Over A Hedge

The Last Blog Post

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Thu, 31 Dec 2015 13:55:00 +0000

It occurred to me a few months ago that it is time to wind down Over a Hedge. The evidence has become clear--it just took me a long time to notice it. Last year, my four month summer hiatus made sense. I was too busy enjoying life in the garden, fixing up my house, and spending time with my family. September came around and I was ready to get back to work. After a fairly productive spring this year, the summer hiatus came along again, but this time when fall arrived I realized that I had no desire to complete any blog posts, let alone start a new one. So this is it, but before I go, I wanted to clear out a few topics I had intended to write about but couldn’t muster the time to fully explore.

Highway Buses

I had a good experience with Willer Express.

The overnight highway bus remains one of the most cost effective ways to travel in Japan, but the system is much improved since the last time I used it in the late 90’s. There are way more bus options with sensibly priced levels to justify each incremental increase in comfort and privacy. You are more likely to get a good night’s sleep without being bothered by other passengers. An extra 1000 yen or two will go a long way here.

You can even book on-line and then pay at a local convenience store. Take it from me though, don't wait until you get to downtown Tokyo after 10:00 PM to find a konbini. You are just as likely to have to walk a gauntlet of women in business suits whispering "massaji?" as you are to find a convenience store with a pay terminal. The only other downside is that the overall improvements to the highway bus system have come at the expense of ease of boarding. Whereas the highway buses used to be located at familiar train stations, now you just line up alongside an office building and try figure out which bus is yours. Not for the timid traveler, but if you pay attention, you won’t get burned.

Travelling with Children in Japan

Not my kids' shoes

Not as hard as one might think, so long as you avoid rush hour at the train station. When our children weren’t gaining free entry to museums and aquariums they were at least getting half price tickets (including to ride the train system). The only overpriced events we saw were special exhibits imported from Western museums and science centres—avoid those and save your money. Remember that children enjoy small attractions as much as large ones because it’s all new to them. A tour of a samurai house or a chance to play at a city park can excite them just as much as a ride to the top of the Tokyo Sky Tree. Give them a bit of pocket money for vending machine treats, souvenirs, and little toys and they’ll be happy. Don’t forget that stores like 7/11 and Mister Donuts usually offer little incentive programs that allow children to earn unique prizes in a week or two. Keep these tips in mind and your children will have a memorable experience without busting your travel budget.

Karaoke Microphones

If you love karaoke you can get a nice deal on a microphone with a built in karaoke machine that plugs into your TV for about $200. Perhaps $200 seems high, but remember that you’ll have over 1000 songs loaded on it. With a domestic mic, the songs will be heavily tilted to Japanese numbers from a range of genres, so they are better for Japanese language learners looking to impress their friends. For those who want a stronger English song lineup, stick to the duty free stores, The mic will come loaded with fewer songs, but you might be able to sing more of them.

These kits come with little binders filled with song lists, so you can recreate an authentic karaoke box experience when you return home. Corny features like singer ratings add a sense of fun competition, but you can flub a number of lyrics and still get a 99 for a spirited effort, so don’t let the high score go to your head. The only caveat is that some of the English songs loaded on our mic might have sounded appropriate in the 1920’s, but the lyrics would be considered racist today.

The Imjin War

Great book. A highly readable exploration of the 16th century invasion and occupation of Korea by Japan. If you want to gain a better understanding of why China and Korea consistently apply diplomatic pressure on Japan for grievances about the Second World War, start with this book, because the unresolved historical tensions began a few centuries before. The review I had started was long, and it still felt like I was only a quarter of the way through when I abandoned it--that's how rich the book is.

Going Forward

That’s it. Four posts I started but never saw through to the end. I’m sure the Coles’ Notes versions will suffice. My only other regret is that I never took up an offer to tour a Toronto sake brewery. I would have enjoyed that tour just as much as I would have enjoyed writing about it. As for any leftover sake reviews, well, the dusty bottles in my cellar suggest I wasn’t going to get around to those either.

Even though I will no longer be posting new items to the blog, I will keep the site active for the foreseeable future. Since the site is no longer being used to promote my personal “brand” or novel, I might monetize it by activating Google Adwords. I doubt it would even earn enough to pay the $15 a year required to keep the domain name, but even a partial subsidy is better than nothing.

I also plan to collect my favourite posts in ebook form. It will be available for $1 to $2 (haven’t decided yet—depends on how long it takes to put together). Please consider buying a copy when the time comes to help pay for domain registration or to have an archive should I ever take this blog offline.

Parting Thoughts

If you are still reading, wow, thank you for your masochism. Just one more thing to wrap before I sign off.

I started this blog for two reasons. One was to establish a platform so that when my novel, The Samurai Poet, was published, it wouldn’t seem like it was coming out of the blue. Now that writing updates are published on my personal website, this reason fell by the wayside. The second reason is that living in Japan and subsequent visits left a deep impression upon me. Having a chance to write about my experiences and share the insights I gained along the way was the most satisfying reason to maintain it as long as I did. Time and experience do change people, and I am no exception. The longer I have lived in Canada and the more time that passes between visits to Japan, the less currency my observations of the country and its culture seem to have. While it is still a big part of me, it is a part I no longer feel the need to share publicly. Thank you for reading along the way. I hope it was worth your while.

Kasui, Yasui!

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 21:41:00 +0000

What's free, addictive, and helps you develop your Japanese vocabulary?

The sweet sight of a blank screen at Level 7.

The answer, for me at least, is a fun little app called Kasui (Kanji + Yasui = Easy Kanji) by Mauro Persano. The best part is not that it is free, but that there appear to be no strings attached. The app does not ask for any special permissions to be installed on your phone, nor does it use any advertising. As far as I can tell, its sole purpose is to allow students of Japanese to develop their kanji recognition, learn some new vocabulary, and have some fun competing for high scores along the way.

The only drawbacks are minor ones. A couple words are neologisms that you won't find in any Japanese dictionary I'm aware of. Also, once you make a word, the hiragana disappears so quickly that you might find yourself more focused on game success than acquiring new vocabulary. In the end, that isn't really the game's fault but the player's.

So, if you want a bit of Tetris-like action to spice up your Japanese language learning, check out Kasui.

Here's a link for the version in the Google Play Store. Unfortunately, I could not find a version in the App Store if you're an iPhone user. Anyway, let me know in the comment section if you try it. Happy learning!

Kwaidan on Blu-ray, Fully Restored

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 23:29:00 +0000

Few things get me excited enough to post on social media these days. Fewer still motivate me to write a blog post. But when I received word that Criterion was at long last releasing a fully restored director's cut version of Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan, I knew there would be activity on both fronts. Readers familiar with my blog will know that I consider Kwaidan a masterpiece of film making, and I have written about it extensively elsewhere in Over a Hedge. While the new release merits a few words, I promise to keep it short and to avoid repeating myself.

The new version is noticeably brighter than Criterion's fifteen year old DVD release. While I miss some of the atmospheric moodiness of the shadowy DVD release and its saturated colours, the restored version is a welcome upgrade. Characters no longer disappear into shadows, the colours are more balanced, and details of costumes and scenes are readily visible. Perhaps it is brighter than Kobayashi intended, but I doubt we'll ever know.

The twenty-two minutes of restored footage caused me great concern before viewing the Blu-ray. Would it add story points or imagery that would undermine my initial thesis about the movie? Would it drag out the movie unnecessarily and diminish its stellar reputation in my mind? Would the extra footage reveal a director's vanity who could not accept that some cherished shots deserved to remain on the cutting room floor?

It turned out that all of my questions added up to so much needless worry. The restored footage added welcome colour to enhance story and character development without making me feel like I had been ripped off watching a butchered version all these years. As much as the footage that ranged from seconds to minutes added, it did not change the fundamentals of the stories or their themes. Perhaps the greatest testament is that at the end of three hours, I was left with a feeling of still being reluctant to leave Kobayashi's Japanese spirit world.

I was initially surprised to see that the three shortest episodes had the least amount of restored footage and that the longest episode, "Hoichi, the Earless," had the most added to its running time. Given a few days to reflect upon it, I realized that the three other episodes were already fully realized stories, with little to add. Hoichi, on the other hand, was always the centrepiece of the film, so it would make sense that in Kobayashi's mind it should approach feature length in its own right. The beach scenes with the fishermen honour traditional Japanese life and culture, and Hoichi's final biwa performance is wonderfully lengthened, allowing the viewer to appreciate the full impact of the story and the storyteller.

The Blu-ray format also affords the digital space to bring Toru Takemitsu's exquisite soundtrack to the forefront. I always knew it was important to the film, but this was the first time I experienced it as essential. It was one of the main reasons the film can still evoke a reaction in me after so many viewings.

In the interest of having this post ready in time for the sixth anniversary of my first Kwaidan post, I was unable to watch any of the bonus features, but there are plenty of them should you be wondering whether it is worth it to spend money on a disc in this age of streaming and outright piracy. For me, buying a Criterion release is about more than picture quality, sound quality, and bonus features--it is about supporting film restoration and preservation by a devoted group of cinephiles. If you take the plunge, I hope you enjoy the Kwaidan Blu-ray edition as much as I have.

Appendix A: My Kwaidan Essay(s)

While this is a multi-part essay, each one can be read on its own if a particular title grabs you.

Kwaidan's Hidden Depths
Kwaidan: The Power of the Word
Morality and Supernatural Justice
Kwaidan: Literal-minded Samurai Lose It

Appendix B: Kwaidan Episode Running Times

I wasn't able to quickly locate running times for the episodes, so I thought I'd share them here if anyone else is curious.

Episode	Blu-ray	DVD	Difference
The Black Hair*	0:40:01	0:37:31	02:30
The Woman of the Snow	0:42:57	0:35:27	07:30
Hoichi, The Earless	1:14:28	1:02:47	11:41
In a Cup of Tea	0:25:49	0:25:43	00:06

* Includes opening credits

Read Barefoot Gen

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Wed, 05 Aug 2015 10:13:00 +0000

The approaching anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing was not on my mind when I picked up the second volume of Barefoot Gen last week. It was much more mundane than that. I was simply waiting in the children's section of the library waiting for my son to select a book when curiosity spurred me to see if I had been wrong to abandon the series after experiencing the intensity of the first volume.

I read half the book in the library and signed it and volume three out immediately. I returned yesterday for four and five. As hard as it is to read about melted skin, the maggot infested flesh of the living, and radiation sickness, it is wrong to look away just because it makes the reader uncomfortable. To do so would mean missing out on the stories of not only the dead, but the survivors, who were re-victimized in the days following the bombing by their fellow Japanese. Avoiding their story, in fact, would just contribute to the re-victimization by allowing their suffering to be ignored.

Through it all, it is the amazingly resilient spirit of Gen who will give you hope in the worst moments, not only for his will to live, but in his ability to try save the lives of his fellow victims by infusing this will into them. Even when willpower alone fails to save a life, it often has the effect of making a human's last few moments of existence less lonely than it might have been. No matter how discouraged Gen feels, he always seems to find the inner strength to rally once again.

Avoid Barefoot Gen for its at times depressing, even enraging subject matter, and you risk also missing out on the story of its determined protagonist. It's not a trade worth making.

Best Helsinki Travel Guides

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 21:22:00 +0000

Before travelling to Helsinki last year I surveyed the available travel guides and discovered a surprising winner. Given Helsinki's small size there is an understandably limited number of travel guides devoted to the city itself. If you are willing to include ebooks, it expands your range of selection. I previewed some independent writers' travel guides, but ultimately narrowed my list down to three mainstream editions: Wallpaper* City Guide Helsinki, Lonely Planet's Finland, and Rick Steves' Snapshot Helsinki.

