As someone who proudly follows Kōtarō Abe, I couldn't miss this.

I had heard about adding music to silent films before, so...

I had assumed Abe-kun would be on piano or accordion... I drove to the Yokohama Museum of Art alone with that misinterpretation, but it was completely off the mark. It seems he was tasked with overseeing the entire project, carrying on the will of the late Yūya Honda, who composed the music for this work. I'm not a musician, so I don't know the details, but it's a challenging endeavor, to say the least. The musicians involved in this project reportedly bravely challenged the realm that the superhuman Yūya Honda aimed for.

My honest impression was that it was truly fascinating. I couldn't suppress my laughter, chuckling as if I were watching a comedy.
In other words, it was as if my hands and feet were moving independently, disconnected from each other.
Both the silent film and the live performance were independently and indescribably wonderful, but
it was the imbalance that arose from each being too wonderful that made me laugh involuntarily.
To put it another way, it was the kind of obvious absurdity you see in a troubled tanuki wearing two hats on one head.
The brilliance of the music, the overwhelming power of the live performance by Chanchiki Torunedo,

and the somewhat comical silent film transported me
to another world in an instant.

Huh? Where am I now? What am I doing here?
Shall I call it the pleasure of feeling my consciousness and body separate?
Hmm, it's incredibly difficult. This sensation.

In short, it was a pleasure I had never experienced before. That's what it was.

Perhaps the Japanese people are living under a profoundly strange low-pressure system. And,

actually, maybe Japanese people are among the rarest, most amusing, and coolest people in the world.

So, 'reserved pervert' was truly the ultimate, stylish expression!

Ah, I'm starting to make excuses again, so I'll stop here for today.


Harbor Spectacle: Film x Music Program
Screening of Silent Film 'The Japanese Girl at the Harbor'
x Live Performance by Chanchiki Torunedo

Experience a silent film set in exotic Yokohama, accompanied by live brass and keyboard music. The silent masterpiece 'The Japanese Girl at the Harbor' (1933, directed by Hiroshi Shimizu), set in the beautifully exotic port city of Yokohama, is revived with the melancholic yet progressive melodies composed by Yūya Honda in 2003, performed live by Chanchiki Torunedo. This is a highly anticipated revival of one of composer Yūya Honda's major works. Don't miss this unique opportunity. (This production is a revival version from the 4th Tokyo FILMeX.)

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