I enjoyed this 1941 documentary about the life of a middle-class family in Japan. Released right before Pearl Harbor, this 10-minute film provides an interesting look at the customs, clothing, architecture, culture, and routines of life in Japan 70 years ago.
Shot list:
Contents. A visit with a Japanese family.
Fujiyama, the sacred mountain of Japan, is shown. On their way to school children walk through terraced rice and tea fields. In a fishing village children pass by boats and nets.
The Yamada family lives in an industrial area. Taro and his sister Yukiko put on their shoes as they get ready for school. Taro wears the schoolboy's uniform and Yukiko wears the standard dress for girls. Father finishes lacing his shoes. At the doorway the children and Father say "good-by" to Mother Yamada and start on their way. (The farewell greeting is recorded in Japanese.) They go down the street, past the post office where Taro mails a letter, to the railroad station where Father works. The children tell their father "good-by" and continue on their way to school.
It is almost time for school to start. At the door the children exchange greetings with the teachers. Shoes are removed and placed in cupboards near the door. Taro and Yukiko read when the teacher calls on them.
At the Yamada home the maid buys soybean curd from a street vendor. Mother arranges flowers and places them on the family's ancestral shrine. Grandmother watches the baby while she works on a new kimono. At the station the Tokyo Express has arrived and Father writes out the train report.
At school the children are trying to learn to write the difficult Japanese language. At recess Taro plays baseball. Boys in another part of the schoolyard are fencing.
The family decide to make an excursion to the cherry blossom festival. Yukiko puts on her fine silk kimono for the occasion. On their way they stop at a shrine, toss their offerings into a box, clap their hands as a sign of their presence, and bow reverently. At the festival, Father has his camera to take pictures of the beautiful cherry blossoms. A storyteller, who uses picture cards to illustrate his story, interests the children. (The story is recorded in Japanese.) Sea-foam candy is a treat at the festival.
Back home the Yamadas sit about a very low table for dinner. They have meat, raw fish, and cooked vegetables, all eaten with chopsticks. The maid watches the rice steamer in the kitchen and adds fuel to the fire that is heating water for the household bath.
Taro takes his bath first. After soaping and rinsing, he gets into the tub for a restful soak. Mother and the maid prepare the beds on the floor while Father reads the evening paper.
Link | Low quality YouTube version
