<p class="MsoNormal">Dear KineJapan: Recently in Kyoto I had the pleasure of meeting Miyagawa
Jiro, the son of the great cameraman Miyagawa Kazuo (1908-1999). In his design
studio, I was able to view some of a large collection of objects (documents,
photos, scripts, etc.) from the father’s long career with such directors as
Kurosawa (RASHOMON), Mizoguchi (UGETSU, SANSHO THE BAILIFF), Ichikawa (KAGI),
Shinoda (McARTHUR’S CHILDREN), Kurisaki Midori (SONEZAKI SHINJU), and so on. It
is an extraordinary collection which includes Miyagawa’s own drawings on the
scripts, rare photographs, even some reels of film. As just one example--I saw
one photo of a young Miyagawa Kazuo with Yamanaka Sadao—a photo I have never
seen in print.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">But the sad news is—the Miyagawas have not been able to find
a good repository for the preservation and display of those materials. The
papers and photos are mostly sitting in yellow envelopes, gradually turning to
dust. Even though Miyagawa-sensei won such prestigious awards as the Imperial
Order of Culture, and a special tribute from the Academy of Motion Pictures, no
Japanese library or cultural center has offered to undertake the preservation
and display work.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">My hope in sending this to KineJapan is to let Japanese film
scholars and fans around the world know about this priceless treasure that
needs attention. Jiro-san assured me that the Miyagawa family would support
professional efforts at preservation of those materials that cover a wide span
of Japanese film history.<span style=""> </span>He also agreed
to my sending out this message. Surely there is a university library or
cultural center somewhere with funds to support the “Miyagawa collection.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Years ago I had the honor of interviewing Miyagawa Kazuo in
his lovely home in Kyoto. It is still a vibrant memory for me. He was not only
one of the world’s greatest cinematographers, he was also a very warm and witty
individual. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">When I held Miyagawa Kazuo's personal script for Mizoguchi’s CHIKAMATSU
MONOGATARI in my hands, I was amazed to see his careful drawings on every page.
Although I received a few scanned sheets, they are hard to read and fail to
convey the real impact. I hope others in the future will have the opportunity to
explore this treasure trove of materials before the ink disappears and the
paper crumbles away.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Linda C. Ehrlich</p>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Linda E.<br><br><a href="http://sites.google.com/site/lceprofess/" target="_blank">http://sites.google.com/site/lceprofess/</a><br><br>
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