japan 70

“A Ball in Edo” Pierre Loti

• Meji era Japan-western customs were adopted

• views the Japanese as great imitators of western culture—refers to them as robots and monkeys

• cynical view

• characters feel flattened or distant observed

• western attendees appear more confident and dominant

• japanese hots seem awkward /artificial, imitating something not fully their own

What is Loti’s overall evaluation of the Japanese attempt to hold a European style ball?

• Loti’s overall evaluation of the ball is that is it largely negative and condescending. He sees the ball as an artificial imitation of European culture, not a genuine expression of civilization.

• He was fascinated by the spectacle but sees it as a failed performance

• orientalist perspective-values what he sees in authentic Japan and is disappointed when Japan adopts western customs

• he feels event is staged or unreal

What aspects of this event does he value, and what aspects does he denigrate?

• Values: unchanged Japanese elements such as the court ladies in classical dress—describes them as timeless, preserved figures—he romanticizes a “pure” unchanging Japan

• denigrates: westernized Japanese behavior, from clothing to social customs—way they try to imitate westerners —mechanical lacking authenticity—feels that something is off

In his view, to what extent have the Japanese successfully emulated European civilization? Where do they fall short?

• Loti states they successfully learned dances and etiquette from Europeans

• they dress like Europeans

• the architecture and decor resembles european balls

• theme: japanese modernity as imitation vs authencity

• just copying-form vs substance

How does he portray the Chinese delegation that is present at the event? How do the Chinese officials differ from the Japanese?

• portrays Chinese delegation positively and with respect, emphasizing their dignity and authenticity

• he admires them as they do not westernize-dress in traditional clothing

• values and respects cultural purity more than adaptation

What does this account tell us about the relations between Japan and the European powers at this stage in Japan’s modernization?

• unequal relationship as Japan is trying to gain recognition from European by adopting their culture from way they dress and dance—but still coming out inferior

• The ball at the Rokumeikan was part of Japan’s strategy to revise unequal treaties and prove it was civilized

• loti’s reaction demonstrates how he still view European as superior no matter how hard Japan tries to modernize

How does Akutagawa’s perspective on the event differ from Loti’s? How does Akiko’s experience of the event contrast with Loti’s experience?

• Akutagawa presents the event as exciting and beautiful and meaningful through Akiko’s eyes—opposite Loti’s views

• Akiko experiences the as a moment of wonder and possibility—connection to the wider world

• what loti mock s as artificial Akutagawa reframes as genuine emotional experience

What aspects of Loti’s account has Akutagawa taken and modified for his own story?

• he borrows details of the western dress, music and dancing, chrysteummums, and cosmopolitan setting

• Akutagawa uses these details to show modernity and a lived experience, he removes Loti’s racism and condescension, …

What are the distinguishing features of the Rokumeikan and its ballroom that stand out in Akutagawa’s story?

• The Rokumeikan is portrayed as a cosmopolitan, hybrid space, place of cultural mixing

• new global place-blending of cultures….

How does Akutagawa’s portrayal of the Chinese who are present at the event differ from Loti’s?

• Akutagawa portrays Chinese as backward or outdated contrasting japans modern transformation

• they appear old fashioned and static while Akiko/Japanese side appear modern, elegant, and forward looking

What is the significance of the coda to the story set in the Taisho period?

• the coda shows how memory , identity, and modernuty evolve over time

The story follows a young woman named Akiko, who attends a prestigious Western-style ball at the Rokumeikan and shares a brief, enchanting moment with a French naval officer. The coda, set years later, serves to contrast this moment of beauty with the banality of everyday life and the ephemeral nature of the era's fashionable Westernization.

Significance of the Coda in In the Ball:

• Recontextualizing the Experience: The coda reveals that the beautiful, romantic experience was just a fleeting, isolated moment in a life soon dominated by the mundane, highlighting the ephemeral nature of the Taisho-period fascination with Western "enlightenment".

