Movies, Poetry, Family, War

On this day in 1931 Shintaro Katsu was born in Fukagawa, a suburb of Tokyo known for its geishas. He grew up to become an actor, singer, producer, and director. He directed the seminal martial arts movie "Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman."

I've never been to Japan, but the titular focus of this old blog, Richard Brautigan, spent a year there (1975/76), which culminated in his poetry collection "June 30th, June 30th." Here is a short poem from the book, in which Brautigan remembers the feeling of never fitting in, never being entirely comfortable -- except perhaps at the game arcade!

Pachinko Samurai

I feel wonderful, exhilarated, child-like, 

perfect. 

I just won a can of crab meat*

and a locomotive** 

What more could anyone ask on May 18,

1976 in Tokyo?

I played a game of pachinko

/ vertical pinball /

My blade was sharp. 

*real 

**toy

The only person in my immediate family to have been in Japan (so far as I know) is my father. He flew several missions from Okinawa to the main islands of Japan in the late stages of WWII, including some transfers of Japanese POWs just after Japan surrendered. In our back hall closet hangs a silk embroidered smoking jacket he got in Japan. One of my sisters has the Samurai sword he brought back.

Fukagawa was also where the esteemed Haiku master Basho lived for a time. Here's a Basho poem, translated, curiously enough, by Robert Hass.

Taking a nap, 

feet planted 

against a cool wall.