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MOVIES NIPPON |
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Hits and Heartthrobs on the Japanese Big Screen
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by James Hadfield |
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The lights go down and the film starts rolling. As usual, you’ll have to sit through ages of trailers and advertisements before the main feature starts. It all seems like a normal outing to the movies, until you notice that the theater is dead silent, and you’re holding a glossy movie program.
Welcome to the movies in Japan. While going to the movies over there isn't all that different from going anywhere else, it's not without its quirks. Japanese moviegoers might buy popcorn and a cola (and a collectable program!) before a movie, but they’re likely to finish their snack before the movie starts, or eat very quietly. Film audiences in Japan try not to make a noise during the movie, and you can always spot the foreigners: they're the ones who stand up and walk out as soon as the credits start rolling. Japanese viewers tend to sit and wait until the film has really finished. Oh, and until they feel they've got their money's worth.
Going to see a movie in Japan is a notoriously expensive undertaking, and is considered a formal “outing” along the same lines as going to the ballet. The standard ticket price is a wallet-shredding ¥1800 (about US$15) for adults, and ¥1500 for high school and college students. Sound a bit steep? Well, you could always go on Ladies’ Day—usually a Wednesday—and get tickets for just ¥1000 (assuming you're a lady, that is…and, yes, Men's Days do exist too, though they’re a lot less common). A similar discount is available to everyone on “Movie Day” (the first day of the month) and many theaters charge less for late screenings, usually about ¥1200 for anything after 8pm. |
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"MOVIES NIPPON Hits and Heartthrobs on the Japanese Big Screen " by James Hadfield has been edited for shojobeat.com; the complete article appears in the April 2007 issue of Shojo Beat Magazine. |
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