Kōji Yamamura’s Archives / 山村浩二作品アーカイブ

Kōji Yamamura’s Archives / 山村浩二作品アーカイブ

http://www.yamamura-animation.jp/archive_index.html

https://vimeo.com/yamamuraanimation

The renowned independent animator Kōji Yamamura’s bilingual studio website, Yamamura Animation, has long been an invaluable source of information about his creative works. Although he may be best known overseas for his award-winning animation shorts, in the Japanese publishing world he is also known for his prolific illustrations for books, posters, and other media.

With the support of the Government of Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁 / Bunkachō), Yamamura Animation has expanded to include an archive of stills, videos, storyboards, photographs, documentations of exhibitions, sketchbooks, and much, much more.

Some rare delights in the archive include stills and information about his earliest animations, such as his very first animation at age 13. Yamamura made the 8mm Short Short Show Theater (しょーとしょーとしょうげきじょう / Short Short Show Gekijō) using the techniques of cutouts and cel animation.

Many of Yamamura’s early works are now available to screen on Yamamura Animation’s YouTube and Vimeo channels. Four works, "Parade" de Satie (サティの「パラード」, 2016), Notes on Monstropedia (怪物学抄, 2016), A Child's Metaphysics (こどもの形而上学, 2007), and Yamamura’s Oscar-nominated Mt. Head (頭山, 2002), are available to rent or purchase on Vimeo On Demand (embedded below). "Parade" de Satie, Notes on Monstropedia, A Child's Metaphysics, and Yamamura’s recent work Dreams into Drawing (ゆめみのえ / Yumemi no e, 2019) are also due to be available via Amazon Disc on Demand sometime this spring. Please support this remarkable artist by acquiring his work via these outlets.

Satie's "Parade" from Koji Yamamura on Vimeo.


Notes on Monstropedia / 怪物学抄 from Koji Yamamura on Vimeo.


A Child's Metaphysics／こどもの形而上学 from Koji Yamamura on Vimeo.


Mt. Head from Koji Yamamura on Vimeo.

Catherine Munroe Hotes 2020

Ghibli Museum Special Exhibition: Painting the Colours of Our Films / 三鷹の森ジブリ美術館「映画を塗る仕事」展

The current exhibition at the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka examines the “integral role” of colour as a form of expression in the films of its founders, Isao Takahata (高畑勲, 1935-2018) and Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿, b. 1941). The exhibition highlights the techniques used to ensure that even a limited range of colours “can give characters a real sense of vitality and even convey their emotions.” This is something that the exhibitors contrast with the current mainstream digital colouring and computer animation, emphasizing “the wisdom and ingenuity of Studio Ghibli staff who spared no effort to respond to the ever-increasing demands of the directors while working within the limitations of animation paint.” 

 Takahata and Miyazaki, were steadfastly committed to their philosophy of “carefully depicting characters and their everyday life and giving them a reality that is different from live action films.” For them, this was the crucial to winning over the hearts of their film audiences. During the process of film production, this meant the careful selection of particular scenery to represent reality, the use of lighting to depict time and weather, and the precise selection of colour to express minute details such as texture. 

This exhibition aims to demonstrate the commitment to expression using colour by Takahata and Miyazaki. It showcases original cel drawings painted by the late colour designer Michiyo Yasuda (保田 道世, 1939-2016). Yasuda began working with Takahata and Miyazaki when they were at Toei Animation on projects such as Hols: Prince of the Sun (太陽の王子 ホルスの大冒険, 1968) and The Wonderful World of Puss 'n Boots (長靴をはいた猫, 1969) and followed them to Topcraft for the making of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ, 1984). She then stayed on during the formation of Studio Ghibli and where she worked dedicatedly until her official retirement after the release of Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ, 2008). Despite her retirement, she was coaxed into working on Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises (風立ちぬ, 2013). 

In 2011, Yasuda’s achievements were recognized with the Animation Lifetime Achievement Award at the Japanese Movie Critics Awards (日本映画批評家大賞) and with the posthumous Meritorious Service Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards in 2017. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2009, Yasuda said “What I like best is when I am building up the colours in my head, thinking of how to get the tone worked out. Colour has a meaning, and it makes the film more easily understood. Colours and pictures can enhance what the situation is on screen.” 

 Ghibli Museum Special Exhibition: Painting the Colours of Our Films 

三鷹の森ジブリ美術館「映画を塗る仕事」展 

How to reserve tickets

Where: Museo d’Arte Ghibli at the the Ghibli Museum, 1-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo, 〒181-0013 (take the bus from Mitaka Station on the JR Chuo Line) 

When: 17 Nov 2018 – Nov 2019 Organiser: Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation for Animation 

Sponsors: Nisshin Seifun Group, Marubeni Electricity Inc. 

