Sayemon found no trouble in his household. Peace and contentment reigned. He enjoyed life accordingly, by feasting and so forth. 'Oh that such a life could last!' thought he.

But fate decreed otherwise.

One day, to encourage the art of fencing amongst his vassals, the Daimio summoned all his people and ordered them to give an exhibition in his presence. After the younger vassals had performed, the Daimio gave an order that Harada Kurando and Hira Gundayu should have a match. To the winner, he said, he would present a gold image of the Goddess of Kwannon.

Both men fenced their best. There was great excitement. Gundayu had never done so well before; but Harada was too good. He won the match, receiving the gold image of Kwannon from the hands of the Daimio amid loud cheering.

Gundayu left the scene of the encounter, boiling over with jealousy and vowing vengeance. Four of his most faithful companions left with him, and said they would help him to waylay and assault Harada that very evening. Having arranged this cowardly plan, they proceeded to hide on the road which Harada must traverse on his return home.

One day it came to pass that the poverty-stricken appearance of Kazuye and her mother, returning as usual from praying in the temple, aroused the mirth of a party of roughs, who proceeded to insult them. A handsome young samurai, Okawa Jomoyemon, happened to come along. Drawing his sword, he very soon put the roughs to flight. Having done this, and bowing low, he asked whom he had the honour of serving.

O Kazuye answered for her mother, and quickly recognised that this handsome youth was just such as she had longed to meet, so that he might fall in love and wish to help her in seeking out the murderer of her father. Therefore, not unnaturally, she encouraged him; and he fell in love with her. In the meanwhile an old friend of Kazuye's father, feeling great sorrow for her, had found a place for her in Prince Hosokawa's household; and there she won such favour in the eyes of the Prince (or, as the title then was, Daimio) that the other maids began to be jealous.

otakumag.com

Genre: Japanese Culture, Art, Manga and Film

review in one breath

The latest issue of Otaku Magazine is now available. This one is entitled "Play" and focuses on the themes of players and play in all its manifestations. I've been a fan of Otaku Mag since I first ran across it a year ago. Its dedication to Japan-inspired art and technology is thoroughly entertaining, and its glossy visual presentation sets a very high standard for underground publications.

This issue is being published as a limited release, so if you are interested in ordering it, I recommend you do so quickly. The issue is expected to sell out soon. For info on ordering and the new issue's contents, keep reading.

Space Amoeba
[Gezora, Ganime, Kameba: Kessen! Nankai no daikaiju]

aka "Yog Monster from Space"

Genre: Alien-Spawned Giant Seafood!

review in one breath

An unmanned space flight to Jupiter mysteriously changes route and crashes near a remote pacific Island, bringing with it a mind-controlling alien parasite. But before it can realize its plan to take over Earth, it will have to move up the food chain, starting with squid, crabs and turtles, all the size of skyscrapers and hell-bent on munching the local population. This is the last non-Godzilla film by the Grand-Daddy of Kaiju, director Ishiro Honda!

Under the Carp Banner
[Koinobori hatameku shita ni]

aka "Molester: Obscene Peeping"
[Chikan Waisetsu Nozoki]

Genre: Pinku-Erotic Social Commentary

review in one breath

In Under the Carp Banner renowned/notorious director Kazuhiro Sano creates an impressively explosive clash between Japan's contemporary social momentum and traditional sensibilities, all under the umbrella of an independent erotic (pink) film. While chocked full of sex scenes, this film clearly demonstrates Sano's highly valued contribution to the intellectual trajectory of independent Japanese film and easily justifies his place amongst the "Four Kings of Pink".

