Feature Films
Akahige Red Beard	[DVD] 791.43 R3123
A vain young doctor learns a valuable lesson from the dedicated director of a clinic for destitute patients.
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams	[DVD] 791.43 A3153 [VHS] 791.43 A3153
In eight short narratives the director investigates images of death that were drawn from his dreams.
The Ballad of Narayama	[VHS] 791.43 B18835
A century ago, inhabitants from a remote mountain village lived in constant fear of starvation. Their lives were cruel, horrible, and at best, hopeless. To survive, a number of ruthless laws were passed - one of the most brutal-taking the elderly to the distant peak of Narayama to die.
Chushingura	[DVD] 791.43 C5635
Their lord having been tricked into committing suicide by a corrupt elder court official, a group of 47 samurai who have been forced to become ronin nurse their anger and outrage, each becoming the personification of the samurai spirit, until the time is right to avenge their dead lord's honor.
Duel at Ganryu Island	[DVD] 791.43 S1936
In this third and last installment of the Samurai trilogy, the main character continues his quest for enlightenment, but turns his back on the world in disillusionment. Forced to fight again, he eventually comes face to face with his arch rival and long time enemy in a final showdown. The other films in the trilogy are Musashi Miyamoto and Duel at Ichijoji Temple.
Duel at Ichijoji Temple	[DVD] 791.43 S1935
Musashi is a wondering samurai swordsman who is honing his skills during a succession of duels. When he defeats a succession of students, he becomes marked for death and is attacked in a series of cowardly ambushes. Romantic threads are further complicated when two women meet and discover their rivalry. Musashi earns himself an archenemy who vows to defeat Musashi to make his name the finest in all of Japan. This is part two of the Samurai trilogy. The others are Musashi Miyamoto and Duel at Ganryu Island.
Funeral	[DVD] 791.43 F9813 [VHS] 791.43 F9813
An old man's unexpected death creates hilarious havoc with his family. The traditional three-day undertaking becomes a sly comedy of manners as the younger generation struggles with the complex rituals of the Buddhist ceremony.
Ghost in the Shell	[DVD] 791.433 G4275 [VHS] 791.433 G4275
In a world caught in the grip of information overload, Major Kusanagi is an elite officer and heavily modified cybernetic agent on the trail of a computer-criminal who turns people into human marionettes, controlled by computer. She discovers that his true identity lies at the center of a vast and lethal political conspiracy. This is an example of Japanese anime (animated film work).
Hana-bi (Fireworks)	[DVD] 791.43 F5237 [VHS] 791.43 F5237
A hard-boiled ex-cop, haunted by a troubled past and pushed to the edge by the shooting of his partner, confronts his demons in a ruthless quest for justice and redemption. Combines cool violence and powerful emotions.
Harakiri	[DVD] 791.43 H2542 [VHS] 791.43 H2542
After an unemployed warrior is forced to commit harakiri, his father-in-law returns to the scene, seemingly to play out the same agonizing suicide ritual. Tensions grow to excruciating levels until the thrilling climax, when the elder warrior strikes out one last time against the abusive society that crafted such cruelty.
Ikiru	[DVD] 791.43 I263
Discovering that he is in the terminal stages of cancer, a clerk spends his last months in search of the meaning to life. After his pursuit of pleasure has failed, he finds self-realization in bringing about the building of a children's playground in the slums and dies quietly fulfilled.
Jin-Roh (The Wolf Brigade)	[DVD] 791.433 J616
In a very different Tokyo from the one we know today, the totalitarian government rules with an iron fist. But a group called The Sect is staging demonstrations and challenging the government's martial law. This animated film is an example of anime.
Key, the Metal Idol The Complete Collection	[DVD] 791.433 K445 vols. 1-3
Key is an android with the body of a woman, but she cannot even smile. When her creator dies, she finds that she can become human if she can win the love of 30,000 people -- and avoid those who are her enemies. This is a fine example of anime.
