Released: 1987

Dir.: Steven Okazaki

First time viewing reaction.

Living on Tokyo Time is about the culture clash between Japanese and Japanese Americans, and it’s fascinating on that level alone. However, the film resonated with me on a different, and personal level.

Kyoko (Minako Ohashi) comes to San Francisco after ending her engagement to an unfaithful fiancé in Japan. Although she has a job, her visa expires, and she wants to stay in the U.S. A co-worker sets her up with Ken (Ken Nakagawa), a shy guitarist, who has recently broken up with his girlfriend, and suggests marrying Ken to get her green card. I have never related more to a character in recent years than I have with Ken.

Ken is very shy, and rarely shares his emotions. There are times you want to check his pulse just to make sure he’s still with us. He is the classic brooding artist that inhabited the 1980s, and according to everyone who knows him he is also very nice, to a fault. Being nice usually causes him to either not have, or ends any romantic relationship he may be involved in. Brother, can I relate to that.

While in college I was the classic brooding artist that inhabited the 1980s. I was accused, more than several times, of being too nice. The only real difference is that while I was studying film production, I came out of my shell somewhat, and was in an environment that I felt I truly fit into. But, when it came to relationships, I floundered badly. ‘I just like you as a friend’ I was told often, and yes, I was told to my face, ‘I like you, but you’re just too nice.’ And ‘I really like you, but HE has a job.’ No, really. And our hero Ken faces the same scrutiny time and again.

Anyway, Ken and Kyoko get married, and unfortunately, over time Ken falls in love with Kyoko, who just wants her green card. Both Kyoko and Ken have difficulty expressing their emotions, their entire relationship is awkward, but ultimately, they get their messages across, with Ken hoping Kyoko will come around. Kyoko is firm, this is strictly a marriage of convenience.

I can’t help but ask myself, what is so wrong with being nice? Ken is in a heavy metal band, not a good one, but he is in a band. That itself is not bad ass enough? Do you have to roll your Firebird, jump out of perfectly good airplanes, fling yourself off a bridge attached to a bit of elastic band, or drink yourself into oblivion to be desirable? Well, that’s how I felt. Fortunately, I didn’t do anything that stupid. Although, I did make my mistakes, thoughtless mistakes, that I’m too shy to talk about, but don’t we all for love.

Ken really doesn’t do anything stupid, aside from protecting his emotions, perhaps with good reason, he’s afraid of being hurt again. For simply being himself. Rejection is hard, and it hurts. A lot. Rejection for simply being a nice person can be devastating.

Now, I understand that this is a film about a unique form of culture clash, and Kyoko is acting in accordance with how she’s been brought up. She is genuinely a good person, however I just couldn’t generate any sympathy for her plight, and I was left feeling that she was quite selfish. Yes, I found Ken frustrating at times for not expressing himself, but I must remember these are young people, their skulls haven’t hardened yet, and I was young once as well. We can be all these things, shy, selfish, scared, at some point in our lives, and yes rejected. Kyoto is responding to being rejected herself. So, there are indeed two sides to every story.

I should also note, the girlfriend who breaks up with Ken at the beginning of the film is someone who can be described as a ‘bad girl’ type. Kyoko on the other hand is the complete opposite, quiet, gentle, kind, almost the same as Ken. So, it’s not like Ken is falling for the same type of person repeatedly. ‘Bad’ or kind, Ken can’t seem to win. Been there, done that.

Living on Tokyo Time is a small independent film, with a student film vibe that really appealed to me. Some of the acting is amateurish, but that adds to the charm. The members of Ken’s band are clearly not actors, but those scenes are very funny for the right reasons, as are the scenes with Ken’s co-workers.

In a way the film is about regular people just trying to find happiness, and it just keeps passing them by in the night. Ironically, Kyoko ends up going back to Japan, which devastates Ken, who smashes his beloved guitar. Kyoko sends Ken a thoughtful letter, which I thought was a bit too little, too late, about being friends and Ken spots a new guitar in a pawn shop window, rekindling his passion for rock music. No matter how cursed you are with being nice, you still have to move forward. No wonder I’m so depressed.

Living on Tokyo Time is streaming on the Criterion Channel.