Bounty Hunter Vixens: Carnal Enchantment
[Jorou: Ensatsu Rataiken]

Genre: Ninja bOObies and Magical Swords!

review in one breath

After young little Iris watches a seductive buxom witch steal her beloved father's head (!), she picks up his kick-ass demon-killer sword and never looks back. Now, many years later, she is a BOUNTY HUNTER VIXEN, hell-bent on getting the bad guys (and gals). But when she again crosses paths with the shapely, head-pilfering sorceress and her horny zombie horde, it seems she may have finally met her match.... Until, that is, she befriends a hunky Shinto priest and his nubile sister. This is the EIGHTH in the Ninja Vixen series and proves yet once again that plot and quality are irrelevant as long as nekkid bOObies are involved.

Melancholia
[Merankoria]

Genre: DNA-fueled Doppelganger Slasher

review in one breath

Mirai's life suddenly seems headed into the crapper! First, her father throws himself in front of a train, then she has to move in with some increasingly strange relatives, then she starts seeing creepy things to the point of a nervous breakdown, and finally her best friends start showing up bloody red and DEAD. And then the real weirdness starts! This is a made-for-TV horror flick directed by Z-Grade maestro Ezura Takaaki.

カヒミ・カリィ

Sophisticated Lolita Shibuya Sound

Kahimi Karie is an exemplar representative of the ultra-hip "Shibuya-kei", the unique blend of jazz, hip-rock and 60's kitsch prevalent in Tokyo's Shibuya/Harajuku district. Other Japanese bands in this genre include Pizzicato 5 and Fantastic Plastic Machine. Unlike these others, however, Kahimi's vocal style, which is simultaneously childish and seductive, sky-rocketed her to instant stardom, resulting in several gold-hit singles and several albums. Not only does she maintain her superstar status in certain contemporary sub-culture scenes, but soon youth and geeks throughout the globe will be mesmerized by her charms through her lyrical role in the latest Japanese (read international) video games.
]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_music/kahimikarie.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_music/kahimikarie.shtml Japanese Music Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:50:51 -0600

Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman

Nippon-esque Urban Trip-Hop

The band Cibo Matto was formed by Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda following their move from Japan to New York City. Their wholly unique and hypnotic trip-hop music is immediately addictive. Sophisticated beat and arrangements are intertwined with quirky yet eerily profound food-themed lyrics sung by Miho in her cutesy Japan-English girl's voice.
]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_music/vivalawoman.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_music/vivalawoman.shtml Japanese Music Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:34:09 -0600 In the reign of the Emperor Engi, which began in the year 901 A.D., there lived a man whose name has ever since been celebrated on account of his beautiful writings, poetic and other. He was the Emperor's great favorite, and consequently he was the strong man of the day; his name was Sugawara Michizane. Needless to say, it was not very long before, with all these things in his favor, he was the head of the Government, living in luxury.

Things went well enough for a time; but the inevitable came at last. Not all the people agreed with Michizane's ideas or his politics. Secret enemies lurked at every corner. Among them was one particularly bad man named Tokihira, whose poisonous intrigues at Court were constant.

Tokihira held a Government position under Michizane, and hated him in his heart, thinking that if he could but arrange to get Michizane into the bad graces of the Emperor he himself might become leader of the Government.

Michizane was a man with whom little fault could be found, and so it came to pass that Tokihira was unable to find any cause for starting evil reports about him; but as time went on he became more determined to do evil in the end.

Yamato-dake no Mikoto had been successful at all events in suppressing the revolutionists known as the Kumaso in Kyushu. Being a man of energy, and possessing a strong force of trained men, he resolved that he would suppress the revolutionists up on the north-eastern coasts.

The World Sinks Except Japan
[Nihon igai zenbu chinbotsu]

Genre: Cornball Parody and Political Satire

review in one breath

Due to sudden tectonic shifts which only the half-crazy Dr. Tadokoro can explain, all of earth's land masses have sunk into the sea with the exception (of course) of JAPAN turning the island nation into the global relief center for the world's population. How will Japan handle its new role as the earth's only government? Directed by Kawasaki Minoru, this film is a parody of the widely popular "Japan Sinks" novel and films.

