadai expound on this. He's a brilliant actor and he certainly doesn't look in his 70s in the video, either. I can see where Kurosawa was exasperated with Nakadai's lack of wrinkles when he was but 50. Thank you again!

[notVirtuThe3rd]

I really like these journals with the marbled sides

 

I have blue one. Actually it looks really beautiful. A friend of mine purchased "accordion-album" at the shop. When he showd it to me this October, I was reminded of Japanese traditional folding screen "Byobu". Byobu is used in rooms for prevention of winds from outside, for partition of a big room, and decoration. The surface of Byobu is coverd with paper, and Yamato-e (Japanese traditional pictures); Japanese rural scenery, plum trees or cherry blossoms, flowers and birds, for example. Gold foil and silver foil are used for pictures, so it's very decorative.

 

 

accordion-album

 

 

Japanese traditional folding screen "Byobu"

 

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Kota, thank you so much for that video! Fantastic! I'd not ever heard a discussion about the filming or anything about behind the scenes of Ran and it was a real treat to listen to Tatsuya Nakadai expound on this. He's a brilliant actor and he certainly doesn't look in his 70s in the video, either. I can see where Kurosawa was exasperated with Nakadai's lack of wrinkles when he was but 50. Thank you again!

 

You're more than welcome.

I feel so happy to be able to talk with you about Japanese films as a huge movie buff in Japan. lol

[betweenthelens]

Oh, did you see Rhapsody in August? Do you enjoy anime, too? I'm a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, etc.). Also, have you seen Twilight Samurai? Another great. I also enjoy Japanese fiction immensely. My favorite author is Haruki Murakami and I also love Banana Yoshimoto, Mishima, Koji Suzuki, Junichiro Tanazaki, Natsume Soseki, Hideaki Sena, Yusuke Kishi, and Kobo Abe's Woman in the Dunes.

[persco]

Persco, I will have to check that one out. I've not seen it. Thank you. All of Kurosawa's films have his masterful touch and I can't imagine one not fulfilling my expectations for a meaningful cinematic experience. It would be great fun to have one's own Kurosawa film festival. I may do that- have friends over who are film buffs, show one of Kurosawa's films and have a discussion afterward. Nice activity for cold winter nights.

 

 

That would be fun! I'll crash it, lol. Just kidding. Toronto's close, but not that close. Actually all this Kurosawa talk is reminding me I should re-watch Red Beard soon.

 

 

 

Anyway, Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai are indispensable actors to Kurosawa's works.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzFbrLMc4cI

 

Agreed. I'll watch that video, now I think. Thank you Kota!

[antirealist]

My favorite author is Haruki Murakami and I also love Banana Yoshimoto, Mishima, Koji Suzuki, Junichiro Tanazaki, Natsume Soseki, Hideaki Sena, Yusuke Kishi, and Kobo Abe's Woman in the Dunes.

 

Have you read any Enchi Fumiko? I think The Waiting Years is a masterpiece.

 

Also, if you like Natsume Soseki, there is a new translation of Light and Dark coming out next month, by John Nathan. It had a very favourable review in this week's Times Literary Supplement - the reviewer compared it to Glenn Gould's recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations (Gould, a Canadian classical pianist, was a Soseki fan).

Edited November 12, 2013 by antirealist

[terminal]

 

I have blue one. Actually it looks really beautiful. A friend of mine purchased "accordion-album" at the shop. When he showd it to me this October, I was reminded of Japanese traditional folding screen "Byobu". Byobu is used in rooms for prevention of winds from outside, for partition of a big room, and decoration. The surface of Byobu is coverd with paper, and Yamato-e (Japanese traditional pictures); Japanese rural scenery, plum trees or cherry blossoms, flowers and birds, for example. Gold foil and silver foil are used for pictures, so it's very decorative.

 

 

Those are really cool. Can I ask; does your friend write in them directly or use them for photos?

[betweenthelens]

Ha, Persco. It's true. You're not that far away. We drove up to Quebec for an extended weekend a few years ago. Need to return soon. I have friends in Scarborough, too, and we were in Vancouver a few summers ago. I love Canada and its beautiful diversity- geographically and culturally speaking.

