Inception

Inception directed by Christopher Nolan

Last week, I went to the theater to see Inception at midnight showing.  Almost three weeks had passed since Inception released in Tokyo, Japan. Nevertheless, many people sat in the theater even late at night.

Inception is a story of layers of dreams.  People dream in a shared dream and dream again into a shared dream of a deeper layer and again...

Inceptions shows some rules of dream world. For example, man who dies in a dream wakes up at the upper layer.  For example, time passes faster than the real world.   And there were many significant words.  Despite many hints, Inception deluded me.  Because, the movie seems to explain well but it's not so kind.  I want to see it again!  The impression of the movie still lingers.

I saw The Dark Knight, too.  The Dark Knight provided a inextricable question as a last one from Joker.  It's so-called "prisoner's dilemma".  (I didn't know prisoner's dilemma is a well-known subject of game theory until I read Prisoner's Dilemma written by Richard Powers.)  Eventually Christopher Nolan must like elaborate puzzles.

I thought about Inception at the night until I fell asleep "What does the scene mean?  What does the words mean?  That is to say, ....zzz."  When I slept thinking about Inception, I dreamed about sleeping on a light-blue box!  If I will practice hard,  I can dream about dreaming in a dream?

The Dark Knight (+ BD Live) [Blu-ray] Warner Home Video 2008-12-09 Sales Rank : 124 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Vineland

Vineland by Thomas Pynchon

It wasn't easy for me to read Vineland through.  I couldn't immerse myself in the world of Vineland as well as V., The Crying of Lot 49 and others.

I suspected the translation version might be the cause of trouble.  The Japanese translator was a strong devotee of Thomas Pynchon.  His notes were full of the praise of rhetoric Thomas Pynchon spun.  I think readers have a right of finding out the riddle by themselves and solving.  The translation's notes were so intrusive that imagination of readers is disturbed.

Anyway, Vineland doesn't have distressed feeling like other books of Pynchon.  The first half is comical like a cartoon.  It's fun and exciting.  But the second half is explanatory going for the end of story.  Is that Thomas Pynchon?  My impression of Thomas Pynchon is that the story goes speedily with unexpected imagination and sly description without changing pitch.

Vineland was published after 17 years when Gravity's Rainbow was published.  17 years is long time.  It's natural to change.  I'm afraid a little bit to read Mason & Dixon.

Vineland Thomas Pynchon Little Brown 1990-01 Sales Rank : 269920 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Neuromancer

Neuromancer by William Gibson

I like the movie, The Matrix.  So, my friend strongly recommended Neuromancer.  He said " if you like The Matrix, you have to read Neuromancer.  It's the originator of cyberpunk like The Matrix."

I'm not familiar with science fiction.  I learned by his explanation that the science fiction such as The Matrix is called cyberpunk.  Before, I have seen the animated movie, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence.  I know the famous Japanese comics, Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊 Koukaku Kidoutai).  I've ever read only one comic book of Ghost in the Shell series.  I've read the Japanese comics, AKIRA, too.  I found out that all of those were categorized as cyberpunk.

In Neuromancer, there are many various city images of Chiba City, the Eastern United States, Istanbul and a space colony.  All of them are very likely future scene.  The reason is that each smell of regions remains at the future of the cities in the novel.  I was excited at author's imagination of Chiba City, because I'm a Japanese.  Only the description of Chiba City will be able to shoot a two-hour movie.  Eventually Blade Runner was created by only one city of the future Los Angels that was to all intents and purposes Shinjyuku Tokyo.  I was overwhelmed by the enrichment of author's depiction of fiction.  The author wrote so many new ideas that the novel possibly enables to shot for almost six movies.

Anyhow,  Neuromancer was published on 1984 before The Matrix, Ghost in the Shell, AKIRA and Blade Runner.  If Neuromancer had been the first time experience of cyberpunk, I wouldn't have been able to follow the description of frequent and quick scene changes of cyberspace.  In fact, I've learned the cyberspace visualization without my knowing it.

No matter how colorful idea, I think that the theme of Neuromancer is serious.  The main character doesn't care about his body but he exchanges the body messages in cyberspace at the end part of Neuromancer.  How inconsistent human beings are!

