"Lost in Translation" Japan-Style

[Mulboyne]

Crisscross: Cultures clash in 'I Am Nipponjin'
...Directed by Takashi Tsukinoki, “I Am Nipponjin” tells the story of Amy, a feisty Japanese-American who comes to Japan to live with her father’s relatives during a semester as an exchange student. It’s her first exposure to Japan and almost immediately she suffers a culture clash, wanting to question everything with her aggressive American instincts. But over time, Amy learns about “wabisabi” (the Japanese aesthetic), kendo and other aspects of Japanese culture, opening up a new world for her.

[AssKissinger]

The Japanese love this format. It's actually the backbone of the JET programme as well as adult eikaiwa.

1) Gaijin-san comes to Japan with the intention of teaching the Japanese something.
2) It turns out that the gaijin is the one who has something that needs to be learned.
3) Thankfully Japan saves the day by filling the gaijin soul with the wonderful virtues of Japan like gaman, wa, and gambatteism.

PS The gaijin has to breakdown and cry at some point or the story remains incomplete.

[Socratesabroad]

The Japanese love this format. It's actually the backbone of the JET programme as well as adult eikaiwa.

Heartily second that (Last Samurai, anyone?).

In a brief review, seekjapan.jp summed it up all too well: Slightly icky comedy, pitched firmly at the "all you need is 'wa'" demographic.

A far better and more realistic film is Fear and Trembling: the gaijin gets f*cked by Japan, Inc. and ultimately pisses off.

[Greji]

1) Gaijin-san comes to Japan with the intention of teaching the Japanese something.
2) It turns out that the gaijin is the one who has something that needs to be learned.
3) Thankfully Japan saves the day by filling the gaijin soul with the wonderful virtues of Japan like gaman, wa, and gambatteism.

PS The gaijin has to breakdown and cry at some point or the story remains incomplete.

Ah shit AK, that's not fair! You read the book first, right?:cool:

[Mulboyne]

I completely agree that these are favourite themes in Japan. US cinema has tended to go the other way by showing how liberated Japanese can be when they rip up the rule book and adopted a can-do attitude as in Mr Baseball and Black Rain. In both those films, however, there was a certain amount of "we've all learned something from this" whereas the FG rarely has anything to teach in the Japan scenarios. Last Samurai went down well in Japan but it was of course a US production in the tradition of A Man Called Horse, Dances With Wolves or Emerald Forest. I also thought there were similarities with the Japanese film Sengoku Jietai where a modern day SDF officer comes to learn the way of the samurai.

Films like I am Nipponjin seem to have more in common with Western films such as Doc Hollywood or Groundhog Day where cynical urbanites become rounded human beings through an immersion in small town values.

[kurogane]

Why is it that the protagonist always has to engage in some sort of geek magnet sport just to understand the Japanese?

I find the stereotypicality of the plot to be even more annoying than the latent and/or overt chauvinism in the story.

I lived in Japan for years, speak Jpn fine, understand where they're coming from (even if they piss me off and I don't agree), and I never had to take up no feckin dead ass Kendo or other geek magnet sport to figure that stuff out.

Wax Off!

[Mulboyne]

Neojaponisme has a blog post on this film.

[unkosando]

I completely agree that these are favourite themes in Japan. US cinema has tended to go the other way by showing how liberated Japanese can be when they rip up the rule book and adopted a can-do attitude as in Mr Baseball and Black Rain. In both those films, however, there was a certain amount of "we've all learned something from this" whereas the FG rarely has anything to teach in the Japan scenarios. Last Samurai went down well in Japan but it was of course a US production in the tradition of A Man Called Horse, Dances With Wolves or Emerald Forest. I also thought there were similarities with the Japanese film Sengoku Jietai where a modern day SDF officer comes to learn the way of the samurai.

In 'Gung ho' Michael Keaton taught the Japanese to accept a shittier product in exchange for cheaper labor.

[kusai Jijii]

Heartily second that (Last Samurai, anyone?).

I VERY HEARTILY third that! Spot on, me boy, spot on.

[Iraira]

In 'Gung ho' Michael Keaton taught the Japanese to accept a shittier product in exchange for cheaper labor.

So, in turn the Japanese are shipping their industry to China.

[Uhhuh35]

The Japanese love this format. It's actually the backbone of the JET programme as well as adult eikaiwa.
1) Gaijin-san comes to Japan with the intention of teaching the Japanese something.
2) It turns out that the gaijin is the one who has something that needs to be learned.
3) Thankfully Japan saves the day by filling the gaijin soul with the wonderful virtues of Japan like gaman, wa, and gambatteism.
PS The gaijin has to breakdown and cry at some point or the story remains incomplete.

LOL! You nailed it AK!

[2triky]

So, in turn the Japanese are shipping their industry to China.

Seems many industrialized countries are shipping their industry to China these days fueling their growing wealth. In fact I recently read an article that stated that Chinese foreign currency reserves are OVER $1 trillion.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16635143/