Page 72 - Japan’s Cultural Treasures

?SP ?STYR^ ?SPd .L]]TPO by Tim O’Brien (Literature) Like The Sorrow of War, this is a
ʭN_TZYLWTePO LNNZ`Y_ ZQ _SP L`_SZ]ɪ^ ZbY bL]_TXP Pc[P]TPYNP^ M`_ Q]ZX _SP ,XP]TNLY [ZTY_
ZQ aTPb LYO _ZWO L^ L ^P]TP^ ZQ ^SZ]_ ^_Z]TP^ 4_ bL^ ;`WT_eP] ;]TeP ʭYLWT^_ bSPY T_ bL^ ʭ]^_
published in 1990.

ATP_YLX 9Zb% , >ZWOTP] =P_`]Y^ by David Lamb (Memoir/Travel Narrative) For a reporter who
once described Vietnam as “a war, not a country”, returning nearly 30 years after the war’s
end as the LA Times bureau chief was a surprise. But Lamb puts his return to good use,
creating a book that deftly interweaves the stories of “then” and “now”.

BSPY 3PLaPY LYO 0L]_S .SLYRPO ;WLNP^ by Le Ly Hayslip (Memoir) The true-life story of a
Vietnamese girl forced into the war (on both sides), where she faced constant danger, near-
starvation, and torture. A riveting, emotional, and brutally honest look at what it takes to
survive a war. The sequel, .STWO ZQ BL] BZXLY ZQ ;PLNP describes the author’s life in America
after the war’s end.

Suggested Movies

Japan

,MO`N_TZY% ?SP 8PR`XT DZVZ_L >_Z]d (2006, Documentary) An emotionally powerful documentary
about Megumi Yokota, a young Japanese girl who disappeared in 1977 and was rumored to
SLaP MPPY VTOYL[[PO Md L 9Z]_S 6Z]PLY ^[d ?SP ʭWX NPY_P]^ ZY SP] [L]PY_^ bSZ ^[PY_ _SP
next 30 years trying to discover what happened to her.

1WLR^ ZQ :`] 1L_SP]^ and 7P__P]^ Q]ZX 4bZ 5TXL (2006, Drama) Based on the book by the same
name, 1WLR^ _PWW^ _SP ^_Z]d ZQ _SP ^Tc ^ZWOTP]^ bSZ ]LT^PO _SP @ > ʮLR L_ 4bZ 5TXL ?SP
companion movie, 7P__P]^, depicts the battle for Iwo Jima from the Japanese point of view.

2ZOeTWWL $ ! 3Z]]Z] 8ZY^_P] ?SP Z]TRTYLW 5L[LYP^P XZY^_P] ʮTNV XLdMP NLX[d LYO
silly, but it spawned a serious business—over 28 sequels and remakes—plus it created a
serious icon of Japanese pop culture. Fun fact: Godzilla has his own star on the Hollywood
walk of fame.

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chief to win the coveted three-star rating from Michelin. A good choice for both foodies and
the sushi novice.
7Z^_ TY ?]LY^WL_TZY (2003, Drama) Two lost souls—a bored former movie star and the listless
wife of a photographer—connect as they wander around Tokyo.

7TaTYR ?]PL^`]P^ ZQ 5L[LY (2010, Documentary) Meet the traditional artists and craftsmen who
have been honored with the title of “Living Treasure” by the Japanese government.

8PXZT]^ ZQ L 2PT^SL (2005, Drama) Movie adaptation of the novel by the same name. A
romantic and sweeping story that won Oscars for cinematography, art direction, and costumes.

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