• Symbolism of Temporal Shift: It bridges the gap between the exotic, romanticized past (represented by the dance) and the gray, ordinary present, highlighting the transient, dream-like quality of the "civilization and enlightenment" era.

• Focus on Individual Perspective: The shift allows the reader to see that the significance of the encounter lies not in its social importance, but in its subjective, personal impact on Akiko's inner world, moving away from objective storytelling to subjective perception.

• Melancholy and Loss: It emphasizes a sense of loss—a theme common in Taisho literature—implying that the height of cultural enthusiasm and beauty is short-lived and destined to fade into memory.

What are the main characteristics of Japan’s modernity as set forth by Akutagawa?

• Akutagawa suggests modernity is not about copying europe perfectly but creating something new

• japanese modernity asks - what remains of identity when everything external changes

What is the double meaning of the chrysanthemum in Akutagawa’s story?

• alludes to madam chrysanthemum where japan is portrayed as exotic and decorative—reflects how west objectifies and romanticizes japan as somehting beautiful but superficial

• symbol in japan: the chrysanthemum is imperial symbol of japan representing tradition and national identity—at the ball appears as decoration—showing how japan’s identity is beign reshaped within western style modernity

“ The Ball” Akutagawa Ryunosuke

• Meji era

• naive view

• story of young Japanese woman and her experience attending a ball

• views it as exciting and magical but also temporary

“The Dancing Girl” Mori Ogai

• Meji era

• educated elite

• choice between obligation to the state versus love and happiness

• Toyotaro sent to Germany as government scholar and meets a poor german dancing girl Ellise and they fall in love.

• His carrer starts to suffer but a Japanese fielnd offers him a carrer oppurtunity only if he leaves Ellise

• ends up choosing carrer and duty over love—leaving ellise mentally broken

• he returns to japan filled iwth guilt and emotional emptiness.

How does the first paragraph of the story foreshadow some of the work’s main themes?

• sense of isolation “I am left alone on board”

• bright lights feel “wasted”

• reflects emotional emptiness and foreshadows the personal loss he as experienced

• he looks back at his earlier self writing enthusiastically about everything he saw and now feel embarred by his “childish ideas” —shows he changes significantly and judges former self harshly

• foreshadows the transformation he is going to have

• “nil admiran” attitude (nothing amazes me) —indicative of emotional damage not intellctual

Toyotarō writes that he returns a different man than when he left. How has he

changed? Has he changed for the better or for the worse?

• he resturns a different man because he has developed an inner emotional life that he did not have before

• in japan he was a very “mechanical being” defined by duty and social expectations

• in germany he discovers love and individuality and self awareness

• he changed for the better as he becomes more human and emotionally aware and independent

• but he ultimately fails to act on these feelings and betrays them

• growth is real but incomplete

What drives Toyotarō to leave Japan and study in Germany?

• Toyotaro is driven by the opportunity to regain his career and his duty to his country—

• he is sent to study in germany to gain knowledge and serve japan

• his motivation is not personal desire but loyalty to the government and career advancement

What are his first impressions of the city of Berlin? In what way does the city represent the differences between Japan and Germany at that historical moment?

• he intially sees berlin as grand, modern, and highly developed—symbol of advanced european civilization

• berlin contrasts with japan which is still modernizing structured by hierarchy and duty and germany is modern, individualistic, and culturally rich

Toyotarō states that his “real self” began to emerge after three years of study. What are the main defining characteristics of his “real self”? How is it different from what he describes as a “mechanical being”?

• his “real self” is defined through his emotional awareness and capable of love and becoming individualistic-distances himeslef from being a “high-flying politician” or a “lawyer” the social roles expected of him and instead turns toward literature and the arts

• his “mechanical being” is defined by duty, status, and external expectations, emotionally repressed, and function like part of a system—following paths prescribed by filial duty—”passive being” “with no real awareness myself”

• reflects

What are the characteristics of the area of Berlin where Elis lives? How is it different from the other parts of Berlin?

