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“Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful” by Yuriko Gamo Romer
San Francisco-based Yuriko Gamo Romer is an extraordinarily talented documentary filmmaker – someone who knows how to combine storytelling and research into a beautifully-presented piece of art.
Released in 2012, “Mrs. Judo: Be Strong, Be Gentle, Be Beautiful,” is a biographical documentary about Keiko Fukuda, the first woman to attain the 10th degree black belt in judo. This film traveled to more than 25 film festivals internationally and was awarded the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the International Festival of Sport Films in Moscow and was broadcast nationally on PBS.
Her current documentary project, “Diamond Diplomacy,” explores the relationship between the United States and Japan through a shared love of baseball. The film is currently in production. More information can be found at DiamondDiplomacy.com. Yuriko appeared on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom call in 2020 – check out our recap of that episode here.
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American Pastime
This dramatic historical fiction film, set in Utah’s infamous Topaz concentration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II, tells the story of a family’s internment and the role baseball played in the camps. Baseball not only provided a diversion and physical outlet – it also cultivated camaraderie amongst the interns and respect from the white American community.
American Pastime was inspired by the work of the Nisei Baseball Research Project and its founder, Kerry Yo Nakagawa. Kerry Yo was a special guest on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” in April 2021, and his episode was the most powerful in our series. You can watch the video on YouTube or read the recap here.
The link below is for streaming options on Amazon; to buy the DVD, click here.
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Diamonds in the Rough: Zeni and the Legacy of Japanese American Baseball
Using the life of Kenichi “Zeni” Zenimura, the godfather of Japanese American baseball, as the foundation, this 35-minute documentary captures the rich and overlooked history of Japanese American baseball. A must-watch for any baseball history buff who prides themselves on knowing the most influential characters in the game’s history, and for anyone with an interest in the Japanese experience in America. Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, famous for his role as Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid series, narrates this informative and enlightening film.
This documentary was inspired by the work of the Nisei Baseball Research Project and its founder, Kerry Yo Nakagawa. Kerry Yo was a special guest on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” in April 2021, and his episode was the most powerful in our series. You can watch the video on YouTube or read the recap here.
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Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams by Ema Ryan Yamazaki
Filmmaker Ema Ryan Yamazaki describes Japan’s National High School Baseball Championship (more commonly known as “Koshien,” for the stadium it’s played in) as a combination of the Super Bowl (for the national popularity and significance of the title) and NCAA basketball’s “March Madness” (for its intense, single-elimination format). In this film, Yamazaki grants viewers an insider’s look into two teams’ journeys to Koshien.
But this is not just a film about baseball, for baseball fans – this is a dramatic tale of the fighting spirit, harmony, tradition, and discipline that are the bedrock of Japanese culture, and how they fit into modern society.
For more about this fascinating documentary, check out our review. Ema Ryan Yamazaki appeared on JapanBall’s “Chatter Up!” Zoom call in 2020 – check out our recap of that episode here. For an in-depth, first-person Koshien experience, check out this article by Tom McGuire.
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Mr. Baseball
For most people, Mr. Baseball is their gateway into Japanese baseball, and we’re OK with that! The film does a good job showing the sometimes-bizarre and always-interesting life of a gaijin (foreigner) ballplayer in Japan.
Jack Elliot, played by Tom Selleck, is a talented but aging Major League Baseball player who finds himself traded to the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball. The movie showcases Elliot’s challenging adjustment to life in Japan and features many comical moments as he tries to acclimate to the cultural differences and customs of Japan and Japanese baseball.
The film does a good job of showing the contrasts between American and Japanese baseball cultures and is a decent introduction to NPB. It highlights the respect for tradition and importance of teamwork that is inherit in Japanese baseball versus the more individualistic approach we often see in Major League Baseball. While at first, you might not find Elliot to be a particularly charismatic protagonist, we’re willing to bet you’ll find yourself cheering him on and rooting for his redemption and success in both baseball and life.
If you’re a fan of the classic sports underdog story and comedy, Mr. Baseball is a heartwarming and humorous watch.
(Click below for streaming options, and if you want to order the DVD or Blu-Ray, click here.)