Movie Review 19: Norwegian Wood

It will come as no surprise to my long time readers that Haruki Murakami is one of my favorite authors. I've reviewed several of his books here over the last several years, including:

• Dance, Dance, Dance
• The Elephant Vanishes
• Sputnik Sweetheart
• After Dark
• Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

When people ask me which Murakami book they should read first, I always suggest Norwegian Wood. It is the most accessible of his novels. It has a reasonably straight forward plot, and the reader sort of know what happens at the end.

It's also strange and dark enough to give the reader an introduction to Murakami, but the plot is not so weird as to scare off the novice.  Plus it still has the beautiful language that is a mainstay of Murakami's work. And it's the only one that lends itself to a movie adaptation.

Last weekend (2011-06-11) the GF and I were lucky enough to catch the US premiere of Tran Ahn Hung's adaptation of Norwegian Wood, part of the SIFF. The UK website is here. The Japanese website is here.

It's a very good movie that does an effective job of capturing the tone of the book.  That means it's a dark, depressing story featuring characters with complex relationships and personal issues.  Since it's been several years since I read the book (it was before I even started this blog) I'd forgotten how the story ended.

The movie is in Japanese with English subtitles.  I was a little concerned about that because the magic of a Murakami novel is in the language and flow of the words.  Would subtitles fail to capture that essence or be too overwhelming? I needn't have worried. The Director opted to minimize the dialog in the film, and communicate Murakami's vision with the visuals.  There's relatively little exposition in the film and it works well.

The scenes that make up the film are snapshots of moments in the characters' lives rather than a continual or even flow from one to another. The director is giving the audience a lot of credit for following the story.  It moves forward in sections, and relies on the viewers to fill in the blanks.  Scenes jump, rather than transition, and it works well in this film.

Also striking is how the director used music. In most American films, it seems there is always music in the background, reinforcing the action and further building the tone.  In Norwegian Wood, the director takes the opposite approach.  He minimizes the music and let's a silent background or one of relevant environmental noise carry the scene. The audience hears almost as much water in the movie as it does music -- water in the form of crashing waves, rain pouring down, babbling streams, or bathroom vanities.

In some respects minimizing the music seems a little odd, since one of the selling points of the film is that the soundtrack was created by Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood.  I'm not sure if this is common in foreign films, but it was certainly interesting to see and not hear, well, here.

The book and the film take place against the backdrop of student protests in Tokyo in the 60s.  While the protests do make their appearance in the film, I don't get the sense that they really needed to be here. Their influence on the main character is more pronounced in the book, but in the film, they almost feel irrelevant. The story feels like it could have taken place in 1985 as easily as it did in 1967. Placing the film in the 60s gave the director the opportunity to costume the actors in period appropriate garb, and to not use cell phones, but didn't feel like it impacted the core of the movie.

Those familiar with the book, may be wondering about the main character's roommate, whom he refers to as the Stormtrooper because of his intense, eccentric ways. He had a couple of appearances in the movie, but not many. It's too bad, because when he does appear, he's really funny. The flag raising ceremonies that also are a feature of the book are mostly left out, too.

It's too bad because those characters, and the deeper discussion of the protests help to reinforce the narrator's own sense of alienation and make it easier for the reader to go on the journey he pursues.  At the same, time, though, it could be that much of that material is better suited for the internal monologue of a book than for the more visual movie. After all, it's not those scenes that make a difference in the book; it's how the narrator reacts to them and feels about them. I can't really fault the film for that, but if you are looking for more of those aspects in the film, you may be disappointed.

The writers do a good job with the lost and generally damaged Naoko. Rinko Kikuchi plays the role well. She plays the delicate and at times dramatic character in a restrained way.  Kiko Mizuhara captures the confidence of Midori, but the script seems to cheat her a bit.  The character lacks the depth of Naoko in the film and as a result, it's more challenging to relate to the tension Ken'ichi Matsuyama's Toru Watanabe feels as he tries to navigate his and the two women's feelings.  Matsuyama himself plays Watanabe as confused and struggling to do what's right as he feels alone no matter what he does.  He seems to do an effective job with the role.

