Show and Tell

                For this show and tell I have chosen a topic in which I have stumbled upon while viewing documentaries online. While online I have found a documentary on a very interesting topic involving the Aokigahara Forest. The Aokigahara Forest is the most popular place within Japan to commit suicide. When entering the forest there are abandoned cars scattered across the parking lot, where individuals have driven to the forest then left their cars to commit suicide. The parking lot is strewn with these reminders of how big the issue truly is within the culture. As explained in the film suicide in the older days was connected with the samurai. The modern form is new because it is connected to the individual not being able to adapt to society. As one walks into the forest you can see many signs with messages telling individuals that suicide is not the answer. The locals do not commit suicide within the forest. The locals are told to not come to the forest because of this issue.  They are told as children that it is a scary place to avoid. Overall the numbers have been staggering amounting to 100 suicides in the last 20 years. I believe the most fascinating part about the issue is the people who enter the forest who are indecisive about dying. They wrap tape around the trees as they move into the forest to find there way out if they decide to not commit suicide. Overall the issue is very disturbing. It has continued to grow within the eyes of individuals as the numbers climb.

How has suicide affected Japanese culture?

Becoming a Geisha Reaction

As the film began I had no previous knowledge about Geisha’s or the Geisha lifestyle. After the film I have a new respect for the art form as well as the lifestyle. The young girl within the film comes to the life of a Geisha as a personal decision, one that requires many a sacrifice to become a full Geisha. The sacrifice starts at a young age. She leaves her home in the rural areas of Japan for Kyoto; the absolute opposite from what she is accustom to. She has to take orders from her Geisha mother and the other Geisha’s. The young trainee cannot contact her family or friends for months on her journey into becoming a Geisha. This wares on her as she becomes home sick for her family and friends. For a young girl this must be an overwhelming experience. I know myself at the age of 15 and I could only imagine the mental ware that this must take on her. Even though this is hard on the girls it is done for a reason. It is done because the life of a Geisha is extremely demanding. The trainees must be weeded out, to show your dedication to the art. Another reason for this is the cost of training a potential Geisha. The video said that the training can cost around 2000 pounds a month. This is a large investment and because of this the Geisha’s need to know that the trainee is dedicated. When a trainee is far along in her training she is given a name, the name chosen is Kikuyu, This is her Maiko name and will be used when she is a Geisha performing. Within her specific Geisha house all of the girls are named after flowers. During her transformation you can see that the Geisha lifestyle can drive wedges in your personal life as well as your social life, once a trainee everything has to revolve around being a Geisha. Everything within your life falls to the wayside. Overall the Geisha Lifestyle is a very interesting one. It holds onto the traditional Japanese lifestyle in an everchanging modern Japan. This video has given me a new appreciation for the life and art style that is Geisha.

Reaction to Departures.

         Coming into the movie Departures I had no idea what to expect. Not knowing what to expect I came in with an open perspective ready to take in the film. As the film begins you see that the main character Daigo Kobayashi runs into a huge conflict concerning his employment. The cellist’s orchestra disbands meaning that he will have to return to his hometown. After returning he takes a job in the newspaper that reads “assisting departures.” Daigo finds out that he will be preparing the dead helping them pass on from this world. The movie to me showed the respect that is involved within Japanese culture concerning this burial process. Every little detail is taken care of preparing them for the afterlife, also the variety of religions that are taken care of under the title obtained by Daigo. A specific scene really struck me within this movie. The scene occurs when the octopus that the couple are having for dinner comes alive in the kitchen, flopping about. They grab the octopus and go to the water. Once arriving they throw the octopus into the water, where it just floats there lifeless. While watching this scene I chuckled, but as the octopus floated there you could feel a sense of sadness. Now looking back on the film I can see that in a way this scene foreshadowed what was to come during the rest of the film. Overall, the film was thoroughly enjoyable. It played with a very fascinating topic within society, death, with grace and beauty. Showing that life, as we know it is precious and should not be taken for granted.

What are your thoughts of how the topic of death was covered in this film?

What emotions did the film evoke for you a viewer?