I've liked every Wallpaper* city guide I've ever read. They clue you in to the hippest parts of each city and have a strong emphasis on interesting architecture and design that is accompanied with stellar photography. For all its strengths though, I found the book was best suited for pre-trip dreaming.

Even as Lonely Planet has morphed from its indie backpacker bible roots into a corporate behemoth, I have retained an affection for the brand and the books that represent a travel perspective different from middle of the road publishers like Fodor's and Frommer's. Their Finland guide offers a strong section on Helsinki, but in the end it just didn't feel like a book I had to have at my fingertips for the entire trip.

Ultimately, I went with an electronic version of Rick Steves' Snapshot Helsinki loaded on my iPad mini (see my post on Four Essential Tools for International Travel for more on the iPad's indispensability). Once I got past Steves' Middle American TV persona, I realized the book was loaded with the best selection of practical details to get a Helsinki newcomer enjoying as much of the city in as short of time as possible.

Transportation

Whether it was getting us from the airport by shared taxi or back by bus, Steves not only shared the most economical options, but the right tip at the right time to ensure we wouldn't get lost in the airport or train station. Even though I was navigating a city never seen before, my family was getting places as if we were repeat visitors.

Although Steves writes about the importance of buying the 24/48/72 hour Helsinki Card, it didn't fully sink in that we had the full 24 hours to use them (not just the day of purchase) until reassured by the helpful guides at Helsinki Tourist Information (also recommended by Steves). This pass allowed us to use a combination of bus, tram, and ferry over the course of two days at very little expense. Given the high prices in Finland, every extra saving helped. As expected, Steves also added tips for catching the tram at the few station stops where confusion was possible.

Helsinki Card

Finally, his self-guided walking tour was easy to follow and provided a better introduction to the city than the ones suggested in the other guides.

Food

Forewarned is forearmed and we avoided the sticker shock of restaurant prices by following Steves' advice almost to a 'T' by doing the following:

booking a hotel that offered a buffet style breakfast included in the price
appreciating the power of the picnic by shopping at his recommended supermarkets and relying on his necessary food descriptions (don't expect English labels in the grocery stores)
eating at the farmer's market beside the harbour
lunching at McDonald's (OK, this was not his recommendation, but travelling with kids on a budget made the golden arches a lifesaver, stereotypes about North American tourists in Europe be damned)

Accommodation

I might have already mentioned here or there how expensive Helsinki is, and that includes hotel prices. What we weren't aware of before reading the travel guides is that many hotels only offer rooms for two and that the family oriented two double bed arrangement is relatively rare in Finland. Steves not only clued us in to this reality but steered us toward a selection of normally expensive ($$$) hotels that offered incredible ($) prices and packages in the summer months when business travel plummets in Helsinki as most Finns head to their summer retreats or go on duty free booze cruises to Sweden.

Thanks to his advice, we ended up booking our own room online at the Scandic Grand Marina on the east side of the harbour. This allowed us to book a room for four including breakfast, use of a safe, 10 Euros worth of hotel shop coupons, and amenities (housecoats and personal care products) for the price of a typical hotel room in North America (which also happened to be less than our travel agent said she could get on her own).

The rooms themselves did not scream $$$ luxury with a nautical theme in the hallway and rooms with a sauna-meets-IKEA aesthetic, but they certainly offered appropriate value for the money. The hotel had a nice workout room and his and hers sauna, but the children's play area could have been more accurately described as a toddler play area. Given the number of children's playgrounds within easy walking distance, this proved not to be a big concern.

Language

Having grown up in English Canada, I know the importance of making an effort to speak French when travelling in Quebec. Aside from surly subway ticket takers, people often smile and switch to English, but it is obvious they appreciate the attempt. Based on this experience and the enthusiasm which my efforts to speak Japanese are received in Japan, I was skeptical of Steves' claim that it wasn't necessary to learn any Finnish before going. His advice was no exaggeration as almost everyone we met did speak English; even the children in the park switched from Finnish when my stubborn 5 year old persisted in speaking to his new "friends" at the playground. The lone exception was a supermarket cashier who froze when my son asked her something about our purchase. My blond hair (Finnish roots on my grandmother's side) did lead to confusion at times when I was addressed in Finnish but responded in English, but the momentary surprise proved Steves was correct in advising that I did not need the phrasebook I had purchased. Anyone want mine?

Souvenirs

While one might like to believe that one's unerring taste will lead to the selection of the perfect local souvenir, Steves' advice proved invaluable once again by steering us toward portable relative-pleasing souvenirs available for purchase in the downtown market. My mother and mother-in-law both appreciated their wooden trivets made of poplar slices and we were tempted by the carpet beaters for use on futons.

To his list I would add the nifty sponge-like dish cloths we first discovered at Finnport in Thunder Bay and crystal from Iittala's flagship store on the Esplanade downtown. There were more discounts available here than at the airport and there was at least one Japanese employee available as well.

Odd and Ends

I grew up in a sauna loving part of Canada where my grandparents and parents both had wood burning sauna so I never really learned the etiquette of a public sauna. Thanks to Steves, I learned the importance of bringing in a disposable sheet of paper available outside the door to sit on for sanitary reasons. If you happen to forget, at least use your towel until you take a break from the heat. If you feel self-conscious about steaming naked with a group of strangers, get over it or risk missing out on an important cultural experience. Not only is the sauna a great social equalizer but there's an added resonance of seeing fathers passing on traditions to their sons while you let the heat work its magic on your body.

In the end, I only had one minor point of contention with Steves. He gave the Sibelius Monument a one diamond rating ("Worthwhile if you can make it") and it ended up being my favourite sight of the trip. Whether it was the time of day we went (a sunny evening), the size of the park surrounding it, the view of the sea, the sight of Finnish families relaxing in the park or the joy my kids had in running around the monument, it was a short bus ride and walk worth taking.

If you're open to a little advice when travelling, Rick Steves' Snapshot Helsinki will cover all the bases for you without making you feel like you're stuck on someone else's itinerary. Unless you have a local guiding you around, you won't regret buying this book before visiting Helsinki.

Nauttia! (There, I just got my money's worth from the phrasebook.)

Sake Review: Jizake Tenzan

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 07 Mar 2015 13:26:00 +0000

Packaging alert! Packaging alert! The last time we here at Over a Hedge bought a sake in a fancy wrapper was way back in 2012 when we tried a bottle of Ty Ku Black. That misadventure must have scarred us because we waited a couple years before being seduced by another bottle of sake in a fancy wrapper. Were we right to follow the adage "once bitten, twice shy" or did Jizake Tenzan deserve an earlier chance?

I mock you and your fancy horse!

Packaging

How important is packaging you ask? I know the first time I bought this the bamboo leaf wrapped bottle tied with rustic rope was a major factor in my decision. It just has a "wow" factor that even elicits comments from non-drinkers. Underneath all that fancy packaging is a plain green bottle with a screw-top lid. By the time you get to that though, all you're really thinking about is pouring a sample.

Tasting

Jizake Tenzan is at the upper range of sake as far as alcohol percentage is concerned and it shows. The alcohol cuts through the sweet flavour and borders on tasting more like a liquor than a wine. The alcohol notes balance the sweetness well, but that is the only advantage.

Statistics

Sake Meter Value: +2.0
Acidity: 2
Amino Acid: N/A
Alcohol %: 18%
Semaibuai (milling rate): 60%

Verdict

Jizake Tenzan is not my style of sake. While I'd like to think I have a fairly eclectic palate, I prefer a sake where the alcohol is not at the forefront of the flavour palate. Whether it is the floral notes of a junmai daiginjo, a more robust junmai ginjo, or a well balanced table sake, for me it is safer to buy sake under the magic 17% mark. That said, the packaging of Tenzan sake makes it well suited for gift giving. As long as your host is advised to pair it with a flavourful dish like tempura tendon, they will enjoy experimenting with this jizake.

Links

All links are provided for information purposes only. I receive no affiliate fees.

Tenzan Sake Brewery
Second Opinion: Ratebeer.com

My Take on Muji Toronto

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 03:01:00 +0000

Muji opened their first Canadian location in Toronto last November. Thanks to some last minute staycation planning, I was able to drive in and see it less than three months later. I'll leave first impressions to my plainspoken 10 year old son, who, within seconds of entering declared, "This place is boring!" Before a fire breathing hipster could burn me, I explained to him that Muji is famous for its dull colour palette and minimalist designs, so it could appear boring on first impression, but a closer look would reveal more of interest. I was right to an extent, but his point of view was understandable considering that kid-friendly products such as 3-D wooden puzzles found on-line in the U.S. were nowhere to be seen in the store.

My first scout around the perimeter of the store revealed nothing I would personally be interested in buying. It was not that the product mix was unappealing, but that my family is already well equipped with linens and kitchen ware. Were we just starting out (and if we lived a little closer), I would be tempted to visit regularly and add an item or two at a time.

The clothing choices were interesting as well, with some low-key yet creative designs catching my eye. Again, I wasn't on a quest for a wardrobe update, so timing was more of an issue than the collection itself.

My only personal disappointment was not being able to see the floor chair they had on their website. I haven't seen a floor chair since I lived in Japan 15+ years ago and was tempted at the thought of adding one in my Japanese room (see post) now that my knees lock up when I try to sit in seiza for extended periods of time. A piece of furniture like this seems best seen in person before purchasing, so the apparent absence from store inventory ensured I would not be springing for any big ticket items.

Not to be deterred, I took a closer look up front and found a nice Made in Japan handkerchief--an under-appreciated product in Canada that I've always carried in my pocket since returning. I also found a cool little notebook that looks like a passport and was ruled with dots on a square grid. It is unique little finds like this that will keep me coming back to Muji and hope they do enough business with locals to keep the doors open between my well-spaced visits.

Even though Muji didn't send my family into a shopping frenzy, it's nice to see a greater variety of retail products available in Canada. The more Asian and European stores we can get like this, the more it will force North American retailers to up their game and offer unique products that express their brand identity and distinguish themselves from competitors.

A Note on Parking

While trying to search out parking information for Muji I encountered sparse advice which was contradictory at that. We found the Atrium underground parkade off of Edward Street to be accessible and convenient. It might seem expensive at $3.75 per half hour, but holiday and weekend prices are capped between $6.50 and $7.50, making it a real deal for downtown Toronto.

Mio Sake Sparkles

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 00:34:00 +0000

The Sake Samurai Loves Love

New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day are probably the two most common days people associate with drinking Champagne and sparkling wines of different provenance. Yet what to do if your partner has a low tolerance for alcohol but is still inclined to join you for something stronger than a ginger ale? Perhaps Takara Shuzo's Mio Sparkling Sake is the answer.

Packaging

Mio comes served in a narrow blue bottle with a ceramic paint label providing just enough class to hint at the aspirations Takara has for their product. There is a wintry theme evoked by the bottle colour and picture of plum blossoms, but the contents are suitable for drinking year round.

Tasting

Mio shares a surprising resemblance to cream soda or plain Ramune, without the cloying sweetness such a comparison might suggest. While there is no doubt one is drinking sparkling sake, there is a welcome sweetness appropriate for festive occasions.

