Documentaries about Japan - Printable Version

Documentaries about Japan - Printable Version

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Documentaries about Japan - Natto - 2010-12-30

Hello everyone,

To make the story short I am looking for video resources about Japan, I include here movies that portray Japan's culture (watched a bunch of Hollywood movies already like Last Samurai, Memoirs of a Geisha, Ramen Girl and even Mr. Baseball) documentaries about Japan and so on. History, politics, technology or whatever, anything will do, I find almost anything Japan-related not boring at all. I have done some research online but it seems a bit more difficult than I expected to come up with a decent list so maybe some of you can help me compile such a list. As for getting them I will probably download them or buy them online.

The thing is I have until late January before I get back to Japan and besides Kanji reviews, holiday planning and delightfully killing time with SC2 I wanted to do something perhaps more useful like learning about the history of Japan. I could hit Wikipedia or get a book on the topic and I might as well do that later but I have developed this safe zone where I sit on my couch late at night to watch TV with a bowl of oatmeal and protein powered soy milk and it would just be ideal to have something to watch about Japan every night.

So do you have any ideas?

Thanks.

Documentaries about Japan - nest0r - 2010-12-30

Kazuhiro Soda has two documentaries out that have received various awards: http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?pid=41815#pid41815 (Campaign and Mental)

Also, I was surprised at how good the British series Japanorama was. I was expecting it to be a kind of exoticized look at Japanese pop culture, and it was to some extent, but it was also well put together and had more breadth and depth than expected.

Documentaries about Japan - Natto - 2010-12-30

Hi, thanks this is a great start. I actually watched most of all episodes of Japanorama a little bit less than a year ago but I might add some of the most fun episodes to my list.

Looking at the Kazuhiro Soda material it seems to be exactly what I am looking for, modern-[what's going on]-stuff. I still want a History Channel like series on Japanese history 101, that'd be sweet.

Documentaries about Japan - buonaparte - 2010-12-30

This one is damn good:
The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987) Kazuo Hara
http://www.foriegnmoviesddl.com/2010/11/emperors-naked-army-marches-on-1987.html

Documentaries about Japan - Natto - 2010-12-30

Looks interesting and it must be since you posted twice Wink

Added to the queue.

EDIT
Watched the documentary and thought it was very good. At first, since I was mostly ignorant about the facts they were talking about I was somewhat apathetic but eventually the film completely managed to grab my attention and interest on the topic.

Documentaries about Japan - Manske - 2010-12-31

Just watched one about host clubs called The Great Happiness Space. I really recommend it.

Documentaries about Japan - Tzadeck - 2010-12-31

Haha, Ramen Girl made me laugh so much. The maneki neko (the ceramic cat) that beckons her in that movie actually turns its hand around to do the American version of the gesture (the Japanese gesture looks like the Western waving away gesture, the position the cat is already in). Also, one of the covers of the movie has her doing a very Thai-looking bow (though, admittedly, it could be the itadakimasu Japanese bow). And how much would an apartment in Tokyo that big cost!? A couple of my Japanese friends have talked about how Lost in Translation was a tad off in portraying Japanese culture (the strip club, for example), but Ramen Girl isn't even in the ball park.

Anyway, there's a Japanese movie about a woman who becomes a ramen chef called Tampopo (タンポポ), which pokes fun at the Japanese obsession with food. A much better movie, and although it's not a documentary, you'll learn about food in Japan!

Documentaries about Japan - Natto - 2011-01-01

I read about The Great Happiness Space sometime ago but I couldn't get to it and I have never been able to find it for download however I will give it another try now since I am really interested on the topic.

As for the movie suggestions, The Ramen Girl was meh (I didn't like it), only watchable cause it was set in Japan. Lost In Translation on the other hand was a win. Every time I watch the film I am left with a strange sensation of emptiness, sadness or anxiety and I love the fact a movie can pull that trick on you. I admit I was threw off by the strip club though, it just didn't fit in.

Thanks for the new suggestions.

EDIT
Happy new year by the way Smile

Documentaries about Japan - caivano - 2011-01-01

From what I can work out this an anime of Japanese history, in Japanese:

I haven't watched it properly but it my schools they have Japanese and world history manga so it could be similar

http://amzn.to/eGKDXK

Documentaries about Japan - buonaparte - 2011-01-02

If you're interested in Japanese history, there are some courses for Japanese schoolchildern.
http://www.nhk.or.jp/10min/nihonshi/ja/frame.html
http://www.nhk.or.jp/kokokoza/tv/nihonshi/index1.html

There are courses for other school subjects, too.

Documentaries about Japan - Dustin_Calgary - 2011-01-02

All the episodes that I have watched are in english, but it has some very interesting stuff one Japanese culture and history. It's made by NHK

Begin Japanology, there are clips on youtube of the show, and usually you can find full episodes the same places as j-dorama.

Documentaries about Japan - Daichi - 2011-01-02

I recently watched "Akihabara Geeks", DVD is on netflix. Not the greatest documentary, but it was alright. Follows some extreme geeks around for a day, I kinda doubt casual life is this extreme.