If you are not familiar with the story, know that it is not a happy one.  It's dark and strange. It explores the issues of alienation, grief, regret, depression, and suicide. There are extensive, frank discussions of sexuality.

That said, it is a very good movie.  It's reasonably faithful to the book and is and interesting alternative to the style I've come to expect from US movies. It's is beautifully shot, well acted, and a joy to listen to. It had treats for the eyes, the ears, the brain, and the heart.

But perhaps it's not the best choice for a first date.

Is it okay to ask if Maru is okay?

Maru is a chubby, adorable Scottish Fold cat who lives in Japan.  He's clumsy and has an affinity for jumping in and out of boxes.  Because of his silliness, he's internet-famous enough to merit his own Wikipedia page.  Individuals videos of him on Youtube have literally millions of views.  You can spend hours watching them here or, if you read Japanese, read more about Maru on his blog.





A week after the quake struck Japan, the GF and I wondered what happened to Maru.  With everything going on, I figured I might find a link to a blog that might have an update buried in the search results someplace.  I typed, "is maru okay" in the Google search box and the results stunned me.

The good news is that Maru is okay and is apparently getting used to a carrier in case he and his human need to evacutate.

The level of concern for this kitty amused, appalled, and made me feel warm and giddy.

With nearly 10,000 dead, hundreds of thousands of people suffering, and a disaster that is still unfolding a week later, what is wrong with so many of us that there is this level of concern for a cat? My first thought was that it was almost offensive.  And then I got over myself.

For some reason, Maru in his silly videos has touched people around the world. For many people these videos maybe their only connection to Japan outside of mass media.  It feels like a personal connections. And it's their only connection to the tragedy of the earthquake, Tsunami, and nuclear reactor problems.

The news shows us thousands.  The news shows us towns being wiped away.  The news talks about the impact in billiions of dollars.  But while the particulars are different, in essence, it's just one more disaster story for us to read about and text the Red Cross about.

As people, we can't make a connection with thousands dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. It's just not the way we're wired.  And if we could make that connection, would we even be able to climb out of bed after hearing about such a disaster? Or even reading a newspaper?  No.

But we can make a conenction with one, little ball of fur and his human, who make us laugh and touch our hearts.  Asking about Maru isn't about disregarding the fate of thousands of people and putting them in line behind a cat.  It's about making sense of the scale of what is happening. And when someone's first question is about Maru, it's not a question about a cat.  It's the only question many of us can ask as we contemplate what northern Japan faces in the coming months and years.

So it's okay to ask, "Is Maru okay?"  And, at least for now, the answer is yes.

I know it doesn't even need to be said (especially if you read all the way to end of my post about a Japanese cat) but please keep the people of Japan and their cats, dogs, and other pets in your thoughts and prayers as the events continue to unfold.

Tokyo Travels Part 22: The Prostitutes

This post is part of a series describing a trip I took in May, 2010.

Note: This post does deal with prostitutes (whom I did not hire -- let’s be clear on that) and some readers may prefer to avoid it. It does discuss sex in a roundabout manner, but there is no actual sex in this post. Nor are there any roundabouts. Now you may consider yourself appropriatly warned. Ironically, this disclaimer is also the most explicit part of this post; I don’t know if that means you’ll skip this post or bookmark it.

As a business traveller who frequents hotels in various cities, it’s not uncommon for me to encounter call girls offering their services. Vegas is where this happens most, but I’ve also encountered the saleswomen in Denver and in a hotel hallway in Anaheim (a rather entrepreneurial young woman who chose to go door-to-door).

I was coming back to the hotel in Tokyo one evening by myself. I got off the train Shinbashi and went out a different the Hibiya exit instead of head toward Shiodome and the hotel like I normally did. I was on my way to this McDonalds .

