Despite missing out on our annual New Year’s Day Cinema Triathalon we’ve done well so far this month for movies. Saw Quantum of Solace at the new Bart 9 cinema in Shinjuku and part one of Stephen Soderberg’s Che biopic in Shinagawa.
Was a bit underwhelmed by the Bond caper, to be honest. Much more noteworthy was the ridiculous “Healthy Set” on the menu at Bart 9, which involves Fried potato and carrot sticks, caramel popcorn and Coke. Indeed.
Benicio del Toro makes a great Guevara, and the black and white sections of the film are nicely used. Wish I’d known it was all in Spanish, though.
Jim Lambie’s exhibition at Hara Museum was well worth the trip out to Shinagawa. His blocks of LPs set in concrete had me down on my knees shamelessly trainspotting.
Went to see the 1953 film version of the novel by Kobayashi Takiji, soon to be remade with Matsuda Ryuhei starring. On first viewing the film comes across as an interesting mix of Soviet-era agitprop (think Battleship Potemkin in the crowd scenes) and Mutiny on the Bounty, but perhaps a better nautical analogy is to B. Traven’s The Death Ship, although without the latter’s anarchist message, or to Francisco Goldman’s The Ordinary Seaman. 
This was one of our picks for the abortive New Year Cinema Triathalon and we decided to bite the bullet and head into town to see it at full price. Kurosawa’s films are always good value and this one was no exception, despite not being one of his best by a long chalk. On initial reflection the highlights were some understated car-related black humour and a manic cameo from Yakusho Koji, as well as the scene where the younger son picks a Korg keyboard off the sodaigomi. Of greater interest though was the idea that Japanese nationals could enlist in the US army, as the older son is seen to do. Although an apparently minor theme in the film, the way it allowed Kurosawa to insert a pro-Article 9 message into the story was nicely done.
By bus, four trains, another bus, cable car and chair lift we eventually made it to the Mitake Shrine for hatsumode. That was by no means the end of it though, as there were still some fairly serious stairs to negotiate. It was all worth the effort as the fine weather meant that not only did we break a sweat to get rid of the Hogmanay excesses, but we got some great views across the Kanto plain to Tokyo.
Ignoring the wild boar curry and various other enticing delights we made a beeline for the restaurant at the top of the chair lift, where this was on offer. Kama meshi (rice with mountain veg, chestnuts, mushrooms etc), river fish, konyaku, soba, miso soup and pickles.
