1574 An interesting look at [pre-war?] Japan. It does not belittle their beliefs, but rather explores their way of life. Pretty cool look at industrial Japan and its culture. Surprisingly Not Too Racist for 1941 nilsnordstrom 2003-03-09 19:41:02 2003-03-09 19:41:02 4 1737 A fascinating historical document which outlines Japan just before the outbreak of World War II. Just looking at the year of the film (1941) makes you wonder how much time passed before this film was made and when Japan struck Pearl Harbor. Anyways, the film is a bout 2 children and their family and all their cute Japanese customs. The film is a bit racist and stereotypically Japanese, but that can be excused for the time period. A interesting film to watch, and it is recommended. A voyage back to a quieter time.. Spuzz 2003-03-27 23:27:43 2003-03-27 23:27:43 4 12662 Unlike many films of its time, "Children of Japan" is completely fair in its portrayal of the Japanese. It comes out as an non-biased, informative film on how a typical day for a middle class Japanese family would have been [before Pearl Harbour]. Its most interesting to see how American perceptions of Japan changed withing two years; one can see the difference by watching the 1943 propaganda flick "Our Enemy - the Japanese". Good mini documentary. tuco 2004-05-04 12:28:12 2004-05-04 12:28:12 4 16439 Considering the year this was made, 1941, I at first thought it was a WWII propaganda film. But no, this is a charming childrens educational film made just before the war about life in Japan. We follow two siblings, Taro and Yukiko, as they go through their day with their family, at school, and going to a cherry blossom festival. It looks pretty realistic, though in simplified form, about Japanese life at the time, and everything seems peaceful and well-ordered. Look at all those strange but nice people from another culture, children! Dont be afraidthey may seem different to us, but deep down theyre really like you and me. How quickly that would change! In fact, I wonder if this film got any showing in classrooms at all, considering how quickly its tolerant message became outdated. I could swear I saw the scene of Japanese boys practicing fencing at school in a later propaganda film. Here, its shown as another charming Japanese cultural practice, but in the other film it was shown as proof of Japanese indoctrination of children in military values. Overall, this is an interesting snapshot of our attitudes towards the Japanese just before we went to war with them. Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: *** (gets an extra star for the fact that it just begs for msting about Godzilla). Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: *****. Overall Rating: ***. Pre-War, Pre-A-Bomb, and Pre-Godzilla Christine Hennig 2004-07-11 13:12:39 2004-07-11 13:12:39 3 an interesting little film about japan family life! i enjoyed watching it! 1941 japan babe917 2009-12-21 08:51:23 2009-12-21 08:46:32 4 5 3.80