A Japanese Tragedy! URGENT! 1000s of rare film tapes about to disappear!

[drainer at mpinet.net]

Maybe someone from a kind institutition could pull some strings and attain 
funding to initiate a program to digitize his collection, or, if it is 
properly cataloged, help Mr. Omori present it to special collections 
archives for donation/sale?

Just some thoughts...

-d


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Faith Bach" <faithbach at yahoo.co.jp>
To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 26, 2008 5:22 AM
Subject: A Japanese Tragedy! URGENT! 1000s of rare film tapes about to 
disappear!


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>> To all Kinejapanners enjoying your Xmas, in the spirit of same,
>> please give a few minutes to this cause, so dear to the hearts of
>> us all.
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>> For the last six years Mr Omori, who embodies all that is fine and
>> noble about the word "geek," has been spending 12 hours a day,
>> every day,  hunched over his ancient computer in a tiny walk-up
>> deep in the backstreets of Kyoto, under constant threat of
>> engulfment by the teetering floor-to-ceiling stacks of literally
>> several thousands of VTRs of rare old films, both Japanese and
>> Western.  There is no heat in winter and no AC in summer, for he
>> can't afford it.  He presides singlehandedly and at great cost to
>> his health and sanity over his realm of treasures solely so they
>> can be viewed by all and sundry who have the time and few hundred
>> yen he charges for his rentals.  These are not ratty old copyright-
>> protected products either, but all pristine private copies in their
>> original covers suitable for dubbing off on home machines.  At last
>> count he had upwards of 7 thousand tapes, roughly half of them
>> Japanese, which, if you think about it, would account for a very
>> great hunk, if not close to all, of the old films still extant.
>> Silents, subtitled versions, practically all of the late lamented
>> Nihon Eiga Kessaku Zenshu titles in their catalog, including some
>> "B" gems that nobody has ever heard of, trust me.
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>> Today, I was shocked to find that most of those films are packed up
>> in cardboard boxes, for Mr Omori has thrown in the towel.  He just
>> can't make ends meet anymore, and he is about to take his treasures
>> away from us all.  For six years he has been unsung and starving,
>> and he has had enough.
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>> Please, PLEASE, everybody out there, spare the time to send Mr
>> Omori a message telling him he is loved and honored and his work is
>> appreciated, and the whole world will suffer if his treasures
>> disappear from view!!!  He is bitter about the cavalier disregard
>> of the Japanese for their artistic heritage, certainly with reason,
>> and the snotty attitudes of those Japanese institutions which
>> allegedly exist to make old films available to the masses but in
>> fact do not.  Please let us show him that this is NOT the attitude
>> of the entire planet, that it fact it is swarming with geeks like
>> himself with different-colored passports but with the same
>> passionate love of Japanese filmdom as his own.  With enough
>> encouragement he may be convinced that perseverance would be worth
>> the candle, and think seriously about continuing to make his films
>> available in some way less costly to himself.  All ideas are
>> appreciated!  Could his wonderful work be subsidized from abroad by
>> us all chipping in small contributions??[in return for obtaining
>> copies of certain films privately from people like myself...?]
>> Anything at all from you out there will help, for he has little
>> idea of the extent of the foreign Japanese films scene, nor of the
>> big names at heavy-hitting universities out there who  love and
>> support it.
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>> You can reach Mr Omori [Big Forest] by e-mail either thru' his site
>> (where a peek at his archives will convince anybody of the tragedy
>> approaching who needs convincing):
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>> http://dejan.dyndns.tv/f_eigatown/
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>> or by personal email to:
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>> f_eigatown at excite.co.jp
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>> The address is:  Eigatown, #2 Fuyacho Biru 2F, Fuyachodori Nijo
>> Sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-0934
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>> Japanese is best but simple English is better than nothing and
>> every message he gets will be appreciated, I know.  It just may
>> save his treasures for those of us who care.  In either language,
>> please say that "Bahha-san" has told you of his plight.
>>
>> In Tokyo, at the end of next year the wrecking ball will knock down
>> the beautiful, historic Kabuki-za in the Ginza because the craven
>> thugs who own it want to build an office building;  soon, too, the
>> delightful Koma Gekijo arena, which has been delighting fans of
>> enka/taishu engeki since 1956, will be a dust-heap.  Do not let
>> good Mr Omori go under, too.  Please tell him you care.  Maybe it
>> will make a difference.
>>
>> Faith Bach
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