Neuromancer William Gibson Ace Hardcover 2004-11-02 Sales Rank : 22087 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence [Blu-ray] Artist Not Provided Bandai 2009-01-13 Sales Rank : 9466 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Ghost In The Shell Volume 1 - 2nd Edition (v. 1) Masamune Shirow Dark Horse 2004-11-17 Sales Rank : 95472 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Akira Volume 1 (Akira) Katsuhiro Otomo Kodansha Comics 2009-10-13 Sales Rank : 25290 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Blade Runner the F [Blu-ray] 2008-12-16 Sales Rank : 37264 See details at Amazon by G-Tools

The Matrix [Blu-ray] Warner Home Video 2010-01-12 Sales Rank : 9155 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Underground

Underground by Haruki Murakami (村上春樹 MURAKAMI Haruki)

Haruki Murakami is one of the most popular novelist in Japan and even all over the world.  However, I don't like him very much.  The characters in his novels are apt to turn inwards.  So, sometimes I started to get irritated.  When I read Hear The Wind Sing, Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, I often wanted to speak out to the characters "How precious and special you are!"  I thought these three books were enough for me and I couldn't get interested in any more.  I've not paid any attention when a new his book was released after that.

However, sarin gas attack by Aum Shirinkyo (オウム真理教) disturbed me.  It's a terrible discriminate murder.  Underground is about sarin gas attack by Haruki Murakami.  I don't like Haruki Murakami but I got interested in the incident of sarin gas attack.

In Japan, Underground was published in 1997 as a newly written book of Haruki Murakami.  It is a collection of interviews of victims of sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway.  The Place That Was Promised - Underground2 was published in 1998 as a collection of serial interviews in a magazine.  At first, he didn't consider The Place That Was Promised - Underground2 .  Haruki Murakami might have felt need of another side of the people who belonged to Aum Shinrikyo.

Translation edition contains Underground and The Place That Was Promised  but some interviews of sarin attack victims in original Underground are omitted.  Japanese edition of The Place That Was Promised - Underground2 includes the conversation of Hayao Kawai (河合隼雄 KAWAI Hayao) and Haruki Murakami at the end of interviews.  Hayao Kawai is not only a famous psychotherapist but also a humorous essayist in Japan.  Hayao Kawai mentioned the distance of interviewer and interviewee.  It's a sort of technique of conversation.  From his experience of psychotherapist, he has a deep understanding of symptom and influences of talking.  It's very interesting and makes us relieved.  His words are full of affection but calm.  I'm not sure, but regarding of table contents, the conversation is omitted in English translation edition.  It's a pity.

Sarin gas attack on Tokyo subway was a shocking incident.  Aum Shirinkyo was a religious cult that got together highly educated people.  I could understand that some educated people kept something they couldn't resolve by themselves even if they studied harder.  If someone resolved their inside incongruity, they might have been possibly on Aum Shirinkyo side.  They couldn't exist in any area except for Aum Shinrikyo because of their pureness.  Haruki Murakami and Hayao Kawai worried that there was no place such people were able to keep alive at the present day.

Underground is not a mainstream work of Haruki Murakami.  But I can catch on to the meaning of a previous statement by Haruki Murakami, "I often consider 'commitment' recently. Even when writing, I feel 'commitment' is very important. Before, I felt 'detachment' was important..."  He seemed to change the style of writing after Kobe quake or sarin gas attack.  If so, I think I'm going to try After the Quake or 1Q84.

Underground (Japanese paperback edition)

アンダ－グラウンド (講談社文庫) 村上 春樹 講談社 1999-02-03 Sales Rank : 2406 Average Review  See details at Amazon Japan by G-Tools

The Place That Was Promised - Underground2 (Japanese paperback edition)

約束された場所で―underground 2 (文春文庫) 村上 春樹 文藝春秋 2001-07 Sales Rank : 6258 Average Review  See details at Amazon Japan by G-Tools

Funny Road Sign

What is the turtle on this road sign?

The sleepy turtle may imitate a sloppy student, though I'm not so sure.  Does a student of elementary school wear a top hat?  Turtleback is strange, too.  It's his belly rather than back.

The road sign shows "This road is school route. Drive slowly".  The road is placed at the side of off-street.  The place isn't busy at all.  Who put it there?  And why?

The Japanese National Anthem

During seeing FIFA World Cup 2010, I suspected that people of the world thought the Japanese national anthem  seemed to be off-putting.  It has solemn sound.