When first Rosetsu went to Okyo's to study he was, without exception, the dullest and most stupid pupil that Okyo had ever had to deal with. His learning was so slow that pupils who had entered as students under Okyo a year and more after Rosetsu overtook him. He was one of those plodding but unfortunate youths who work hard, harder perhaps than most, and seem to go backwards as if the very gods were against them.

I have the deepest sympathy with Rosetsu. I myself became a bigger fool day by day as I worked; the harder I worked or tried to remember the more manifestly a fool I became.

Rosetsu, however, was in the end successful, having been greatly encouraged by his observations of the perseverance of a carp.

Sins of Sister Lucia
[Shudojo Lucia: Kegasu]

Genre: Nymphomaniac NUNsploitation!

review in one breath

Poor little Rumiko! First she steals a trunk load of money from her dear ol' daddy, then she seduces her impressionable plaid-wearing English tutor, and then she stabs somebody with a knife. What's a loving father to do other than ship her off to a convent which, it turns out, is modeled after Sodom and Gomorrah rather than any Heavenly City. But tough little Rumiko isn't having any of it and soon she brings the entire Naughty Nunnery to their knees, so to speak.

Late Bloomer
[Osoi Hito]

Genre: Realistic Spiral into Despair and Violence

review in one breath

A cerebral palsied man gradually falls in love with one of his care takers, but the emotional elation it causes brings with it a deepening despair as the gap between his dreams and physical reality prove overwhelming. In the face of unrequited love and the dismal realization that fate has dealt him a terrible hand, his imaginations grow violent -- imaginations he soon acts upon. This is a truly unique film which is both uncompromising and unapologetic in its depiction of a fully functional heart and mind trapped in a physical cage.

Kazuo Umezz's Horror Theater Vol 2
[The Present / Death Make]

Genre: Santa Slasher and Guppy Mantis Monster!

review in one breath

This is the third and last volume of the Kazuo Umezu Horror Theater collection and contains episodes five and six of the six-episode whole. Unlike the child-centric tales in volume 2, these two episodes are squarely aimed at adults, at least in terms of the horror and gore meted (meated?) out. In the first story, you better not cry, you better not pout... or Killer Santa will feed your BRAINS to his reindeer. In the second tale, a group of amateur clairvoyants gather to confront their inner demons, which may or may not turn out to be a giant fish-faced bug from Hell!

GeGeGe no Kitaro 2: Sennen Noroi Uta
[Kitaro and the Millennium Curse]

Genre: Youkai-filled Supernatural Thriller

review in one breath

GeGeGe no Kitaro is back! And this time he must solve the mystery of a 1000 year old curse exacting its toll on humans and monsters alike. In a more adult-centric episode, with a darker storyline, a myriad of creepy creatures and more mature special effects, this live-action version of Mizuki Shigeru's beloved manga character will not disappoint. This is the second live-action film directed by Motoki Katsuhide focusing on the exploits of the half-human, half-youkai Kitaro.

L: Change The World
[Death Note 3 ]

Genre: Non-Supernatural Crime Procedural

review in one breath

Picking up where the two Death Note films leave off, mastermind L has only 23 days to foil a global plot involving chemical weapons and thereby save the world! At his side throughout are Near, a 6 year-old mathematical genius and Mika, a genetically aberrational school girl. With evil-doers hot on their trail, the clock is ticking as L and his pre-pubescent sidekicks try to isolate the threat and create an antidote to the deadly weaponized virus. This is a spin-off sequel to the Death Note narrative and is directed by "Ringu" director Hideo Nakata.

Taking place in the ancient province of Tamba (contemporary Kyoto), the life of the beautiful maiden O-Sono seemed one of joy and hope. Only after death does her ghost betray any evidence that her truest heart had been elsewhere.]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/dead_secret.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/dead_secret.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:55:01 -0600 Recorded in Lafcadio Hearn's classic Kwaidan, The Dream of Akinosuke brings together several strands of traditional folklore around the central premise that even insects can manipulate and possess the human spirit. In the case of Akinosuke, he is literally whisked away for what seems to him decades on an adventure involving nobility, love and valor.