Mishima a Life in Four Chapters	[VHS] 791.109
A view of the life of Japan's famous postwar writer, Yukio Mishima, as a tortured modern man struggling to find his future in Japan's imperial past and who commits suicide after a doomed attempt to reverse the Westernization of Japan.
Musashi Miyamoto	[DVD] 791.43 S1934
Musashi is a brash and ambitious peasant who desires frame and power as a swordsman. His dreams of glory in war sour when his army is routed and he becomes hunted by the authorities. With the help of a severe monk, he develops from a hot-tempered into a thoughtful swordsman. This is part one of the Samurai trilogy. The others are Duel at Ichijoji Temple and Duel at Ganryu Island.
Ninja Scroll	[DVD] 791.433 N7155
In this animated feature film, after an entire village is decimated by a mysterious plague, a master swordsman sets out on a quest to find the evil one who plans to overthrow the Japanese government. Set in feudal Japan.
Onibaba Demon Woman	[DVD]791.43 O585
An impoverished mother and her daughter-in-law eke out a lonely, desperate existence. In order to survive in feudal Japan, they are forced to murder lost samurai and sell their belongings for grain, then dump their corpses down a deep, dark hole.
Perfect Blue	[DVD] 791.433 P4384 [VHS] 791.433 P4384
Pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. When she lands a role in a sexually charged murder mystery, Mima's life begins to fall apart. Reality and hallucinations merge into a terrifying netherworld where innocence is lost and dreams become nightmares.
Princess Mononoke	[DVD] 791.433 P9575 [VHS] 791.433 P9575
In this excellent example of Japanese anime, Boar God curses a young prince to a slow but certain death. To find a possible cure for the curse, he travels to find a Shishi-Gami (a Deer-God). During his journey he becomes entangled in a battle between a clan of humans and the forest's animal gods led by Princess Mononoke, a young woman who was raised by a Wolf God. Set during the Muromachi era in Japan.
Ran	[DVD] 791.43 R1850 [VHS] 791.43 R1850
In 16th century Japan, an aging ruler attempts to divide his kingdom among his three sons, who turn against each other and betray their father, triggering events that ultimately shatter the kingdom, destroy the family, and drive their father insane.
Rashomon	[DVD] 791.43 R2244 [VHS] 791.43 R2244
Four people involved in the murder of a gentleman in feudal Japan and the seduction of his wife report differing views of what actually happened.
Rikyu	[DVD] 791.43 R5725 [VHS] 791.43 R5725
This is the story of Sen-no Rikyu, a Buddhist priest, who four centuries ago brought the art of the tea ceremony to perfection. Living in one of the most turbulent moments in Japanese history, Rikyu gained unexpected political influence as the confidant and cultural mentor to the powerful warlord, Hideyoshi Toyotomi. The film illustrates the classic struggle between art and politics and between the impulse to create and the impulse to destroy.
Sanjuro	[DVD] 791.43 S2273 [VHS] 791.43 S2273
A samurai turns up in a town where nine young men are plotting to overthrow a corrupt regime. He takes charge of the group and attempts to formulate a plan to deceive the old bosses.
Sansho the Bailiff	[DVD] 791.43 S2298
When an idealistic governor disobeys the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile, his wife and children left to fend for themselves and eventually wrenched apart by vicious slave drivers.
Seven Samurai	[DVD] 791.43 S4974 [VHS] 791.43 S4974
A 16th century Japanese village hires professional warriors to fend off bandits. When the samurai arrive, a spectacular series of battles begins.
Shall We Dance?	[VHS] 791.43 S5284
This is a comedy about a middle-aged businessman who secretly yearns to break out of the rigid conformity of his daily life by learning ballroom dancing.
Taboo (Japan)	[DVD] 791.43 T1143
A handsome new recruit, Kano, causes sexual tension in a traditional samurai militia group called Shinsengumi in Kyoto, at the end of the Shogunate era in Japan.
Tampopo	[DVD] 791.43 T1593 [VHS] 791.43 T1593
In "the first noodle Western," a young Tokyo widow begins a quest for the perfect bowl of ramen.