This text has been adapted from the official press release of the Museo d’Arte Ghibli.

Japanese Animated Film Classics / 日本アニメーション映画クラシックス

Japanese Animated Film Classics / 日本アニメーション映画クラシックス

http://animation.filmarchives.jp

The National Film Center in Tokyo is celebrating the centenary of Japanese animation this year.  While the exact date that the first animation was made in Japan is uncertain as many people were experimenting privately with cinematic technology in the early years, 1917 is the year that the first commercially produced Japanese animated films were publicly screened.  This included short works by Ōten SHIMOKAWA (下川凹天, 1892-1973), Seitarō KITAYAMA (北山清太郎, 1888-1945), and Jun’ichi KŌUCHI (幸内純一, 1886-1970).

Thanks to funding from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs as part of the National Project for the Sustainability of Born-Digital Cinema, the NFC has selected 64 works released between 1917 and 1941 and made them available for screening online complete with fresh subtitles by Dean Shimauchi (Rosemary Dean and Tetsuro Shimauchi).  Other subtitling was done by Masa Yoshikawa (Burglars of Baghdad Castle, Nonsense Story) and Ayako Kawakita and Tim Olive (The Nation of Fish, A Wolf is a Wolf, Rascal Raccoon).   and Many of these works have never before been available on DVD with English subtitles, let alone in a digital online format. Several films, particularly the abstract works of Shigeji Ogino, have no titles.

The most exciting of these are the two earliest extant anime The Dull Sword (Namakura Gatana, 1917) and Urashima Tarō (1918) – films which were considered lost until copies were miraculously discovered in an antique shop in Osaka in 2008.  As the vast majority of pre-war films have been lost due to natural disaster, war, and general neglect, each of these 64 films is an important glimpse into early anime history and early 20^th century Japanese culture.  They represent a wide variety of genres including slapstick comedy, record talkies, documentary, propaganda, and experimental. 

As these films were made for the domestic market, they do not have official international titles.  Several titles have been translated in various ways over the years.  I have left the English titles as posted by the NFC.  On the Japanese Animation Filmography Project, I list alternate titles.  Some of the animations are of completely unknown origin as the films do not have credits.  Very little is known about the animator Hakusan Kimura apart from his films. 

The website information is currently mainly in Japanese only, but the NFC assures us that they are working on an English version that they hope will be available sometime in the next two months.  In the meantime, to help you negotiate the website, I have created links to the profiles of animators and a chronological list of the 64 films.  This is by no means all of the extant pre-war Japanese animation works, but it is a tremendous start and I hope that the NFC will be able to extend this project in the coming years. 

The website features profiles of the following early anime pioneers:

Ikuo OISHI (大石郁雄, 1902-1944), 1 film available

Shegeji OGINO (荻野茂二, 1899-1991), 7 films available

Hakusan KIMURA (木村白山, ????-19??), 2 films available

Mitsuyo SEO (瀬尾光世, 1911-2010), 4 films available

Yasuji MURATA (村田安司, 1898-1966), 23 films available

Noburō ŌFUJI (大藤信郎, 1900-1961), 11 films available

Seitarō KITAYAMA (北山清太郎, 1888-1945), 1 film available

Jun’ichi KŌUCHI (幸内純一, 1886-1970), 2 films available

Kenzō MASAOKA (政岡憲三, 1898-1988), 2 films available

Sanae YAMAMOTO (山本早苗, 1898-1981), 9 films available

In addition, the website features an extensive virtual exhibition of the career of Ōfuji, who was one of the first Japanese animators to achieve international recognition.

 

The available films in order of release are:

1917 The Dull Sword / なまくら刀 / Jun’ichi KOUCHI

1918 Urashima Taro / 浦島太郎 / Seitarō KITAYAMA

1924 The Hare and the Tortoise / 教育お伽漫画　兎と亀 / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1925 Ubasuteyama / 教育線画 姨捨山 / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1925 The Pot / 線畫 つぼ / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1926 A Story of Tobacco / 煙り草物語 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1926 Burglars of “Baghdad” Castle / 馬具田城の盗賊 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1926 The Story of the Monkey King / 切紙細工 西遊記 孫悟空物語 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1926 Film Address "Ethicization of Politics" by Shinpei Goto, 1926 / 映画演説 政治の倫理化 後藤新平 1926 / Jun’ichi KOUCHI

1926 Diseases Spread / 病毒の伝播 / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1927 A Ship of Oranges / みかん舩 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1927 Monkey and the Crabs / 猿蟹合戰 / Yasuji MURATA

