Self-introduction

[Ono Seiko and Aaron Gerow]

Reglindis Helmer wrote,

>Right now I am preparing my thesis, which
>will be about the wartime production 'Hawai Maree oki kaisen' (1942),
>directed by Yamamoto Kajiro.
>
>Related to this project are my first requests to the list members. I
>will be in Japan in the month of March in search for articles in
>newspapers and journals of that period. I will start with the Kawakita
>Kinenkan, but since I will also be in Kyoto anyhow, I also want to try
>the library of the Kyoto Bunka Hakubutsukan. So my first question is:
>Has anyone experiences with that institution? As far as I know, they do
>have a collection of film books, videos and scenarios, but I am not sure
>about its size.

I have only used the Kyoto Bunka Hakubutsukan collection for 1920s 
materials: it had some important magazines, but not as extensive a 
collection at the Museum of Modern Art Film Center or the Waseda 
University Engeki Hakubutsukan.  Their colection of videos was good, 
however, and also easy to use: one of the few archives in Japan that 
offers video viewing.  Be sure to go early to get a booth!

If you are in Kansai, I would also suggest the Ikeda Bunko of Takurazuka 
which has an extensive collection of film-related materials after the mid 
1930s.

The best place in Tokyo is the Waseda Enpaku, but it is unfortunately 
closed for renovation.  There is also the Film Center, but they have 
restricted access to some of their old magazines.  Kawakita has a good 
collection, but they have limited hours (1-5) and copying is expensive.

>My other request concerns the kind of material I am looking for. As a
>big and important production af that time, made to commemorate the first
>anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour and the beginning of the
>Pacific war, articles on 'Hawai Maree oki kaisen' must have appeared in
>nearly every newspaper of the country - therefore I would be very
>grateful for any suggestions about journals, newspapers and authors
>which are especially worth looking for!

For magazines:
Kinema junpo (though note that government regulations forced it to be 
called Eiga junpo after 1941)
Eiga hyoron
Nihon eiga
are probably the big three you should look at for Japanese films.  (The 
government "rationalized" film magazines in 1941, so there were fewer 
left by that time.)

For newspapers, the Asahi shinbun is the easiest to look at since most 
places have it in either shukusatsuban or on microfilm and the 
shukusatsuban has an index.  For others, check out the Yomiuri shinbun 
and the Mainichi.  I forget when the Miyako shinbun stopped publishing, 
but they did do extensive film reporting.

As for authors, Yamamoto Kajiro has written several autobiographical 
works, so those might be a place to start.  The one on my bookshelf, his 
_Katsudoya jitaden_ (Shobunsha Shuppanbu, 1972), has a 30 page chapter on 
the film.  Also check out some of the Toho company histories and books on 
Tsuburaya Eiichi.

Good luck with your research.

Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University