A Taxing Woman	[VHS] 791.43 T2355
Comedy about a tireless, single-minded investigator for the Japanese Revenue Service, and her confrontation with a businessman who thinks he knows all the angles when it comes to cheating the government.
A Taxing Woman's Return	[VHS] 791.43 T2356
In this sequel to the 1987 film A Taxing Woman, a tenacious female tax inspector investigates a corrupt religious order in Japan.
Throne of Blood	[DVD] 791.43 T5324 [VHS] 791.43 T5324
This adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth set in feudal Japan tells the story of a Samurai lord who kills his master and usurps his power in fulfillment of a witch's prophecy.
Twenty-Four Eyes	[DVD] 791.43 T97175
This film is an elegant, emotional chronicle of a teacher's unwavering commitment to her students, her profession, and her sense of morality. It takes a simultaneously sober and sentimental look at the epic themes of aging, war, and death.
Twilight Samurai	[DVD] 791.43 T9727
This film tells the story of a low ranking samurai during the Meiji restoration who is teased for caring for his family instead of carousing with fellow samurai but becomes a hero after defending the honor of an abused wife and former love.
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun	[DVD] 791.43 U554
Sachiko Hidari gives a towering performance in this devastating anti-war drama. She plays Mrs. Togashi, a war widow determined to clear the name of her disgraced husband, who was court-martialed for desertion and executed.
Whisper of the Heart	[DVD] 791.433 W5763
A schoolgirl named Shizuku, who longs to discover her true talents, meets the mysterious Seiji, a boy who is determined to follow his dreams, and The Baron, a magical cat who helps her listen to the whispers in her heart.
Woman in the Dunes	[DVD] 791.43 W8723 [VHS] 791.43 W8723
An amateur biologist escapes the bustle of the city by studying beetles in remote sand dunes. After missing the last bus, he accepts a villager's offer to spend the night in a widow's shack at the bottom of a deep sand pit. In the morning he finds he is trapped. At first enraged, the man's hatred for the woman soon turns to searing, erotic lust.
Yojimbo, The Bodyguard	[DVD] 791.43 Y544
In the year 1860, a wandering samurai-for-hire turns the war between two clans fighting for control of a small town to his own advantage in a satire on greed, violence, paranoia and human weakness.
Zeiram	[DVD] 791.43 Z463
When two hapless electricians go out on a job, they have every reason to believe that it'll be a job like any other. But the bumbling twosome soon finds themselves zapped into a virtual reality war zone! This zone is an artificial dimension set up by Iria, a cute, tough-as-nails bounty hunter and her super-intelligent computer, Bob, to do battle with Zeiram, a seemingly indestructible alien that's been genetically engineered to kill.
Documentaries
West meets east in Japan	[VHS] 306.20
The film introduces Japanese social and business etiquette to Western executives. It instructs businessmen on productive interaction with Japanese contacts.
Toshiko Takaezu: Portrait of an Artist	[VHS] 738.32
The film presents an introduction to the artwork of internationally acclaimed potter, Toshiko Takaezu, in the form of both functional and sculptural ceramics.
Discovering music: music of Japan	[VHS] 780.89 D611427
Shows three major Japanese instruments and explains how they fit into current Japanese life. It includes performances of traditional singing and dancing, and pieces played by an ensemble of the three instruments.
The Art of Kabuki	[VHS] 792.26
This is a study of the traditional, bombastic theater of Japan, with attention given to the symbolism of the performances.
The Tradition of Performing Arts in Japan the Artistry of Kabuki, Noh and Bunraku	[VHS] 792.59
Three varieties of traditional Japanese theater are presented--Noh, Bunraku, and Kabuki. Through these theater forms is revealed Japan's four seasons, the Japanese sense of life in harmony with nature, and the mixing of Japanese with imported cultures.
Making a Noh Mask	[VHS] 792.60
This film demonstrates Masuda Houshun making a Noh mask. Masks are an integral part of the character's role in Noh drama. An outstanding feature of Noh masks is that they convey emotions.
