Synopsis
Shows home, work and school activities of a middleclass Japanese family. Conversations are reproduced and interpreted. The film presents daily life in the life of a middle class Japanese family. Their home, surroundings, living and sleeping quarters, furnishing, dress, customs, and manners are depicted, along with school and play experiences of the children and routine tasks of the parents. Following a visit to a nearby shrine, the family is studied at their evening meal and making preparartions for bed. Appraisal. Excellent for showing the life of a Japanese family -- its home, clothing, food, school, customs, and religion. Should be useful in developing an understanding of Oriental culture, and in contrasting Oriental / Asian culture with our own. The film centers about the experiences of two Japanese children in a family setting. It is simple, friendly, and covers a variety of aspects of Japanese life. The Japanese speech heard in the film adds to its effectiveness. Photography and sound are excellent. Contents. A visit with a Japanese family. Fujiyama, the sacred mountain of Japan, is shown. On their way to school children walk through terraced rice and tea fields. In a fishing village children pass by boats and nets. The Yamada family lives in an industrial area. Taro and his sister Yukiko put on their shoes as they get ready for school. Taro wears the schoolboy's uniform and Yukiko wears the standard dress for girls. Father finishes lacing his shoes. At the doorway the…
Uploader's description on archive.org
Details
- Running time
- 10 minutes
- Collection
- Prelinger Archives
- Internet Archive item
- 0043_Children_of_Japan_19_20_39_00
Reviews on the Internet Archive
★★★★ · A voyage back to a quieter time.. · Spuzz · 2016-02-27
A fascinating historical document which outlines Japan just before the outbreak of World War II. Just looking at the year of the film (1941) makes you wonder how much time passed before this film was made and when Japan struck Pearl Harbor. Anyways, the film is a bout 2 children and their family and all their cute Japanese customs. The film is a bit racist and stereotypically Japanese, but that can be excused for the time period. A interesting film to watch, and it is recommended.
★★★ · Pre-War Japan · Dodsworth the Cat · 2022-12-28
Well-shot scenes highlight this 1940 film, which consists of a day in the life of two Japanese school children. It shows customs of the era just before their elders launched a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The kids get to eat tofu and sea-foam candy. And they bathe once a day, too. The film includes looped dialogue (sometimes when mouths are closed) and sound effects, along with James Brill's droning narration.
★★★ · Japan - 1940 · donwert · 2014-01-11
Given the date of this film, this is a surprisingly kind treatment of the Japanese people, focusing on a well-off family and their daily activities. I assume the principal audience for this film was American school children. I rather doubt it was shown after December 7, 1941.