American characters in Japanese film...

[Michael E. Kerpan]

Ozu's next-to-last film, Kohayakawa-ke no aki (Autumn of the Kohayakawa Family
BUT misnamed End of Summer in English) has a blond, football player-esque
looking young caucasian who is supposed to be the American boyfriend of the
protagopnists illegitimate daughter.  He appears only briefly, and says a few
words of amateurish Japanese.  so far as I know, this is the only appearance of
an American in Ozu's films.

Michael Kerpan
Boston, MA

(Who finally managed to get a Hong Kong VCD of Kohayakawa-ke no aki -- with
only Chinese subtitles. It's better than nothing, and with Bordwell close at
hand, I can almost figure out what's happening most of the time. Hopefully a
nice English-subtitled DVD will come out "one of these days").