Japan, the changing tradition	[VHS] 952.02
The film considers modern Japanese history from the first contacts with the West in the 1500's, tracing the emergence of the nation from isolation to its present day position as a leading economic power.
Buddha in the land of the Kami (7th - 12th centuries)	[VHS] 952.03
Begins with the creation myth of Japan and explains the origin and scope of the Kami concept; explains the arrival of Buddhism and how Buddhism and the Kami were assimilated; discusses the role of Chinese culture, style, and writing in Japanese culture; and demonstrates how the Japanese garden epitomizes the Japanese view of the relationship between man and nature, space, time, and reality.
The Coming of the Barbarians (1540-1650)	[VHS] 952.04
The Japan of shoguns and samurai, discovered by the Portuguese in 1540, soon appeared to be swept away by a wave of Westernization. This program presents a portrait of the regent Hideyoshi, illustrating his lifestyle, his taste, and his abrupt shift in direction: Christian priests and converts were persecuted and martyred and, in 1650, Japan shut tight its doors to the outside.
Spirits of the state: Japan's Yasukuni Shrine	[VHS] 952.04 S7595
Tokyo's Yasukuni shrine honors and venerates the spirits of Japanese soldiers and officers, including convicted and executed war criminals. This program explores the history of the Shinto shrine, the complexity of its functions, and the controversies generated when political leaders appear there.
The Age of the Shoguns (1600-1868)	[VHS] 952.05
Looks at the history of Japan during the age of the Tokugawa family, the era of Edo, a period of over two-and-a-half centuries during which Japan was sealed off from the rest of the world. Topics include the established classes of daimyo, samurai, farmer and merchant, the political organization of the shogunate, the growth of the merchant class and the development of Kabuki, the delineation of Japanese sensibilities and the meaning of Seppuku.
The Meiji period (1868-1912)	[VHS] 952.06
The arrival of Commodore Perry in 1854 set the stage for Japan's dramatic leap from the Middle Ages into modernity. In 1868, the last shogun gave way to a 15-year-old Emperor who dressed in Western-style clothes. Edo became Tokyo, education became a national passion, and the dichotomy between ancient shared values and new imported styles and forms deepened.
The Essence of Being Japanese	[VHS] 952.07
Covers the events of the 20th century -- the earthquake of 1923, the rise of militarism, the accession of Emperor Hirohito, the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere, the Pacific War, Hiroshima, and the American occupation of Japan -- but the primary focus is on what makes Japan Japanese.
Japan Memoirs of a Secret Empire	[DVD] 952.1 J354
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, Japan was a world unto itself. The man at the heart of this empire was Tokugawa Ieyasu, a warlord who ruled with absolute control. This period is explored through the Shogun, Samurai, Geisha and a Westerner.
Video Letter from Japan:
Suburban Tokyo High [VHS] 952.08 The film includes a comparison of high school life in Japan and the United States, a description of the much talked-about entrance examination for Japanese their universities and an article on the role of Japanese mothers in the education of children.     College Years [VHS] 952.09     Early Working Years [VHS] 952.10     Young Family [VHS] 952.11     Options for Women at Mid-life [VHS] 952.12     Choices for Men Approaching Age Sixty [VHS] 952.13
Music CDs
Best of Kodo	[CD] 780.89 K764be
Recording is a collection of pieces produced by Kodo between 1988 and 1992.
Ibuki	[CD] 780.89 K764ib
Japanese percussion ensemble.
Japan Kabuki & other traditional music	[CD] 780.89 N6365ja
Traditional and modern compositions for shamisen, shakuhachi, biwa, koto, percussion, and singer.
Japan, traditional vocal & instrumental music	[CD] 780.89 J356
The folk music of Japan.
Japanese Buddhist ritual	[CD] 780.89 J358
Recorded by Douglas G. Haring, principally in the Neomanji Temple at Kawasaki.
Japanese Koto Consort Koto, Shamisen, Shakuhachi and Voice	[CD] 780.89 J359

Andrea Kempf, updated July 20, 2009

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