entertainment

10 films that mirror the complicated lives of Japan’s contemporary families

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By Suzanne Bhagan

Ever wondered what happens behind closed doors in your average, or not-so-average, Japanese family home?

It probably all started with "Tokyo Story" (1953).

If you haven’t seen this Japanese classic about how modern, postwar life affected the traditional Japanese family, you need to ASAP. Yasujiro Oji’s 20th-century masterpiece set the tone for Japanese cinema and is still the unofficial benchmark many Japanese directors use when it comes to portraying family drama on the silver screen.

These 10 handpicked movies delve into the private lives of Japanese families — each with their own stories, feelings, problems and milestones. They also ask important questions that often remain unanswered in ever-so-busy Japan: what is family love; what makes up a real family, and how can family bonds — or the lack of them — affect one’s life and future? Most of these films are minimalist and slow-paced, allowing the viewer to savor all the emotions and tiny details depicted on screen. A lesson in Japanese cinema in and of itself.

1. Tokyo Sonata (2008)(トウキョウソナタ)

"Tokyo Sonata" strips away the public mask of the average middle-class Japanese family. In the Sasaki family, everything is not as it seems because everyone has secrets. The father is a salaryman who loses his job but doesn’t tell his family. The firstborn son wants to join the U.S. military. The youngest wants piano lessons and the mother is just trying to hold down the fort at home. Get ready for drama when all the secrets come to light.

Click here to read more.

© Savvy Tokyo

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

3 Comments
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Long story literally short, just watch all of Koreeda's films.

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The opening part of Mishima (a life in four chapters) by Francis Ford Coppola · George Lucas and Leonard Schrader is also good. Its on youtube think its never been released here sadly.

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Tokyo Story is a timeless, heartbreaking masterpiece. Very difficult to top.

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