Documentaries about Japan - buonaparte - 2011-01-02

IceCream Wrote:i'd still really like to see 精神 (seishin / mental) by kazuhiro soda, if anyone has a link, please let me know...

http://www.asiatorrents.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=f6c5deb2be2b9f39e5de5006f947d0ed3785656c

Documentaries about Japan - thurd - 2011-01-02

buonaparte Wrote:
IceCream Wrote:i'd still really like to see 精神 (seishin / mental) by kazuhiro soda, if anyone has a link, please let me know...
http://www.asiatorrents.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=f6c5deb2be2b9f39e5de5006f947d0ed3785656c

The problem is not everyone has access to asiatorrents Sad

I could find Mental on TPB but I can't seem to find anything for Campaign. It is available through stream but not in my location. I did find it on asiatorrents:

http://www.asiatorrents.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=87baf2d2bd17ecf904cfc8972175335cb146c6f4

Can anyone download those torrents from asiatorrents and upload them somehow?

Documentaries about Japan - Blahah - 2011-01-02

Asiatorrents is currently open signup.

Although if for some reason you can't get an account, I can reup those two documentaries at demonoid.

Documentaries about Japan - skimalodeon - 2011-01-02

John Pilger did one about Japan, you can watch it here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6530413953346877863#
The Cove is also good http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cove/
I haven't seen this one, but I suppose it might be good for getting footage: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/japan-memoirs-secret-empire/

The Emperors Naked Army is quite a mad one.

Documentaries about Japan - skimalodeon - 2011-01-02

This caused quite a stir when it was released in Japan. Its a Chinese doc called 'Yasukuni'
http://www.asiatorrents.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=681c12113bad22bc3a95c86c7537b882785dfd1d

Documentaries about Japan - Blahah - 2011-01-02

skimalodeon Wrote:John Pilger did one about Japan, you can watch it here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6530413953346877863#
The Cove is also good http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cove/
I haven't seen this one, but I suppose it might be good for getting footage: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/japan-memoirs-secret-empire/

The Emperors Naked Army is quite a mad one.

The Cove comes across like a Hollywood propaganda film. It's a great piece of cinema, but not a great documentary. I thought it was completely unbalanced and extreme, it totally misrepresents the facts and tries to associate a Western take on animal welfare, and the choice of food animals, with conservation. A false association.

Cetaceans are eaten in Japan. In the west, we eat ungulates. Why is one more important than the other? The whole film starts with the premise: "Japanese people cruelly kill dolphins which are obviously not supposed to be killed, let's expose their evil deeds." What a load of sensationalist Greenpeace bullshit.

I hope people on this forum will be among those who can see through the Hollywood glam when they watch it.

Documentaries about Japan - thurd - 2011-01-02

Blahah Wrote:
skimalodeon Wrote:John Pilger did one about Japan, you can watch it here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6530413953346877863#
The Cove is also good http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/cove/
I haven't seen this one, but I suppose it might be good for getting footage: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/japan-memoirs-secret-empire/

The Emperors Naked Army is quite a mad one.
The Cove comes across like a Hollywood propaganda film. It's a great piece of cinema, but not a great documentary. I thought it was completely unbalanced and extreme, it totally misrepresents the facts and tries to associate a Western take on animal welfare, and the choice of food animals, with conservation. A false association.

Cetaceans are eaten in Japan. In the west, we eat ungulates. Why is one more important than the other? The whole film starts with the premise: "Japanese people cruelly kill dolphins which are obviously not supposed to be killed, let's expose their evil deeds." What a load of sensationalist Greenpeace bullshit.

I hope people on this forum will be among those who can see through the Hollywood glam when they watch it.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e11-whale-whores

Documentaries about Japan - buonaparte - 2011-01-02

It is not a documentary, but if you really want to understand the Chinese-Japanese relations a little bit better:
Nanjing! Nanjing! (City of Life and Death) (2009) Chuan Lu
http://www.foriegnmoviesddl.com/search?q=Nanjing!+Nanjing!
or:
http://www.asiatorrents.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=a8852977b1e62272e814a5b4335c00ad640e7780

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre

Documentaries about Japan - buonaparte - 2011-01-02

After watching The Emperors Naked Army you should watch this:
Fires On The Plain
http://www.asiatorrents.com/index.php?page=torrent-details&id=50b1ddca107f13e5688f64dad1ef1fc6841a7fe5
Directed: Kon Ichikawa

You'll understand somewhat the 'crazy' guy from 'The Emperors Naked Army'.
Hirohito was responsible for 30 millions deaths and.... nothing.
Imagine Hitler living peacefully until his death with upproval of the American authorities.

Documentaries about Japan - Manske - 2011-01-02

Any more good ones there aren't about the WWII era?

Documentaries about Japan - nest0r - 2011-01-02

BTW Mental's subtitles are both Japanese and English (idx/sub). I'm still collecting for another batch before updating my Japanese subtitles thread, so:

http://bit.ly/f1gtRc

Documentaries about Japan - nest0r - 2011-01-02

Beginning to appreciate the wonders of KMPlayer, re: instant resynching of audio and subtitles 5000ms with a simple right-click.