Japan and Japanese people

[Russell Nash]

In my few years of collecting Japanese literature, I stumbled upon a few books that may be of some interest for some of the members of the list.

I recommend "Ten Nights Dreams", by Natsume Soseki. Some of these dreams may be found online here.
Natsume Soseki’s “Ten Nights and Dreams�

I also think that a movie was made based on these short stories, in 2007.

Ten Nights of Dreams - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ten_Nights_of_Dream

[The Black Ferris]

I am still searching for an english translation of part of the Ukiyo-e called Mitsagumi Sakazuki. Can anyone help me?
The Ukiyo-e, The Floating World, is a series of Japanese 'erotic' works, often anthropomorphizing genitalia. A number of coincidences between Mitsagumi Sakazuki and my own werk urge me to seek it out. What could it possibly be about?

Disovering the print that follows at a Kinsey exhibit was the key moment in my realization that there is nothing new under the sun.



Rendered by Utagawa Kunisada (or possibly Toyokuni, one being the master of the other) in 1785! It is called 'THE HELL OF GREAT HEAT or CUNT HELL OF GREAT SEARING HEAT.

The Japanese text in the corner translates as "It is a Hell that you enter into while you are still alive."

These creatures were already integral to my mythology. Finding this piece was, for me, like opening a forbidden book, one that I understood, but could not read.

Now the new gods project the old demons. I'm currently shooting a movie about them.

From 1785 to 2009, here is your Time Machine.



COME

[Odalisque]

Good gracious! I hadn't previously figured what was depicted in your avatar. It makes me think of the title of this DVD:

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Watch My Lips [DVD] [2003]: Amazon.co.uk: Sophie Ellis-Bextor: DVD

 

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Watch My Lips [DVD] [2003]: Amazon.co.uk: Sophie Ellis-Bextor: DVD

;)

[The Black Ferris]

I find that sort of humor offensive.

HA! GOTCHA!

Actually, I'm not sure there is an end to the comedic material that could be derived from this sort of situation.
In my stories, the character, referred to as Pussyface since her days as a sideshow freak in the (pay attention) Wandering World Carnival, is a sort of transdimensional god(dess). She is a whore who spreads her knowledge like disease, infecting other women through intercourse with their husbands, making them like her.

When I first described this to a friend, he burst out laughing. I was a little shocked, hurt at that point, I suppose. I tried to explain the horror of losing your teeth, of your nose slowly caving in, of having your lips split and deform into swollen growths.

My bespectacled friend answered, "Well I hope she's got good eyesight 'cause she sure as hell ain't wearin no glasses!"

Now I'm making a movie about a surgical fetish doctor who cuts off women's vulvas and sews them on their faces, who meets his doom through the conspiratorial workings of a prostitute, a brothel proprietor and the god of a strange religion...

And the yuks on set are myriad. About everything from the Virgin Mary to the Mona Lisa.

It is something of a struggle to wrestle the tongue from the cheek, as it were. No breasts, butts, penii or coitus in the film. We do have a scene with her putting on lipstick, though. ;E

Seriously, the other works in the Ukiyo-e are fascinating, but I have never been able to read any of the Mitsagumi Sakazuki from which this woodcut was derived. Any leads would be helpful.

And blow me...

a kiss as you're leavin

Blow me... a kiss before you go

No, I really can't remember anything as sweet as this

Honey, blow me

A kiss

Sincerely,
The Black Ferris

[The Black Ferris]

And still...

There is something about the Japanese way of thinking that seems very frightening.

YouTube - Hologram TV

[Judge Holden]

On any given day it must be supposed that there is a man whom the world would say is the unluckiest man....

I read this today:

TOKYO - A 93-year-old Japanese man has become the first person certified as a survivor of both U.S. atomic bombings at the end of World War II, officials said Tuesday.

Job ain't got nothing on this guy.

[qcrisp]

Quote Originally Posted by The Black Ferris

I find that sort of humor offensive. HA! GOTCHA! Actually, I'm not sure there is an end to the comedic material that could be derived from this sort of situation. In my stories, the character, referred to as Pussyface since her days as a sideshow freak in the (pay attention) Wandering World Carnival, is a sort of transdimensional god(dess). She is a whore who spreads her knowledge like disease, infecting other women through intercourse with their husbands, making them like her. When I first described this to a friend, he burst out laughing. I was a little shocked, hurt at that point, I suppose. I tried to explain the horror of losing your teeth, of your nose slowly caving in, of having your lips split and deform into swollen growths. My bespectacled friend answered, "Well I hope she's got good eyesight 'cause she sure as hell ain't wearin no glasses!" Now I'm making a movie about a surgical fetish doctor who cuts off women's vulvas and sews them on their faces, who meets his doom through the conspiratorial workings of a prostitute, a brothel proprietor and the god of a strange religion... And the yuks on set are myriad. About everything from the Virgin Mary to the Mona Lisa. Seriously, the other works in the Ukiyo-e are fascinating, but I have never been able to read any of the Mitsagumi Sakazuki from which this woodcut was derived. Any leads would be helpful.

These are fantastic story ideas. I would be personally interested in hearing/learning more. You might possibly like the work of Suehiro Maruo, by the way. Also, I read Japanese, but I haven't happened across Mitsagumi Sakazuki. He sounds interesting, so I might try and get hold of some of his work. I've just Googled him with absolutely zero search results.

[Neurospaston]

I dont know if anybody is familiar with this... the Intolerance trilogy by Phil Mulloy - quite a masterpiece:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x62yc0_intolerancia-phil-mulloy_shortfilms

[paeng]

Here's something from Yahoo News, Jerome White, Jr., enka star:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/music_enka_star

Some of his performances:

YouTube - JERO ENKA SINGER (NHK)

Enka mixed with hip-hop:

YouTube - Jero: American Enka Singer 1 ジェロ

YouTube - JERO meets MORIYAMA Aiko

How about some robot themes?

YouTube - Ichiro Mizuki - Mazinger Z

YouTube - Voltes V - Horie Mmitsuko Live 2000

Quote Originally Posted by Odalisque

This may be the best known of Hiroshige's pictures: In spite of its familiarity, I think it still carries a lot of power.

Correction: That is Hokusai's picture, not Hiroshige. They were both highly influential and good though.