It is a wonderful story which simultaneously speaks of the fleeting nature of human experience and the value of upright character and honor.]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/dream_of_akinosuke.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/dream_of_akinosuke.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:22:27 -0600 In Japanese folklore the female demon (oni) Hannya figures prominently. Often depicted in traditional Noh and Bunraku plays using a wooden mask of a fierce and grimacing horned demon, this malicious entity may be Japan's most well-known demon.

You may even recognize this mask as being the symbol of darkest moral depravity in Onibaba.

An ancient legend recalls how the female Hannya persecuted all who attempted to pass through the Rashomon gate of Kyoto. A staunch samurai named Watanabe no Tsuna decided to lay in wait for the demon in order to slay it, until he was eventually persuaded by a beautiful young woman to escort her into town. As they travelled, Watanabe happened to glance over his shoulder and saw the young woman transforming into a terrifying demon. As the demon then laid hold of Watanabe, he quickly wielded his sword and cut off the monster's arm. As Hannya fled screaming, Watanabe carefully wrapped the severed arm and later hid it in a secured chest. ]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/hannya.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/hannya.shtml Japanese Folklore Mizuki Shigeru Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:29:19 -0600

This tale takes place in the Tokugawa/Edo Era (1615-1867) and centers on the fate of a feudal peasant farmer working for a powerful property owner of the Hatamoto clan. Feudalism, by its most basic definition, refers to a socio-political system wherein landowners allow tenants to occupy and agricult their land. These tenants have no ownership rights, but simply live on the land and there make their livelihood.

Such tenants (aka "vassals") thus found themselves in a notoriously bad situation should either hard times or a mean spirit befall the landowner, who had full power to either evict or heavily tax at whim any and all of his tenants. Historically, feudalistic eras, whether in Europe or Japan, have always ended in some form of peasant revolt.

The Ghost of Sakura is an ancient Japanese ghost story revolving around the fate of a good natured tenant at the hands of a greedy and immoral landowner. It also involves the karmic expectation that justice is often meted out even from beyond the grave.

This is a rather long story, so give yourself enough time to enjoy it. The following text, including the introduction and the notes, is taken from Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford's Tales of Old Japan, dated 1910.

It is in the very same principle that Oshidori is an amazingly rich Kwaidan tale. Though short on words, it opens wide Japanese core intuitions regarding animism, reincarnation, karmic love, and noble suicide. All this in a very brief tale which raises more questions than it answers.]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/oshidori.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/oshidori.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:11:15 -0600 Some folk tales of the Japanese point toward a particular event or ghoulish monster which the reader, if lucky, shall never truly encounter. There are other tales, however, which are aimed at explaining phenomena that we mortals cannot possibly escape, and the following tale is precisely of this sort.

Perhaps more theological than superstitious this tale was contained in a "fragment" of a text happened upon by Lafcadio Hearn. The force of the tale is undeniable even to contemporary readers who are indebted to him for preserving it for Western audiences in his 1898 collection entitled In Ghostly Japan.

We here at SaruDama have been working hard (?) to improve your web surfing experience, so here are a few site upgrades you may be interested in:

1. You now (once again) have the ability to comment on reviews and posts, so let's hear your feedback!

2. I've (finally!) converted all of our 320 plus reviews into the new database along with meta data (such as year, director, categories and tags) to each. This allows for a much faster and efficient perusal of the site. For example, you can now click on the director's name on any review to access a list of all his/her films we have reviewed on SaruDama.

3. Our movie review index has been updated and enhanced. In addition to year and director, you can now search by genre and sub-genre. I've also streamlined the search engine to speed up search results.

4. The site's own Search function is now fully operational, meaning it will search through and return matching results from ALL of SaruDama's content.

5. I've upgraded the site to MT 4.23 in the hopes of increasing the site's speed and felxibility. So far so good.

6. I will be limiting the amount of Japanese unicode in my posts. It will result in a loss of some useful info (for those of you who read Japanese) but ensures that the browsers of most/all site visitors will be able to successfully render the web pages.

