Introduction and request for help on 1930s film

[Aaron Gerow]

This is always the problem with trying to see films in Japan. 
Institutions like the Film Center should have video booths, but they 
don't (the Kyoto Culture Museum used to have them for their video 
collection--are they now gone?). This makes it hard for someone in the 
general public to just go somewhere and see a film.

But do look at some of the big city libraries. Some have big video 
collections, especially ones of educational value. If you are in 
Kawasaki, the Kawasaki City Museum has a good viewing system, plus all 
of the Nippon News newsreels which I assume you would want to see.

Also try to connect with a university. Those with film programs like 
Waseda or Meigaku tend to have good video collections.

If you can fork out the money, Nichiei Eiga Shinsha has some of the 
Kamei and other wartime documentaries on DVD.

http://www.n-eigashinsha.jp/index-ar.html

They are priced at about 4000 yen apiece.

Shina no yoru used to be sold by Kinema Kurabu--the mail-order branch 
run by Toho. But that stopped a couple years ago and I don't think it 
can be bought anymore. Even then it was 10000 yen.

Nikkatsu put out both Gonin no sekkohei and Tsuchi to heitai on video 
for about 4000 yen. We bought them last year at Yale, so maybe they are 
still available (though Amazon lists them as out of stock).

I hope this helps.

Aaron Gerow
Film Studies and East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University