Jyōkyō Monogatari (上京物語, 1999)

Japan-Woche Mainz 2010 gave me the opportunity to watch Taku Furukawa’s Jyōkyō Monogatari (aka Tyo Story, 1999) for the second time. I first saw it at Nippon Connection in 2008, but as it does not appear on Takun Films, Anido’s DVD of Furukawa’s collected works (1968-1990), one has to rely on festival screenings to see it again. ‘Jyōkyō’ means ‘to go to Tokyo’ and Jyōkyō Monogatari is an animated...

On a Wednesday Night in Tokyo (2004)

Last night at Japan-Woche Mainz 2010, I also enjoyed the short On a Wednesday Night in Tokyo (2004) by German filmmaker Jan Verbeek. The film documents the open doorway of a crowded train at Shibuya Station. During the five and a half minutes of the film, more and more people gently push their way on board the already impossibly full train. Most of the people have passively disinterested expressions...

Hand Soap (ハンドソープ, 2008)

 The blemished face of the main protagonist.I had the great pleasure of finally watching Hand Soap (2008) by Kei Ōyama (大山慶, b. 1978) last night at Japan-Woche Mainz 2010. The 16 minute short animation has been making the rounds of European festivals this spring. It showed at Oberhausen (29 April – 4 May) where the film won a prize, it was part of the official selection at Animafest in Zagreb...

Hiroshima 2010

poster art by Nobuhiro Aihara (相原信洋)The films competing at this year’s International Animation Festival Hiroshima have been selected and the schedule is now online. The selection committee consisted of Otto Adler (Switzerland), Nicolas Jacquet (France), Wiola Sowa (Poland), Candy Kugel (USA), and Kotaro Sato (Japan).The Japanese shorts on offer at Hiroshima include:In a Pig’s Eye (わからないブタ/Wakatanai...

Animation Scrap Diary + Live Painting Animactions!! (2004)

Although this fabulous box set only came out in 2004, it is already out of print and only available via second hand dealers. For just over a decade now the renowned psychedelic artist and experimental filmmaker Keiichi Tanaami (田名網 敬一, b. 1936) and graphic designer and animator Nobuhiro Aihara (相原信洋, b. 1944) have been collaborating together on animation projects. They both teach at Kyoto University...

Man Eater Mountain (灰土警部の事件簿人食山, 2009)

 Man-Eater Mountain (Hitokui-Yama/人食山, 2009) is an experimental kamishibai film written, produced, and painted by Naoyuki Niiya (にいやなおゆき, b. 1963 in Okayama Prefecture). Niiya also does the benshi (narration) performance accompanied by Takeshi Tsunoda on shamisen, and with a guest singing and voice acting performance by experimental animator Tetsuji Kurashige (倉重哲二) of KTOONZ in the role of...