Movies that feature or take place in Tokyo?
Jul 2, 2009, 9:26 am
#46
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Well, I might be. I was sort of thinking in terems of films that give one a good impression of the city - culture, architecture, general ambiance, etc. For that reason I had pretty much ruled out things like the action movies where Tokyo is really only used as a backdrop for an exciting car chase...
Jul 2, 2009, 12:58 pm
#47
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I've not seen it yet, and I have doubts about how good a film it is (from what I can tell it's a cross between Tampopo & Lost In Translation). The film is called The Ramen Girl.
But Toshiyuki Nishida is one of the main characters (he played Pigsy in Monkey/Saiyűki of which I was a HUGE fan) so I'll probably watch it at some point.
It is set in Tokyo, it is in English and the trailer can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GARRQfJt-bQ
(as I can watch the whole thing piece by piece on youtube I might as well do it now)
But Toshiyuki Nishida is one of the main characters (he played Pigsy in Monkey/Saiyűki of which I was a HUGE fan) so I'll probably watch it at some point.
It is set in Tokyo, it is in English and the trailer can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GARRQfJt-bQ
(as I can watch the whole thing piece by piece on youtube I might as well do it now)
Jul 3, 2009, 11:06 am
#50
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My sister pointed out to me that the Atago Green Hills buildings also appear (for about two seconds) in the final sequence of Lost in Translation, at about 1h35m27s. You can just about see my balcony in fact. There are also some remarkable shots of the Shuto with no-one else driving on it.
Jul 16, 2009, 8:47 am
#51
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MrLapLap prefers the Japanese film Black Rain (unfortunately he recorded it on VHS on Long Play - it's under the bed right now) nothing to do with Tokyo though...
Jul 16, 2009, 11:02 am
#52
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Just finished watching "Tokyo!", a series of three not-so-short films by three directors (Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Jooh Ho Bong), all set in Tokyo. Quirky, but I liked them all to some extent. Lots of great Tokyo footage, and interesting underlying themes as well.
"The Sea is Watching" (Umi wa miteita) is set in a 19th century red light district. Great costumes, especially if you like kimono.
I like just about anything by Yasujirō Ozu: themes that emphasize the rapid changes in post-war Japan (especially women's roles) and a very particular technical style. If you like Ozu you might want to check out "Cafe Lumiere", a film by a Taiwanese director, Hou Hsiao-hsien, that's a tribute to Ozu, set in modern day Tokyo. Great train scenes, similar camera angles, and even some very specific scenes that you'll recognize if you're familiar with Ozu's work.
"Train Man" (Densha Otaku) set in modern day Tokyo. Sweet story, lots of detail about Akihabara.
"The Sea is Watching" (Umi wa miteita) is set in a 19th century red light district. Great costumes, especially if you like kimono.
I like just about anything by Yasujirō Ozu: themes that emphasize the rapid changes in post-war Japan (especially women's roles) and a very particular technical style. If you like Ozu you might want to check out "Cafe Lumiere", a film by a Taiwanese director, Hou Hsiao-hsien, that's a tribute to Ozu, set in modern day Tokyo. Great train scenes, similar camera angles, and even some very specific scenes that you'll recognize if you're familiar with Ozu's work.
"Train Man" (Densha Otaku) set in modern day Tokyo. Sweet story, lots of detail about Akihabara.
Jul 16, 2009, 12:33 pm
#54
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Not a bad movie if you can get past what we know about renting long-term apartments in Tokyo for foreigners. The huge mansion she lives in would NOT come cheap!
Nishida-san is wonderful as always. Brittany Murphy - not so much. She tends to overemote at times.
The concept is a bit silly but there are some poignant moments and nice glimpses of Tokyo for those who don't get there often. I got hungry for some good ramen while watching.
Nishida-san is wonderful as always. Brittany Murphy - not so much. She tends to overemote at times.
The concept is a bit silly but there are some poignant moments and nice glimpses of Tokyo for those who don't get there often. I got hungry for some good ramen while watching.
Jul 17, 2009, 1:13 pm
#55
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"The Great Happiness Space" is a documentary set in present day Osaka, but you could easily mistake it for Tokyo, specifically Kabuki-cho. A weirdly compelling look at "host" (instead of hostess) clubs and the women who frequent them. All of the movies I've listed are available on NetFlix, and this one can be seen on demand, on your computer (or TV if you've got the right equipment).
Oct 30, 2014, 12:40 pm
#57
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It is a movie about ramen noodle shop, isn’t it?
The movie was filmed at:
Harumi (restaurant, commonly known as “Horumon Harumi”)
4-7-13 Shibaura,
Minato-ku, Tokyo
(090) 8101-6330
It is a small dive Japanese barbeque (yakiniku, 焼肉) restaurant open for lunch only. It is not ramen place in real life. Closest station is subway Sengakuji station (Tokyo Metro Asakusa Line), the location is about 600 m (650 yards) east of the station.
The movie was filmed at:
Harumi (restaurant, commonly known as “Horumon Harumi”)
4-7-13 Shibaura,
Minato-ku, Tokyo
(090) 8101-6330
It is a small dive Japanese barbeque (yakiniku, 焼肉) restaurant open for lunch only. It is not ramen place in real life. Closest station is subway Sengakuji station (Tokyo Metro Asakusa Line), the location is about 600 m (650 yards) east of the station.
Oct 30, 2014, 6:18 pm
#58
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVLqUpHDJE
Oct 30, 2014, 8:28 pm
#59
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It looks like nobody has mentioned the 2005 Steven Seagal movie "Into the Sun." The plot is vaguely along the lines of "Black Rain" and the film is mind-blowingly terrible, but somewhat amusing if you can appreciate the comical value of Steven Seagal.
Oct 30, 2014, 11:17 pm
#60
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The sarariman at the fancy restaurant scene (one of my all-time favorite film scenes) was at La Tour D'Argent at the New Otani:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVLqUpHDJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRVLqUpHDJE
I love this movie !