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Kokoyakyu

Johnny Dickshot Jun 07 2006 07:26 AM

A couple years ago, I attended a fundraiser for Kokoyakyu, a documentary film about Koshien, the annual High school baseball tournament in Japan. This film is finished and premieres this week at the Brooklyn Museum (a single showing Thursday afternoon at 4pm, which I'll miss), then will be aired nationally on PBS (the POV program) on July 4. Check yer local listings. This thing looks pretty cool. Not sure if my paltry donation was worth a coproducing credit, but I'll be watching for it. [url]http://www.projectilearts.org/kokoyakyu/[/url]

Edgy DC Jun 07 2006 07:31 AM

Excellent. A big part of what Japan has and we lack in baseball is high-profile amateur competititon. Will there be archival footage of Kazzie and Hideki and Shinjo and Ichiro and such?

Johnny Dickshot Jun 07 2006 07:39 AM

My understanding is the film covers one tournament (04?? ... I guess), and includes interviews with folks like Hidecki Matsui recalling how huge and important it is. It's pretty much as popular an annual event as any in Japan -- every bit as important as the Japan Series, if not moreso. School baseball is basically the genesis of the game in Japan and traditions likening it to Samurai practices still carry on.

ScarletKnight41 Jun 07 2006 07:46 AM

Congrats on your producing credit JD. I'll look forward to seeing the film.

Mr. Zero Jun 07 2006 08:18 PM

Wow. That’s really cool. Thanks for the heads up. The Koshien Tournament is definitely one of the most popular events in Japan. It’s a three-week affair played at Koshien Stadium, home of the Hanshin Tigers, who sort of play the Boston Red Sox to the Yomiuri Giants’s Yankees—in other words, perennial also-rans. To add further indignity to the Tigers having won only three championships over the last 50 years (compared to the Giants’s 30 titles), every year the Tigers are forced from their stadium for a three-week “road trip of death” until the Koshien tournament is over. Go Hanshin! Hey, its my first post! Greetings Mets fans.

Elster88 Jun 07 2006 08:18 PM

Welcome Mr. Zero.

Frayed Knot Jun 07 2006 10:36 PM

This tourney, IIRC, gets it's own chapter in 'You Gotta Have Wa'. In a way it's sort of a cross between our NCAA hoops tourney and a mini version of the Olympics, in that it draws interest from those who don't even usually follow the sport and where those followers (often women) adopt favorite teams or players for the duration as in the manner some do here with young gymnasts or ice skaters. Throw in a generous helping of group pride that's so strong in Japanese culture and the angst that comes with it if/when an individual feels he's let his school/team down and you can begin to get a handle on how seriously this whole thing is taken.

Edgy DC Jun 07 2006 10:50 PM

Welcome Señor Zero.

Johnny Dickshot Jul 04 2006 07:02 AM

Bump. Airing on my local PBS station tonite at 10 pm, after them fireworks.

Iubitul Jul 04 2006 07:26 AM

Thanks for the heads up, JD. This looks really cool. [url=http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2006/kokoyakyu/]Link to Kokoyakyu page on PBS' site[/url]

TheOldMole Jul 04 2006 07:43 AM

Hey, that's what co-producers do. The film may not have been made without you. Congratulations.

Johnny Dickshot Jul 04 2006 09:02 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jul 05 2006 06:58 AM

I got a credit! Nice pictures. Pity that of the two teams they followed neither makes it to the final. You call that cheering?

metirish Jul 05 2006 06:33 AM

I watched it last night, interesting show.

Frayed Knot Jul 05 2006 12:49 PM

Anyone besides me start cracking up when the Japanese High School bands started playing instrumental versions of Barry Manilow (Copacabana) and Earth, Wind & Fire (September) in order to rev up the crowd?

Mr. Zero Jul 05 2006 01:08 PM

dang. was out of town. There's a rebroadcast on 7/10. at 1 AM though.