This article talks about Yasujiro Ozu film work after WWll. It is great to be able to see post war Japan from one of their film makers point of view. What surprised me the most is that the official USA occupation of Japan after WWll only lasted from August 1945 to April 1952. It was only 6 years and 8 months! Yet, the influence of the USA has reshaped their culture and economy. The USA has been in Afghanistan since 2001, and there is still no end in sight. On the opposite the war in Afghanistan, is having a lasting effect in our society.

Castro’s article offers a fresh look at the work of Yasujiro Ozu, particularly four of his films from the period of the US occupation of Japan. I’ve never seen any of Ozu’s films, but I’ll have a greater appreciation for them having read Castro's analysis. In the article, Castro talks about Ozu’s incorporation of the post-war experience into his work without it being overbearing. One great example is the absence of men who came of age and served during the war—an acknowledgment of the devastation the war had on that generation of men. I appreciated this article and Castro’s analysis because this is an area of history that is frequently skipped in American history classes. Our courses often jump from the surrender of the Japanese to the Cold War without much discussion of what rebuilding really entails. I think this is especially true about World War II. More attention is paid to the aftermath of World War I and the Lost Generation. 

Castro also recognizes that the women do not fit neatly into stereotypes or boxes in Ozu’s films. There’s contradiction in the women. A signal, perhaps, of the changing status of women in Japanese society and recognition of that in the arts.

After reading the article, I can’t wait to watch one of Ozu’s movies.  The description makes it sound kind of like a Jane Austen novel.  Simple plot, but it’s all in the way it plays out.   There are apparently tons of era context clues that the WW2 era would see, recognize, and understand within Ozu’s movies.  One example being the daughter in one of his films getting treatment for mlanourishment due to the war era shortages and this treatment postponing her possibly finding a husband.  I would like to see if I would catch onto to these era impied plot details.  I’m interested in hearing what our lecturer has to say about this topic.

Ozu's films portray and provide an extensive social commentary on post-WWII Japan - specifically as it related to Japan's sociopolitical changes brought about by the Occupation (the 8-yearrebuilding efforts conducted by the United States from 1945-1953).  By revealing familial changes and interactions, Ozu strategically and poignantly uses the family unit as a microcosm for changes that were readily occurring in post-WWII Japan.  The absence of the young single male is palpable in Ozu's early work.  This absence is not only a result of or due to a generation of young men killed during the war but of the silencing and disappearance of the Japanese male due to shame as a result of losing the war.  As is made clear by Macarthur's post-WWII plan, the immediate disintegration of the Japanese military was the first step.  Japan's new constitutional draft, specifically Article 24, references the immediate changes with respect to traditional male/female roles.  Women would have the right to choose their husbands, for instance.  Property rights, inheritance, gender roles would also be examined and equated.  The power vacuum created, the absence of influence by the Japanese male, would influence Japan's rebuilding process and cause a disappearance of young Japanese men in more ways than one.

We were watching clips from Late Spring (1949) directed by Yasujiri Ozu who was considered as one of the "Big Three"postwar directors. I really think this very silent and plain films reflecting the poat war Japanese family issues, which is really resonable. The Character seems very attached to her father and demonstrated her filial respect to her father. She wanted to stay with her widowed father not to get married at the very begining. Through the conversation, we found that the arraged marriage will bring her happines from traditional point of view. It seems she had her ideal husband like American baseball play Dary Cooper. Itś surprisingly to see the conflicts between two generations, and Noriko finally subdued to Japanese tradtion to follow her fatherś advice to get married with someone arranged. Their thoughts and concepts about being happy is so simple as to stay with her father / or getting married and being a good wife instead of pursuing her own happiness. I wonder what exactly will make her happy. She probably doesn even know what happiness for her. She is living a life not for her, just for her family. How does she define the roles of being a woman? Is it just for reproduction, being mom and wife, or a filial daughter to her father? What bigger pictures did she see in her life rather than just being a women in Japan under the allied power occupation?

Difference in generations. 

While we may view Asians and Japanese as "seen but not heard", we learned yesterday that Korean women (especially older generations) are actually more feisty. This is also evident in Ozu's film "Banshyu" with Noriko's aunt in trying to pursue her mission to ensure that Noriko is married off. When she interacts with Noriko, her heart is in the right place but the difference in generation to make sure that young women are married is still one that creates discomfort. 

The universality that Professor Yasar mentioned was one I recognized from the reading about "Tokyo Story" and "Early Summer" with the loss of young men during war and war's ability to destroy families, but I also reognized the universality in "Late Spring" of being a young, unmarried woman living in the United States. Conversations that seem to come up with my family and even my students revolved around whether I am married or planning on getting married rather than more of my pursuits with my education or my career. Also, whether or not I would change my name if I did choose to get married. While I am living in the 21st century and a different country, I can empathize with Noriko at her world's expectations of marriage.  

Hello,

I loved that you brought up the wardrobe of the characters! That definitely helps drive the difference of generations in addition to their dialogue and even the houses/furniture. It doesn't seem like Noriko's friend lives with regret and seems to use her experiences with divorce to help advise Noriko. She is the only female character that seems to go "outside" of the home area that women were expected to be in charge of. It is interesting that she is so casual about dropping hints to her previous marriage; I wonder what she is thinking on the inside.