Statistics

Sake Meter Value: -70 (!) (-15 is generally the outer limit of the sweetness scale)
Acidity: N/A
Amino Acid: N/A
Alcohol %: 5%
Semaibuai (milling rate): N/A

Verdict

I liked this more than I was expecting, which is not to say that it impresses for exceeding low expectations. I would definitely buy this again, not the least for how well it pairs with water crackers and camembert cheese. The strongest endorsement does not come from me, however, but my wife. She asked for a refill and shared some again the next day. Any sake product than can win over a normally alcohol-eschewing person is a winner in my book, especially when it can be shared on some of the most enjoyable occasions of the year.

Links

All links are provided for information purposes only. I receive no affiliate fees.

Takara Sake USA
Mio Sake Page

LCBO Product Page

Second Opinion: RateBeer.com

Travis Belrose is the author of The Samurai Poet, as subtle as a fine Champagne.

2015 New Year Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 06:00:00 +0000

明けましておめでとうございます！

Happy New Year from Over a Hedge. Five and half years in there are still plenty of Japan-themed topics to write about even if the annual output has decreased through the years. Thanks again for your readership. Expect more variety in 2015 with the return of sake reviews, a look at some different Japanese movies, more travel posts, and one or two surprises along the way. All the best to you and yours in 2015.

2014: The Year of Zatoichi

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 19:56:00 +0000

Katsu at the helm

2014 inadvertently turned into "The Year of Zatoichi" around here with 6 of 13 posts dedicated to the venerable movie series, so there seems no harm in closing it out by going an even 7 for 14 and see which directors graded out with the best scores.

Way back in February when I posted my first look at the Zatoichi Box Set, I mentioned that I disagreed with Tony Rayns's choices of Kenji Misumi and Kazuo Mori as the two best regular directors. I agreed on Misumi but took Tokuzo Tanaka over Mori. Now that the reviews are done, I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look and see which directors graded out at the top. In case you missed the reviews, here are all the links in one place:

Zatoichi: Birth of a Franchise
Zatoichi: Formula and Fighting
Zatoichi: The Golden Years
Zatoichi: Guest Stars and Black Holes
Zatoichi: The Renaissance

Method

When I was rating and viewing the movies, I didn't pay close attention to the directors, so there was no intentional bias in the ratings or self-fulfilling prophecies. It was only after the last blog post went live that I inventoried the reviews and averaged the scores. Directors who only made one movie were not included due to small sample size.

Results

Director	Films	Average Rating
Tokuzo Tanaka	3, 4, 13	****
Kenji Misumi	1, 8, 12, 17, 19, 21	***1/2
Kazuo Mori	2, 11, 23	***
Kazuo Ikehiro	6, 7, 14	***
Kimiyoshi Yasuda	5, 9, 15, 18, 22, 25	**1/3

Analysis

Despite rating the films without reference to the director, Tanaka and Misumi did end up taking the top two spots in my director standings. What surprised me was that Tanaka took the overall title. If someone had asked me to name the best Zatoichi director off the top of my head, I would have said Misumi. Perhaps making six films to Tanaka's three was his downfall. After all, the more films you make, the more likely you are to make a dog.

Tony Rayns

I thought it was nice to see that Mori averaged a solid three star rating, so it's not like there would be some huge argument should Rayns and I ever speak on the subject (and given his apparently encyclopedic knowledge of Japanese film, that would be a treat).

The other thing I enjoyed about ranking the directors was the realization that Kimiyoshi Yasuda was responsible for my least favourite movies, so I know who to avoid when diving back into the set for a Zatoichi fix.

Best of the Rest

The following directors only made one Zatoichi movie each, so there is not a fair sample size to compare them with the directors who were under pressure to produce multiple entries in the series. The ratings of their contributions are shared for information purposes.

Director	Film	Rating
Shintaro Katsu	24	*****
Satsuo Yamamoto	16	****
Kihachi Okamoto	20	***
Akihiro Inoue	10	**

A Second Opinion

For those readers who found themselves disagreeing with almost every Zatoichi opinion I shared, I would suggest they head over to the Digital Bits web site. While they shared my enthusiasm for the series they also tended to inversely value the movies I preferred. If you agree with their ratings, I'll leave it to you to compose an alternative set of director standings.

Into the Sunset

As much as I enjoyed writing about this series, it sure consumed an inordinate amount of my attention this year. I'm looking forward to broadening the scope of the Over a Hedge again in 2015. See you soon.

If you liked reading my Zatoichi reviews, you might be interested in my novel, The Samurai Poet, which is available in Apple's iBookstore. You can download a free preview of the first 20%, so it's a low-risk proposition. Thanks in advance.

Zatoichi: The Renaissance

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 22 Nov 2014 14:58:00 +0000

This is the last of a five part review of all the movies contained in the Zatoichi Box Set from Criterion. You can read part four here: Zatoichi: Guest Stars and Black Holes.

23-25 The Renaissance

If there is a theme that ties these last three films together, it is Ichi's observation in Zatoichi At Large: "I never thought doing a good deed for someone would end up making me a demon." In each film Ichi's impulse for selflessness isn't greeted with gratitude but various degrees of suspicion, exploitation, or refusal. While his deeply ingrained sense of justice (or at least his need to expiate his sense of guilt) motivates him to see things through to the end, there are fewer beneficiaries who seem worthy of his efforts--hitting uncomfortably close to home in real life. The end result is a trio of movies that end what seemed like a flagging series on a remarkably high note.

23. Zatoichi at Large ****

Just when it seemed like the Zatoichi series was completely exhausted, along came Zatoichi at Large. What makes it so special? In the end, it is all about development—regarding both plot and character. An apparently familiar story is invigorated thanks to a series of welcome tweaks. Zatoichi stumbles upon the scene of a murder a few minutes too late to prevent the death of a pregnant woman. If the viewer can ignore some awkward comedy when he delivers the baby and accept that he must once again find a home for an orphaned child, the rest of the movie will reward one’s forbearance. To wit, Zatoichi is harassed by the baby’s older brother; the murdered mother’s husband is not a no-good yakuza who set her up; Zatoichi does not attract the affection of the young woman who proves to be the baby’s aunt; and the bad ronin is a good natured samurai who just wants to test his swordsmanship in mortal combat with his equal (yes, he was paid 50 ryo, but it hardly seems to motivate him).

Zatoichi is more vulnerable than usual, both emotionally and physically. After a highly credible scene in which he avoids defending himself so as not to kill in front of a child, he gets severely roughed up, eliciting real sympathy from the viewer. Rentaro Mikuni is effective as a psychopathic yakuza boss who is by turns a coward and a bully, slowly eliciting our distaste to the point where Zatoichi's final encounter with him feels more like a necessary deliverance of justice rather than a formulaic inevitability. With a final scene that serves as a derisive sneer to the Ichi vs. a Ronin trope, it’s hard not to feel that the movie was meant to sum up the best the series had to offer while dismissing the aspects that had run their course. How they pulled this off after 23 movies is beyond me, but I’m grateful for the effort.

24: Zatoichi in Desperation *****

I didn’t think it was possible to make a Zatoichi that could blow me away this late in the game, but Zatoichi in Desperation is the 2006 Casino Royale of cinema before there was a 2006 Casino Royale. Almost everything clicks in this movie from the interesting camera work to the expressionist touches and the funky 70s soundtrack. At its heart is proof that a great action movie needs an infamous level of villainy to really raise one’s hackles for the bloodletting at the end. This entry's yakuza gang is a cruel bunch that ruin the lives of countless innocent (and not so innocent) victims and Zatoichi isn’t always conveniently around to save the day. In fact, the tension is even heightened insofar as Ichi is largely unaware of some of their worst crimes to which the audience is privy. Zatoichi has his own problems with the gang, including suffering a debilitating injury at their hands (pardon the pun) which he must overcome in an inventive manner. This is a dark movie, but it’s the darkness that makes it work.

It is also worth noting that this was Shintaro Katsu's only turn as a director for the original movie franchise (he was at the helm for many of the television episodes and 1989's final entry). While one might fear a powerful actor overstepping his bounds and ruining a film, Katsu's experiments with focus, close ups, and jittery shots smashes the visual conventions established in the previous films while serving the needs of the story. The constant shifting of focus between foreground and background plays with the senses, underscoring the moral ambiguity of the characters. The obstructed scene compositions also remind us of Zatoichi's blindness in a more visceral manner. The frequent closeups create a claustrophobic feeling that underscores the menacing atmosphere of the film. All told, his work stands as a rare example of an actor/producer taking the director's chair not for vanity, but to use his power to break conventions no one else could.

25. Zatoichi’s Conspiracy ***

After the darkness of Zatoichi in Desperation came the relative light of Zatoichi’s Conspiracy. It’s almost as though Katsu wanted to wrap the series by doing a well made version of a classic mid-60s Zatoichi. The riskier experimentation that characterizes the other 70s films is largely absent, but by no means is this a tired retread of the earlier formula. A group of amoral ragamuffins meets Zatoichi on the road, by turns harassing and befriending him. We also learn something of Zatoichi’s back story as he confronts a childhood friend who has let greed blind him to the value of taking care of people in your hometown. Although the film is less adventurous, it makes for a fitting denouement to a series that had a heart and tried to deliver the action without going into absurd gross out forays like the more cynical Lone Wolf and Cub series that was taking off as Zatoichi was winding down.

The Final Tally

If you were counting.

***** 3 movies were given the Classic rating.

**** 6 movies were given the Excellent rating.

*** 9 movies were given the Good rating.

** 6 movies were given the Fair rating.

* 1 movie was given the Poor rating. Perhaps I was too hard on Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman, but as the worst of the lot it deserves to take the fall.

All told that’s 18 of 25 movies that met a quality threshold of 3 stars or higher. Chanbara is not to everyone’s taste, but if you start with one of the 4 star movies I recommended and like it, you just might be a candidate for this box set. Let me know how it works out for you.

Can't get enough Zatoichi? See how the directors fared overall: 2014 The Year of Zatoichi

Zatoichi: Guest Stars and Black Holes

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 14:15:00 +0000

This is the fourth of a five part review of all the movies contained in the Zatoichi Box Set from Criterion. You can read part three here: Zatoichi: The Golden Years.

18-22 Guest Stars and Black Holes

While I can't say this with any certainty, it seems likely that after seventeen movies audiences were either losing interest in Zatoichi or the studio was afraid that the end was nigh. Zatoichi fans were growing up and they wanted more blood in their fight scenes. The biggest names in Japanese (and Hong Kong) film were being recruited to attract box office yen, but their star power wasn't being utilized in the service of great storytelling. Thus we enter a stretch of films with good moments, but not enough to sustain the golden age. In fact, only two of the next five even managed to achieve a three star rating.

18: Zatoichi and the Fugitives **

Any movie guest starring Takashi Shimura has a chance to rise above given the gravitas he was capable of lending to a film. Yet despite a promising storyline featuring Shimura as a goodhearted doctor who has been estranged from a violent son with slightly more of a conscience than the ruffians he has fallen in with, this entry actually slips below the median. Where does it go wrong then?

The problem isn’t seeing Zatoichi living with the doctor’s family and helping administer to the local villagers. Ichi-san looks so genuinely happy, you could almost see him settling down here. Nor is the problem seeing the extent to which he is challenged by the fugitives when he sustains a serious injury before overcoming them in the end. For me, the movie turns on the scene when they cut to a music video while Ichi-san wanders along the road. It’s an odd interruption to the flow of the final act that exists purely for the sake of featuring a Katsu song that already bookends the movie. When the action resumes, we are reminded that this movie has been curiously lacking in dramatic tension despite having some potentially compelling story elements. Even in the climactic scene when Ichi discovers the ronin he has killed was a member of the family who took him in, there is little emotional impact. A more conflicted prodigal son who didn't murder a village headman in cold blood might have saved this movie, but we'll never know.

