Japanophiles: Johan Nordstrom - Japanology Plus

Key Concepts

• Japanese Cinema History: Over 100 years, encompassing samurai films, musicals, and various other genres.
• Johan Nordstrom: Swedish film scholar specializing in Japanese cinema, associate professor at Japan Women's University.
• National Film Archive of Japan: Government institution dedicated to preserving, researching, and screening films to promote cinema culture.
• Kinema Jumpo: One of Japan's oldest and the world's oldest continuously published film magazines, a valuable research resource.
• Benshi: Live narrators who provided commentary and elaborated on silent films in Japan.
• Unagata: Male actors who played female roles in early Japanese cinema, stemming from Kabuki tradition.
• PCL (Photochemical Laboratory): An early successful Japanese film studio specializing in sound films (talkies), known for its modernist aesthetic.
• Kimura Tai: A director whose pre-war films, often overlooked, blended social messages with entertainment, gaining international recognition through Nordstrom's curatorial work.

Johan Nordstrom's Deep Dive into Japanese Cinema

This segment explores the extensive work and passion of Johan Nordstrom, a Swedish film scholar dedicated to Japanese cinema. The discussion highlights his academic pursuits, curatorial efforts, and personal journey into understanding this rich cinematic tradition.

The National Film Archive of Japan: A Hub for Cinematic Heritage

The episode begins at the National Film Archive of Japan, described as the country's sole government institution focused on film. Its mission encompasses promoting cinema culture through preservation, research, and screenings. Peter Barakan, the host, meets Johan Nordstrom here, emphasizing its significance as a starting point for their discussion on Japanese cinema.

Key Points:

• The Archive houses a permanent exhibition showcasing the history of Japanese cinema, including antique cameras like the Pate Professional, early film photos, posters, and technological machinery.
• This exhibition is open to the public, offering insights into the origins and evolution of Japanese filmmaking.
• Mr. Okada, the exhibition's curator, grants Nordstrom and Barakan backstage access to the archive's collection.

Behind the Scenes: The Archive's Vast Collection

The backstage tour reveals the immense scale of the National Film Archive's holdings, particularly its collection of film posters.

Details and Figures:

• The archive stores approximately 64,000 film posters.
• The storage environment is designed with wooden floors and walls to control humidity, crucial for preserving delicate materials.
• Nordstrom and Okada examine rare posters, including one from the 1930s, noting the characteristic narrow and long format of posters from that era.
• The archive undertakes restoration of posters with the help of professional restorers.
• Notable posters shown include those for "Enter the Dragon" and "The Last Waltz," with Okada recognizing Nordstrom's taste.

Collaboration and International Reach:

• Nordstrom and Okada have a long-standing professional relationship, having collaborated for about 14 years.
• Nordstrom has worked with the Archive to curate programs of Japanese films for international film festivals, selecting visual materials for catalogs and promotion.
• Okada highlights Nordstrom's significant contribution to introducing Japanese classic film treasures abroad through organizing film programs internationally.

Nordstrom's Personal Journey into Japanese Cinema

Johan Nordstrom, born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1981, developed an early fascination with Japanese anime and films.

Origins of Interest:

• As a child (around five or six), limited interesting animation was available on Swedish state television.
• The rise of VHS cassettes led to the release of classical Japanese animations from the 70s and 80s, such as "Galaxy Express 999" and "Macross."
• These animations were dubbed in Swedish, but the original Japanese opening and ending songs sparked his curiosity about their origin.
• As a teenager, cable TV introduced him to samurai films by Akira Kurosawa, which further captivated him and fueled a desire to learn more about Japanese culture and filmmaking.

Academic Pursuits:

• He majored in Japanese language and Japanese cinema at Stockholm University.
• In 2010, he pursued graduate studies in Tokyo, focusing on pre-war Japanese cinema.
• He obtained his PhD in 2014.

