Finding Japanese Mind and Spirit Through the Movie “Tokyo Story” a Story that Influenced the World

“Respect-for-the-Aged Day” (the third Monday in September) is one of Japan’s many national holidays. It is the day for people to respect elderly people who have made a great contribution to Japanese society, and celebrate their longevity. On this occasion I would like to introduce the Japanese movie “Tokyo Story” (1953, directed by OZU Yasujirou), a drama about an elderly couple.

In the movie, an elderly couple who live in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture visit their children in Tokyo. The film is set around the time when Japan began to rise from the ashes of war and move into the phase now known as Japan’s post-war economic miracle. These days, it takes about 4 1/2 hours from Hiroshima to Tokyo by shinkansen. But at that time, it was such a long and tough trip for the elderly people. When the couple finally arrived at Tokyo, they felt that their children did not welcome them warmly.

However, Noriko, a woman who was married to the old couple’s son who was killed during World War II, treated them very hospitably. The camera is rolling on her fervent but natural performance as she is asking her boss for a day off to show the elderly couple around Tokyo, or inviting them to her small apartment. She runs down to her neighborhood to get some sake as she does not have any at all. By coincidence, the elderly couple find a picture of their son in her room, despite eight years having passed since his death.

They say, “You are so kind,” then Noriko answers, “Not really.” To which the couple reply, “Please forget about my son. A nice person like you should not be alone. We are terribly sorry for you.” “I am not really as nice a person as you think. It is me that feels terribly sorry. You appreciate too much about me,” is the reply.

The dialogue continues slowly and politely. Their Japanese sounds beautiful. Such conversations with such tempo and vocabulary are rarely heard in Japan these days. Noriko personifies a traditional Japanese woman called “Yamato Nadeshiko” who was very modest and pretty. You can sense the spirit that Japanese people used to have through this movie.

Most of Ozu’s films describe the ordinary daily lives of people. The imagery portrays to us the feelings and spirit which Japanese people have lost during the transition into the post-war period, and impressed many people around the world. “Tokyo Story” is certainly one of Ozu’s best films.

“I learned about Japan by watching Japanese films,” says French movie director, Régis WARGNIER, who came to Japan for the French Film Festival held in March 2007. “I was able to take brief glimpses of the daily lives of Japanese people, and also was able to look into their hearts thanks to ‘Tokyo Story.’”

German movie director Wim Wenders once shot a movie called “Tokyo-Ga” (1985). He used some clips from “Tokyo Story” for the beginning and the ending of his movie. He introduces Tokyo in the 80’s and tells us that it has changed dramatically from the days of “Tokyo Story.” The humble and modest behavior seen in “Yamato Nadeshiko” may be becoming a thing of the past for young Japanese people.

Yet, I believe that a certain Japanese mindset still exists in their hearts. I feel sure of this when I see some boys and girls in the train bashfully giving up their seats to the elderly.

Text: TANAKA Mika

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