• Ellis lives in a poorer area characterized by narrow crowded streets filled with poverty

• it has a 300 year old church and the houses are poorly carpeted

• roofs are not proper and let cold winter air in

• there are shops and houses altogether, gloomy than flashy and bright

• other parts of germany is grand, orderly,

What draws Toyotarō to Elis and vice versa? How do Toyotarō’s countrymen react to their relationship?

• Toyotaro is drawn to Ellis vulnerability—he first sees her when she is crying-he likes her for her beauty and as a novel…

• Ellis is draw to toyotaro’s kindness and support—someoen she can depend on someone who will stay with her and keep her alive

• they countrymen disapprove of their relationship, they see Elis as a threat to his career and national duty and pressure him to abandon her

• teh countrymen do not see their relationship as fitting, it was a new concept for an asian and european to build that kind of relationship

• dominance of state interests over personal life

What is the choice that Toyotarō faces at the end of the story? What consequences will his decision have on the course of his life and career?

• in the end Toyotaro has the choice between his career and going back to Japan or staying In Berlin with Ellis

• consequences: loss of career, social standing and national identity if he chose ellis, emotional destruction and lifelong regret if he choose duty

• lingering guilt in his life for destroying the life of a girl by impregnating her, abandoning her,

How does Toyotarō make his choice in the end, and what do you think of his decision?

• toyotaro chooses duty over love, abandoning ellis

• ellis is devasted becoming an almost “living corpse”

• toyotaro is consumed by guilt and psychological collapse-he loses a sense of self despite preserving his career

• His decision is failure of couarge and owning up to his true self and loyalty to ellis-as she was possibly pregnant with his child — he gives into the pressure of Meji society

• he makes his desciosn passively, just because his friends tell him to because he is not built to disagree with his friends, despite being able to resist the enemy

• he is not willing to take accountability for his decision and its consequences.

• selfish descison

“Growing Up” Higuchi Ichiyo

• Meji era Japan

• kids growing up in neighborhood on edge of Tokyo’s pleasure district (Yoshiwara)

• Midori, Nobu, and Shota

• at first their loves seem carefree filled with games, teasing and fights with other gangs

• but social roles and expectations begin to keep up with Midori expected to be a courtesan, Nobu a buddist priest

• their friendship becomes strained as they get older

What are the main characteristics of the place where the story is set?

• it is run down, somewhat impoverished, a dark place in contrast to the Yoshiwara which is wealthy and festive

• kids growing up in neighborhood on edge of Tokyo’s pleasure district (Yoshiwara)

• crowded, narrow streets, black alleys, and small businesses

• proximity to brothels, temples, and working class homes

• backstreet gang and main street gang

What signs if any are there that this story is set in the modern era and not in premodern Japan?

• time period story was published in the Meji era when modernization of japan began….

• signs of modern era

  • public schooling (modern education system)

  • changing class structures

  • urbanization and new forms of labor

3. How is the society depicted in “Growing Up” different from the one in “The Dancing Girl”? What opportunities for social mobility exist in each?

• dancing girl focuses on the life of someone successful during the Meji era-going abroad to study while growing up focusses people in the lower class

• in dancing girl social mobility can be achieved through more education and certain job positions

  • social elites and state officials

  • conflict between individual vs nation

• in growing up entering the world of the Yosiwara allows for social mobility-becoming a courtesan can raise one’s status

  • mobility is limited-children inherit roles

  • social environment trapping individuals

4. How has the adult world infiltrated the world of children in “Growing Up”?

• they are expected to follow in the footsteps of their parents especially since because they are part of the lower class-many have already been exposed to adult jobs(sangoro has held many jobs since he was 12 and shota has to collect interest with his grandparents

• midori is expected to become a courtean or have a future in the pleasure district

• the adult world infiltrates Midori’s world completely after her visit to Omaki (her sister) room in the Yoshiwara

5. What are the obstacles to the friendship between Midori and Nobu?

• different gangs,

• (Nobu) priest family vs (Midori) courtesean family

• future paths already determines

• blocked by social structure

6. How do we know what Nobu’s true feelings are for Midori?

• he feels uncomfortable when the children tease him about her and we see his inner conflict to accept her friendship or reject it when she tosses him a ribbon to fix his shoes.

