The City of Ome

I’m often told that I love movies, but to be precise, I love Japanese movies. If it’s not a Japanese movie, the only other movies I’ll really watch are ones shot by a foreign director in Japan. But don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against movies made in Hollywood in the United States of America. Just like everyone else, I too think that movies made in Hollywood are wonderful. However, I find that Hollywood makes too many superhero movies and makes too many sequels to other movies, therefore I don’t find movies made in Hollywood very appealing. Japan also has a habit of rehashing old ideas and making sequels to movies too, but most countries I find seem to have this bad habit (of what seems like) only rehashing old ideas making sequels to movies, so I don’t really find movies other than ones made in Japan very appealing.

When I first started studying Japanese, I knew I’d like to listen to Japanese other than just what was in the textbooks I was using. In other words, I knew that I’d like to listen to more natural Japanese. For that reason, I started watching Japanese movies. Through movies made in the land of the rising sun I was not only able to learn a number of Japanese phrases, but I was also able to see a variety of different sides to Japan. Before I knew it, I was hooked on Japanese movies. Even now, I still watch (and enjoy) many Japanese movies.

Every year a number of movies made in Hollywood become quite popular. On top of that, there are a number of Japanese people who yearn to be part of this world and head for America in the hopes of becoming an actor or actress. This shows just how big an influence American movies have. Seeing as I love Japan, I keep up with those Japanese people who’ve gone to be part of the movie industry in the country I grew up in (America). If the movies that these Japanese people have roles in either seem interesting or become popular, I watch them. If I were to write all of the movies made in Hollywood that I thought were interesting that have Japanese people as the lead role, there’d be no end. Instead, I’d like to share with you a number of the Japanese actors and actresses in non-Japanese movies that I’ve seen that I believe are worth seeing. These are Japanese people who are working in or who have worked in Hollywood.

When it comes to actresses, I recommend: Rinko Kikuchi, Tao Okamoto, Kiki Sukezane, and Eriko Hatsune. When it comes to actors, I recommend: Hiroyuki Sanada, and Ken Watanabe. Rinko Kikuchi and Ken Watanabe are two incredibly famous Japanese actors who I think it’s safe to say are so famous that not a single Japanese person doesn’t know who these two are. Ken Watanabe is one of the best actors in the world, but recently it’s been found out that he cheated on his wife. A shame, such a talented man. I know find it difficult to give him the credit he once had after doing such a selfish act. Too bad.

In Tokyo, Japan, there’s one city that’s known as the ‘city of movies’. To be precise, this city is known as the ‘city of movie posters’. Believe it or not, this ‘city of movie posters’ is not in the center of Tokyo, it’s on the outskirts, in a city known as Ome. For those who live in Tokyo you don’t need me to explain to you, but the city of Ome is far. I’m sure that there are many people from Tokyo who’ve never been to this city before. I’d heard somewhere before that there was a city in Tokyo that was famous for movies, and after reading a blog about that city recently was reminded that that city was Ome. It seemed like a fairly interesting city, so last Sunday I made a trip there.

But the city of Ome isn’t just famous for movie posters, it’s also famous for having a very Showa period atmosphere. Here, there’s a small museum known as the Showa Retro Goods Museum in where you can view a number of items from the Showa period. For those who’ve visited the city of Ome before you know, but when you go to Ome you really do feel as if you’ve fallen right into the Showa period. This area is also the home of the famous Japanese comic book (known in Japanese as manga) artist Fujio Akatsuka. Here, along with the Showa Retro Goods Museum, is the Fujio Akatsuka Center, another small museum about this manga writer.

Before stepping foot in the city of Ome I didn’t know it, but the famous foreigner Yakumo Koizumi wrote a story about the 妖怪 (yokai) known as 雪女 (yukionna) that takes place in Ome. Yokai are often referred to as Japanese monsters, but this isn’t correct seeing as not all yokai are monsters. Yokai are briefly summed up as creatures, humans, inanimate objects, animals, and so on from Japanese folklore. Because of this, the explanation of yokai being Japanese monsters that many Japanese people seem to give isn’t correct. Yakumo Koizumi was a foreigner famous for writing a book about Japanese ghosts known as 怪談 (kaidan), literally meaning ‘ghost story’. It seems as if Yakumo also had an interest in yokai, and at the 2nd floor of the Showa Retro Goods Museum is an exhibit about Yakumo and the story he wrote about yukionna. I’m not sure if this is a permanent exhibit or not, so for those interested in visiting it’s best to do so soon.

For those who want to learn more about Yakumo Koizumi, please watch this video.

For those who want to learn more about yokai, please watch this video.

A very Showa period looking waiting room in Ome station.

There are movie posters plastered throughout the city.

This sign reads "welcome to Ome, the city of Showa".

This is a store specializing in goods for use at festivals. This store also sells yukata and so on, so if your in the mood to dress in Japanese clothes then you might want to visit this store.

On the right is the Show Retro Good Museum, on the left is the Fujio Akatsuka Center.

In the Fujio Akatsuka Center you can take as many photos and videos as you'd like.

Fujio Akatsuka was apparently quite poor, so he made a desk by stacking a wooden board on top of a pile of manga.

Fujio Akatsuka lived in a home with a number of friends. Seeing as he and his friends were poor, they didn't have a room to bath in. They'd apparently visit their local 銭湯 (sento) or public bath to have a wash.