The Japanese national anthem has the unique scales that come from Japanese original scales.  Western scales is Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti.  It has 7 scales.  The Japanese national anthem don't have Fa, Ti.  It has 5 scales.  I guess that Western people don't get used to Japanese 5 scales.

The lyrics of Japanese national anthem is Tanka (短歌).  Tanka is Japanese traditional poem style that makes 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.  Japanese lyrics is;

君が代は 千代に八千代に さざれ石の 巌になりて 苔のむすまで.

Translated into English lyrics by Wikipedia is;

May your reign
Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations,
Until the pebbles
Grow into boulders
Lush with moss.

Tanka might be too short poem for national anthem.

Kimigayo (君が代), the Japanese national anthem, was sung in the period of militarism of World War ll.  The country that Japanese military advanced violently don't have good feeling about Kimigayo.  So, some people in Japan worry that singing Japanese national anthem at the public space offends neighbor countries.  It's the long dispute in Japan.  Can Kimigayo be a national anthem even when people cannot sing loudly in some public place?  Some people insist that Japanese national anthem should be changed.

Especially, this dispute has erupted in teachers and schools.  Teachers and schools cannot settle the robust way of teaching the history of the past militarism in Japan. Some teachers considered that Kimigayo wasn't suitable for teaching at the school because it’s the inheritance from militarism.  In fact, I didn't learn Kimigayo at the school, though it's a national anthem.

Recently, people start to forget the World War ll.  National anthem dispute tend to decline.  Furthermore, Japanese national anthem is sung at every national match.  Many people have become to sing Kimigayo without hesitation now.

Pitagora Switch ピタゴラスイッチ

Pythagora Switch (ピタゴラスイッチ Pitagora Switch) is a TV program of NHK educational channel.  Pitagora comes from Pythagoras or Pythagorean theorem.  The theme of Pitagora Switch is showing "the way of thinking" for children.  We cannot make light of this program though it's for children.  Pitagora Switch touches your science mind.  It has scientific atmosphere.

The opening of the program is the short film of a Pitagora Device.  Pitagora Device is a chain reaction device with something we all use usually.

Pitagora Devices are collected in the DVD books and published.

ピタゴラ装置DVDブック1 佐藤雅彦 ポニーキャニオン 2006-12-01 Sales Rank : 1598 Average Review  See details at Amazo Japan by G-Tools

ピタゴラ装置 DVDブック2 佐藤雅彦 ポニーキャニオン 2007-04-18 Sales Rank : 2733 Average Review  See details Amazon Japan by G-Tools

I'm not sure the above YouTube video can last in future.  The music of Pitagora Devices is provided by KURI Corder Quartet. The supervisor of Pitagora Switch is Masahiko Sato

Pitagora Switch consists of a short puppet drama, short anime, song, and so on.  Each part is simple but amazing.  My nephew likes Potegin very much.  I searched Potegin video but I couldn't hit.  Potegin is a cube.  You know, a cube has six faces.  Potegin rhythmically speak out with using six faces that is written a word.  Potegin's chat is like a humming.  Start is like that, "Pote, Pote, Pote, Pote, Potegin. I'm a Potegin.  Today,..."

10 stick anime. Silly 10 sticks. This is one anime of Pitagora Switch.


Framy anime.  It's a heart warming story.  This is also one anime of Pitagora Switch.


Pitagora Switch

An Arbitrary Point P

An Arbitrary Point P by
Keio University Masahiko Sato Laboratory + Norio Nakamura
(任意の点P by
慶應義塾大学 佐藤雅彦研究室 + 中村至男)

I don't know what name of the job is the job of Masahiko Sato (佐藤雅彦 SATO Masahiko).   He is a guest professor of Keio University.  According to Keio University web site, Masahiko Sato is specialized in Methodology of Education and Methodology of Expressing Concepts.  What degree can students get at Masahiko Sato laboratory?  Master of media arts?  Anyway, he is related to creating image or video.

His start is as a CM planner. His work expanded to making video game concepts and producing TV program.  Pythagora Switch (ピタゴラスイッチ Pitagora suicchi) is a TV program of NHK educational channel.  The TV program stimulates "the way of thinking" for children.  It also stimulates adult interest.  I like this TV program very much.  I think Pythagora Switch represents Masahiko Sato's works.  Incidentally, KURI Coder Quartet contributes their music to Pythagora Switch.

