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ドキュメント 路上 [Document Rojo / On the Road: The Document] (Noriaki Tsuchimoto, 1964)
Mar
26
Road Traffic Act 1934
A look from a Tokyo cab driver's perspective. We see the dashboard, heavy trucks ahead, and behind, and the reflection of the driver in his rearview mirror. DP: Tatsuo Suzuki.
Bad drivers: the start of compulsory driving tests in the UK was established on March 26, 1934* with the Road Traffic Act.
“This film portrays the traffic war that goes on every day. — Tokyo, 1964”
– opening title
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聖母観音大菩薩 [Seibo Kannon daibosatsu / Eros Eterna] (Kōji Wakamatsu, 1977)
Mar
7
immortality
The yao bikuni (Eiko Matsuda) rises from the ocean. DP: Hideo Itō.
An immortal character on the date Highlander (1986) was released.
– Dont raise your voice! I'll kill you if you make a sound.
– Would you please?
When a woman eats the flesh of a 人魚 (ningyo, litt. “human fish” but in Western context commenly translated as “mermaid”), she may become a 八百比丘尼 [yao bikuni], an 800 year* old Buddhist nun granted youth and longevity.
*The number 8 symbolises growth and prosperity. Larger numbers starting with 8 indicate that the amount is endless, comparable to saying “hundreds/thousands/millions of […]” in English. Therefore, 800 years can be understood as immortal.
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浪華悲歌 [Naniwa erejī / Osaka Elegy] (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1936)
Dec
15
International Tea Day
A woman in kimono sits at a low wooden tea cabinet. It holds a small tea pot and other utensils. The traditional setup is broken in the background with contemporary Western furniture. She's smoking. DP: Minoru Miki.
Something with tea for International Tea Day.