1928 The Nation of Fish / 漫畫 魚の國 / Hakusan KIMURA

1928 The Blossom Man / 漫画 花咲爺 / Yasuji MURATA

1928 The Animal Olympics / 動物オリムピック大會 / Yasuji MURATA

1928 Momotaro, Japan's No.1 / お伽噺 日本一 桃太郎 / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1929 The Golden Flower / こがねの花 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1929 Taro’s Train / 太郎さんの汽車 / Yasuji MURATA (review)

1929 Two Worlds / 漫画 二つの世界 / Yasuji MURATA

1929 The Lump / 漫画 瘤取り / Yasuji MURATA

1930 At the Border Checkpoint / お関所 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1930 Nonsense Story, Vol.1: Monkey Island / 難船ス物語 第壱篇 猿ヶ嶋 / Kenzō MASAOKA

1930 My Ski Trip / 漫画 おい等のスキー / Yasuji MURATA

1930 The Donkey / 漫画 驢馬 / Yasuji MURATA

1931 National Anthem, Kimigayo / 國歌 君か代 / Noburō ŌFUJI (review)

1931 Spring Song / 春の唄 / Noburō ŌFUJI (review)

1931 Will Power / 心の力 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1931 Electrical Telegraphy, Electric Bells and Telephones / 電信 電鈴 電話 / Yasuji MURATA

1931 Animated Revue "Spring" / 漫画レビュー 春 / Yasuji MURATA

1931 A Wolf is a Wolf / 漫画 狼は狼だ / Yasuji MURATA

1931 Momotaro in the Sky / 漫画 空の桃太郎 / Yasuji MURATA

1931 At the Circus / 漫画 見世物見物 / Yasuji MURATA

1931 Old Man Goichi / 五一ぢいさん / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1931 The Candy Man’s Raccoon Dog Dance / 漫画 あめやたぬき / unknown

1932 Detective Felix in Trouble / FELIXノ迷探偵 / Shigeji OGINO

1932 ?/Rhythmic Triangles/Fighting Cards / ? 三角のリズム トランプの爭 / Shigeji OGINO

1932 Momotaro Under the Sea / 海の桃太郎/ Yasuji MURATA

1932 Tonpei and Sarukichi / 漫画 豚平と猿吉 / Yasuji MURATA

1932 Sports Day / 体育デー / Yasuji MURATA

1932 The Ugly Duckling / あひるの子/ Yasuji MURATA

1932 The Development of the Train / 汽車の發達 / Yasuji MURATA

1932 The Cat Purr Dance / ニヤゴダンス/ Yasuji MURATA                                          

1932 The Bear Brothers / 兄弟こぐま / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1932 Armies of the World / 漫画の列国陸軍 / unknown

1933 The Three Fearless Frogs / 蛙三勇士 / Noburō ŌFUJI

1933 A Day after a Hundred Years / 百年後の或る日 / Shigeji OGINO

1933 Yoshichiro Salutes / まんが劇 與七郎の敬禮 / Hakusan KIMURA

1933 Rascal Racoon / 漫画 紙芝居 いたづら狸の卷 / Yasuji MURATA

1933 Private Norakuro in Boot Camp / Private Norakuro in Training / のらくろ二等兵 教練の卷 / のらくろ二等兵 演習の卷 / Yasuji MURATA

1933 Preventing Tuberculosis / 結核豫防 / unknown

1934 Spring Comes to Ponsuke / ポン助の春 / Ikuo OISHI

1934 Sankichi and Osayo: A Genroku Romance / 元禄恋模様 三吉とおさよ / Mitsuyo SEO

1934 Corporal Norakuro / のらくろ伍長 / Yasuji MURATA

1934 Kamishibai Kintaro / 漫画 紙芝居 金太郎の卷 / Yasuji MURATA

1935 An Expression / AN EXPRESSION(表現) / Shigeji OGINO

1935 Rhythm / RHYTHM(リズム) / Shigeji OGINO

1935 Propagate / PROPAGATE(開花) / Shigeji OGINO

1935 The Hare in Inaba / いなばの国の兎さん / Mitsuyo SEO

1936 My Big Emergency / おいらの非常時 / Sanae YAMAMOTO

1937 The Making of a Color Animation / 色彩漫画の出來る迄 / Shigegi OGINO + Noburō ŌFUJI

1939 Monkey and Crabs / マングワ 新猿蟹合戰 / Kenzō MASAOKA

1940 The Quack Infantry Troop / あひる陸戰隊 / Mitsuyo SEO

1941 Ari-chan the Ant / アリチャン / Mitsuyo SEO

1941 The Lazy Fox / なまけぎつね / Sanae YAMAMOTO

Cathy Munroe Hotes 2017

Animation at Nippon Connection 2016

Animation at Nippon Connection 2016

Frankfurt am Main, May 24-29

http://www.nipponconnection.com/

It’s a strong year for animation at Nippon Connection 2016.  The festival features two adaptations of works by the late science fiction writer Project Itoh (伊藤 計劃): The Empire of Corpses (2015) by Wit Studio and Harmony (2015) by Studio 4⁰C.  The co-director of Harmony, Michael Arias (Tekkon Kinkreet, Heaven’s Door) will be present at the German premiere on the 29^th.