19: Samaritan Zatoichi **

Samaritan Zatoichi starts on a tightrope between formula and standalone filmmaking. Zatoichi is asked to follow the yakuza code and perform some dirty work for a “good” boss who has shown him hospitality. As expected, the boss is not as good as he appears, but by the time Zatoichi realizes it, he has killed the brother of a woman who agreed to work at a brothel to earn 30 ryo to pay off his debt. It is in the moment when Zatoichi realizes what has happened that the viewer's belief in the movie’s premise is earned. Katsu’s ability to act genuine remorse makes it a movie worth watching to the end.

Along the way though, we are asked to endure too many inexplicable events (to wit, when the heroine hides from pursuers in a conveniently located abandoned cabin, they run right by without checking it AND a sexually predacious ronin happens to be lounging in the cabin as though he knew she was a fly bound to fall into his web anyway) and poor decisions from the heroine (really, you’re going to keep heading out on the road alone when Zatoichi can protect you? You’ve got no other options than to return to the brothel you escaped from?). Fortunately, these improbable events set up a genuinely interesting series of confrontations between Zatoichi and the twisted ronin, and we get to see nearly every yakuza actor from the previous movies filling out all the different gangs Zatoichi crosses but for once does not have to completely eliminate.

20: Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo ***

This is a movie that wants badly to rise above the typical Zatoichi entry but falls far enough short of the Kurosawa Yojimbo duology (Yojimbo & Sanjuro) to undermine a collection of interesting performances (Masakane Yonekura as the outcast son Masagoro makes a particularly good flawed villain) and a storyline that attempts to show the effect greed can have on a family. Even knowing that Yojimbo is working deep undercover, there is still something unsatisfying about how Mifune reshaped the character outside of Kurosawa’s influence.

While there is some interest in watching a movie that is not told from a strong point of view of either Zatoichi or Yojimbo, it really forces the viewer to judge the movie against the entire chanbara genre and not just the Zatoichi series itself. It seems like they just tried to stuff a bit too much in. For every 4 star moment, there is another scene that undermines it or which seems to have been inserted out of context. While this is a better movie than I gave it credit for the first time I saw it, one suspects that if talented director Kihachi Okamoto (Kiru!) had been given the power to execute his vision he might have been able to do more with the material and the stars than make a spaghetti western.

21. Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival ***

If Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo capped the 60s samurai movie era with a rehash of plot elements and characters from the decade’s best movies, Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival announced that the 70s were going to be different. Very different. While I haven’t seen any “pink movies” per se, I have read an essay on the genre that suggests that Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival was responding to its influence. More male and female skin is shown than ever before, the sexual relationships between characters are more clearly established, and Peter (Ran) guest stars as the gender ambiguous Umeji who has an “are they or aren’t they” scene with Zatoichi.

The more brazen sexuality aside, it’s the storytelling (or lack thereof) that really sets this movie apart from the 60s flicks. Frequent series director, Kenji Musumi, assumes everyone knows what to expect from a Zatoichi film and essentially dispenses with exposition, stringing together a collection of scenes that would baffle someone new to the series but make sense as a form of mild experimentation to anyone familiar with the Zatoichi formula. For all of its camera gimmicks and interesting twists (e.g. a blind yakuza nemesis, a naked sword fight, and a truly inventive assassination attempt against Zatoichi), the film just does not add up beyond the sum of its parts. As much as it attempts to play with the formula, in the end it reverts to it with no apparent underlying message to distinguish this entry. Oh yeah, and Tatsuya Nakadai plays the ronin, inevitably following Toshiro Mifune as he seemed doomed to play the second fiddle in all samurai movies in which they were linked. A bit of a shame really, for as magnetic as Mifune could be, Nakadai had more range as an actor.

22. Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman *

The introduction of some Chinese characters and culture plus a dash of Hong Kong style action film making are about the only elements that make this movie interesting. Throw in a corrupt, authoritarian monk character and that’s about it for fresh elements in this one. The problems are signalled early in two scenes when Wang Kang and Zatoichi engage in some awkward miscommunications. Nobody trusts anybody and every conflict between a pair of sympathetic characters is based on a misunderstanding that no one seems willing to clear up via observation, communication, common sense, or the realization that there are bigger enemies to unite against. When they finally have a chance to figure out that they each eliminated half the bad guys and have a couple sympathetic women along who could act as mediators, an attempt to communicate is again conveniently overlooked for the sake of an action sequence. Given it’s a Japanese movie, Ichi unsurprisingly triumphs in the end, but it makes a cynical viewer wonder if Katsu returned a guest star favour and died in a Chinese version co-starring Jimmy Wang. Even worse, it takes a mortal wound from Ichi for Kang to realize that the blind swordsman was actually a good person—huh?

Read the fifth and final part: Zatoichi: The Renaissance

Appendix: The Rating System

***** Classic (The most representative movies of the early, middle, and late years.)

**** Excellent (Innovative and enjoyable, with some formulaic elements that are just enough to fall short of a Classic rating.)

*** Good (Professional, entertaining efforts that did not push the boundaries.)

** Fair (Coincidence-driven or otherwise flawed films. Some high points, but not enough to save the movie.)

* Poor (Total bombs. Unfit for inclusion in the canon)

Zatoichi: The Golden Years

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 25 Oct 2014 16:41:00 +0000

This is the third of a five part review of all the movies contained in the Zatoichi Box Set from Criterion. You can read part two here: Zatoichi: Formula and Fighting.

12-17 The Golden Years

Ah, the Zatoichi “middle period.” These six movies represent the best of the Zatoichi series. While the tried and tested formula elements remained, there was an emphasis on storytelling, unique themes, and character development that led to a real emotional investment in the fate of the characters. The success of the series was leading to bigger budgets and the appearance of well known actors without making the presence of the guest star distracting. While Ichi's unique style of swordsmanship still received sufficient screen time, the violence was not an end in itself, and the scenes were largely sanitized of blood and gore. Overall, one could say these were the movies with the most heart, making them the ones that bear the most repeat viewings.

12: Zatoichi and the Chess Expert ***

Whereas Zatoichi and the Doomed Man (#11) suffers from a first act that is let down by the following two, this one features a weak first act that is redeemed by the final two. There is nothing wrong with the opening scene on a boat where Zatoichi demonstrates his gambling prowess and forms somewhat of a friendship with the ronin chess expert of the title (Mikio Narita is particularly good at playing a character with a mix of magnetic and repellent personality traits). After they disembark though, we are treated to some slapstick brawling and an unlikely coincidence designed to give Zatoichi an obligation to a mother seeking life saving medicine for her child. As these four unlikely travelling companions set out on the road together, the story gets really interesting, taking on the atmosphere of a murder mystery that might attract fans of the genre to this particular movie even if the others aren’t to their taste. Throw in a brother and sister on a revenge quest and you have all you need for an entertaining viewing.

13: Zatoichi's Vengeance *****

I have seen this movie too many times to count, so its impact has diminished somewhat over the years. Still, I regard it as the best of the bunch for the way it turns a critical eye on depictions of violence itself. Jun Hamamura (The Burmese Harp) serves as the moral centre of the movie, playing a blind biwa player who forces Zatoichi to examine his conscience, particularly in relation to the influence his swordsmanship has on impressionable young minds. Ultimately Hamamura absolves Zatoichi by basically saying, "there is a time to fight, and a time not to fight," but not before the viewer is forced to ponder exposing children to violent entertainments such as the Zatoichi movies themselves, even if sword fighting is merely a convenient way to resolve a series of conflicts in 90 minutes or less.

The moral questions aside, the performances of every main actor also elevate this movie. Aside from Hamamura and Katsu, Shigeru Amachi is effective as a conflicted ronin who reluctantly agrees to kill Zatoichi because he needs the money to free his wife from a brothel. Mayumi Ogawa is even better as the world weary object of his affection who sacrifices herself to free another woman who still has hope for her future. Despite the five star rating, the movie is not perfect by any means. One could argue that the final conflict with the yakuza could have benefitted from cutting a gross booger scene, and the lighting of an otherwise effective outdoor fight on a bridge and by the river could have been better, but it is a credit to the overall quality of the film that it transcends nitpicking. If one is uninterested in watching the series in order, this is a great place to start for the way it walks the line between innocence and experience.

14: Zatoichi’s Pilgrimage ***

This entry in the Zatoichi series tantalizes with its scenic location shots done with creative camera angles on the island of Shikoku as our eponymous hero attempts a pilgrimage around the island without having to draw his sword. Unfortunately, Zatoichi’s prayers go unheeded as he finds himself delivering a mortal blow to an unknown attacker within minutes. This scene is followed by an absurd sequence in which a horse that does everything but talk leads Zatoichi to the home of the sister of the man he just killed. The movie turns for the better soon after as we learn that he is destined to save a village of ungrateful farmers who are only too willing to let him fight their battles against a bullying horse thief and his formidable gang. As great as it is to see the movie break from its ronin plus a yakuza gang formula, one can’t help but feel they missed a chance to make a better movie had they let the boss get the better of Zatoichi for a bit before he succeeded à la Yojimbo.

15: Zatoichi and the Cane Sword ***

The first time I saw this movie was probably on VHS and the transfer really didn’t do the movie justice, making it look like a low budget quickie. Fully restored, it looks like a quality entry in the series as we get to see Zatoichi spend a large portion of the movie without his sword at his fingertips as he goes “undercover” working as a masseuse at a high class inn to expose a government bigwig. The final act plays out in a rather familiar form, although there is some added interest regarding what will happen to Zatoichi’s damaged sword along with some light humour. All in all, it’s a solid entry in the franchise.

16: Zatoichi the Outlaw ****

This was the first film in the series produced by Shintaro Katsu’s own company and it is immediately apparent that he wanted to make a statement. The story has more depth than the typical Zatoichi entry and it features the first major guest star with an interesting performance by Rentaro Mikuni. Zatoichi meets a ronin early, but this one refuses to carry a sword, preferring to organize farmers and develop new techniques of crop production. The ronin seems to be a composite of well known Neo-Confucian philosophers Nakae Toju, Kumazawa Banzan, and Ando Shoeki, which gives the story of farmers’ exploitation by yakuza and samurai officials an added dimension.

The first act of the movie ends where most of the third acts do, with Zatoichi eliminating a corrupt yakuza gang. After he goes into hiding as a fugitive during an uneven second act, he learns that nature abhors a vacuum and is forced to come out of hiding to protect the farmers and the ronin once again. Unlike Zatoichi’s Pilgrimage, the farmers aren’t portrayed as a bunch of cowards happy to let Zatoichi fight their battles, but a braver group willing to help Zatoichi as far as they are able. Given the longer timeline of the movie, there is a rare opportunity to show character development for some of the people in Zatoichi’s orbit that gives added emotional weight when each one’s personal storyline is resolved.

It is also worth noting that the gore factor is way up in this film. In a series that generally featured bloodless bloodbaths this change could be interpreted as either a Peckinpah-esque desire to show the real consequences of violence or as an unnecessary distraction in which special effects stunts trump resolution of a scene. Regardless of your tolerance for scenes of amputation and decapitation, this movie is worth seeking out for its original take on Zatoichi tropes and the deeper character development. A longer review than usual, but necessary for a more original movie.

