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The Madness of CreationDreamland Disneyland Research

Neil Gabler, "The Madness of Creation: Walt Disney" - Neutral recommended Disney biography!

This book is a recommended biography of Walt Disney, creator of Mickey Mouse.

What sets this book apart is its neutrality. As mentioned in the introduction above, this book neither overly praises nor criticizes Walt. It is written in a neutral manner.

This position of neutrality may seem obvious, but when you are a giant like Walt, it is not so easy. On the Disney side, Walt was often deified and presented as a deity, and on the other side, there were many instances where Walt was cast down as a satanic figure from a political or ideological stance.

This book, "The Madness of Creation: Walt Disney," is a recommended book that allows you to consider Disney from a variety of perspectives.
DisneylandDreamland Disneyland Research

R. Snow, "Disneyland: How the World's Greatest Entertainment Was Created" - A recommended book to learn the story behind the birth of the land of dreams!

The book is not simply a glorification of Disney, nor is it an exposé or slander to the contrary. As the book's obi proclaims, "Epic nonfiction that you need to read now," it is a documentary-style look at the birth of Disneyland and its development after its opening.

The book describes not only Walt Disney's superhuman imagination and work ethic, but also the struggles of the many people who made his reckless challenge a reality. To be honest, the construction of Disneyland as told in this book, including Walt's, is out of the ordinary.

Moreover, this theme park was built with laughably slapstick and reckless planning.

The glorious day of the opening of Disneyland was also "Dark Sunday" for Disney, and this episode is the highlight of this book. It is extremely interesting.
The Art of DisneyDreamland Disneyland Research

Christopher Finch, "The Art of Disney" - A recommended guide to the history of Disney's works in a fun way!

This film, "The Art of Disney," is a recommended way to learn about the history of Disney's films.

First and foremost, it is simply rich in illustrations, photographs, and documents! It is a book that is fun just to look at.

And when I read this book, I said, "What? That's what I thought!" I was surprised at many things. It makes you realize how the Disney films you have seen so far are tremendous "works of art".

We hardly even know Walt Disney himself to begin with. I was the same way. I had no idea that he was born in 1901, nor did I have any interest in him.

However, Disney's works still reflect his life and philosophy in abundance. This book will change the way you look at Disney's works.
spider silkYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Ryunosuke Akutagawa's "The Spider's Thread" Synopsis and Impressions - A famous short story, famous as a Buddhist fairy tale! A thread of salvation hung in hell!

The Spider's Thread" is the first children's literature written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, and is a famous short story that is also famous as a Buddhist tale. As a Buddhist monk, I have seen and heard the story of "The Spider's Thread" in many Dharma talks and Buddhist books, and I believe that this story has been familiar to the Japanese people as a whole, beyond the framework of temple-related works.

In the commentary at the end of the book, there is a detailed explanation of the production of "The Spider's Thread," which was quite a surprise to me. To summarize the main points briefly, (1) it is not known whether "The Spider's Thread" is originally of Buddhist origin or not, and (2) this work is also related to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy. This article will look at this in more detail.
Woman of the SandYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Kobo Abe's "The Woman in the Dunes" Synopsis and Impressions - Internationally acclaimed masterpiece! What is Kafkaesque worldview and international literature?

This work, "The Woman in the Dunes," is an internationally acclaimed masterpiece that has been translated into more than 20 countries.

The story itself is just as simple! The main character suddenly wanders into a dune and is unreasonably trapped in a house in a hole. He struggles to escape from the hole surrounded by sand walls.

The "Box Man" introduced in the previous article had a difficult storyline and was so strange that it was considered a problematic work, but the current work, "The Woman in the Sand," is very easy to read.

However, the absurd worldview typical of Kobo Abe is still present.

This was a valuable read for me as it got me thinking about the international nature of literature. This was an enjoyable read.
man who carries a geisha's shamisenYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Kobo Abe's "Box Man" Synopsis and Impressions - A dazzling world if you wear a box? A major influence on MGS director Hideo Kojima!

