お誕生日おめでとう, Setsuko Hara!

• Jun 17, 2010

• #1

skyvue

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The wonderful actress Setsuko Hara, who appeared in so many wonderful pictures directed by Osu, Naruse, and Kurosawa (among many others), turns 90 years old today.

We've posted a small tribute to Hara at Cladrite Radio.com today, for those who might be interested.

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #2

LaMedicine

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WOW. I'm surprised to see this. She's an enigma even here, and hasn't made a public apprearance for close to 50 years. Rumor is that she lives in the city of Kamakura, a 50 minute train ride out of Tokyo. Hmm...I have some relatives there, and visit the city twice a year to see them, so, maybe I should ask if someone knows somthing lol

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #3

skyvue

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Please do, LaMed! I'd love to know more about her life since 1963, when she abruptly retired (and basically renounced all the movie work she'd done), if there's anything to learn.

Is she still well-known in Japan, or is it just old-movie buffs who know her name?

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #4

LaMedicine

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She's still well known among the middle age an beyond crowd as she is one of the lengendary actresses. As for the younger generation, hmm....if I asked my daughters, I'd probably get a [huh], but maybe not, they may at least know her name, since her enigma is being kept alive by her *disappearance*.
I think the story is that she lives with some relatives in Kamakura, but considering her age, her physical and mental health could be anywhere in the range from close to zero to 100%.

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #5

skyvue

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Thanks for the info.

What, if anything, do you know about my other favorite Japanese actress, Hideko Takamine, who turned 86 in March? I read somewhere she divides her time between Hawaii and Tokyo, but I don't know if that's true.

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #6

LaMedicine

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She's retired as an actress, but is very much active as an author, and has published a lot of essays since her reitrement from the screen, starting her writing career with her autobiography, and still publishes essays in women's magazines.

Yes, I believe she and her husband, the director/screenwriter Zenzo Matsuyama divide their time between Tokyo and Hawai'i.

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #7

skyvue

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Thanks.

I would love to read her autobiography -- if I only I could read Japanese!

 

• Jun 18, 2010

• #8

LaMedicine

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Her autobiography received high acclaim at the time it was published--in fact, it was written so well (with a lot of delicious and revealing details ) that in the beginning, some people suspected that it was ghost written. She most likely is naturally talented, and was able to develop her writing further with the help of her husband.
It is a pity none of them seem to have been translated into English. If online versions were available, at least, you would be able to utilise an online translator and get the gist of it, though, from my personal experience with online translators, a lot would be lost in translation