One of the festival highlights is Keiichi Hara’s award-winning latest feature film Miss Hokusai (2015).  Adapted from Hinako Sugiura’s historical manga of the same name, it tells the story of the renowned artist Hokusai’s third daughter O-Ei, who was such a talented artist talented she would sometimes paint in lieu of her father.  Hara first made a name for himself working on major anime franchises like Doraemon, Obake no Q Taro and Crayon Shin-chan.  Since going independent, he has made the acclaimed features Summer Days with Coo (2007) and Colorful (2010).  Miss Hokusai has won many accolades including the Jury Award at Annecy, four top awards at Fantasia 2015, and Best Animation Film at the 70th Mainichi Film Awards.

Shunji Iwai is better known for his live action films like Love Letter (1995) and Swallowtail (1996).  His animated feature film The Case of Hana + Alice (2015) is a prequel to his teen romance Hana and Alice (2004).  The animation was made using rotoscoping and CG animation.  The anime won Bronze Audience Award for best animated feature film at the 19th Fantasia International Film Festival.

This year’s Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA) sponsored film is Twilight of the Cockroaches (Hiroaki Yoshida, 1987).  This live action / animation hybrid has a cult following thanks to an English dub that used to play on Turner Broadcasting networks in the 1990s.  There is currently no region 1 DVD so this screening will be a rare treat for animation fans.  The feature film will be preceded by Rushio Moriyama’s excellent animated short Macky and Euchy in the Midnight Gallery (2015).

Macky and Euchy in the Midnight Gallery

Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai) is returning to Nippon Connection with a strong programme of works by recent grads.  The films will be presented by Hiromitsu Murakami.  Learn more about the programme here. 

Cathy Munroe Hotes of Nishikata Film Review has curated another programme of independently produced animated shorts called A Wild Patience – Indie Animated Shorts by Women.  Stop motion animator Maya Yonesho has recently announced that she will be present at the screening to answer audience questions.

The Studio Ghibli production When Marnie Was There (Hiromasa Yonebayashi, 2014) is screening as part of the Nippon Kids section on Thursday afternoon at the Mal Seh’n Kino.  This is the only animation screening with the German dub.  All others are in Japanese with English subtitles. 

The Case of Hana + Alice

花とアリス殺人事件/ Hana to Alice satsujin jiken

Shunji IWAI, 2015, 100 min.

German premiere, Japanese with English Subtitles

Thursday, May 26, 12:00 Mousonturm Saal

Friday, May 27, 22:30 Mal Seh'n Kino

The Empire of Corpses

屍者の帝国 / Shisha no teikoku

Ryotaro MAKIHARA, 2015, 120 min.

German premiere, Japanese with English Subtitles

Friday, May 27, 12:00 Mousonturm Saal

Saturday, May 28, 22:45 Mal Seh'n Kino

Erinnerungen an Marnie (When Marnie Was There)

思い出のマーニー / Omoide no Mani

Hiromasa YONEBAYASHI, 2014, 99 min.

German dub

Thursday, May 26, 15:30 Mal Seh'n Kino

HARMONY

ハーモニー

Takashi NAKAMURA and Michael Arias, 2015, 120 min.

Japanese with English subtitles

German premiere on May 29, in the presence of the director Michael Arias

Wednesday, May 25, 17:30 Mal Seh'n Kino

Sunday, May 29, 14:15 Mousonturm Saal

JVTA Presents: Twilight of the Cockroaches

ゴキブリたちの黄昏 / Gokiburitachi no tasogare

Hiroaki YOSHIDA, 1987, 105 min.

Japanese with English subtitles

Saturday, May 28, 22:30 Naxoshalle Kino

Miss Hokusai

百日紅〜Miss HOKUSAI〜 / Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai

Director: Keiichi HARA

Japan 2015, DCP, 90 min, Japanese with English subtitles, released to age 12 or older

Friday, May 27, 19:30 Mousonturm Saal

Saturday, May 28, 14:00 Mal Seh'n Kino

Tokyo University of the Arts: Animation

In presence of Hiromitsu MURAKAMI

Thursday, May 26, 14:45 Naxoshalle Kino

A Wild Patience – Indie Animated Shorts by Women

In the presence of the curator Dr. Catherine Munroe Hotes and the director Maya YONESHO

Sunday, May 29, 17:15 Naxoshalle Kino