The current work, "Box Man," is indescribably exciting.

First of all, the title is a mystery to begin with. What is "The Box Man"?

I had only heard of Kobo Abe's "Hakon Otoko," but now I finally decided to read it for myself.

I had thought it was some kind of conceptual story in the image of Chekhov's "The Man in the Box," but I was surprised when I read it and found that it was really a story about a man who physically wore a box!

I highly recommend this work. I read this work as part of my study of Yukio Mishima, and it was a very enjoyable read as I could feel the differences in his style.
disregard for humanityYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Ningen Shikkaku" Synopsis and Thoughts - Did Dostoevsky Write Crime and Punishment as Synonyms? Thoughts on Dazai's Last Question

Like "Shayo" introduced in the previous article, "Ningen Shikkaku" also had a strong impact on readers. Dazai's writings have a unique magic power to make each reader think, "This is me! Dazai's writing has a unique magic power to make each reader think, "This is me! Young people who sympathized with the naïve nature of the protagonist became fascinated with Dazai's literature. The term "Shayozoku" was coined to describe these young people.

Among Dazai's works, "Ningen Shikkaku" is one of the most magically powerful works.

And for me personally, the connection between Dostoevsky and "The Human Disqualification" was very interesting.

This is because in the second half of the film, a discussion of Dostoevsky was inserted, in which "Crime and Punishment" was discussed.
setting sunYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Shayo" Synopsis and Impressions - The Aesthetics of Ruin. A masterpiece that gave birth to the Shayo clan. The work that determined Yukio Mishima's dislike of Dazai.

Shayo" is Osamu Dazai's masterpiece, and has become such a social phenomenon that the term "Shayozoku" was coined to describe young people who are fascinated by his works.

As the book "Bungo Navi: Osamu Dazai" says, "'Shayo' depicts the postwar downfall of people who were wealthy before the war, but there is a palpable sense of emotion at the sight of their beautiful demise.

In the commentary at the end of the book, it was also pointed out that the story is closely related to "The Cherry Orchard" by the great Russian writer Chekhov, and this is precisely the case. In particular, the story of Kazuko, one of the main characters, and her mother is filled with the sorrow of a fallen aristocrat.

However, for me, this novel was very interesting to read not so much because it is Dazai's masterpiece or because of his relationship with Chekhov, but because of his association with Yukio Mishima. In this article, I will discuss that relationship with Mishima.
Run, Meros!Yukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Running Meros" Synopsis and Impressions - Reading this textbook classic as an adult..!

Running Meros" is indeed a cheerful work. However, when I think of Dazai's later life, I feel sadness at the brightness of the work. Because the idealistic worldview of "Run, Melos" is so beautiful, I feel that Dazai's downfall is foreseen in it.

Maybe this is the kind of thing that we feel more as we grow older and learn more about the many things in life. You will feel what this bright masterpiece throws at you after knowing the sour and sweet sides of life. This is truly a luxurious reading experience. Perhaps it is because you are an adult that you can enjoy "Running Meros.
Run, Meros!Yukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Osamu Dazai's "Running-in Suit" Synopsis and Impressions - A Dazai-style adaptation of Judas' betrayal! The ultimate in human weakness, cunning, and teasing!

This story is called "I say. I say. Sir. That man is terrible. He is terrible." The story begins with the very "run-in complaint". Who is suing what? That is exactly what happened in the famous biblical story of Judas selling Jesus Christ.

Judas' betrayal is also a motif in Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting, The Last Supper. At the Last Supper, Jesus predicts that "one of the twelve apostles will betray me," which is depicted in this painting as a scene of great panic.

The traitor is Judas, and this work, "Rush-in Suit," is Dazai's depiction of how Judas committed treachery.

How could he write such a thing? What the hell is going on with Dazai? I can't help but think, "How in the world is Dazai able to write like this? It is an amazing work.