7. And lastly, I've noticed that some of the pages take a little too long to load due to the size of the logo images I am using. I will be optimizing these in the near future, so hopefully you will see a quicker response time.

That's it for now. As always, thanks for your interest in the site. I hope you find it all useful.

~ Sincerely, mongip

Juxtaposed her near-divine status is the character of Minokichi, an innocent and naive young man who although possesses a good heart inevitably displays the moral and mental fraility of humans. Giddily failing to uphold a promise he swore to, Minokichi foolishly brings himself once again face to face with a terrifying Death. ]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/yuki_onna.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/yuki_onna.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:32:11 -0600 The Tale of Rokuro-Kubi is simultaneously a hero legend and a ghost tale. Its main character is a well-known warrior-turned-priest whose many fearless exploits include this encounter with a particularly terrifying species of mountain demons, the rokuro-kubi.

Apart from informing audiences of the nature of these monsters, this is thoroughly an exhortation of bravery, steadfastness and calm wit of the classic samurai tradition. Readers will notice that although the warrior-priest is indeed characterized as pious and prayerful, it is nevertheless his fearless samurai skill which allows him to prevail in this tale.

The species of rokuro-kubi has been depicted in Japanese folk tales and folk art for centuries. The following story was recorded in 1903 by Lafcadio Hearn. It is notable that he dates this story as occurring 500 years prior to his writing. ]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/rokuro_kubi.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/rokuro_kubi.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:13:28 -0600

Tokyo Sonata

Genre: Personal, Familial and Social Crises in Contemporary Japan

review in one breath

When a Tokyo salaryman loses his job, his personal identity and family stability are suddenly forced to the point of implosion. Hiding his shameful predicament from his family, he leaves the house daily as if going to the office, only to spend his hours in food lines and the unemployment agency. Despite his every effort to keep things intact, his family's cohesion slowly disintegrates as forces internal and external come to a head. This is the latest film by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa and marks an intentional break from his previous work in psycho-horror.

The animistic core of traditional Japanese sensibilities has produced (literally) volumes of folk tales depicting animals as possessing the most noble and contemplative of human qualities. The list of examples is endless, but the following tale provides an excellent glimpse into this tradition.

Just as the world of traditional youkai (妖怪) encompasses both good and evil beings, so also the animistic realm of animals harbours both benevolent and malicious characters. Here, an elderly couple learns this very fact through a tragic unfolding of event in which they find themselves at the utter mercy of what we otherwise inclined to deem harmless animals.

Patriotism
[Yukoku / The Rite of Love and Death ]

Genre: Minimalist Depiction of Mishima's "Patriotic" Ideology

review in one breath

Directed, produced and acted by the infamous writer/political idealogue Yukio Mishima, this short, minimalist and stark film offers an unflinching depiction of Mishima's personal and political ideology. Filmed just four years prior to his suicide, the undeniable similarity between this film's narrative and Mishima's own personal demise caused the film to be "destroyed" at his wife's request shortly thereafter. In 2005, following his widow's death, the film was re-released. It is nothing short of fascinating, particularly for those familiar with the political views and death of Mishima.

In addition to the tales themselves, of considerable import here is Hearn's explanation of the "little man of straw" which if impaled "with nails not less than five inches long, to some tree in a temple-grove at the Hour of the Ox" is done with the intent that "the person, imaginatively represented by that little straw man, should die thereafter in atrocious agony".

Not only does a version of this imagery appear in Western horror such as Blair Witch, but it also permeates traditional Japanese depictions of midnight witches adorned with a crown of lit candles. (For example, a very haunting depiction of this appears in the contemporary film Onmyoji.)]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/mirror_and_bell.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/mirror_and_bell.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:07:50 -0600 When I first saw the film Haunted Lantern I did not realize that it so faithfully followed a century-old tale entitled Botan Dourou (Flower Lantern). Performed initially by a theatre group in Tokyo during the Meiji-Era, the tale slowly made its way to the West through the writings of Lafcadio Hearns. In his In Ghostly Japan written in 1898, Hearns provides a translation the theatrical version which he himself attended.

