kokuminfuku

[mjraine at uchicago.edu]

Ozu was famous even at the time for his careful use of clothing, decor, etc so it's certain that clothing in Toda-ke no kyodai is significant. Shojiro's reluctance to wear "proper" clothes in the opening scene, for example. Has anyone read Hasumi on this aspect of the film? I'm sure he has something sophisticated to say. 

But I'd be careful about assigning meaning to those images without looking further into the context. The Mainichi has a great site on wartime clothing (http://mainichi.jp/select/wadai/graph/clothes/1.html). The site shows the introduction of kokuminfuku with standard pants in 1940, and also shows images of Manchurian "kaitakufuku" with legs wrapped in gaiters, a sight that it says became more common in Tokyo toward the end of the war. I don't remember what collar style Shojiro sports in the film, but you can look at image #4 and take your pick!

Some of the other images are pretty amazing too. I think perhaps #15 is my favorite; #16 just leaves me speechless. 

Michael

>Date: Wed,  5 Jan 2011 18:24:28 -0500 (EST)
>From: <mccaskem at georgetown.edu>  
>Subject: Re: Toda Siblings suit  
>To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>
>Dear Faith,
>
>Thank you so much for this! The information about kokuminfuku answers all my 
>questions, and more. I never would have noticed all the details you point out, 
>which are very helpful for me.
>
>I guess that the wearing of partial kokuminfuku may indicate that the character 
>has bought into the Co-Prosperity Sphere thing, but maybe only part of the way. 
>He contrasts with all the other male relatives, done up in business suits.
>
>I'm reworking a Kurosawa film survey course I gave last year into a new version, 
>Kurosawa In Context, bringing in social conditions, plus comparisons and 
>contrasts with films by others. In 1941 the film "Uma" was partly Kurosawa's 
>contribution, as Unit B Director under Yamamoto Kajiro's supervision. I want to 
>compare it with the Ozu Toda film and Shimizu's "Ornamental Hairpin."
>
>It looks as if "Uma" may be the least political of the three. Only the horse joins 
>the Army at the end, while Ozu's lead characters go off to help colonize China, 
>and I guess Shimizu's convalescing soldier may get back into the war in China.
>
>Anyway, I'll have quite a few more questions along the way, and if I get as great 
>answers to them as your answer re Ozu & kokuminfuku, I'll be fortunate indeed.
>
>Thanks Again,
>
>Michael McCaskey
>Georgetown Univ.  
>