Japanese action choreographer wins prize at Hong Kong Film Awards
Inspired by action star Jackie Chan, Tanigaki built his career as a stuntman in Hong Kong and served as action director of Donnie Yen's "Sakra" and Japanese film "Rurouni Kenshin."
Receiving a commemorative gift from Japanese action actor Yasuaki Kurata, who has appeared in many Hong Kong movies, at the award ceremony Sunday, Tanigaki said, "When I apprenticed under Mr. Kurata in 1989, my dream was to be recognized as a Hong Kong film person. Today, I can finally say I've become one."
Twilight of the Warriors, directed by Soi Cheang and starring Raymond Lam, won awards in several categories including best director and best actor.
The film was released in Hong Kong last year. It is set in the Kowloon Walled City in the 1980s during the British colonial era. It blends martial arts with nostalgia for the demolished city, following a male illegal immigrant from mainland China who joins friends to battle rival factions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metropolis Japan
a few seconds ago
- Metropolis Japan
Growing up in Japan as a Foreigner with Joshua Thomson
Based in Japan: Japanese? British? Aussie? Kiwi? Just Joshua! By Gendel Gento Joshua Thomson's early life was an international odyssey. He was born in Tokyo and grew up in Saitama, but moved to the U.S. when he was three, only to come back to Japan at the age of five. While attending a Japanese elementary school, he went to English camps and events at international schools, leading what he calls a 'double English-Japanese life.' A short stint at an American school proved disappointing ('I hated it so much'), so he went back to a Japanese middle school and high school. Around this time, Thomson began dabbling in show business by acting in commercials and TV shows. A move to London to study social science proved eye-opening ('I kind of found myself. I was able to be myself for the first time in my life by not having that foreigner label'). After returning to Japan and pursuing acting, he transitioned to YouTube, where he interviewed other international residents like himself. When he started making short Instagram videos to promote his channel, his new career really took off. He still shares his time between London and Tokyo. Metropolis: What's your family's connection with Japan? Joshua Thomson: My dad's parents came to Japan in the 1950s to open churches as Protestant missionaries. They met in Sapporo, got married, and stayed in Hokkaido. And then my mom's parents met in New Zealand, but they came to Japan in 1960 and also stayed in Hokkaido. If you visit Sapporo, there's a church that my grandfather built. M: How was your experience growing up and attending school in Japan? How did it compare with those experiences while abroad? JT: It's funny because I started my education in America. I was going to this really nice preschool in Virginia Beach. Then, we returned to Japan when I was five, and I was enrolled in preschool in Niiza, Saitama. I think that's when I realized I wasn't like others around me, I didn't look like them. They mentioned how my hair and eyes were different. So I started noticing I wasn't one of them. Back then, I thought I was American, but in the States, my parents would sometimes speak Japanese, so I noticed the Japanese connection to my family. But I couldn't really connect the dots. Back in Japan, I began to notice the lack of diversity. There's one thing you're told to do, and you actually follow that. If you don't abide by the rules like they really pick on you. And I was such an opinionated kid. Then I went into elementary school, and it got even worse. Initially, they had this reaction where they said I wasn't Japanese, but after a few weeks, they just got used to it. I don't remember well, I think I was bullied a little bit, but by the time I got to fifth or sixth grade, I was accepted, and I even became one of the popular kids. At that point, I really became Japanese, but then suddenly I had to go to an American school in Tokyo, and that transition was more difficult than the reverse. My first language is Japanese. I had never studied in English, so it was really hard. It was a culture shock. I couldn't stand it, so I ended up going back. I just felt more at ease in Japanese school. However, during high school, I started watching American TV, and I thought, 'This is actually fun.' So, I became more interested in speaking English and re-studying it. That's when I started thinking about studying abroad, and eventually went to an English school in Brighton and university in London after that. I felt like I could express myself more, rather than just writing down what the professor was saying. That was a great experience. M: What made you pursue a career in social media and entertainment in general? JT: I grew up watching Japanese TV, and I remember always thinking I wanted to be on TV. I knew I wanted to be in showbiz in Japan. And even in school, people would tell me that I should be on TV and that I should be a comedian. When I was in high school, I started ringing all these foreign agencies to sign up. And then I started going to auditions and shoots. However, at one point, they began asking me to appear on TV as a commentator in the UK. The problem was, I'm not from the UK, so I can't really talk about it like an expert. And when it came to acting, they wanted me to be the stupid, crazy foreigner in commercials. I felt that wasn't me. I thought: 'I freaking speak Japanese, let me do more!'