• in the end he leaves her a flower before he goes off to become a monk

7. Why does Midori change at the end of the story?

• she changes becuase of her visit to her sister at the yoshiwara where her future become apparent and harsh realities of the yoshiwara and affect it has on her relationships

• marks end of childhood innocence

8. What is the general view of childhood and adulthood in this story, are they presented as positive or negative?

• generally the childhood is presented positively in the story

  • joyful and free

  • but shaped by social forces

  • in a way temprorary illusion of freedom

• adulthood is presented negatively

  • predetermined, harsh

Naomi by junichiro tanizaki

• Joji see a girl names Naomi at a cafe and sees her as an object he can mold into a westernized woman

• Noami becomes this westernized woman and becomes independent….

Judging by its portrayal in Tanizaki’s novel, how has Japanese society changed, compared with its depiction in the earlier works that we have read?

• compared to dancing girl and growing up

  • society is now urban, consumer driven, and middle class, not just state focused or socially trapped

• society revolves around personal desire, consumption, and lifestyle choices

  • joji spends money freely on naomi’s western clothes, western style house, entertainment

• identity is no longer fixed by class or duty-something you can buy or perform

2. What differences are there in the portrayal of Western culture, and in the characters’ attitudes towards Western culture, compared to earlier depictions?

• in older work such as dancing girl-western culture is portrayed as seriosus and connected to education and personal growth

• in naomi the western culture shown is more about fashion and less serious—more about superficial things to embody western culture

• western culture has become an obsession rather than somehtign to look up to immitate.

3. How is Jōji depicted in the novel? Is he portrayed positively, in a sympathetic way, or as an object of criticism? How would you describe his social position?

• Joji is depicted majority of the time as an object of criticism, although at some points readers can be sympathetic towards him.

• takes advantage of young girl and forces his ideals onto her —ultimately turning her into an ideal westernized wife for himself

  • see first hand when naomi struggles to learn english and he sees his fantasy starting to disappear

• he sees her as a fantasy and not a real person-while in beginning seems to be virtuous by saying he only wants to educate her

• he has a steady middle class job and does not have any family obligation like sending money back to them- financially stable but not elite

4. How is Naomi portrayed? What is her job and family background?

• works at Cafe Diamond near Kaminari gate of Asakusa kannon temple

• hostess of a family brothel

• lived life of regret

• Initially portrayed as an innocent young fifteen year old

• later/by the end portrayed as a “temptress, a devil who had taken residence in [his] house.”—manipulative

• joji becomes a ‘slave’ to naomi in essence

5. What is it that initially attracts Jōji to Naomi? How does his view of her change in the course of the novel? In what way does she embody Western culture for Jōji?

• Joji is initially attracted to Naomi’s western style name and facial features and teh fact that she looked like a film actor-Mary Pickford

• he is not attracted to her personality only what she can become/who she represents

• naomi embodies western culture through her behaviors and the way she dresses, free, seductive, but also unpredictable and destabalizing

6. What changes do Jōji and Naomi undergo in the course of the novel?

• foils characters to one another-in beginning Naomi was controlled by Joji and in the end Naomi controls Joji

• Noami transforms from an innocent inexperienced dependent girl into a independent and confident woman

• Joji starts as a confident rational person and ends up being submissive and obsessed and willing to tolerate humiliation

  • example joji accepts how naomi openly interacts with other men

7. Is this a novel that validates the appeal of Western culture in Japan or denigrates its adoration?

• this novel denigrates the adoration of western culture and for what it can become through Naomi