17: Zatoichi Challenged ****

Another movie I have seen too many times, so familiarity has dulled some of my reactions. That said, certain scenes still reached me, which attests to my first impressions that this is amongst the best entries in the series. The first few minutes are almost like a “best of” with Zatoichi 1) mowing down a group of attackers in the tall grass during the introduction of the ronin he is destined to meet in the final showdown (#13 Zatoichi's Vengeance), then 2) he meets a dying woman and decides to take her son to his father (#8 Fight Zatoichi Fight). 3) No sooner do they set out than they connect with a group of travelling entertainers (#15 Zatoichi and the Cane Sword). At first it seems like nothing more than an opportunity to feature a popular enka singer’s latest hit, but it soon connects to the main story line and establishes important relationships between the main characters. The rest of the movie sees Zatoichi and the ronin independently uncover a samurai-yakuza plot to produce pornographic plates that allows for an interesting commentary on state censorship. The final sword fight between Zatoichi and the ronin in the snow (where did that come from?) is one of the best in the series, not only for its stalemate ending, but for Zatoichi’s revealing comments on how he feels about the samurai class.

Read Part 4: Guest Stars and Black Holes

Appendix: The Rating System

***** Classic (The most representative movies of the early, middle, and late years.)

**** Excellent (Innovative and enjoyable, with some formulaic elements that are just enough to fall short of a Classic rating.)

*** Good (Professional, entertaining efforts that did not push the boundaries.)

** Fair (Coincidence-driven or otherwise flawed films. Some high points, but not enough to save the movie.)

* Poor (Total bombs. Unfit for inclusion in the canon)

Zatoichi: Formula and Fighting

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 16:41:00 +0000

This is the second of a five part review of all the movies contained in the Zatoichi Box Set from Criterion. You can read part one here: Zatoichi: Birth of a Franchise.

5, 7-11 Formula and Fighting

The strain of telling an interconnected series of stories must have caught up to everyone. With a rotating cast of directors and screenwriters, contract actors recycled in different roles, not to mention the pressure of producing up to four movies a year, the decision must have been made to make each movie a standalone. Not that this is a bad thing necessarily since the remaining films can be watched in any order without affecting continuity, but it led to a short stretch of uneven film making. There was a noticeably heavier emphasis on the rote formula elements and extended sword fights took screen time from more interesting plot and character development.

5. Zatoichi on the Road **

This movie starts well, but the plot depends on inexplicably bad decisions made by the characters combined with Zatoichi's atypical inability to sniff out a conspiracy. In a series of unlikely coincidences a con artist named Ohisa always shows up to interfere with Ichi's plans until she surprisingly develops a conscience late in the game. Despite the obstacles, Ichi is never really threatened by the yakuza, ronin, and samurai he meets along the way. The movie also tends to be talky, with plot points revealed through conversations as opposed to well developed scenes. Even though we're supposed to believe that Zatoichi and his charge, Omitsu, develop some sort of bond, the relationship seems sparkless. Even the overlong gang war at the end disappoints, coming off more as a pointless bloodbath than the delivery of Zatoichi justice. In the end, it feels as transitional as a road trip where neither the beginning or the destination is shown, a metaphorical bridge between movies 4 and 6 with little to connect it to the story lines developed from the beginning of the series.

7. Zatoichi's Flashing Sword **

This is an interesting film in some respects. It features experimental camera work, some original, if improbable, fight choreography, and the story focuses far more on the rival yakuza gangs with Zatoichi in a supporting role for the balance of the film until the bloody climax. These attempts at making more than a formula flick are undermined by numerous bits of light comedy with little payoff and the addition of a deaf character and a stuttering character who seem to have been given their disabilities only to have some misguided fun by comparing them to Zatoichi's blindness. At 82 minutes, the movie seems a little too brief, when it might have been worthwhile to spend a little screen time showing the aftermath of a gang war that leaves both sides decimated.

8. Fight, Zatoichi, Fight ****

I've always really liked this movie. Zatoichi shows a tender side which he vainly tries to hide under a gruff exterior as he cares for a baby and tries to reform a woman who makes her living as a pickpocket. Only recently I realized that the movie offers a metaphorical look at parenthood, as it presents how a good parent must take fewer risks (even when it goes against one's instincts) to ensure that he or she will be around to raise the child. Overall, it's a well told story with a group of assassins chasing Zatoichi through some beautiful country scenery. The journey trope keeps the story moving while still allowing time for relationships between the characters to develop.

9. The Adventures of Zatoichi ***

Inexplicably bad decision-making drives the plot in this movie much the way it did in Zatoichi on the Road. At least three times Zatoichi allows characters to leave town on their own, exposing them unnecessarily to danger in each instance. Adventures rises above with a subplot involving a town drunk who may or may not be Zatoichi's long lost father. This movie also handles the corrupt official in league with yakuza boss better than the one that follows. Definitely worth a viewing for the look at town life around New Year's and Ichi's encounters with two decidedly different ronin.

10. Zatoichi's Revenge **

This movie starts with a lot of promise in the first two acts. Zatoichi has returned to the hometown of his massage teacher only to discover that he has been murdered and his daughter is being held at a brothel. The plight of the women working to repay their bonds is dramatized to show the exploitation many likely endured during the Edo Period. The movie then heads to more familiar territory as Zatoichi uncovers another plot between a corrupt provincial official and the local yakuza boss that has also been exposed by a rare honest Shogunate inspector who, in a credibility straining scene, decides not to travel with a bodyguard. The third act brings the movie to a standstill with some unnecessary expository scenes leading to a final fight scene that drags on for no apparent purpose. It could have been a much better movie, but it gets undone by the uninspired resolution of the plot threads that had been ably set up earlier. Mikiko Tsubouchi is under-utilized in the role of the daughter, but able comic relief is provided by Norihei Miki in the role of a crooked dice roller who specializes in ending winning streaks when the house is behind.

11: Zatoichi and the Doomed Man **

I had bad memories of this movie from the first time I saw it, but after watching the first act, I started to wonder if I had been too hard on it. The movie opens with Zatoichi receiving some rare punishment at the hands of government officials who fortunately don’t realize they have a wanted killer in custody. After meeting the doomed man of the title (framed for reasons that will become clear later) he meets an entertaining con artist who quickly realizes the freeloading potential of impersonating Zatoichi. What could have been a movie sustaining plot line gets wrapped up too quickly as Ichi catches up to him and reminds him of the risks of impersonating a sword fighter when one does not have martial skills of one’s own. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Ichi’s reputation does not get badly damaged by the con artist and he has little to do in the way of repairing it. The rest of the movie plays out in an extremely predictable manner with Zatoichi conveniently showing up at one place after another at just the right time and for no apparent reason. The final fight scene is overlong and drama free. A subplot regarding a possible family connection between the doomed man, the con artist, and their wife/mother and daughter/sister also goes wasted and undeveloped. There was probably a better story to be had in there somewhere, but considering how many movies they were pumping out, the occasional rush job is unsurprising.

Read part three: Zatoichi: The Golden Years

Appendix: The Rating System

***** Classic (The most representative movies of the early, middle, and late years.)

**** Excellent (Innovative and enjoyable, with some formulaic elements that are just enough to fall short of a Classic rating.)

*** Good (Professional, entertaining efforts that did not push the boundaries.)

** Fair (Coincidence-driven or otherwise flawed films. Some high points, but not enough to save the movie.)

* Poor (Total bombs. Unfit for inclusion in the canon)

Zatoichi: Birth of a Franchise

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:13:00 +0000

Earlier this year I shared a post covering my first impressions of Criterion's welcome Zatoichi Box Set. At the time, I promised to eventually share my capsule reviews of every single movie. Long story short, it took me until the end of summer to watch all twenty-five movies and collect my thoughts about them. By the end of the process, it seemed that the movies could be loosely gathered into five groups with distinct themes. Over the coming weeks, I plan to share the reviews by theme in the hope it might spark some discussion and encourage film buffs to explore a classic series with an appeal that ultimately defies analysis.

1-4, 6 Birth of a Franchise

Five of the first six Zatoichi movies could be the favourite for two groups of viewers:

Those who think that all sequels are pale echoes of the original.
Series viewers who like a little continuity from one film to the next.

There are a lot of high points to recommend the early films which make it easy to see why the series became popular in Japan. Although Shintaro Katsu was still refining his sense of the character, it is enjoyable watching him grow almost as Zatoichi himself grows from skilled outcast and reluctant fighter into a local legend and a more willing dispenser of justice.

Films will be rated on a familiar 5 star system relative to the other movies of the series, not the wider world of film itself. Given the criteria established for each star rating, I resisted the urge to waffle with any half star ratings. Hopefully the reviews will clarify which were the best within each rating group.

***** Classic (The most representative movies of the early, middle, and late years.)

**** Excellent (Innovative and enjoyable, with some formulaic elements that are just enough to fall short of a Classic rating.)

*** Good (Professional, entertaining efforts that did not push the boundaries.)

** Fair (Coincidence-driven or otherwise flawed films. Some high points, but not enough to save the movie.)

* Poor (Total bombs. Unfit for inclusion in the canon)

1. The Tale of Zatoichi *****

The ur-text of the series. Corrupt yakuza gangs are at war. There is a tragic ronin figure who respects Zatoichi's sword-fighting ability, but is destined to face him in combat. Not to mention a pretty woman who loves Zatoichi despite his disability and low status, but who is doomed to lose him. The only thing missing is an orphan for Zatoichi to rescue. The movie is in black and white (is that still a deterrent to some?) and the Zatoichi character is not yet fully formed, but it is a must see because it sets the tone for the entire series and hews closest to Kan Shimozawa's original story.

2. The Tale of Zatoichi Continued ***

I was deeply disappointed the first time I saw this movie. It was too short (72 minutes) and the ending seemed rushed, almost as if there were a lost reel of film necessitating a re-edit before release. A second viewing has raised it in my estimation, not just because the sibling rivalry in the movie is acted out by Katsu and his real-life brother (Tomisaburo Wakayama). There is a good story and we learn more about Zatoichi's past. The end does come too soon, but I no longer see that as a deal breaker.

3. The New Tale of Zatoichi ****

One of my favourite entries in the series, with an appropriate title to boot. It’s not just that it is the first colour movie, but there is a sense that this was a relaunch of sorts now that Daiei and Katsu knew what they really wanted to do if they were going to make this a successful serial and not just another sequel. We witness the moral decline of Zatoichi's former sword teacher as the blind swordsman himself fends off attackers looking for revenge from the previous movie. Ichi is sorely tempted to give up his wandering life for marriage with his teacher's sister, Yayoi. And who can blame him, Mikiko Tsubouchi plays the quintessential demure yet steely Edo-period woman.

4. Zatoichi the Fugitive ***

This movie features great scenes depicting Edo-period life, from a sumo competition at the local shrine to a rowdy summer festival. The yakuza ceremony is perfectly composed and builds the tension well. We also learn the fate of Otane, Zatoichi's love interest from the first two movies. While the final battle scene is a little over the top, with Ichi ridiculously outnumbered, it also features one of the best lines in the series when Onobu, played by a series regular, Miwa Takada, berates her dithering boyfriend with a deserved, "Baka! Baka, baka, baka!" While "Idiot! Stupid, stupid idiot!" might not sound all that creative, the delivery and the timing make it perfect.

6. Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold ****

This movie features the return of Katsu's brother as his ronin foil. There is a nice opening credits sequence filmed on a dark stage in a kind of dress rehearsal punctuated by Zatoichi blowing on his masseur's whistle. This opening is no add-on either, as it foreshadows the menacing use of the whistle toward the end of the movie. The real accomplishment of this movie is how it incorporates the legendary Yakuza boss Chuji Kunisada, a Japanese Robin Hood figure. Their meeting and relationship was previously established in Zatoichi the Fugitive after Kunisada pays his respects at Boss Sakichi’s and meets Zatoichi on the road, informing him that he is also on the run. There’s some nice foreshadow when Zatoichi says he hopes to see him again. Having the pair on the same side essentially cements Zatoichi's underdog hero status. Mikiko Tsubouchi returns in a decidely different role playing the sister of a man killed by Zatoichi. Ichi is forced to prove that he is a better man than she thinks, all the while saving a young boy and helping Kunisada escape from his besieged mountain hideout in a brilliant night scene. In the end, Ichi's opponents are formidable, and the stakes of saving a village filled with suspicious and smallminded people (not to mention the reputation of two men) is suitably high. One of the best.

Read part two, Zatoichi: Formula and Fighting

Sake Review: Yuki Hotaru

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Thu, 01 May 2014 03:00:00 +0000

I can hit a snow firefly at 20 paces!

Does the thought of snowflakes twinkling like fireflies compel you to build a bonfire and compose winter-themed haiku while imbibing sake? Perhaps you're the type to mock the thought of fireflies in the snow because you know they are a creature of summer. Today, we're going to take a closer look to see if Yuki Hotaru sake should appeal to your romantic or cynical side.

Packaging

Yuki Hotaru lives up to its wintry name with its translucent blue bottle, white on blue label, and silver bottleneck wrap suggesting mountain spring water combined with rice grown in a short season. Given that Yuki Hotaru is brewed and bottled in the famed mountainous rice growing region of Niigata, there is a good chance that the packaging will reflect its contents. You might even overlook the fact that this is a honjozo sake and not a junmai. Just don't let that deter you from the outset because there are good and bad examples found among both types and each offers its own range of flavour profiles. (See this post at Serious Eats for a solid introduction to honjozo sake beyond the fact distilled alcohol is added during the brewing process.)

Tasting

The nose of this sake was hard to place at first, yet familiar. As I tried to recall where I had experienced a similar smell before, my mind raced through a variety of foods and drink before landing on a medicine--penicillin! Surprised, but not dismayed, I proceeded to taste a sake with a very clean flavour profile and no strong tasting notes, let alone antibiotics. It also seemed to dry the back of my throat quickly after contact. After a bit of digging (i.e. letting the sake sit in my mouth a bit longer to sense the flavour), I detected the taste of truffles, with real earthy tones in the flavour. Different from what one might taste in a more delicate junmai daiginjo no doubt, but enjoyable nonetheless. Perhaps the flavour comes from the minerals in the water they use, but it did give me the fleeting, flippant thought, "maybe this is what a snow firefly tastes like."

Statistics

Sake Meter Value: 1.0
Acidity: 1.3
Amino Acid: 1.1
Alcohol %: 13.5
Semaibuai (milling rate): 70%

Verdict

I remember trying Yuki Hotaru a few years ago and being unimpressed by it. Looking back, this unfavourable impression was probably based on my lack of knowledge about the differences between junmai and honjozo styles which caused me to compare the two unfairly. I enjoyed this second bottle much more and it will have a place in my sake cellar again in the future. I suspect that Yuki Hotaru would pair well with salads and mushroom based dishes, giving it more versatility than your usual sake that tend to pair best with traditional Japanese cuisine. As a honjozo sake, it is also worth noting that it stands up to heating well. Although I have yet to try it warmed, there are instructions provided on the bottle should you be so inclined.

Winter emergence

A sake for all seasons

Yuki Hotaru

Not the best haiku I'll admit, even if it might make good marketing ad copy. Boosting sales wasn't my intent as much as offering an impromptu answer to the implied question at the beginning of the post. Have a sake haiku of your own? Feel free to share it in the comments section.

Links

Distributor's Website

LCBO Product Page

Second Opinion: Ratebeer.com

All links are provided for information purposes only. I receive no affiliate fees.

The Challenge of Writing Samurai Sword Fights

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 01:57:00 +0000

It is difficult to write anything set in what could be called the samurai genre without eventually having to write a sword fight. Like a love scene in a romance, it is expected, yet it is also an open invitation for criticism. While offenders aren't at risk of receiving the equivalent of the Literary Review's Bad Sex prize, the challenges of writing a fight scene credible enough to avoid ridicule can be daunting. Today we're going to look at three examples of individual combat that appear in The Samurai Poet to explain my approach and inspirations. My approach is by no means definitive, but it may serve as a useful foil as you construct your own.

Spear vs. Sword

In Chapter 4, there is a duel fought between Ishikawa Jozan's father and his sword teacher. This is an important scene because it establishes the historical importance of the spear and challenges the popular notion of the sword representing a samurai's soul. Purists might object to the use of real weapons, but they were included to heighten the stakes and the drama of the scene. The fact it takes place in the dojo in front of all the students also happens to be my nod to the movie Sword of Doom. This is not the only homage to Japanese film in the novel, but I'll leave the pleasure of discovering the rest of them to you.

I deliberately wrote this scene in an overly technical manner as a swipe at the typical sword fight description I've read in far more books than I care to count, along the lines of, "He helplessly waved his sword in front of him. I parried and cut him down with a single stroke." I've always found it difficult to visualize this type of writing, and it has led me to question whether the author actually knew anything about sword fighting. Although I am far from a master, I learned enough basic principles from studying kenjo in Aikido that I felt comfortable writing a scene that could be acted out in the imagination. One early reader of the novel did call me on this extended scene; I took the feedback seriously, but ultimately decided to keep it intact, not least of which because it provides a context for the father's comment after the duel: "You should know that neither of us used as much as one tenth of what we know."

Never bring a sword to a spear fight

Staff vs. Staff

In Chapter 7 Ishikawa Jozan challenges his nemesis, Kunitora, to a duel before the latter departs on a new assignment. Rather than pit spear versus sword again, this gave me the chance to utilize some of my Aikido training with a jo (staff) versus jo battle. Introducing a common practice weapon such as the wooden jo injected an element of realism as the opponents were able to engage in a test of skill without serious risk of injury or death. After the technical scene in Chapter 4, I felt safe writing bouts that resolved more quickly while still being possible to recreate should one be so inclined. By de-emphasizing the details of the fight, I was able to focus on Jozan's interior battle as he realizes that his comrades are cheering for his opponent.

Spear vs. Sword & Spear

Chapter 15 is unsurprisingly one of the bloodiest chapters of the novel since it is constructed around the largest and last samurai battle in Japanese history (I'm discounting the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637 since only one side featured an organized samurai army). Ishikawa Jozan has charged into the bailey of Osaka Castle and surprised two enemies, one holding a sword, the other a spear. Jozan wields a spear himself and dispatches both opponents in short order. After all my complaining at the top about rushed fight scenes, what changed? I can assure you that it wasn't to manage my word count and no weapons are waved by anyone. My main purpose here was to show how quickly individual combat was often resolved during melees. There is scant historical evidence to suggest that noble samurai challenged opponents of equal skill to duels in the midst of heated battles. As one might expect, combatants simply fought the person in front of them, and mismatches were not uncommon. By resolving this fight in a single paragraph, I intended to show how random chance often factored into each samurai's success or demise during war. For readers who recall from the prologue Tokugawa Ieyasu's pointed remark about the youth of one of Ishikawa's victims, this scene closes that circle as well.

Final Thoughts

These are not the only incidents of combat in the novel, but I hope they give a sense of my approach and suggest some possibilities if you are considering writing a sword (or spear!) fight of your own. While there is a balance to be struck between believability and reader patience, it is equally important to know what purpose the sword fight serves as a part of the larger story. If writing about the fight becomes an end in itself, it might be time to reconsider its inclusion in the text.

Are you a writer or reader who would like to share your perspective? Comments are welcome below.

Four Essential Tools for International Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 14:10:00 +0000

February is over, spring is on the horizon, and if you're anything at all like me, thoughts are turning to summer vacation. While I have no plans for international travel this year, there are four indispensable travel tools I discovered during my Japan via Finland trip last year that I would like to share with you today. Chances are you've heard of all them in some form or another, but if you don't own all of them yet, read on and see if you can resist adding them to your "must have" list.

Macally Universal Power Plug Adapter

While this international travel adapter isn't quite universal, it will meet your needs in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, and it did the trick for us in Japan. All told, they claim their product is suitable for use in over 150 countries with 100/240V inputs. Not bad.

Here's what we liked about it:

cube-like shape for easy packing
retractable prongs for safety
a blue power indicator light so you know it's working without keeping you awake at night
a USB port for charging portable devices with fewer chargers to pack
can be used year round at home as a versatile plug/charger without losing an outlet

This adapter cost us $24.99 CAD and it has been worth every penny during and after the vacation. I have recently seen it as low as $20 on the Internet. Even if you don't go with this model, definitely look for an adapter with the USB port and an indicator light--you won't regret it when you're trying to plug it into a deep set outlet in a hotel. Just remember it's not a voltage converter; you'll need to spend more money if you need something like that.

MEC Wayfarer Backpack

This backpack offers the best value in airplane-ready travel backpacks in the world at a mere $79 CAD. Similar models like the Osprey Farpoint 55 start at $219.99. Even MEC's own Supercontinent 65 is more than double the price at $165! What do you sacrifice for this low price? Basically, an attachable daypack with padded straps. The Wayfarer has everything else its higher priced competitors offer, including an adjustable fit, comfortably padded straps that hide away before check-in (a must for flight attendants checking your pack), and suitcase-like carrying options when walking into the hotel. There is a roll up daypack included with the Wayfarer, and I can tell you from experience that it fits so comfortably that your shoulders will not tire even without padded straps. If you are concerned that the Wayfarer "only" holds between 42-53 L (S/M) or 46-57 L (M/L), I did a ton of research in forums and blog reviews and the one common theme was "you will never regret going with a smaller pack," basically because it forces you to bring no more that what you need when travelling overseas.

Now here's the bad news. MEC is a Canadian cooperative that only has retail locations in Canada. They do ship to the USA (decent rates) and internationally (not so decent rates), so it is possible to buy one without trying it. If you order the pack best suited for the torso length specified on their website, you can't go wrong. I bought the S/M and it fit perfectly and held everything I needed for a 17 day trip.

Compression Sacs

If you want to try the Wayfarer but want to pack some extra clothes, consider buying a couple Eagle Creek compression sacs. They make it easy to squeeze the air out of your shirts and keep your pack organized. Depending on your needs a Small-Medium-Large multipack might not offer the best value if the Medium/Large combo is all you need. When you go to buy them at your favourite travel accessory retailer, crunch the numbers before deciding. We had no regrets going with the two pack.

A 7" Tablet

We took the plunge and bought an iPad Mini about a month before our trip. We wanted a computing device that was portable and lightweight. We thought our main uses would be to check e-mail, use the Internet, and take some notes on our trip that could be developed when we returned home. Boy, did we underestimate the value of the Mini. It turned out to be an indispensable personal travel assistant that we kept at our fingertips throughout the trip. Whether it was familiar or uncommon functions, each one took on added value on the road:

Plane ticket and boarding pass storage in multiple formats came in handy whether checking in or confirming our itinerary
Calendar app provided a simple way to track when all the memorable outings happened
Notebook app allowed us to track shopping wish lists and spending totals for Customs
The alarm! No more travel alarm clocks required!
Camera--we used the iPad way more than our good camera. For the most part it was all we needed to record travel memories no one else would want to see anyway
iBooks was a double boon--it provided one stop reading material on the plane and gave handy access to our Helsinki City Guide while we navigated unfamiliar streets
ActiBook allowed us to order from a virtual menu when we were at the Tatsunoko Entertainment Bar and keep a souvenir of the experience to boot (you can read about that experience here)
The Blogger app allowed me to not only start some posts, but even complete a couple while far from home. Just be careful when syncing so that you don't overwrite a completed post.
7" tablets seem to offer the perfect form factor for thumb typing

The only downside we saw to making a tablet our sole computing device on the road was that a touch screen was not conducive to long sessions of traditional typing. For all it gave us in return, it seemed like a worthwhile tradeoff. We're already considering leaving our camera at home next time we visit Japan. For a few hundred dollars, a mini tablet sure offers the potential to avoid a ton of packing and save you from a few headaches along the way. Once you get used to its convenience, you'll also find it hard to stop using it once you get home, so don't worry about getting full value from it.