An Arbitrary Point P is a picture book of 3D image.  He keeps the strong impression for 3D image when he studied with a mathematical reference book.  The reference book attached a simple cardboard device for viewing 3D image in order to help student's understanding.  An Arbitrary Point P also attaches simple lenses for controlling parallax.  The mechanism is simple but interesting.  This book is a Japanese book but it includes Japanese and English description, though it's just a picture book that doesn't need any words.

任意の点P 慶応義塾大学佐藤雅彦研究室 佐藤 雅彦 中村 至男 美術出版社 2003-04 Sales Rank : 81429 Average Review  See details at Amazon Japan by G-Tools

Yoko Ogawa 小川洋子

Yoko Ogawa (小川洋子 OGAWA Yoko) is a strange woman.  Most novelists are really eccentric but she is seemingly a sophisticated lady.  Her face is always serene when I see her on TV programs or magazines.  For some reason or other, her novels aren't serene at all.  There is poison behind romantic settings.

Pregnancy Diary brought her recognition in 1990.  It's the story of two young sisters.  The big sister becomes pregnant, then the little sister starts to have bad intentions.  The big sister who has a nervous disposition broods with ups and downs specific to a pregnant woman.

The annoyed little sister recalls that the grapefruit from United States includes a material that destroys the chromosome.  It's small dairy knowledge she get by any chance.  She buys grapefruit imported from United States and makes jam out of them.  The big sister who regains appetite after morning sickness eats it delightedly.  Because, pregnant woman often wants something sour.  The little sister makes and makes, the big sister eats and eats.  The little sister tries to dream of the growth situation of the baby but she cannot.  She can image only damaged chromosome......

Pregnancy Diary in the following book.  I like The Diving Pool, Pregnancy Diary, Dormitory in her early works.  The Diving Pool, the translated version, contains all three of them.

The Diving Pool: Three Novellas Yoko Ogawa Stephen Snyder Picador 2008-01-22 Sales Rank : 88688 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Some disabled person appears in the novels of Yoko Ogawa.  The disabled person accepts his or her situation and lives quietly.  He or she is so quiet that he or she looks like a spirit who has a body.  Her novels show that body is connected to living.  As well, the depiction of eating often appears in her novels.  Even if we have to harm our body in order to keep living, we cannot abandon our body.  Imprisoned body expands to imprisoned love.

Yoko Ogawa seems to be popular in France.  The Ring Finger (薬指の標本 L'annulaire) was made into a movie by French director.  I think Hotel Iris are the stories of imprisoned body and love.  Two of these are a bit more erotic than other Yoko Ogawa's works.

Hotel Iris: A Novel Yoko Ogawa Picador 2010-03-30 Sales Rank : 29879 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

薬指の標本 L'annulaire SPECIAL EDITION [DVD] Diane Bertrand ハピネット・ピクチャーズ 2007-03-23 Sales Rank :  6608 Average Review  See details at Amazon Japan by G-Tools

The Wind in the Willows

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Recently I went to my parents home and found my childhood library.  It made me feel so nostalgic that  I brought some books to read again.

As far as I remember, The Wind in the Willows is my mother's book.  I who was very hungry for reading made it my own.  However, The Wind in the Willows wasn't very interesting for the child who just learned to read.  Dr. Dolittle series are stained very much by cake crumbs or inexplicable fingerprints but The Wind in the Willows is comparatively clean.

This book is a classic children book of England whose story of Mole, Rat, Bader and Toad.  I thought that it's obviously for children that animals speak words.

As I read the Wind in the Willows after growing up, I realized that it isn't only for children book.  It's a song in praise of country life.  I can image the ideal riverside life of England.  At the same time, I can feel author's love for small animals.  Small animals can hear the nature voice under the care of the guardian of nature.  The beautiful countryside view can spin poems.  I found out that I couldn't have grabbed the poetic words in the book as a child.

Beautiful story.  I want to go to the country in summer of England.

Kawasaki City Nakahara Library

Kawasaki City Nakahara library (川崎市立中原図書館)  is close to Musashi Kosugi station.  It's less than 5 minute walk from the station.  Like most public facilities are far from the railway station.  Close to the station is a good point.

However, Nakahara library's buildings are very old and small.  Aisles between book shelves are very narrow.  There is no space to sit and read books comfortably.  Users have to stand there reading newspapers near bathroom.  It's stinky when it rains.  The building is old, the bathroom is also old.  It's annoying.