. Also, TV is super scripted, even reality or talk shows, more than you might think. I felt nothing was authentic. That's why I started talking about my life on social media. I needed to really talk about what I was experiencing because I was going through a lot. I was having identity issues, thinking 'Who am I? What am I? Where do I fit in?' I was also a bit fed up with Japan. I was sharing those feelings with my audience. Then I wanted to go deeper, but when things get too deep, people don't want to watch your content. So I thought about how to do it in a lighter way. I love comedy, so I thought I could mix comedy with that identity issue part of myself. I started recording myself imitating Japanese people in various situations, like my real estate agent video. That was me kind of getting back at Japan a bit (laughs). It was me showing people here what it's like to be rejected because of your looks or your passport. M: You started vlogging in English but later transitioned into Japanese. What prompted that change, and what differences did you notice? JT: Back then, I was trying to go big. The English-speaking population is 10 times the Japanese population. But my native language is Japanese. My Japanese is way better than my English, so it made more sense to make content in Japanese. I can just speak my own language and be true to myself, because I feel like I'm a different person when I make content in English. I rewatch it and think, 'Who is this person?'. When I went back again to London, I thought it would be interesting to show a British-looking person moving to London, but in Japanese. That's kind of funny, right? And it felt more natural. I felt 'This is what I want to do. This is who I am.' But I knew the English-speaking audience was way bigger, so I began adding subtitles on my Instagram videos. Then, it really took off. I didn't expect people abroad would relate and find my content funny, considering it's in Japanese, but they did. And vice versa, showing Japanese people that there is potential in Japanese comedy as a way for the world to see the real side of Japan. I've noticed people are more interested in Japan than ever. I'm really happy that people are actually finally noticing how cool things are here. I think the world wants to see more of the real side of Japan, so I think that's why people are interested in my content. M: Your YouTube channel focuses on interviewing international residents or those with non-Japanese ancestry. What have you learned from talking to these people? How do their experiences compare to yours? JT: I've realized that every person has a different experience. The biggest thing I noticed is that, although I'm third-generation, I've only spoken to second-generation people. Third-generation non-Japanese in Japan are very rare. All the people I've interviewed had more extreme experiences because their parents didn't speak Japanese. My parents spoke Japanese, so they fully knew what was going on. They could talk to my teachers, schoolmates and friends. I realized I had a more straightforward experience compared to my channel's guests. There's a massive difference between me and them. M: Your Instagram is more about comedy skits. What's your creative process for coming up with characters and situations? JT: I have a really good memory. Something that happened to me 10 or 20 years ago still lives inside my body. It's really easy for me to recreate that, to bring up that energy again. I just go back into my memory and pick and choose what setting I want to do, and then I get into the mood. I ease in, and it all comes together. For example, I did a retail worker role. I used to work at Zara, so I experienced that intense way of walking and screaming a welcome to customers. One morning, I woke up and that memory came back, and I just started doing it. I don't plan things. I don't write things down. It's all about instinct. I just let my body and energy take me to where I'm supposed to go. I do love thinking a lot. And listening and watching the world around me. I'm also good at imagining. So I just pick and choose fact and fiction, and weave it all together. M: Where would you like to see your career take you in the future? JT: I'm starting a project right now. If that works out, it's gonna be like a summary of what I've achieved in my life so far. I can't really talk about it too much, but I do want to create something that sums up what I've done and who I am into one tangible thing. My YouTube and Instagram stuff is more spontaneous, but I want to sit down and work on something that requires more effort and planning, with higher quality. About life, I want to keep going back and forth between London and Tokyo, but I can say that because I'm still 29. I think there'll come a point in life where I will have to settle down. In an ideal world, I'd want to keep moving, seeing and experiencing new things. But at the same time, I like having Japan as a base to come back to. It's a place where I feel comfortable.
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Bandai's plastic model museum to open in Shizuoka, central Japan, in September
SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) -- Bandai Spirits Co. on Wednesday unveiled a hands-on museum set to open Sept. 2 inside its plastic model production plant in Shizuoka, central Japan, showcasing the latest manufacturing technologies. At the entrance, visitors will be greeted by a monument modeled after life-sized parts from a plastic model kit of Gundam, a world-famous giant robot from the long-running Japanese anime franchise and a symbol of the country's pop culture. By establishing the new facility in Shizuoka, which aims to promote local revitalization through the city's model industry, Bandai Spirits will try to draw plastic kit fans from Japan and abroad, encouraging them to experience the region's craftsmanship. Shizuoka has long been known as the nation's hub for model making, building on its tradition of woodworking fostered by rich natural surroundings, and later becoming home to leading plastic model makers, according to the local government. Admission will be by reservation only, with tickets priced at 2,860 yen ($19) for visitors aged 13 and older, 1,100 yen for those 12 and under, and free for preschool children. The museum occupies the second and third floors of a new factory that began operations in late July. It will present the production process and design of plastic models, while allowing visitors to act as designers by selecting colors and creating packaging. Bandai Spirits President Hiroshi Sakakibara said, "We want to share the culture of plastic models from Shizuoka with the world. I hope that children who experience this museum will one day pursue careers in manufacturing."