• western lifestyle appears exciting and liberating

• but also leads to moral instability, obsession and loss of control

• blind imitation of the west = self destructive

8. Which movie actress does Naomi remind Jōji of? What is the role of cinema and mass culture in general in the novel?

• Naomi reminds Joji of film actress Mary Pickford

• he even had pictures of her hung up on the walls of their home

• almost showing the western standard Noami has to live up to

• examples of modern feminity and romance

• naomi imitates film stars and adopts their gestures and style

• cinema and movies were a prominent setting in teh nivel, beginnign as a way Joji and Naomi spent time togeth while Joji elarned more about hsi prospective wife

• cinema portrays western culture which joji desires, yet fails to become part of

9. Is Naomi a villain or a heroine?

• inbetween

• she is sort of victim to joji’s obessiveness but also has villiious attributes such as manipulating joji and takes advantage of his devotion

• herione in the way she asserts independence and rejects traditional contraints on women

10. Describe the house where Jōji and Naomi live. What is distinctive about it? In what way does it reflect or shape their lifestyle?

• their house was described as eccentric and stylish but somewhat impractical filled with western styled clothing and furniture

• small room on bottom floor later almost acts as a “prop room” full of western gowns for Naomi

• rooms laid out in an inconvenient way

• “more fun to sketch than to live in”

• “like an illustration for fairytale’

“Rashomon” and “In a Grove” Akutagawa Ryunosuke

1. What was the Rashōmon historically? What metaphorical meaning or meanings does it take on in Akutagawa’s story?

• The Rashomon was histrorically a grand gate marking the southern entrance to heiankyo, meant to symbolize order and imperial authroity

• in Aukutagawa’s story it fall into ruins now used to dump corpses

• the ruined states, attributed to “earthquakes, cyclones, fire, and famine” reflects more than just phsycial breakdown it points ot a deeper collaspse in society

• also futioans as a liminal space0boundaries between living and dead begen to blur

2. Why is the commoner waiting under the Rashōmon? What existential choice is he facing?

• the commoner waits under the rahomon becasue he has just been dismissed by his master and had nowhere to go under teh heavy rain

• he faces an external choice to either starve honestly or abandoning moral principles and “becoming a thief” in odrer to survive

• the dilema questions wheter wrongdoing can be justified as a necessary means of survival, or more widely, whether morality holds any meaning once society collapses

• his hesitation shows that he still clings to some sense of morality even as circumstances push him toward desperation

3. What is the deciding factor that leads him to make his choice in the end?

• the deciding factor comes when the commer encounters the old woman plucking hair from a corpse to make wigs

• she justfiies her actions by explaining that the dead woman had also decieved others in order to survive so exploiting her body is justified'

• teh logic that wrongdoing is justfied by survival beocmes teh commoners own rationale

• he immediately robs teh old woman of her cloths and says :then dont blame me…I have to do it so i dont starve”

• morality can be justified

4. What does the work say about the distinction between good and evil?

• the story challenged the dualist perspective of good and evil depocting how fragile teh boundary between teh two can be

• it suggest that the differnce between good and evil is based on circumstances

• teh old woman and commoner both justify tehir actions bby teh need of surviva;-self serving logic shaped by desperation

• implying that in extreme conditions, ethical systems collapse and people redfine “good” to suit their needs

5. What are the distinguishing characteristics of “In a Grove” as a story? (How is it different from other stories we have read?)

• in a grove is told thorugh multiple conflicting testemonies—does not have a linear narratiev structure-experimental in its nature

• there is no single authoratative narraive and each version contradicts the other

6. Although the work is set in the distant past, in what way does it comment on issues related to modern society?

• although set in teh past, teh story reflects modern concerns about truth-each chracter reshpaes events to perserve their prode or identity

Rashomon (1950) Kurosawa Akira -film

• overall story is samurai gets murderedr and there are multiple version of the story

• the bandit admits to having killed the samurai in a duel—

• the samurai’s wife states she was rapped by bandit and begged her husband to kill her then fainted and woke up to dagger in his chest—

• samurai through a medium says he killed himself——

• the woodcutter says the bandit and samurai fought and bandit won

1. Kurosawa’s film Rashōmon is mostly based on the story “In a Grove.” What did he take from Akutagawa’s story “Rashōmon”?

