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“Pure Heart and Soul Moves You More Than Anything”
Today’s story-teller is poet and musician Kimihito Sasa. The story is from one of the books he has read.
The book is autographical essay written by director [W:Nobuhiko Obayashi].
Sasa says, “I have started appreciating lyricism and nostalgia by watching Obayashi’s movies. I don’t think I would have been interested in tanka poems if I hadn’t been encountered the movies.”
Then he talks about “Japanese pure heart and soul”.
For example, there is “Tenkosei (Exchange Students and I Are You, You Am Me)”, one of Obayashi’s movies.
The movie was taken in 1982. I am also familiar with the movie.
Well, the movie is set in Onomichi. In his book, Obayashi says that he avoided filming in touristy areas and focused on filming sceneries with back-alleys, falling mud fences and cracked roof tiles to make it more attractive.
When the movie was completed, the local people who saw the movie at a preview were upset because they did not think the movie without showing attractive touristy areas is not attract tourists.
However, a lot of tourists still visit Onomichi to see the places where the movie was taken after 30 years.
In his book, Obayashi also says that he intended to make a movie that gives an image of your nice old home rather than a postcard-like image. He thinks that is why a lot of people still visit the town.
Sasa says, “You would see director’s heart in the movie. I realized that the good feeling I get in Obayashi’s movies is his pure heart and soul which reflect in the screens.”
The NIKKEI 01/13/2010 by Kimihito Sasa (poet)
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