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Celebrated Korean poet Yun, who died in Japan, still resonates 80 years on
FUKUOKA (Kyodo) -- This year marks the 80th anniversary of Korean poet Yun Dong Ju's death in a Japanese prison for his involvement in the Korean independence movement during World War II. Celebrated as a national poet in South Korea and by fans worldwide, Yun is renowned for his childlike introspection and critical poetic resistance against Japanese colonial rule. A poetry society in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan -- where Yun died in prison at age 27 while serving a two-year sentence for violating a wartime security law -- has held monthly gatherings in his honor for over three decades. "There is much to be learned from his hope for peace and his hard work during the difficult period of colonial rule, transcending times and countries. His work is a source of support for us today," said Mikiko Managi, the 61-year-old leader of the Yun Dong Ju Poetry Society. Managi addressed around a dozen members who gathered to read Yun's poetry in April. Yun's poems were not published during his lifetime, but they became powerful symbols of national identity and resistance after his death. "He has the gaze of a children's poet, and you feel no hatred in him," Managi said. The society, established in 1994, selects one of Yun's poems each month and discusses their impressions. Its members, ranging in age from their 30s to 70s, include Korean residents of Japan and Japanese learners of the Korean language. The poem selected for discussion in April was "Until Dawn Comes." A verse translated into Japanese by Go Ibuki and published by Shoshikankanbou in Fukuoka reads: "...If they all shed tears, let them suckle milk. And when the dawn comes, they will hear the sound of the trumpet." There are many translations of Yun's poems, including "Sky, Wind and Stars by Yun Dong-ju," the first English translation of Yun's complete works, published in the United States in 2003. In 2020, Korean-American poet Byun Man Sik translated Yun's most notable poems into English for a book titled "Yoon Dong-ju: Selected Poems." Each member of the Fukuoka poetry group has their own interpretation. "I think 'Dawn' may mean the liberation of the Korean people," said first-time participant Takashi Tanabe. "Yun compares crying people to babies. It is so sweet," said Managi. Managi came across Yun's work while studying abroad at Yonsei University in South Korea, the successor to Yun's alma mater, Yonhi College. After returning to Japan, a colleague invited her to join the club in 1997. She says Yun's work appeals to her because of its nuance, which she experiences differently each time she reads his poetry. Yun was born in Manchuria (now northeastern China) in 1917. In 1942, he moved to Japan and enrolled in the English Literature Department at Rikkyo University in Tokyo. Later that year, he transferred to the same department at Doshisha University in Kyoto. While studying at Doshisha in 1943, Yun was arrested by the secret police and, the following year, sentenced to two years' imprisonment for violating the Public Order and Safety Act. He is believed to have been punished for writing poems in his native Korean language despite facing immense pressure to use Japanese during the Japanese colonial period. Yun died in prison on Feb. 16, 1945, but the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear. His poetry mainly focused on the internal struggles and moral conflicts faced by a young Korean intellectual under Japanese imperialism. Japan's colonial rule of Korea lasted from 1910 to 1945, ending with Japan's defeat in the war. Initially involving direct military rule, it was followed by efforts to assimilate Korea into Japan through cultural suppression and economic controls. Yun's poems often used nature as a backdrop to explore themes of national identity, personal guilt, and the search for purity during a time of oppression. His poems are also characterized by glimpses of the folk spirit and Christianity -- Yun himself was Christian. After his death, his family and friends published a collection of his poems in South Korea in 1948. These poems were later translated into more than eight languages and compiled in the book "Sky, Wind and Stars and Poem," published in Japanese in 1984. This year, a Japanese-Korean bilingual book of poems with the same title was published in Japan. Doshisha University also awarded Yun a posthumous honorary doctorate in culture. Yun's work has had a significant impact in South Korea, where his poems appear in middle and high school textbooks. He was the subject of the South Korean film "Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet," released in February 2016. In February, Yun In Seok, Yun's 68-year-old nephew who supervised the bilingual Japanese-Korean edition, toured the site of the former Fukuoka Prison with Managi as his guide. Yun said, "He makes you think deeply about how he tried to live out his youth amid Japanese militarism. After peace came, his poetry came to be loved like crystal." Yuki Tsujino, an associate professor of Korean language at Kyushu University, said, "It would be good if more people read his poetry and interpreted it as they wish," noting the importance of freely sharing thoughts on Yun's work. "As long as people continue to read Yun, he will live on," Tsujino said. "There is no other Korean-language poet in the Japanese-speaking world like him."