The left picture is a wonder sign near newspaper corner.  The sign says:

"Please use the stairs seat.  Reading space is not enough.  We apologize for the inconvenience but would greatly appreciate your cooperation."

It's certainly a great idea, but I wonder why I cannot help being in sombre mood.  The staff works hard in the limited facilities.

The left picture is the stairs seat the sign says.  It's down stairs.  Um.  It's like Greek amphitheater.  I couldn't take any picture when somebody sat down there.  Camera shutter sound would have disturbed them.  Because the stairs seat was often occupied, there were few chances.

Study room belongs in another building.  Nakahara library has two small buildings.  One is for bookcases.  Another is for study room.  It's inconvenient that users cannot take books to the study room without checking out.  In fact, if it rains, users cannot move without getting wet.  Users cannot sit and study next to piling up relevant books from bookshelves because there aren't any desks and chairs.  Despite those inconvenience, the study room is often occupied as well as the stair seat.  Nakahara library has no advantage over other city libraries but there are many users.  Stick to it whenever narrow curcumstances, Nakahara library.

Fortunately, the new library will open in 2012 instead of current one accordance with redevelopment of Musashi Kosugi station area.  You can see the strange stair seat until 2012.

The Crying of Lot 49

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

The Crying of Lot 49 wasn't easy for me to read.  V. was easier for me than The Crying of Lot 49.  Why?  About Gravity's Rainbow, I don't finish reading it so far.  I gave up after reading a quarter of the book several times.  Every time I reached the point of a quarter of Gravity's Rainbow, I encountered something which made me get busy or tired.  I like Thomas Pynchon but I cannot confess it, because, I'm ashamed that, I've not read all his books completely.  A new book, Mason & Dixon, will be soon published in Japan.  Boo-hoo.  I have many books I want to read.

The Crying of Lot 49 gives readers a big riddle.  Each character has each allusive name.  What is the trap?  I enjoyed straying into the riddle with the main character.  All characters who talk to the main character are funny.  Weird people in the book are fascinating.  There are cute epigrams inserted in places.  Metaphor using scientific vocabulary is attractive.  I could brilliantly form pictures of each scenery of the book.  Each scene is very impressive.  But I don't want it to be made into a movie.  The writing style of Thomas Pynchon is so unique that other expression can't be replaced.

Next, I will certainly try Gravity's Rainbow.

The Crying of Lot 49 Harper Perennial 2009-11-01 Sales Rank : 6480 Average Review See details at Amazon by G-Tools

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

I read Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because Kurt Vonnegut often mentioned Mark Twain.  Mark Twain is respected as the father of American literature.  However, I'm afraid that I'm a Japanese who grew up in Japan.  I can understand that the novel written by spoken words was revolutionary at the time the novel was written. The story becomes untidy since Tom Sawyer appears.  I felt that the end of the story was messy.  I'm sorry to be unable to have respectable feeling for Mark Twain.

However, Huckleberry Finn is very charming.  He is honest, rustic and a little timid but he can see the circumstance surrounding him.  He chooses to live independently although he's just a kid.  Living in society is annoying.  I can understand that someone dreams of Huckleberry Finn lifestyle.

After reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, I thought of Shichiro Fukazawa (深沢七郎 FUKAZAWA Shichiro).  The Ballad of Narayama of the representative novel of Shichiro Fukazawa was made into a movie,  which received the Grand Prix at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.  It was a good movie, but I don't believe the movie conveyed the message from Shichiro Fukazawa.

Shichiro wrote rustic local peasants' life.  His novels aren't distressing such as the movie of The Balled of NaraYama.  Instead, peasants are upbeat and full of vital power.  Generally peasants have to obey their landowner.  So the actual life of them is similar to slave Jim in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  But then again the thoughts of peasants Shichiro wrote are more close to Huckleberry Finn.

Shichiro respected local dialect and got interested in music and play.  He wrote some drama scripts, including the notes of inserted songs.  Some points of those are close to Mark Twain's.

In fact, Shichiro Fukazawa now is a forgotten novelist even in Japan.

The Ballad of Narayama by Shichiro Fukazawa

楢山節考 (新潮文庫) 新潮社 1964-07 Sales Rank : 18869 Average Review:  See details at Amazon Japan by G-Tools

Essay by Shichiro Fukazawa

言わなければよかったのに日記 (中公文庫) 中央公論社 1987-11 Sales Rank : 61923 Average Review:  See details Amazon Japan by G-Tools