[Home Movies of Japan: Sumo; Aerial Views and More / circa 1947 – 1948]

Maker Mitsuoka, Norio

Dateca. 1947-1948

Mediumfilm, metal

DimensionsFilm Format: 8.00 mm, Diam: 7 in

ClassificationsMoving Images

Credit LineGift of Norio Mitsuoka

Object number95.54.9

DescriptionA mix of color and black & white home movie footage filmed by Norio Mitsuoka, circa 1947 to 1948. Footage includes scenes from a river in Nagatoro, Japan, a small river in Nikko, Japan, a Cherry Blossom festival in Ueno, people attending a sumo match, aerial shots from a jet plane, and winter landscapes of a Japanese town.

Timecode list:

0:31 – A large white sign that reads “Nagatoro”
0:33 – Young man in an army uniform takes pictures of a rushing river
0:36 – Rushing water in a river
0:48 – A girl stands in the river as a young man in an army uniform sits by
0:52 – A train passes on a bridge over the river
1:01 – Three boys with shaved heads go fishing in the river with small buckets and lines. A girl stands in the river holding her shoes.
1:21 – A baseball game in the park with 8 young men
1:28 – Three young adults sit on a rock by a lake. A group of boys are walking around a shallow pool of water while one of them digs a hole in the mud.
1:43 – A white goat with a rope tied around its neck, standing in a field of grass. A younger goat (kid) is also pictured.
1:52 – Various people are hanging around the river. Two men in uniform stand by a cliff as a group of people ride on a boat.
2:03 – Two young women smile in kimono, possibly on the rocks above the river. There’s a gazebo behind them.
2:08 – A group of people (4 adults and 3 children) ride a boat down the river
2:17 – A train arrives at a station, filled with young men in army uniforms
2:31 – Footage of a bridge, shot from inside a train
2:48 – A map that reads “Birds-Eye-View of Nikko”, “Tochigi Prefectural Office”
2:49 – A small river runs below a traditional Japanese style bridge. A temple is also shown.
3:15 – A young woman cranks a machine that pours smoke (or steam) out of its chimney
3:26 – Different shots of a busy town: newspaper stands, repair shop, a shoe shiner, people gathering under a station with a sign reading “RTO”.
4:15 – Scenes from a Cherry Blossom Festival in Ueno. A young man in a school uniform talks into a small bullhorn and points to some drawings of figures on a sign. A water balloon stand sells pink and red balloons on sticks. Masses of people walk around the temple. A pagoda temple stands, framed by cherry blossoms.
5:57 – A young man in formal wear and glasses smokes a cigarette
6:07 – Closeups of blooming cherry blossoms
6:13 – A busy festival with many people gathering. A young man in an army uniform. Young women in geisha makeup and kimonos dancing to female shamisen players onstage.
7:19 – Black and white imagery of people entering a sumo tournament from the outside. Darkly exposed footage of a sumo match.
12:02 – People entering a building, looking at a scoreboard (?) A family walks up the steps to a building.
14:26 – Color footage of a Japanese pilot smiling at the camera, in front of an old jet plane.
14:39 – Footage from inside the plane, passing by the ocean, a cargo ship, Mt. Fuji (?) and different islands.
16:26 – Footage switches to black and white. The plane continues to fly over islands, passing another plane.
18:48 – Footage switches to color. Continuation of footage from inside the plane, as another plane passes over. Different aerial views of islands, ocean, and long stretches of terrain.
20:59 – A young Japanese man in an army uniform, sunglasses and safety vest stands in front of an old jet plane.
21:03 – A snowy street view of a Japanese town, with Japanese people in winter wear walking or biking through.
22:19 – A young man in a black winter coat and glasses stands beside a flagpole. On the top of the flagpole is a red flag with a Japanese kanji character written on it.
22:16 – Aerial landscape shots of a Japanese town covered in snow. The streets are busy with people.
25:05 – The same young man in a black coat stands in front of a building.
25:14 – More footage of the Japanese town in winter, snow covering the ground.

Light brown, colored metal case and spool with almost full reel of 8mm film. Two white paper 1" labels on top cover- "4 of 4" inscription. Bottom cover has masking tape labels with inked inscriptions. Also paper l" label exactly like the one on top cover with "4 of 4" inscription.