At Least They Thought Of Us (?)

Just after Christmas, we were at a Target and my husband spotted this lovely ornament:


I don't even know where to start. It's like a tiny character from Mikado. I would call this "an Oriental ornament." Or perhaps, "Orinament." We should have bought it.

Thank you, Target.

Japanese Funerals in Films

Because my world has been immersed in this, I thought I'd extend the sharing of my culture around funerals. There are two films that are excellent (I think) on the topic of funerals in Japan. One is Departures, which won the academy award in the foreign language film category in 2009:

It's a beautiful film about a old traditional ritual of preparing the deceased for their departures. It's quiet, powerful and deeply touching.

Then there is The Funeral.


It is one of Juzo Itami's most famous films, in which a family prepares for a funeral and encounters many drama in the process. Unlike Departures, it's a comedy and it takes many weird turns but shows all sides of Japanese funeral and is thoroughly amusing.

Later day, I shall do a post about other Japanese films I feel people should see, but for now, I'll start with what is on my mind.