April 1997

• Oilers win the NHL Western Conference Quarter Final in Game 7! They weren't given a chance against the Dallas Stars, but proved the critics wrong. The next assignment is more difficult: The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche!
  (30 April 97)

• He's baaack! The Kenji Mizoguchi film retrospective toured Canada this winter to very favorable reviews. Given the great interest the last time around, Cinematheque Ontario arranged for one more Toronto showing of these works, so I used the opportunity to see some of the titles I missed last fall. Tonight I saw "Tale of the Last Chrysanthemums (Zangiku monogatari)" **** 1939, the story of a kabuki actor whose career is saved by the sacrifices of a woman. The final sequence, which intercuts an Osaka matsuri with the woman's death scene, is reminiscent of the French classic (also about actors) "Les Enfants du Paradis" ("Garance! Garance!").

  Other films seen this time:

  • "Sansho the Bailiff (Sansho dayu)" 1954 **** An epic tale of Back When Things Were Rotten. The family of an exiled nobleman gets sold into slavery. At times this resembles a Japanese "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" ("I'm not dead yet!"), however there are some truly moving moments, like when the daughter hears her mother's voice in a song being sung by another slave, and when the son, having escaped to freedom, goes to his father's place of exile, only to find that he had died several years earlier. The sense of loss is palpable.

  • "Crucified Lovers: A Story From Chikamatsu (Chikamatsu monogatari)" 1954 *** Two lovers in Old Japan are pursued and eventually punished for an extramarital affair. A bit ironic considering what is considered unremarkable if not acceptable behaviour in Japan these days.
  (29 April 97)

• This weekend I experienced the old and the new Japan:
  • Mizoguchi's "Life of Oharu (Saikaku ichidai onna") 1952 *** The original story, as I understand it, is about a noblewoman who cannot control her passions, leading to a downwardly spiralling life. If that's the case, Tanaka Kinuyo brings too much regal grace and quiet dignity to the lead role.

  • Shonen Knife returned to Toronto after a three-year absence to promote the heavy sound of their latest CD, "Brand New Knife". Japanese people I know can't understand why this musical trio is so popular here in Canada. Maybe it's the juxtaposition of three young, demure Japanese women cranking out power chords.
  (26-27 April 97)

• Canada's Liberal government has decided to call a federal election. If this were fifty years ago I wouldn't be allowed to vote.
  (27 April 97)

• Cold Fever (Iceland 1995, Dir: Fridrick Thor Fridrickson; with Masatoshi Nagase and Lili Taylor) **
  A movie about a Japanese businessman who goes to Iceland out of a sense of obligation to his parents, who died there. Although I could certainly empathize with the concept of giri (obligation)-motivated travel, I wasn't so taken by the wacky road trip storyline. As a travelogue the film is spectacular!
  (19 Apr 97)

• Today I found a great new place for Japanese food near my workplace on Baldwin Street, a street which is already home to many excellent eating establishments featuring cuisine from around the world. The Konnichiwa Japanese Deli just opened a few weeks ago and is run by the owner of Mariko, the popular Japanese restaurant in Carrot Common on the Danforth. The menu currently features udon, soba, domburi, gyoza and salads. Tempura will eventually be added. Honto no Nihon no aji o shimasu! The premises are informal (but neat and clean), which keeps the prices reasonable.

  Konnichiwa Japanese Deli, Baldwin Street (2 blocks south of College, between McCaul and Beverley); Open Tues-Sun 1130 h-1830 h, closed Mon. Take-out and limited eat-in seating (patio in summer).
  (19 Apr 97)

• Spring in Japan is the time for hana-mi ("flower viewing"), carousing under the cherry blossoms. In Canada, our custom is hockey-mi! The National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs begin tonight, marking the start of two months during which there will be a televised ice hockey game almost every night. Women are called "hockey widows" at this time of year if they are married to a hockey fan, but these days many women are themselves devotees of the sport! My favorite team, the Edmonton Oilers have a difficult series against the Dallas Stars, while Paul Kariya and the Mighty Ducks of Disney are up against the Phoenix Coyotes.
  (16 Apr 97)

• I drove my parents to Banff, Alberta for a few days of downhill skiing (them) and snowboarding (me). The weather was springlike, but the snow was in ideal midseason condition. Sunshine Village featured a new high-speed quad chair, the Continental Divide, which replaces the old double at the top of the hill and is accessible from the Angel and Strawberry chairs. At Lake Louise, there was a new (to me) Top of the World high-speed quad on the upper half of the front side, and a lot of upgrading was being done on the base lodge. Lunchtime burgers were cooking on the outdoor barbeques at both resorts. As always, an apres ski soak at Banff Hot Springs relaxed those aching muscles. More snow was falling on the day we left, so the season should last well into May.

  Restaurant recommendation: The Bistro, corner of Wolf & Bear Streets - excellent, imaginative food, superior wine list and attentive service, at a reasonable price.
  Tip: Purchase a Sunshine lift ticket at McDonald's on Banff Avenue and your breakfast is free.
  (12-14 Apr 97)

• This entry is from Edmonton, Alberta, where I am visiting my parents and school friends. Tonight I was fortunate to witness a rare trio of astronomical and atmospheric phenomena: Comet Hale-Bopp, a lunar occultation, and, thanks to a solar flare, a brilliant example of the aurora borealis ("Northern Lights"). The aurora was brighter and livelier than I had ever seen before-- a wispy lime green, yellow, blue and pink curtain danced in the sky just above our house!
  (11 Apr 97)

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