Grace of the Fireflies - Movie and Class Notes. Professor Yasuda: Japanese Culture Through Film PDF

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Movie and Class Notes. Professor Yasuda: Japanese Culture Through Film...

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Grace&of&the&Fireflies Wednesday,' October'12,'2016

7:26'PM

Movie'Notes • During'WWII' • Setsuko'- girl • Seita- Brother' • Air'raid' ○ City'gets'destroyed' • Mother'burned' ○ Transfers'to'another'hospital' ○ Maggots' • Staying'with'relatives' • Mom'died'while'at'school' ○ Kept'it'a'secret'cuz'he'didn't'want'his'sister'to'know' • Aunt'giving'food'to'families' ○ Just'soup'to'the'boy' • Sell'mother's'kimonos'for'rice' ○ Setsuko'cries' • Aunt'mean'to'the'kids' • Look'for'other'relatives'homes' • Money'from'moms'bank' • Cries'for'mom'and'aunt'scolds'them.'Air'raid'happens' • Decides'to'live'in'the'shelter.'Starts'making'the'shelter'a'home' • Catch'fireflies'to'light'up'shelter' • Everything'is'rationed'and'hard'to'find'food' • Steal'tomatoes • Sister'gets'lice'and'rashes'and'diarrhea' • Taken'to'the'police'for'stealing' • Police'is'nice'to'him'and'lets'him'go' • Steals'during'raids' • Sister'getting'really'sick' • War'ended' • Dad'died' • Sister'is'dying.'She'dies'

• Cremates'her'body' Class'Notes • Atomic'Bombs:' ○ August'6,1945:'Hiroshima ○ August'9,'1945:'Nagasaki • Japan'Surrenders'August'15,'1945 • US'Occupation:'1945-1952 • War'Memories/'Postwar'Democracy ○ Led'by'MacArthur' ○ Policies'became'the'official'direction'for'Japan' ○ Became'important'to'discuss'war'responsibility.' § It'was'a'way'to'discuss'premises'for'the'future.'Determine'what' needed'to'be'changed'so'people'don't'go'back'to'what'happened § A'lot'of'debate'today- Japanese'government'isn't'taking'lead'about' finding'who'is'responsible'and'investigating'claims'people'had' § Mostly'up'to'civic'groups'who'organized'to'make'their'causes' known'and'to'appeal'to'lawmaker'and'influence'change' • Social/Public'Memories,'Individual'Memories' ○ Issue'of'comfort'women'under'Japanese'empire' § It'is'still'ongoing' § Not'fully'adjudicated' ○ Overtime,'people'tend'to'forget' • Association'of'Shinto'Shrines' ○ Idea'of'national'identity'in'Shinto' • Japan'Memorial'Society'for'Students'Killed'in'the'War'(aka'Wadatsumi'Group)' • Japan'Association'of'War-Bereaved'Families' • Japan'Teachers''Union' ○ Trying'to'teach'about'the'war'more'honestly' ○ Both'appealing'to'government'officials' • Japan-China'Friendship'Association' ○ Promoting'cross'Asian'communication' • Yasukuni'Jinja' ○ Politically'loaded'place'because'it'is'controversial.'Shrine'war'criminals,' even'class'A'criminals ○ A'lot'of'backlash'when'political'figures'visit'the'shrine.'Neighboring' countries'think'it'is'disrespectful'when'political' leaders'visit'the'shrine' ○ Place'people'have'strong'feelings'about' • Article'9'(Postwar'Constitution,'1947)'&'Japanese'Pacifism… "J l f i i h f h i

○ "Japanese'people'forever'renounce'war'as'a'sovereign'right'of'the'nation' and'the'threat'or'use'of'force'as'a'means'of'settling'international' disputes"' § Some'politicians'want'to'change'Article'9 • Common'tropes'in'Japanese'War'films: ○ 'war-hero' ○ 'good'Japanese' § Depicted'as'going'against'the'orders' ○ 'victim-hero'' § Blameless'character'who'is'victimized'by'the'war'even'though'they' don't'play'a'role'in'advancing'anything'...