Yasujiro Ozu: A Doodle Story

Today in Japan, we are celebrating the 110th birthday of Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu, whose Tokyo Story from 1953 is consistently voted one of the greatest movies ever made. The movie subtly draws out the growing gap emerging between elderly parents from the countryside and their ambitious children in post-war Tokyo. For this doodle, we chose to portray one of the iconic scenes from Tokyo Story, where the father Shukichi and his doting daughter-in-law Noriko (played by Ozu veterans Chishu Ryu and Setsuko Hara) observe a sunrise shortly following one of the pivotal moments in the film.

For those looking to learn more about Tokyo Story, watch A.O. Scott’s ‘Critics’ Pick’ video or British director Lindsay Anderson on YouTube, posted by the Criterion Collection. They have also posted a commentary clip by critic Roger Ebert on Ozu’s Floating Weeds, as well as a clip from Ozu’s first color film, Equinox Flower.

Here’s a clip from Tokyo Story:

Posted by Mai Fukue, Brand Marketing Manager, Tokyo