Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I went to the theatre in Shibuya to see the film.

I really enjoyed it. German films are enjoyable if you know history of Germany such as Nazis, Berlin Wall, and 1968 anti-imperialist movement.

So far, what I have seen are as for Nazis "Sophie Scholl," "Der Untertgang" and as for Berlin Wall, "Lives of others," and "Good-bye, Lenin."

This time I watched post-war radical movement that took place in 1968, Germany. Youngsters became so radical because they believe they could wipe out imperialism and change the world better. One female liberal journalist with two daughters joined the movement.

 

But the consequence was disastrous. They became terrorists, bombers and hi-jackers, later ended up with commiting suicide in prison cells.

Japan had the same movement in the same era. The consequence were very similar. These days youngsters are not interested in such radical way of movement.

Germany and Japan went through the same path since 1930's in that sense. The country was dominated by militants in pre-war era. After the war, youngsters provoked radical social movement.

Recently my interest to foreign things was shifted from the U.S. to Germany. 

I went to Berlin last year. I was really impressed. I get acquainted with German people in business. I am studying German now.

Germany has a lot of things we, Japanese can learn from. One of notable things is how they dealt with war review and compensation.

Other things are local sports club, farms, and ecology policy. Germany is leading producer of solar PV in the world.

Germany succeeded reduction of CO2 emission as it scheduled following Kyoto Protocol while other nations failed.

I want to know more about this country.  

Deutcheland uber alles in der Welt!

Walt Disney has been known as Hollywood's most racist and sexist person in history. His movies reflect his views.

"Sleeping Beauty" was one of the good examples. It reflects public opinion at that time. The film was released in 1959.

The princess named Aurora was cursed by a witch. The curse was that she would die at the age of 16. One of kind fairlies tried to get rid of the curse. But what she could do was to make it rather gentler one, which was fall into deep sleep until she be kissed by a man she loved.

3 things matter in the story.

 

1. A woman should be waiting for a man whom she has to depend on.

Girls are made to believe that. They are not expected to be independent. They are brainwashed to believe that they cannot live without reliable men's supports. How pity!

 

2. Bad guys are all Black.

Black witch took on the princess and prince. Her subordinates are crows. In the old days, crows are discriminately term for Afro-Americans. Disney would be surprised to know President Obama.

 

3. Your private life would be sacrificed for the statehood.

Like marriage between Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip who was her neighboring country's prince. Although they met in a forest accidently without knowing who they really were, they fell in love as though they had already met "Once upon a dream." That implies that people should think it is honorable to sacrifice your life to serve your country. Think that is your destiny.

 

Wow, interesting analysis! I don't like Disney film because they always contain such brainwashing methodology.

Disney films are great teaching materials for media literacy. DON'T BE BRAINWASHED, GOOD AND SMART PEOPLE OF THE WORLD!!

 

Remember Disneys and Nazis are lookalike. I want Tokyo Disneyland removed from our land as well as US military bases. 

 

TOXIC and DANGEROUS!  

American dolphin trainer named Ric O'Barry is taking on Japan's traditional culture.

He loves dolphins so he doesn't like Japanese dolphin hunting in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture.

He came to the town and shoot the scenes of hunting and made documentary film.

Here comes again after whaling in Antarctica. This time within Japan's territory. It seems he and his friends think Japan is part of US territory.

I don't eat dolphin meat. But the localies hunt and eat them for centuries. That is their culture and tradition. Japanese government provides the license to them. It doesn't matter whether their hunting method is cruel or not. We, human eat animal meat in order to survive. You can see as graphic scenes as that in beef processing factories.

Well, I believe such protestants are small portion of all. When I was in the U.S., Americans I met said they don't care about cultural thing. Unless the species is endangered, they don't care who eats what. I think that is the ordinary people's response.

I was against Japan's whaling in Antarctica because it is not worth it. There is not high demand any more and it hurts Australia's tourist business. I never agree with Aussie's idea that whales are cute and intelligent mammals so we shouldn't kill. It can mean you can kill less intelligent animals? Sounds racist.

Is it white Christian ideology that once you believe one thing is good, force others to follow?

Interesting thing is in 19th century westerners came to Japan and Southern Pacific islands and criticized local gay culture as "uncivilized" from their standard. Then the gay culture declined.

Now what are westerners doing about gay issues now?

 

If Mr. O'Barry really cares about Japan's cute mammals lives being threatened, he should go to Nago city, Okinawa. There are many mammals that are threatened by construction of US Marine base. He doesn't even have to visit Japan, he can go to Washington first. Actually WWF sued US Defense department for that matter. He should forget the dolphins but saves dugongs. Or he wouldn't because dugongs don't do the tricks he teaches?  

WWF-Japan leader calls for dugong research by halting USMC training exercises

 

Dear Dave: I don't buy US goods, either lately. Whaling in Antarctica or dolphin hunting in Taiji are not illegal. Internationally and domestically. Americans are exporting beef with mad cow disease to the world. They let cows eat bones of dead cows, that cause mad cow disease.

 

I haven't seen the movie. I want to see the movie anyway. Documentary can be biased.  

As I described before on this blog, I became a free walking tour guide of East Garden of Imperial Palace. Read this article.

 

Last week, I met an American woman who is a college professor. I guided her to the imperial palace and explained history of pre-modern Japan and the imperial palace.

 

Imperial Palace was in fact, Shogun's castle before modern times. Shogun literally means "General." He was a actual ruler of Japan. A lord that takes control of all the regional lords of Japan. The emperor has been the symbol of Japan although former constitution states he was divine and above all. He never actually took authorities. The emperor was relocated to the palace in Tokyo from Kyoto after Japan's modernisation around 1860's.

 

I talked with her about TV mini-series "Shogun." It was aired in US and Japan 1980. The drama was based on James Clavell's book.

She told me she watched the show and read the book, too. It was reall popular show.

I wonder why someone wants to remake it as movie. Recently Japanese famous film stories were being remade by foreign film maker like "HACHI" and "47 Ronins."    

 

Then why not remake this TV mini-series?

Can they make this long hour TV drama into 2-3 hour movie story? I think it may be possible. The film should be remade by Britain.

It is a story of British navigator cast away to Japan coast and saved by a lord who later became first leader of unified Japan in 17th century.

The British man, Miura Anjin was modeled after a real person named William Adams.

This time, I would advise the film maker to insert clearer description of homosexuality in that period. In TV mini-series, there was a scene that implied how tolerated homosexuality was in those days Japan. Now a generation passed. It should be featured more openly. Like Anjin has a sex with beautiful boy for pillowing following the advice from his interpreter, Mariko.

 

It was openly done that a samurai who had a wife or wives and even children had sex with boys for pleasure. They even had sex with their retainers or sworn brothers. It was very common and never considered abnormal like modern times.

 

Surely Shogun enjoyed gay love affair and sex not just with his 1000 wive in the castle. It is said that one of the reasons the Shogun could maintain good governance of Japan for centuries was he tolerated sexual life style of people. Japan was originally free-sex society unlike some Christian societies where sexual regulation was a key to maintain order of a society.

 

I am excited to see the remake version of "Shogun" and gay scenes in it.