Japanese Film/architecture research

[shireen seno]

Hello Merce Rodrigo,

I don't usually post messages to the group, though I have been a  
member of KineJapan for about two years. But I just read your  
message, and thought your interests are very similar to mine!

I studied Architecture and Cinema Studies (including Japanese Cinema)  
at the University of Toronto, graduated in November, and now I'm back  
in Tokyo, where I grew up. While in Toronto, I did an senior seminar  
on Cinema and the City, and my thesis was a group project on Tokyo.

I don't know how exactly I can be of help, but I just wanted to let  
you know how intrigued I was to read your email. I'd be happy to  
share with you my thoughts and findings (mostly from my project on  
Tokyo and the cinema, including specific film titles.. also recent  
experiences and observations), as well as to hear what you have in  
mind for your project.

Meeting up to talk would be nice. I am 15 minutes by train from  
Shibuya, and I work near Roppongi. Let me know if you'd like to meet  
and talk more. I'm planning to see a newly released Japanese film  
called "Haze" by Tsukamoto Shinya on Wednesday in Shibuya. His films  
are more overtly about the body and memory than architecture, but  
they always reflect on the habitability of the city.

Shireen

On 21-Mar-06, at 12:03 AM, m.rodrigo garcia wrote:

> Dear Aaron Gerow
>
> My name is Merce Rodrigo,
> I am a visiting Research Associate at the Tokyo Institute of  
> Technology
> and I work in cooperation with its Department of Architecture.
> My research is funded by the Canon Foundation in Europe and the Tokyo
> Institute of Technology acts as my main host institution.
> I have arrived to Tokyo recently and I am trying to set up a structure
> that will help me to carry out my research with the appropriate  
> resources
> during the next nine months.
>
> The reason why I decided to contact you is my actual subject of study:
> Under the title: JAPANESE-CONSTRUCTED SETTINGS TO SUIT VARIOUS WAYS OF
> INHABITING. ARCHITECTURE AS A BACKDROP FOR EMERGENT SOCIAL  
> STRUCTURES IN
> JAPAN AS PORTRAYED IN RECENT JAPANESE FILMOGRAPHY,
> the project has a cross disciplinary approach. My thesis will be  
> argued
> and contrasted against architectural theory while it will draw the  
> main
> fieldwork
> materials from film.
> I could send you the research outline text in a next e mail.
>
> Given your specialisation in Japanese Film and Culture I thought it
> appropriate to contact you and ask you for some general advice on my
> research subject, mainly suggestions of film titles that could be
> relevant.
> As well as that, I also wanted to ask you if you could recommend a
> institution, university or school and a scholar that tackles  
> Japanese film
> that I could apply to be my second host institution
>
> I very much look forward to hearing from you, and will be very  
> gratefully
> with any type of information or advice that you would provide.
>
> Many thanks in advance.
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
> Merce Rodrigo Garcia
>
>
> merce rodrigo garcia
> me.sa at uclmail.net
> +81(0)9085077421
> anburoido haitsu building
> 3-22-6-303 nakameguro
> meguro-ku
> tokyo 153-0061
>