Final Thoughts

I rarely devote blog space to product endorsements on the pages of Over a Hedge, so you know all four of these travel tools made a big impression while helping us get the most out of our vacation. If even one of these recommendations makes your next trip easier, I will be gratified. Enjoy your travels!

Disclaimer: No promotional consideration was sought or received for recommending any of these products. The views represented here are my independent opinions with input from my family.

Sake Review: Ontario's Own Izumi Sake

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 14:38:00 +0000

O-nomitai!

Ontario has its own sake brewery now! While locally sourced sake helps alleviate guilt about the pollution related to transporting sake across the Pacific Ocean and half a continent, it raises other questions. The most important one being, can the Ontario Spring Water Sake Company compete with Japanese brewers and their years of experience in the industry?

Packaging

OSWS sells most of their products under the "Izumi" (spring water) label. The Genshu I tried was served in a brown bottle that could be distinguished from a beer bottle only by its sloped neck. The brown paper label has narrow bands of brown on the borders to differentiate it from their other product offerings (which are blue, red, and purple). The overall impression the packaging leaves is that of a step up from a home brewing kit. While some might question a new company for not putting more money into packaging and design, I like the idea that their main focus is the contents of the bottle, not the appearance.

Tasting

After pouring, I noticed a nice yellow colour, almost like a gold tint to the sake. Since I had made the mistake of sanitizing my hands just before sampling, I couldn't detect its scent--curse you hand sanitizer! Nothing could obscure the taste though--boy, is it ever sweet! It is quite possibly the sweetest sake I have ever tasted, and that includes amazake, a non-alcoholic rice concoction with a name that literally translates as "sweet sake." If you've never had amazake, it is almost like drinking liquified rice pudding. After I got over the surprise at Izumi Genshu's sweetness, I tried to get a sense of the taste, and could only come up with two words, apple cider. At 17% alcohol content, it is on the stronger end of the scale for sake, but it is completely disguised in the flavour, so be careful if you are trying to avoid feeling too tipsy. The only hint of its high alcohol content was how quickly it warmed the back of the throat.

Statistics

I had a hard time finding stats for this sake, even at the company home page, so most of them are blank.

Sake Meter Value:
Acidity:
Amino Acid:
Alcohol %: 17%
Semaibuai (milling rate):

Verdict

Due to its sweetness, I found that Izumi Genshu Sake didn't pair really well with soya sauce flavoured rice dishes. When is it best served then? I'm not sure if the category of dessert sake exists, but it really seems to offer an interesting ice wine substitute, and a cheaper one at that. Since sweet alcohols and liqueurs are not my style, I wouldn't buy this one again personally, but it is a well made sake of its type. Definitely seek it out and give it a try if you're into dessert wines and digestifs. If it doesn't suit your tastes, remember it can still be used in your cooking, so you really have nothing to lose by trying it.

Links

All links are provided for information purposes only. I receive no affiliate fees.

OSWS Home Page: Their website is definitely worth browsing for the handy bilingual sake glossary and the regularly scheduled brewery tasting tours. I'm going to have to go on one myself. Sounds like the making of another blog post.
Second Opinion: Ratebeer.com

Many great writers loved to drink. I love to drink. Instead of reasoning out this logical fallacy to its conclusion, why not check out a free sample of my novel, The Samurai Poet, and decide for yourself?

The Stop Motion Samurai Finds Love

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 06:30:00 +0000

A couple years ago I made a short stop motion video of a toy samurai just to learn how it was done. While it was admittedly nothing special, once Playmobil released a kimono clad woman who looked like she was on her way to a summer festival, it seemed like the right time to try something a bit more ambitious. So, in honour of Valentine's Day, I hope you enjoy the following video. It is suitable for all ages, with the caveat that there is nothing worse than what one might witness during the battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back.

If you would prefer a more mature artistic look at the life of a samurai, check out my novel here.

First Look: Zatoichi Box Set

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Sat, 01 Feb 2014 19:25:00 +0000

Some might question why art film specialist Criterion released a twenty-five film box set tribute to the Zatoichi film series. After all, they once distributed a number of these same films under their Home Vision Entertainment label. If you count yourself among the skeptics, holding this superbly done box set in your hands might be enough to quell your doubts.

Background

Zatoichi was one of the longest running series in Japanese film history. After its run finished in the seventies, it lived on for a while as a television show. The film's star, Shintaro Katsu, also appeared in one last version in 1989 which is not included in this set. Since then, it has been revived in various forms, most famously by Takeshi Kitano. There was even a new take on the series with actress Haruka Ayase playing the lead role. The nearest Western equivalent to the Zatoichi franchise would have to be James Bond, even if the heroism of the main characters is decidedly different.

The Presentation

The artwork adorning the box, disc case, and hardcover booklet is stunningly appropriate. Inspired by Heian-era paintings depicting the Genpei War, the hallucinogenic colours used to depict caricatured actors in scenes from the movie seems strangely appropriate for a film series that largely played it straight. Perhaps this is because the artwork suggests the private hell the character of Zatoichi might have experienced after going on so many murderous rampages to protect the innocent and the weak in one village after the other. Regardless of the inspiration, kudos to the Art and Design team for their vision.

The Contents

The booklet does the series justice with a thoughtful essay contributed by Geoffrey O'Brien. He manages to tease out the formula elements of the film series and give a reasonable explanation as to how the movies still managed to avoid seeming formulaic. Chris D. contributes a synopsis of each movie, fleshed out with information about other notable participants in the production. A variety of artists take turns illustrating the page opposite each synopsis, which allows for a rich range of interpretations. Perhaps the nicest treat is the inclusion of Kan Shimozawa's original short story, "The Tale of Zatoichi", whose influence is evident throughout the first movie.

The disc case uses clever foldouts to match the DVDs and Blu-rays for each set of films. Thanks to the the latter's higher capacity, three movies are encoded on each disc with no loss of visual or sound quality I could detect. Criterion's decision to sell all their movies with both formats has been a boon in my household, since we only have a Blu-ray player in the basement, but sometimes watch movies on DVD in the living room.

Bonus Features

24 - Zatoichi in Desperation (B. Ward)

There is the equivalent of one disc worth of bonus content. I've only watched the interview with critic Tony Rayns so far. It is informative, but I did have one disagreement with him. He chooses Kenji Misumi and Kazuo Mori as his favourite regular directors. While I agree with the Misumi pick, Tokuzo Tanaka is the other name I look for when I want a surer bet at finding a quality Zatoichi flick--mais, à chacun son goût.

The Films Restored

I have only watched seven of the films so far, but have been impressed with the transfers and restoration efforts from everything seen to this point. As expected, the Blu-ray picture is particularly impressive, and my wife and I are noting numerous small details we had missed when viewing the HVE DVDs in the past. As well, the earlier DVD releases tended to saturate the colours. It was a look I liked, incidentally, but seeing the restored Blu-ray editions makes me feel like I'm watching the films the way they were originally projected in the sixties.

A Slight Subtitling Miscue

Did you just say you were trying to avenge your own death?

The greatest reward in having the box set though, is the ability to watch the movies consecutively. It is far easier to follow the storyline and keep track of characters and story elements that occurred in previous films. Since we were following along so closely, we found a small subtitling error in the fourth movie, Zatoichi the Fugitive, that could confuse English viewers.

At the 22 minute mark, Boss Yagiri is having a discussion with the ryokan owner, Shimazo, about Zatoichi. When Yagiri reveals his motive for putting a price on Zatoichi's head, he says it is for the killing of Iioka no Sukegoro, the boss who hosted Zatoichi in the first movie, and then was killed for betraying him in the second. Unfortunately, the subtitle names "the yakuza brother Kisuke," who Zatoichi killed in self-defence at the beginning of the movie in question. This mistake could cause a lot of confusion, since Kisuke says he was attacking Zatoichi to earn the reward himself. As there is no time travel in this film, it would be understandably hard to figure out how someone could be trying to earn a reward that was offered to avenge his own death!

Of course not! Only an oyabun is worthy of a reward!

Ever feel like the whole world's against you? (C. Willumsen)

Why Buy When You Can Watch on Hulu?

At a retail price of $224.99 US, one might wonder if it is worth springing for a bunch of movies with essentially the same plot structure, especially if one has access to them streaming. I would say yes, for 3 reasons.

Criterion and Barnes & Noble each offer 50% off sales once in a while.
Criterion does such a great job restoring, preserving, and distributing classic films from around the world that they deserve our financial support (even if it is 50% off).
The box set looks awesome--both as a physical object and on screen. It is a fitting tribute to a great movie series.

I eventually plan to post capsule reviews of the movies, either here or on my website. If you can't wait, my favourite set can be found at a website called alexinwonderland. It might look dated, but the reviews are solid, and I generally agree with the star ratings for each film. Once all twenty-five films have been viewed, I intend to start a Zatoichi trivia quiz ~~on Twitter~~. There will be no prizes other than a boost to your self-esteem, but if that sounds like fun, you can follow me @travisbelrose. I'll ~~also~~ run it ~~simultaneously~~ on Google+, so you can add me to your circles there and/or join the Japanese Cinema: the Art and Sound community to make sure you don't miss anything.

An Explosion of Kakipi Flavours

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Mon, 13 Jan 2014 06:30:00 +0000

I received an early Christmas present last month in the form of a care package. My thoughtful in-laws remembered my kakipi addiction that was on full display this past summer (it's a pack a day habit I can only kick by leaving the country) and sent me three six-packs of my favourite snack. But that's not all, there were three more suspicious packages accompanying them. They looked like kakipi, but the colours were off and there were funny little pictures of fruits and vegetables on them. (N.B. Kaki are soya-flavoured mini crackers that resemble persimmon seeds, and pi is short for peanuts in Japanese. In this case, perfectly polished peanuts.)

A closer inspection revealed a familiar package of wasabi flavoured kakipi, typically a last resort when my local Japanese grocery store is out of the original, and really only, flavour. The next two had the look of trendy experiments with "fail" written all over them--Ume Shiso and Yuzu Kosho. Nightmarish flashbacks of products I hadn't even tried like Pepsi Shiso ran through my mind and dread at the thought of corrupted kakipi began to build.

Ume Shiso Kakipi

Nonetheless, I bravely ripped open a bag of the Ume Shiso and gave it a try. I reasoned that by getting the worst out of the way early, I could save the best for last. For the uninitiated, ume is short for umeboshi, or salted pickled plum. Umeboshi is salty enough to pucker your lips and make your eyes water. Aficionados might eat them straight, but most prefer to eat them with a plain food like rice when looking for a little more flavour.

The original, and still the best.