• the plot is taken from in a grove but title is taken from story rahomon, kurosawa used froming of chracters seeing shelter from the heavy rain at the gate of rashamon to discuss the moral downsides of humanity

• atmosphere of ruin and soical collapse

2. What are the major differences between “In a Grove” and Rashōmon? How do these differences affect the meaning of the story?

• kurosawa adds testemony of the woodcutter, priest, and commoner at the gate which turns into a philosphical debate about humanity

• whiel in a grove treats murder as rhe whole stort, rashomon uses it to show humanity is cpable of terribel things

• kurosawa also adds a final scen where woodcutter takes teh baby showing how in a corrupt world compassion is still possible

3. Is the woodcutter’s tale trustworthy? Why or why not?

• it might be teh most trustworthy but still not completely reliable-

• he initially lied ot teh police-claiming to have only found teh body

• but later admits he witnessed the entire ordeal

• this inconsitly siggests he is not completely trustworthy

• also suggested by teh commer that he stole teh samurais wife pearl dagger giving him a reason to not be truthful

4. What motivation does each participant or observer have to tell a lie? Each of the participants claims to be the killer. Why?

• Tajomaru: wants to appear brave and heroic - beating a skilled samurai—had an honorable duel

• the wife - wants to preserve dignity and emotional justification -wants to appear as a virtuous woman driven to madness by her husbands cruel treatment of her

• the samurai: maintain honor even in death-does not want to admit he was beaten by a bandit —commited seppuku ritual suicide—motivated by greed and basically sttoning for his shortcommings

5. Is there any way that their stories can be reconciled?

• not really, the objective truth is unknown and unreachable

• some elments overlap but detials contardict each other

• siggests that objetcive tyrith is inaccessable and reaity is fragemented into subjective interpretations

• humans are untrustworthy and lie for tehir benefit

6. Kurosawa’s film was made in the aftermath of World War II. How does it reflect the time period in which it was made?

• kurosawa’s film reflects the morla uncertainty and social collapse of postwar japan fater being bombed twoce-lack of faith in humanity

• after world war II many questioned authroity truth and human nature and pople cam up with own veriosn of what occured in a way taht made sens eto them reflecting how they lied in tehri testemonie

• teh baby at teh end is representative of a rebirth that japan was moving towards, a choice to move forward and rebuild.

Summer Flower

How would you describe Hara Tamiki’s style in “Summer Flower”?

• Hara Tamaki’s style in “Summer Flower” is very objective

• he describes the physical destruction of the bombing more than his personal experiences and emotional struggles

• in comparison to “The Rite”. He gives his account as a witness to the bombing describing the dead bodies and fires.

• narration is calm and detached while describing horrifying scenes

• jounalistsic tone while describing the destruction of collapsed buildings, injured bodies, strange colors, and destroyed landscapes

• compares devastation city to “ a Dali surrealist painting'“ and atmosphere of having greenlish glow begin is a kind of Hell

What is the main approach that the story takes to narrating the experience of the bombing?

• approaches teh bombing through firsthand eyewitness experience testimony.

• Hara focuses on what people saw, heard, smelled, and felt during and after the explosion

• the narration is told chronolgically from the narrator visting his wive’s grave, noticing the “tiny yellow petals” on summer flowers. This peaceful opening contrasts with the sudden violence of the bomb

• then narrative shifts to the moment of impacts: “All of a sudden a powerful blow struck me and darkness fell before my eyes.” The confusion and lack of understanding reflect how civilians experienced the bombing in real time.

• overall main approach to bear witness-recording event truthfully and honestly -preservign testimony before it fades.

What signs are there, if any, that this is a literary work and not simply an objective record of the event?

• imagery of the contrast between summer beauty and destruction.