Connection to the Archive:

• Nordstrom describes spending "countless hours" at the National Film Archive as a university student in Tokyo, attending screenings of rare films and researching in the library for his academic work.

The Unique Appeal of Early Japanese Cinema

Nordstrom's specialization in early Japanese cinema stems from its distinct storytelling and subject matter compared to Western silent films.

Key Observations:

• Early Japanese silent films presented a different approach to narrative and visual construction.
• The earliest surviving Japanese film is "Momijigari" (1899), which exhibits hallmarks of early Japanese cinema: a static camera from an audience perspective and the use of onnagata (male actors playing female roles).
• The practice of onnagata originated from Kabuki theater traditions, demonstrating the strong influence of Japanese stage arts on early cinema.

The Art of the Benshi: Live Narration in Silent Films

The segment delves into the role of the benshi, live narrators who were integral to the silent film experience in Japan.

Role and Impact:

• Benshi served as narrators, commentators, and elaborators, providing information, reading intertitles, and adding poetic inflection to the films.
• Their performances were a unique cultural phenomenon in Japan.
• Nordstrom and Barakan attend a live benshi performance by Katawa, a friend of Nordstrom's for 15 years, who performs both in Japan and internationally.
• The performance demonstrates how benshi could captivate audiences, sometimes to the point where viewers might miss parts of the film due to their engaging commentary.

Historical Context:

• The 1920s marked the heyday of the benshi, with an estimated 8,000 working in over 1,200 theaters across Japan.
• Nordstrom posits that the Japanese audience's desire for vocal accompaniment, in contrast to the globally developing self-contained narrative style of Western cinema, contributed to the benshi's prominence. Early Japanese films often relied on external information, with benshi and adaptations of famous plays being key sources.

The Dawn of Sound and the Modernism of PCL Films

The discussion transitions to the advent of sound in Japanese cinema and the innovative approach of PCL studios.

Early Sound Films:

• By the 1930s, talkies emerged, initially featuring singing, often in an operatic style.
• An example is a film featuring Fujiwara Yoshio, a popular opera singer, filmed in a promoted cinema with poor sound isolation, leading to production challenges and a partially talking film.

PCL Films and Modernism:

• Nordstrom's PhD research focused on PCL (Photochemical Laboratory), one of the first successful Japanese studios dedicated solely to sound films.
• He was drawn to the "modernity" of PCL films, their utilization of the modern cityscape, and their reflection of 1930s modern culture.
• PCL employed Western-style lighting techniques for brighter visuals and incorporated contemporary architecture, such as scenes shot at the newly built Takarazuka Gekijo.
• This studio's approach integrated the city into its films, creating a unique urban modern aesthetic.

1930s Musicals:

• Nordstrom has curated and introduced international audiences to 1930s Japanese musicals, highlighting their originality and the surprising performances of actors known for more stoic roles, such as Shimura Takashi (from "Seven Samurai").

Rediscovering Director Kimura Tai

Nordstrom's recent research focuses on director Kimura Tai and Studio PCL.

Kimura Tai's Work:

• Kimura Tai's pre-war films, though often overlooked, are considered masterpieces.
• Nordstrom discovered Kimura Tai through his frequent appearance in PCL company records.
• Despite PCL's focus on entertainment and profit, Kimura Tai managed to imbue his films with "humanity" and a "subtext of political consciousness," which Nordstrom found "really interesting and unusual" for the time.
• Nordstrom's curatorial efforts have brought Kimura Tai's pre-war films international recognition.

Research and Future Plans:

• Nordstrom is nearing the completion of a manuscript on Kimura Tai, with a publication deadline around spring 2027.
• He aims to continue curating and bridging academic knowledge with wider audiences.
• He also plans to continue teaching and helping students discover the joys of cinema, particularly Japanese cinema.

Personal Reflection: Japan as a Second Home

When asked about his perception of Japan, Nordstrom describes it as "a second home."