The tale itself is said to tap into core Japanese intuitions and superstitions regarding karmic love, fated destinies, and the afterlife. Though slightly different from the original, director Yamamato Satsuo's 1968 film Haunted Lantern retains a wide range of Botan Dourou's original elements from character names and ranks to the golden statue of Buddha.

Below is Lafcadio Hearn's retelling of the tale as told in his In Ghostly Japan.

Genre: Taisho Era Artistic Spiral Into Madness

review in one breath

Artist Yumeji has gained fame and recognition for his skills at painting as well as notoriety for his untamed lifestyle. Despite his betrothal to a beautiful and timid young woman of high birth, his libido turns to his many female models. Despite this freedom from constraint, his lust and artistic sentiment cause him nothing but an increasing awareness of the elusive embodiment of true Beauty. While traveling he encounters a mesmerizing widow who relentlessly searches for her husband's body in the nearby lake, believing him killed at the hands of a ferocious roaming bandit. Infatuated with her beauty, he feigns to help her look for the corpse, only to unlock the mystery himself thereby sending him to further depths of debauchery and despair. This is the third and final film in director Suzuki Seijun's critically acclaimed Taisho Trilogy.

Horror Fans! Please take note:

There is a new and innovative project underway which will prove to be a first of its kind. British film makers Tom Atkinson and Luke Dormehl have pioneered the notion of an exclusively fan-based horror film, using the internet as the primary medium of promotion and funding. The 10 Pound Horror Film has thus far received the blessing and support of an international array of horror directors and droves of horror enthusiasts and fans.

You are invited to join and participate in the development and production of this horror film through a contribution of "10 pounds" ($14 US). Fan-based support is the SOLE source of film funding, thus truly making this the first grassroots funded horror film. In addition to simply being part of this rather fun and cutting-edge project, your contribution will get you stuff, including a free personalized frame of the film (a piece of horror film history!) and membership benefits including access to exclusive film content and director-moderated discussion forums.

SaruDama encourages you to check this out and consider contributing to the project. Its a small amount of money and the effort is indeed ground-breaking. The internet has provided a very successful platform for groundswell support in various instances, from political to artistic. Now its time for we of the online fan-base to rock the horror film industry!

Let the world know we support and encourage new, viewer-centric horror films!

For more about the project, membership benefits and how to contribute your 10 pounds, check out The 10 Pound Horror Film site.

This tale first made its way to the West through the uniquely mystifying writings of Lafcadio Hearn's over a century ago in his now infamous work entitled Kwaidan.

Below you will find the complete version of this classic Kwaidan tale.]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/mujina.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/mujina.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:05:49 -0600 The tale of Mimi Nashi Hoichi (Earless Hoichi) is perhaps well known to Western audiences and may need no real introduction. But here I go anyway...

Besides a tale about a highly gifted yet unfortunate Biwa player, this narrative strongly recollects a critical battle in Japan's history, the Battle of Dan-no-Ura. Fought on April 25, 1185, the Battle of Dan-no-Ura was the decisive victory of the Genji Clan over the Heike (Taira) Clan. The tale of this heroic battle and the ferocious losses is forever captured in the Japanese classic Heike Monogatari. In great part, Mimi Nasho Hoichi is not only set within the ghostly aftermath of this battle but spends much of its focus on the battle itself. The intermingling of ghost tale with dramatic historical narrative makes this Kwaidan tale a beloved amongst Japanese.]]> http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/mimi_nashi_hoichi.shtml http://www.sarudama.com/japanese_folklore/mimi_nashi_hoichi.shtml Japanese Folklore Lafcadio Hearn Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:01:40 -0600

You know me; I love traditional Japanese tales and enjoy fitting all the obscure pieces of the puzzle into a single coherent whole. But even I must occasionally stand back with mouth agape (!!) wondering whether or not the ancient Japanese ingested some psychadelic herb to aid them in their creative storytelling. And I venture to presume that you will also be wondering the same after reading the brief yet fabulous tale of the The Monkey and the Crab.