• The way the story is structured chronologically and develops the characters in the story.

• The symbolism of the title being “summer flower” adding meaning and reflecting to the Hiroshima bombing the flower which can represent life and beauty which is a contrast to the explosion, a very dark and deadly moment in Japan history.
  

To what extent to the narrator’s personal emotions and thoughts affect the story of the bombing?

• the narrators emotions are present but controlled na dinderstates not getting too personal

• objective witness

• “a composition of cruel, inorganic matter,” suggesting that the bombing destroyed not only buildings but also the emotional connection to home and memory.

• feels the burden of witnessing history. When he says, “I have to keep a record of this,” his personal sense of responsibility becomes central to the story. His emotional response is not expressed through crying or dramatic speeches, but through the urgent need to testify.

What is the meaning of the anecdote that closes the story? How does it compare to the opening of the work?

• he closing anecdote about N searching for his wife emphasizes the human cost of the bombing and the endless suffering of survivors. N spends “three days and nights” looking through wounded and burned bodies but cannot find his wife.

• The search becomes symbolic of the impossibility of achieving closure after such massive destruction.

• The anecdote also highlights one of the central themes of atomic bomb literature: uncertainty between life and death. Many victims disappeared completely or were unrecognizable

• the ending shows a world where mourning rituals have become impossible. N cannot even confirm whether his wife is alive or dead. The orderly rituals of death from the opening have been replaced by chaos, destruction, and uncertainty.

What is the meaning of the work’s title? Summer flower

• symbolizes the atomic bomb itself-shape of mushroom cloud resembles that of a flower—

• also like summer flower they bloom out of season and are unexpected like the atomic bombing itself

• summer flowers contrast with the destruction of life

The rite

What are the main differences in style and theme between “Summer Flower” and “The Rite”?

What role do some of the innovations in narrative form—such as switching between the past and the present, between first and second person narration—in shaping the story?

Since the word “Hiroshima” is not mentioned in the story, how do we know it is about the atomic bombing?

What are some of the ways in which the trauma of the bombing continues years after the event itself?

What are the psychological consequences of the fact that the bodies of Aki’s friends were never found after the bombing?

What does the rite of the title refer to"?

Black Rain

What is the importance of black rain as an image?

What is the purpose of Shigematsu copying down Yasuko’s diary of her experience of the bombing?

Why is Yasuko drawn to Yūichi, who is supposed to be insane?

Why does Yasuko’s experience with the bomb interfere with her marriage plans?

Why does Yasuko’s uncle initially oppose any talk of marriage between Yasuko and Yūichi?

Does this work focus more on the effects of the bomb itself, or on the way victims are treated by society in the aftermath of the bombing?

Masks

Who is the main protagonist of Masks? Are any of the characters presented in a sympathetic light?

Can Masks be considered a feminist work? Does the novel present a critique of patriarchal society and the institution of the family? In other words, can Mieko's actions be considered a rebellion against the institution of family (ie) or a propagation of it?

How are the differences between traditional and modern culture presented in the work? Which characters embody those characteristics?

What is the significance of the "mask" as metaphor in Enchi's work? What art form does the mask refer to?

What is the role of The Tale of Genji in Enchi’s novel? What is the significance of Mieko’s essay on The Tale of Genji?

What role does the idea of spirit possession (mononoke) play in the novel?

In what way does Mieko exact revenge on the Toganō family?

Tokyo Story

Why is Ozu’s film entitled Tokyo Story? What role does the city of Tokyo play in the film?

What are some of the distinctive filmmaking techniques used by Ozu in this film? How do such techniques help shape the themes of the film?

What is Noriko's role in the family? How would you compare her relationship to Tomi and Shūkichi with that of the other children?

How has Shōji’s death affected different members of the family?

What are some other ways in which either the war or the ensuing occupation of Japan appear in the film?

What is the meaning of the father’s gift of the watch to Noriko at the end of the film?

How does the representation of space in the film shape its themes?