Japan remaking Hollywood?

[Eija Niskanen]

No offence, I was just joking. I've also been told numerous times by
Japanese "You live in Koenji? Kakkou ii." The usual person indeed to
get off the train at Koenji station is a young guy carrying a guitar
case. There also seem to be a lot of film-related folk living here,
and often a scene or two of contemporary movies are shot in Koenji,
the last one - of course - being Kankuro Kudo's Shonen Merikensack. In
that movie the Sato Koichi -played character is also referred to as
"the Sid Vicious of Koenji".

Actually, they could have done a more Japanese version of Sideways,
for ex. the protagonists going around remote Japanese villages and
tasting local food specialties. That is what they do in numerous
television travelogues. The whole thing of course sponsored by
Kikkoman.

Eija

On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 4:41 AM,  <drainer at mpinet.net> wrote:
> I am inclined to defend kichijoji, there's not much there aside from cheap
> food, some
> underworld operations, and a few tailors, although I guess you could say the
> perception is influenced by universities nearby. Aside from that it is
> mostly residential, as is koenji.
>
> The reason I mentioned koenji is because just about every band practice
> studio is there, that is, if you go for a cheaper alternative than areas
> such as shibuya. Not to mention the recent revelations of foreigners of
> koenji as a "hip" place to live (this could be internet distortion combined
> with word of mouth). I wasn't trying to offend, just my musings and
> observations after spending considerable time in and around Tokyo...
>
> Your analysis of shimokitazawa, however, is spot on, not just for Japanese
> but also for expatriates.
>
> -d
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eija Niskanen" <eija.niskanen at gmail.com>
> To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
> Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 6:39 AM
> Subject: Re: Japan remaking Hollywood?
>
>
>> Definitely Kichijoji or Shimokitazawa - I live in Koenji.
>>
>> Eija
>>
>> On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 9:05 AM, drainer at mpinet.net <drainer at mpinet.net>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>  Poor kichijoji, come on, you know it's koenji you're talking about ;)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>
>>>> From: "Mark D. Roberts" <mroberts37 at mail-central.com>
>>>> Sent: Nov 14, 2008 7:01 PM
>>>> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>>>> Subject: Re: Japan remaking Hollywood?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Nov 15, 2008, at 3:02 AM, Jerry Turner wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It'll be funny if remaking American movies becomes a trend in
>>>>> Japan---and they turn out better than the originals.
>>>>
>>>> Not hopeful with this one.
>>>>
>>>> They could have done the story of two annoying hispters from Kichijoji
>>>> trading two Yamanashi-ken girls for true love in the bottle, but
>>>> instead it looks like this film is going for the nakedly-escapist
>>>> angle of putting the heros behind the wheel of a vintage Mustang
>>>> convertible in the Napa valley. Calistoga, even.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>