Though if contemplated, the moral lesson of this tale becomes crystal clear, at first reading, simply compare the bizarrities here with those of, say, Alice in Wonderland.

Fated love and its power over karmic re-birth is a recurring theme in Japanese film and folk lore. Usually this involves the lovers being reborn at a later time where they once again meet and fall into an irresistible love through the strong bonds of destiny.

In the following tale, however, the bond between lovers is so strong and pure that the fated reincarnation of the lover occurs while the other still lives. As told by Lafcadio Hearn in his 1904 Kwaidan, this is a satisfying tale of the ultimate victory of love over death and karma.

力ばか

Here is a tale presumably recollecting the actual experiences of author Lafcadio Hearn's during his life in Japan. It portrays a very mundane aspect of daily life in his village which becomes to vehicle for a depth of insight into common traditional religious and superstitious intuitions. Though barely mentioned, the undeniable backbone of this tale is a mother's love and prayer for her deceased child. Look carefully and you will see it. Also here is the comforting Buddhist (not Shinto) notion of reincarnation. Lastly and perhaps most intriguing is this tale's implicit yet wholly indescript doctrine regarding the spiritual power of a grave site. This last aspect is the type of common superstition which is rarely written down or formally declared yet somehow lives eternally through the generations of a people group.

Just when you thought it was safe to pet the kitty!!

Here's a classic Japanese tale dating back to the Hizen daimyo of the Sengoku Era (1568-1615). It presents a Shinto perspective of the spiritual dimension of Nature itself, here depicted in the form of a large cat who not only consumes humans, but then supernaturally changes its form to become that human, after which it interacts and easily deceives everyone it encounters.

Until, of course, a world-wise roaming priest enters the picture...

The following tale is taken from Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford's Tales of Old Japan, dated 1910.

Genre: Battle Of White and Black Onmyoji Magic over Tokyo's Urban Development [Taisho Era 1912-1926]

review in one breath

This incredibly ambitious and well-cast film depicts a spiritualized version of Japan's gradual turn away from its ancestral religion and toward modernity starting in the early Taisho Era and ending in the Showa Era. Whereas actual secular history accounts for the great earthquake of 1923 and the subsequent rebuilding of Tokyo using modernized architecture and technology (such as a subway system), here we are told of both evil and benevolent spiritual forces at work behind all these events. Available now in subtitled Region 1 DVD and running at slightly over 2 hours, this is a highly involved and sometimes confusing tale of Japan's irrevocable turn toward modernity.

Genre: Love Tale amidst Dismal Street Realism

review in one breath

When an innocent young country girl falls for a low level yakuza, she enters a completely different world in which the line between good and evil are quickly blurred. Through great ups and downs their love will be tested, but the ultimate test lies in whether or not they will survive the downward pull of the lifestyle they have chosen.

Genre: Fact-Based Psycho Thriller

review in one breath

First, Yumiko begins receiving very creepy love letters from a secret admirer. Then, her closest friends begin disappearing. All clues point toward Mikariya, a former classmate who allegedly killed his family but was deemed criminally insane. And now Mikariya is back, intent on making Yumiko his bride. From the director of Tomie, this film is based on true infamous crimes in Japan, and depicts an amazingly twisted Tokyo psycho!

Genre: Creepy School-Based Horror

review in one breath

This is the fourth and final film in the Hanako series and provides some truly creepy Shinto-based horror involving decrepit shrines, an amazingly demonic doll and plenty of mind-bending (and eye-popping) possession. This is a spooky and effective finale to the well-known Toire no Hanako-san tales.