Now, I know what you’re thing, “You’re in Japan and you’re eating at McDonalds?! What are you thinking?!?!” It’s not like that. We heard they have a Fillet-O-Shrimp. How could we pass that up? Okay, I picked up some burgers and fries, too, but really, it was all about the exotic shrimp at McDonalds. That’s my story.

That exit from the station took me to a hopping area, and I decided to explore a little.

There were small noodle shops and and restaurants and bars with music.It looked like any other entertainment district. There are small side streets closed to traffic to accommodate the revelers. They were too small for much traffic anyway. I had stumbled into some party zone just outside of Ginza. It started to rain slightly.

Now, I know I looked like a tourist. Big white guy with a camera bag on his back doesn’t exactly scream “Local!”

I pass in front of building that I think has a narrow canopy. A young woman standing near the curb (so I pass between her and the building) stepped toward me and said, “Massage?” gestures to the building which apparently offers those services on a higher floor. In my confusion it took me a moment to realize what she was saying. I declined and she said something else that seemed to be related to her services and I kept walking.

Now I realize there are non-sex industry versions of the “Thai Massage” she was offering, but I’m guessing that this was not a therapeutic variant.

I rounded another corner on my way to the McDonalds and another attractive woman walked up to me with her umbrella, and put it over us. She was dressed conservatively and yet frillily and said some sort of greeting in Japanese and then, “Sexto?” I declined and kept walking. She said something else, again finishing with, “Sexto?” Again I declined. She tried a couple more times and then finally closed her umbrella and walked off.

There are few things to note here. To begin with, I am assuming they are prostitutes because otherwise these scenarios just don’t present themselves to me.

Besides that, these were probably the two most attractive prostitutes to proposition me. Well dressed, made up to blend in -- nothing that screams “Sexual Services for Sale!” (excpets of course their lips when they spoke).

I was curious about their rates and how they charge (by the hour or piece work) But I didnt’ ask. Since I did not intend to complete a business transaction, it seemed silly to open a negotiation.

This may be an inappropriate reaction but I am flattered by these encounters. Sure, the reason they were willing to supply their goods was for money, but still. At least I was desirable as a customer. Anyone who has worked retail or food service knows that there are definitely some cutomers you don’t want to deal with. For these two business women, I did not fall into that category.

There are three possible reason they might approach me.

1) I look like the kind of guy they might enjoy providing services to.
2) I look like the kind of guy who can afford their services.
3) I look like the kind of guy in need of their services.

I prefer to think it’s number 1.Yes, that may be delusional, but it’s my delusion, and I’m sticking to it.

After those little adventrues, I continued my assigned tasks for the night. I hope the evening was productive for my potential suppliers. I did learn something valuable that evening, though.

The Filet-O-Shrimp is a mighty fine sandwich.

Tokyo Travels Part 21: Conrad Tokyo

When we stayed in Tokyo, we stayed in what would be considered a luxury business hotel. Rooms at the Conrad Tokyo regularly sell for $400+ per night. More importantly, they also sell for 50,000 Hilton Points a night.

Hilton Points (and their equivalent from Marriott, Starwood, and Holiday Inn) are the hotel version of frequent flier miles. I build up Hilton Points whenever I stay at a Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Doubletree Hotel, or any other property in the Hilton family. I cashed in a bunch of points for the trip to Tokyo so the room cost us nothing.

The hotel is on top of an office building. An express elevator takes you up to the hotel lobby and its high-end restaurants. The staff at the desk was awesome. They were friendly, and spoke excellent English. After checking in, we didn’t have to deal with them often except to get change for 10,000 Yen notes and ask for directions to the subway. When we checked out, they were even able to charge our bus tickets to the room (Note: even on a reward stay you still earn Hilton Points for incidentals).

It was a fantastic room, and fairly large by Tokyo standards. We had a king room with a great view of some neighboring office buildings, and a couch of sorts that ran the length of the windows.