Shiso is the zesty leaf sometimes used to wrap onigiri (rice balls) instead of nori (seaweed). Shiso is a difficult flavour to describe. It's not quite like mint, nor is it like chewing on a regular plant leaf, but somewhere pleasant in between. Shiso's charms aside, it was hard to imagine it doing anything good for umeboshi (which should only be consumed inside onigiri if you ask me).

One bite was all it took. What a revelation! Ume Shiso Kakipi is simply the best thing to happen in the world of snacks since, well, kakipi. The food chemists at Kameda somehow managed to find the perfect blend of plum and shiso to create a fruit-flavoured snack with a bit of a kick. Immediately, I grasped the reason for this creation. It was invented for the sole purpose of being paired with sake. A quick trip to the fridge and back was enough to confirm that Ume Shiso Kakipi is to sake as the original is to beer. And no wonder, I'm not the only one to detect the fruity notes in many sake. What better snack to pair with that than one flavoured with pickled plum?

Yuzu Kosho Kakipi

Wow. I wasn't expecting to go on that long about this one flavour. But it was good. How good? I made the mistake of sharing the news with my wife and two bags quickly disappeared. This has never happened before with the rest of my kakipi stash.

So what about the Yuzu Kosho? Yuzu is like a bitter grapefruit and it is combined here with kosho, a type of hot pepper. The flavours balance well, but I found this mutation of kakipi too hot to pair with beer or sake, so what's the point? It tastes all right mind you, but I wouldn't fly to Japan just to eat some. Ditto the wasabi.

Wasabi Kakipi

While I'm as suspicious as the next person of brands trying to extend a hit product with an ill-advised flavour combination. Take it from me, Ume Shiso Kakipi is awesome. Let's just hope it's not a limited edition.

2014 New Year Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year from Over a Hedge. Thank you for your support, shares, +1s, and readership throughout the year.

Here's hoping 2014 treats you well.

明けましておめでとうございます！

Hisashiburi Shisendo

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 14:55:00 +0000

One of the highlights of 2013 was my trip to Finland and Japan. The highlight wrapped inside of that one was a solo trip I was able to take to Kyoto. I began and ended my day at Shisendo. While there, I discovered that in some ways it is not as tourist friendly as it used to be, but there were new pleasures to be found in exploring nooks and crannies not yet embedded in my mind.

On the downside, tourists are no longer allowed to take interior photographs of Shisendo. This loss is somewhat mitigated by the fact that you can now take a virtual tour using Google Street View. As effective as that can be in refreshing one's memory after the trip, it also means there are no pictures to take home for personal use. I commented on the change to the receptionist hoping that she would offer an explanation, but she merely agreed that it was a new policy without elaborating. If it is any consolation, garden photography is still permitted, including outdoor shots taken from within the building.

This indoor photo was taken before learning of the ban.

Given that more of the original artwork and scrolls have been replaced with replicas, I can't imagine that the ban on interior photography was implemented to help protect the artifacts. It is more likely that the move was made to promote postcard and photo book sales, but that is pure speculation.

There was some good news on the omiyage (souvenir) front at least. Yamamoto Shiro's excellent biography, Ishikawa Jozan to Shisendo (Jozan Ishikawa and Shisendo), is still available for sale, and it is now possible to buy Shisendo Jozanji branded incense. I bought the shorter (13.5 cm) of the two options and can attest that the scent evokes the place perfectly.

I am embarrassed to report that I momentarily became disoriented in Shisendo and found myself in the room where I expected to see the paintings of the 36 poets hanging, only to see they weren't there. After calming myself, I discovered the replicas with their shiny gold backgrounds in the next room. The woven reed ceiling is looking a little worse for the wear, but it is likely that it has been replaced many times since Jozan's day.

Thankfully, you can still photograph from within Shisendo.

Another difference is that the door leading to the Shogetsuro (Tower for Whistling at the Moon) is now firmly closed behind a large multilingual sign indicating access is forbidden. It's a shame if previous visitors had tried to sneak up, because it has removed the opportunity to at least look up the stairwell and see the tree trunk that was embedded in the wall as a handrail.

Although I took time to relax and enjoy Shisendo, it really was a working trip as I spent 3 hours in the morning and one in the afternoon shooting film and video for this blog and my website. The advantage of spending so much time there was the chance to see all the hard work that goes into maintaining its pristine condition. I arrived a few minutes after opening, and an obaasan was already bent over at the waist weeding and pruning. She would stop occasionally to answer a question or share a laugh with a tourist, but for the balance of the day it was rare to see her standing clear of the vegetation.

Obaasan, with bamboo arches (click to enlarge).

Watching her work, I discovered that what look like deeply embedded bamboo arch barriers are actually easily removable to allow for access to the plants and shrubs on display. Previously, I had imagined that groundskeepers were required to step over them when necessary.

Labourers were also busy throughout the morning lugging equipment, building materials, and trimmings in and out of the grounds to complete various maintenance and restoration projects. The receptionist also pitched in by leaving her post from time to time to sweep the tatami floors. Considering Shisendo is over 370 years old, it is no surprise that so much work is required, but seeing it only added to my appreciation of the effort required to preserve its rustic beauty.

Late afternoon in the lower garden

Before leaving around noon, I asked at the front desk if re-entry was permitted. Not that I minded paying 500 yen to return later in the day, but I was curious about their policy. The receptionist informed me that I would be allowed to enter a second time without paying. She seemed surprised to see me return at 3:00, and mercifully laughed off my mistake when I raised my camera with a gentle reminder that photos were not allowed inside. This was my first time walking the grounds near sunset, and the golden rays illuminating the moss through the shade of trees was gorgeous. By coincidence, I bumped into the receptionist at the bus stop on the way back where we struck up a brief conversation. She shared her opinion that late afternoon is the best time of day to see Shisendo, and I would have to agree despite my appreciation of the dry garden in the morning sunlight.

Can the interior be photographed from outside?

Before closing, allow me to advise that if you ever visit Shisendo, don't rush or you will miss its charms. Just before I finished my morning photo shoot, a small group of English speaking tourists arrived. In my vanity, I considered offering them a guided tour of the grounds, refraining in the end because it seemed wrong to mediate their experience in any way. I left soon after and paused for a water break at a shrine just up the road. When I looked back down the hill, the group was already filing into their waiting taxi. I could not fault them for leaving so soon, because I know myself that if I had toured Shisendo quickly during my first visit in 1998, I would not have been able to distinguish it from any of the other small temple gardens I had visited. Shisendo is a place that reveals its secrets to the patient. If you step carefully, you might hear the voice of Ishikawa Jozan as he explains his choices when designing the villa and garden. Although the experience is less than what it was even ten years ago, it still offers a quiet escape, especially during the first and last hour of the day.

If you are interested in visiting Shisendo, you can find detailed information and directions at my website.

Sakana, Sakana: Jiro Dreams of Fish Story

noreply@blogger.com (Over a Hedge) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 03:09:00 +0000

I was at the library earlier this month when I decided to check out the Japanese film section for recent additions. I grabbed a stack of promising titles and started sifting through reviews on-line. I eventually narrowed my borrowing list to the manageable number of two: the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the movie Fish Story. Completely oblivious to the fishy, if superficial connection between the two titles, I checked them out and went for my morning coffee. It was only when I sat down to drink that it occurred to me I had borrowed two DVDs with fish-related titles. Even the coincidence of the names and watching them consecutively does not merit pairing them in the same review though. It was only when a surprising connection between the message of the two films occurred to me that it seemed fitting to look at them together.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells the story of a man who with little parental support or formal education turned an unassuming looking restaurant into a three star Michelin establishment. The story itself is simply told, but the point about the results of a one hundred percent dedication to craftsmanship is effectively made nonetheless. Even though a prominent food critic who has dined at Jiro's restaurant for thirty years claims he has never had a bad experience in all that time, it becomes clear that by no means was the restaurant experience static.

Jiro describes a process in which he was constantly reflecting on ways to improve his restaurant, be it by reshaping the menu or perfecting his method for cooking rice. His extraordinary attention to detail is evidenced by such measures as the arrangement of diners at each meal, the order in which the meal is served, and the subtle shift in how an item of food is served the moment he detects a guest is left-handed. By the end of the documentary, one feels that $300 is the only suitable price for a course of ~~thirty~~ twenty sushi items so meticulously prepared.

Father and sons

Another enjoyable aspect of the documentary is the acrimony-free candour in which the subjects of the documentary speak when in the presence of one another. Jiro's oldest son discusses the Prince Charlesian wait he has endured to inherit the family business in front of his father with no visible resentment. The two sons also speak about their competitiveness with an enviable matter of factness which implies a healthy family relationship.

While the documentary is fairly straightforward and largely avoids politics, there is a welcome wake-up call near the end when Jiro's eldest son speaks about the need for ocean conservation and the better management of fish stocks--particularly tuna--using less destructive fishing methods. It is the type of message often dismissed within the fishing industry when delivered by vegetarian Greenpeace types like me, but coming from chefs whose livelihood depends on sea life, one would think it could carry a lot more weight if broadcast widely enough.

Fish Story (2009)

Fish Story has the vibe and the look of a low budget indie film that received just enough funding to convincingly pull off the special effects and location shooting it needed to tell its story effectively.

And what a story it is.

The movie is based on a novel written by Kotaro Isaka (born in my second home of Chiba incidentally), and the entire time watching it I thought, "this story only works because it was first told by a novelist." The movie interweaves and successfully pulls together four story lines set in different time periods from the 1970s to an imaginary present when a comet threatens the destruction of Earth.

Along the way it satirizes cults and Hollywood blockbusters while still telling such heartfelt human stories as a victim of bullying who develops courage in a convincing manner and a punk band being torn apart by its lack of success. It gets all the larger themes right, which just makes the mastery of the smaller details even more of a delight. One of my favourites was a subtle satirical jab at the flaws in the Japanese job application system that requires candidates to submit photos of themselves. This leads a failing publishing company to put their fate in the hands of a man who knows no English to translate a novel into Japanese because he looks hafu, that is, the sometimes controversial term for a person with one Japanese parent and another of international origin. While judging people more by appearances than qualifications can sink a publisher but eventually save the world may leave one wondering whether it is really such a bad thing after all, the intelligence that runs throughout the movie makes it a joy to watch from start to finish.

It doesn't hurt that the theme song of the movie is damned catchy either. Apparently it is a reworked version of The Damned's "New Rose," which just adds another level of intertextual pleasure to a story about a punk band doomed for being just slightly enough ahead of its time to find the audience it deserves for its music.

All told, Fish Story reveals a post-Modernist's command of pop culture and disjointed storytelling blended with elements of magic realism to tell a fundamentally sincere story at its heart.

Jiro, Meet Fish Story

During the instrumental break of the one-off recording of Fish Story, the lead singer breaks character as an angry punk rocker to share a plaintive monologue about whether anyone will ever hear their song or care that it existed. In a movie in which one character criticizes the band by saying that the difference between a professional and an amateur is that the amateur is self-indulgent, the underlying message of the movie is that not all types of self-indulgence are amateurish if one has a vision worth believing in.

It is a message that applies equally to DIY punk rockers and sushi chefs. It is a message that ties the two films together and makes them worth seeing back to back. Jiro stubbornly pursued his craft until public recognition transformed him into an artist. The song "Fish Story" eventually found its audience in the movie. It was a small audience, but an important one, and the band's effort made a real difference in a few people's lives with epic results. In the end, it doesn't matter whether you slice it, play it, write it, or paint it. If you build it, they will come, and that should be all the motivation you need.

Travis Belrose is the author of The Samurai Poet. Learn more here.