Tokyo Tower

Cast:

Okada Junichi as Tooru Kojima
Hitomi Kuroki as Shifumi
Matsumoto Jun as Koji
Shinobu Terajima as Kimiko

I was actually at a loss because of the poor line exchange between the characters, especially for the main characters Tooru Kojima (played by Junichi Okada) and Asano Shifumi (Hitomi Kuroki). Their love story wasn’t a sympathy-inducing one. On the other, although the plotline rests on older woman-younger man illicit affair, there was moral reprisal in the end.


Tooru and Shifumi

I like the contrast of Tooru and Koji. They are both young men who prefer mature women. But Tooru is the instigator of these wild acts. As follows, Koji, despite having good looks and queuing girls around him, has decided to date older women because of what he sees in Tooru. Although they are both having so-called forbidden relationships, they are very much different from each other. Koji is rougher and more physical. He is someone who acts at the spur of the moment. Koji also is a weak character because unlike his friend, he does not have the guts to settle what he has gotten into. The scene wherein his girlfriend Yumi, Yoshida (his former classmate whose mom he slept with) and Kimiko (lonely married woman he is currently involved with) gathered to meet him, he felt trapped and embarrassed. Tooru is very different. After dueling with Shifumi’s husband, he still brushed up the courage to meet Shifumi in the midst of an up-market party. He is also a gentler counterpart of Koji. He is romantic, bookish and outwardly placid. He is submissive to his beloved unlike Koji who acts when he feels it.

Koji was not consistent in his feeling towards Kimiko. Probably it is rooted from his unforgettable past when he slept with Yoshida’s mom and got caught. But the probable reason why he still aims for older women is his youthful impulse to be rebellious and risky. Nonetheless, he showed caution once in awhile when he told Kimiko about his rules when it comes to relationships such as he does not like accepting money from the woman, and no women with children.

The movie, released last 2005 was directed by Takashi Minamoto and was based on the novel of Kaori Eguni. It’s quite a controversial movie because of the moral stance it tried to depict. Women in Japan are very much repressed if dated back into the olden times. But still, at present, with a male-dominated society, this film timely showcased women’s sentiments and agonized existence. Shifumi is the wife of a wealthy businessman. Although enjoying all the luxuries in life, she desires passionate love and affection. She finds these in the 21-year old Tooru. On the other, Kimiko is a plain housewife who is used to her routine to take care of the house and settle all the “garbage”. She encounters the appealing Koji in a parking lot. Although both women are involved with younger men, they also have conspicuous differences. Shifumi is very unyielding to transcend the rules of love and kept her relationship with Tooru as silent as possible. Kimiko is the braver one. She had the nerve to confront Koji and show how futile the relationship was.

But I still could not empathize with the women in the film. If it is a means of women empowerment, I do not think the movie succeeded in doing so. Women are still portrayed as the weaker sex. They were the ones who suffer the most because of the affairs. Unlike Tooru and Koji, they have their established reputations, husbands, friends and acquaintances to care about. Yoshida’s role in the movie is perhaps, what I could think of as a considerable attempt at women empowerment. When she appeared again in Koji’s life, she showed gained power and understanding. The tomato that she threw when she and Koji were still in 12th grade (when Koji and her mom were caught red handed) now morphed into something stronger and harder. When she picked up the billiard ball and pitched it towards Koji, she felt relieved and powerful. And that also brought awakening in Koji’s part.


A mature role for MatsuJun

I guess the love story is not much given focus as to the social realism manifested in the film. The movie’s title, Tokyo Tower, was lame. If it’s going to be about love story, then it’s apt. The only thing evident about using it as a title is because it served as the focal point wherein the two lovers remember each other. No matter what distance and differences as long as the tower is lit and it is seen, they know their love exists.


Tokyo Tower

For more information about the Tokyo Tower itself check this link