 

 

Thank you so much, antirealist. Much, much appreciated. Wow, Goldberg Variations is a true favorite of mine. I love when divergent modes of artistic expression are compared. I must read that now and I will pick up The Waiting Years.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Yep, I've seen Rhapsody in August (八月の狂詩曲) and Twilight Samurai (たそがれ清兵衛). Twilight Samurai is a complete masterpiece, I think. Of course, I do like both literature and anime. As I am Japanese, I've ever seen all works of Hayao Miyazaki at a movie theater. I would like you to check his last work "The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ)" if you've not seen it. Speaking of Japanese literature, I like Soseki Natsume and Kobo Abe very much!

 

THE WIND RISES - English Trailer

 

[notVirtuThe3rd]

 

does your friend write in them directly or use them for photos?

 

Maybe... he'll use accordion-album for photos he took because he likes to take pictures.

[betweenthelens]

Thank you so much, Kota! My son watched the trailer with me and the characters reminded us of those from My Neighbor Totoro. I see it will be released here in Feb. 2014. Too long to wait!

 

Nice to know you like Natsume and Abe, too!

 

 

[persco]

Yep, I've seen Rhapsody in August (八月の狂詩曲) and Twilight Samurai (たそがれ清兵衛). Twilight Samurai is a complete masterpiece, I think. Of course, I do like both literature and anime. As I am Japanese, I've ever seen all works of Hayao Miyazaki at a movie theater. I would like you to check his last work "The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ)" if you've not seen it. Speaking of Japanese literature, I like Soseki Natsume and Kobo Abe very much!

 

THE WIND RISES - English Trailer

 

 

Hayao Miyazaki is another favourite of mine. I've seen them all (a few several times), I will definitely try to get a copy of the Wind Rises... Although I prefer his more whimsical movies, like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, for sure.

[persco]

 

Ha, Persco. It's true. You're not that far away. We drove up to Quebec for an extended weekend a few years ago. Need to return soon. I have friends in Scarborough, too, and we were in Vancouver a few summers ago. I love Canada and its beautiful diversity- geographically and culturally speaking.

 

 

Thank you so much, antirealist. Much, much appreciated. Wow, Goldberg Variations is a true favorite of mine. I love when divergent modes of artistic expression are compared. I must read that now and I will pick up The Waiting Years.

 

 

I'm actually from Vancouver, my wife and I moved here in '07, although we just got back from a year in Asia. So we're re-settling. We hope to go to NY sometime. We keep saying we will, then we don't, lol. This thread has turned into a paean to Japanese artistic culture. I love it! One of my favourite threads around here.

[mallymal1]

Another Japanese cinema fan here. Seven Samurai, Harakiri, Lady Snowblood, Zatoichi, Azumi...Battle Royale, Ichi the Killer, Casshern, Sakuran...Silence, After Life...Akira, Ikki Tousen, Metropolis, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies. Love them.

 

Also a fan of Haruki Murakami. Watched the Norwegian Wood movie last night, and wondered what it might have been like with a Japanese director?

 

It would be great if someone would start up a thread in Chatter dedicated to Japanese cinema and literature.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

 

Thank you so much, Kota! My son watched the trailer with me and the characters reminded us of those from My Neighbor Totoro. I see it will be released here in Feb. 2014. Too long to wait!

 

Nice to know you like Natsume and Abe, too!

 

 

 

 

Hayao Miyazaki's last work "Wind Rises" was really impressive for me.

I hope you'll enjoy watching it next February!

[notVirtuThe3rd]

 

Hayao Miyazaki is another favourite of mine. I've seen them all (a few several times), I will definitely try to get a copy of the Wind Rises... Although I prefer his more whimsical movies, like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, for sure.

 

Oh, I'm very glad to know that.

I like his works that have a whimsical sense of humor as well.

[notVirtuThe3rd]

Another Japanese cinema fan here. Seven Samurai, Harakiri, Lady Snowblood, Zatoichi, Azumi...Battle Royale, Ichi the Killer, Casshern, Sakuran...Silence, After Life...Akira, Ikki Tousen, Metropolis, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Grave of the Fireflies. Love them.

 

Also a fan of Haruki Murakami. Watched the Norwegian Wood movie last night, and wondered what it might have been like with a Japanese director?

 

It would be great if someone would start up a thread in Chatter dedicated to Japanese cinema and literature.

 

Glad to hear you also like Haruki Murakami.

I believe he will win the Nobel prize for Literature in the near future.