Japanese story
Conjure the magic of the extraordinary city of Tokyo by way of films, podcasts, books and a virtual museum tour. By Natalie Reilly
01. Watch
The film Lost in Translation
(2003) – centred on the unlikely friendship between a lonely young woman (Scarlett Johansson) and a married middle-aged actor (Bill Murray) – has drawn criticism in recent years but director Sofia Coppola’s depiction of Tokyo as a bustling, neon-lit city full of wonders and quirks manages to capture its inherent gentle mystery.
In Shoplifters, a poor family living on the outskirts of the city ekes out a living by stealing. One night, the father (Lily Franky) and son (Jyo Kairi) find an abandoned little girl on the street and bring her home. What follows is a bittersweet tale of a fractured family’s bid for redemption – and honesty. Lauded by critics, director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s movie won the 2018 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2019.
02. Listen
A deep dive into the ancient myths, folktales and superstitions that underpin Japanese heritage,
Uncanny Japan is an informative and surprising podcast, hosted by Thersa Matsuura, which covers a fascinating topic twice a month.
The late Anthony Bourdain once wrote, “If I had to eat only in one city for the rest of my life, Tokyo would be it.” And podcast
Japan Eats!, presented by Akiko Katayama, a Japan-born, New York-based food writer and director of The New York Japanese Culinary Academy, proves why. Featuring everything from classic ramen to the history of Japanese snacks and the best places to buy coffee and sake, it’s an education not only in the country’s fascinating and diverse food but its culture, too.
03. Read
Hailed as the Kurt Vonnegut of Japan, Haruki Murakami – a huge celebrity in his native land – manages to embed surrealism and nostalgia into a steamy love triangle with his bestselling novel Norwegian
Wood, which looks back at the 1960s Tokyo hipster lifestyle.
The 2016 novel Convenience
Store Woman (left) by Sayaka Murata, about a shy, awkward 36-year-old woman who works in one of the city’s ubiquitous convenience stores, skilfully depicts not just the ambience of a typical Japanese supermarket but the immersive nature of work in its society.
04. See
Japanese artist Chihiro Iwasaki was born in 1918 and before she died in 1974, her enchanting watercolour illustrations of small children and flowers had appeared in thousands of magazines, textbooks, novels, calendars and kids’ books. The Chihiro Art Museum Tokyo was built in her honour in 1977 and is dedicated to her work. Go on a virtual tour via the museum’s website (chihiro.jp).