That long couch was a fantastic place to stretch out at the end of the day, with a blanket and a reading light, and write about my thoughts and experiences while looking out at the city lights before crawling into the soft king bed to rest up for more adventures.

The bathroom had a deep soaking tube (which the GF loved (especially since it came with some neat rubber duckys)) and a separate shower.

The toilet had more electronic controls than many cars.

We also had access to the Executive Lounge, which meant we could start each day with complimentary snacks and coffee.

One thing we didn’t see was a housekeeping cart or an ice machine. Apparently all that equipment gets hidden in secret alcoves and closets. I’m not entirely sure how the staff conjured them into existence when they needed them, but they managed it.

Whenever we needed ice, we would have to call room service to deliver some. There was of course no charge, and the advantage is that I didn’t have to hear or figure out the machine in the hall. And since it’s Japan, we weren’t expected to tip the staff.

Guests at the Conrad also get to take home some little reminders of their stay.

The location was convenient. The hotel was across the street from the Hamarikyu Gardens, a short walk from the Shiodome and Shinbashi train station where we could catch the Japan Rail Green Line, a loop that runs around the city. Walking just a couple blocks more brought us to the heart of Ginza. To the south, we were just a 20-30 minute walk from the Tsukiji Fish Market. When I walked a few blocks the other way, I found a great collection of convenience stores which were always a great place to pick up a shockingly tasty dinner and beer.

In short, the Conrad was fantastic. If you have the cash or points it’s a fantastic place to stay. The room was awesome and the staff was friendly and fluent in English. I can strongly recommend the Conrad.

You can see more pictures from the hotel here.

You can find more pictures from my Japan trip here.

And you can find more posts about my trip here.

Tokyo Travels Part 20: Tower Records

I got back to the hotel after my first night in Shibuya, and showed the GF my pictures.  She saw this one, her eyes lit up, and she made and excited gasp.





I knew I would be going back to Shibuya.

After a day of sightseeing and tracking down squashed penny machines, we made it back to Tower Records.  It's much like the Tower Reocrds locations that used to be spread around the US.

Once we walked in the front doors, I wandered about and found an open listening station where you can sample various CDs.  I tried a few disks at different stations.  The GF did likewise and we picked out some music.

I grabbed "Rock 'n' Roll Circus" by Ayumi Hamasaki.  I chose it because I liked the cross between pop and "big" music.  It's hard to describe what I mean by big music.  It's like Meat Loaf.  Except Hamasaki doens't sound like Meat Loaf.  But the arrangements are both big, complex, and powerful, and the singers seem to push out powerful passionate emotions.  Of course for most of the album, I have no idea was Hamasaki is singing about, but I like the sound.  Here's a random review I found later on.

The GF found music by Moumoon who has a more mellow sounds. It was another great choice.

Eventually it was time to leave.  We paid, and the cashier said something to me.  I was used to cashiers saying things to me as a I was leaving and had no idea what she was saying. I smiled and nodded and said thank you.  I started to put my receipt in my wallet and she stopped me.  She and I tried a few gestures and she knew a few words of English.  It took a couple of tries, but I finally understand that there was a special contest and instore promotion associated with the Hamasaki album.  She was telling me to go to the desk near the door and show the woman there my receipt.  

I really appreciate how hard she worked to make sure I understood that, and how hard she continued to work on that after I understood it.

I headed over to the desk, showed the woman my receipt, and she pulled out a raffle box.  I reached my hand in there a won a prize:






It's a dangly, puffy little thing designed to hang on my cell phone, I think.  There were other prizes I could have won, so the whole promo wasn't focused on these little things, but I still think it's pretty cool.  And definitely unexpected.

In short, we had a great visit to the Shibuya Tower Records.

Voice by Perfume

Perfume is a Japanese pop-music trio with millions of fans.  This is another video I first encountered on The Daily Onigiri.

This is an amazingly creative video that uses paper cutouts, live action, and animation.  It plays games with perspective, scale, and timing.  And, while I don't really know what the song is about, the music and singing sound pretty great, too.

