[KineJapan] "Why do Japanese actresses give such good performances?"

[Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum via KineJapan]

Dear Alex,

I do not have an exact reference for you either, but it was indeed
Richie who said it somewhere in "Notes for a Study on Shohei Imamura"
(and possibly elsewhere). I seem to recall the quote originated from
Toyoda Shiro.

Best,
Alo Jõekalda

On 11 September 2017 at 19:36, Japanese Cinema Discussion Forum via
KineJapan <kinejapan at lists.osu.edu> wrote:
> I seem to remember this being a Donald Richie quote. It certainly is the
> kind of thing Richie would have said, although I can't remember the source.
>
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> ________________________________
> From: KineJapan <kinejapan-bounces at lists.osu.edu> on behalf of Japanese
> Cinema Discussion Forum via KineJapan <kinejapan at lists.osu.edu>
> Sent: 11 September 2017 10:04:16
> To: kinejapan at lists.osu.edu
> Subject: [KineJapan] "Why do Japanese actresses give such good
> performances?"
>
> Dear all,
>
> Hisashiburi, etc, etc!
>
> I'm wondering if anyone might be able to help me out by identifying a
> puzzling sourceless quotation that I might like to use in an article
> introducing a forthcoming season of films about Japanese actresses at the
> British Film Institute.
>
> The quotation, as I remember it, is that either a famous Japanese actress,
> or a famous director, was asked something along of the lines of: "Why are
> Japanese actresses so good?" And the reply was something like, "Because
> Japanese women have to spend their whole lives acting." Several people I've
> talked to confirm that they think they've heard the line, but no one can
> remember where it comes from and where it's cited. I felt pretty sure that
> it was in one of the older books, e.g., an early Richie or a Mellen, but the
> closest I've found either googling or looking through my library is Ian
> Buruma, but he's making a general comment about Japanese society, not
> specifically about women, and it's his own point, not something ascribed to
> a Japanese commentator.
>
> It would be especially interesting if it had been an actress who had come
> out with the line - less interesting if I'm misremembering and it was a
> foreign critic who said it.
>
> Thanks in advance for any leads,
>
> ALEX JACOBY
>
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