Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Film
Dazzlingly colourful, fetchingly otherworldly and indisputably unique,
Tokyo has proved an irresistible location and subject matter for film-makers
- Japanese and foreign alike - down the ages. Films marked with the
Ì
symbol are particularly recommended.
Adrift in Tokyo
(
Tenten
; Miki Satoshi; 2007). A debt-ridden
law student and a loan shark heavy bond in this quirky
comedy drama that sees the unlikely pair stroll across the city
meeting a cast of oddball characters along the way.
Ì
Akira
(Ōtomo Katsuhiro; 1988). Still the most Tokyo-
centric major anime, this is set in a newly rebuilt Neo-Tokyo
during the run-up to the fictional 2019 Olympics (funny,
they'd have got the date spot on if they'd looked at the
Olympic schedule properly).
Babel
(Alejandro González Iñárritu; 2006). The talented
Mexican director nails contemporary Tokyo. There's a
particularly beautiful sequence filmed at Shibuya club
Womb
. Oscar-nominated Kikuchi Rinko as the mute Chieko
and her father, played by veteran actor Yakusho Kōji, are
both outstanding.
Godzilla
(
Gojira
; Honda Ishirō; 1954). The whole world
knows how Tokyo turns out in this classic, which sees the
eponymous monster stomp his way through intricately
constructed scale models of the city.
Ichi the Killer
(
Koroshiya Ichi
; Miike Takashi; 2001). Stand
by for graphic depictions of bodies sliced in half in this
yakuza
tale set in Kabukichō, as told by the
enfant terrible
of
Japanese cinema. Not for the squeamish.
Like Someone in Love
(Abbas Kiarostami; 2013). A great
piece from the famed Iranian director, detailing the life
of a young woman selling her body to pay her way through
university.
Lost in Translation
(Sofia Coppola; 2003). Memorable
performances from Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in
this stylish romantic drama set in and around Shinjuku's
Park Hyatt
hotel. Brilliantly captures what it's like to be a
clueless
gaijin
adrift in Tokyo.
Ì
Stray Dog
(
Nora Inu
; Kurosawa Akira; 1949). Not the
most famous work from Japan's most famous director, but
this gritty film noir is still up there with the best, following a
cop as he chases a killer around sweaty summertime Tokyo.
Tampopo
(Itami Jūzō; 1985). Tampopo, the proprietress of
a noodle bar, is taught how to prepare the perfect rāmen,
in this comedy about Japan's gourmet boom. From the old
woman squishing fruit in a supermarket to the gangster
and his moll passing a raw egg sexily between their
mouths, this is a film packed with memorable scenes.
Tokyo!
(Michel Gondry, Bong Joon-ho & Leos Carax; 2009).
Two French and one Korean director each provide their
own distinctive takes on the shape-shifting megalopolis
in this omnibus triptych.
Tokyo Godfathers
(Kon Satoshi; 2003). This heart-
warming Christmas fairy tale of redemption for three
tramps and the baby they discover in the trash is pure
anime magic.
Tokyo Sonata
(Kurosawa Kiyoshi; 2008). When a father
decides to keep it secret from his family that he's lost his
job it has all kinds of repercussions in this bleak, satirical
drama - a prize winner at Cannes - that's reflective of
contemporary Japanese society.
Ì
Tokyo Story
(
Tōkyō Monogatari
; Ozu Yasujirō; 1954).
An elderly couple travel to Tokyo to visit their children and
grandchildren. The only person who has any time for
them is the widow of their son who was killed in the war.
On their return, the mother falls ill and dies. Ozu's themes
of loneliness and the breakdown of tradition are grim,
but his simple approach and the sincerity of the acting
make the film a genuine classic.
You Only Live Twice
(Lewis Gilbert; 1967). A retro look at
the city as Sean Connery, in his fifth outing as Bondo-san,
grapples with arch-enemy Blofeld and sundry Japanese
villains. Cool gadgets include a mini-helicopter in a suitcase
(with rocket launchers, of course).