Here's the link.

Tokyo Travels Part 19: Wandering Shibuya

I visited the Shibuya area twice this past May -- once in the evening, and once in the afternoon a couple of days later.  It really is a fascinating area with great people watching.

It's best know for three things: the major street crossing, the Hachiko statue, and the shops.

The Shibuya Crossing is a Barnes Dance, or Pedestrian Scramble.  It's a major intersection where all directions of traffic get a red light at once so pedestrians can cross in all directions at once.  This design is common at pedestrian heavy intersections.  What makes the Shibuya crossing interesting is the scale.  Hundreds of people cross the street during each cycle of the light, and they do that throughout the day.  All these pedestrains are going to someplace or coming from someplace, and they need to cross that street.  Even while crossing the street, those hundreds of people still (mostly) stick to the crosswalks.

I shot this 2 minute video during a visit.  It features a look at the general area, a view of people crossing, and a shaky view of actually crossing.




This is Hachiko, a major meeting point just outside the train station.  You can read more about Hachiko here. Basically, in story that would one day lead to an episode of Futurama, Hachicko was a loyal dog who used to meet his owner at the train station everyday.  His owner became sick and died, but even after that, everyday Hachiko still went to the train station to wait for him.









I wandered around just amazed at not just the neon, but the high quality video signs.  I had the sense I was walking around a city that's just about 10 years into the future.  During the day, it's busy, and has energy, but the buildings themselves come to life after the sun goes down.

I took the night time pictures below with a 50mm f1.4 lens.  I was quite pleased with how it performed in low light.

I wrote about this Starbucks once before.  It's one of busiest in the world, and, I'm guessing, one of the safest.





Video screens are almost as prevalent as traditional bright signs.















You can get a late night haircut in Shibuya.





You can surf the web while you do Karaoke.





You can buy new electronics.





You can buy used electronics.





You can buy a dog.

You can even find a Guinness.

There are plenty of other ads to soak in and shops to wander about.

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement and energy of Shibuya after dark.  

For more pictures from this trip, click here.

For more posts about our Tokyo trip, click here.

Here's one more awesome thing.  I have nothing to do with this video, other than being glad it exists.

Tokyo Travels Part 18: Meiji Jingu

Before we wandered about Harajuku, we spent some time in the Meiji Jingu Shrine.  It's a Shinto shrine that honors Ermperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. You can read more about the Shrine here.

The entrance to the grounds is set a giant wooden Tori, or gate, that tells you are crossing the border.

There were plenty of people there but it wasn't crowded on the Monday afternoon in May that we visited.  The wide gravel path ways made it easy to get around.

I like this image because of the broom the sweeper is using.  It appears to be just straw tied to a pole.  It's simple and likely not the most efficient sweeping instrument, suggesting sweeping efficiency is not its primary purpose.  I also like that the woman is carrying an umbrella for protection from the sun.  We saw that all the time in the sunny streets of Tokyo.  I'm surprised we don't see more people doing that in Seattle on those rare sunny days.

Wine barrels and rice containers faced each other across opposite sides of the path, illustrating the Meiji policy of "Japanese Spirit and Western Knowledge."

There is  a separate garden within the shrine.  There was an admission fee for the garden and another ticket required for a well in the garden.  The wait for Kiyomasa's well was estimated to be over an hour so we opted to skip that part.

The gardens were pleasant with a well manicured lawn around a tea house.

The Koi pond had plenty of fish and more turtles than I usually see in these ponds.  There were plenty of gold koi, but they seemed a bit camera shy.

The heart of the Shrine is in the inner grounds.  There's another gate to pass through before you enter a large plaza.

While we were there, a bride was getting her picture taken.  What was fascinating was how many people were photographing her in traditioanal garb.  The photographers were more interesting than their subject.

The Meiji Jingu Shrine is definitely worth a visit on a trip to Tokyo.

You can see more of my Tokyo pictures here.

You can read more about my trip here.