HOME MOVIES: OCCUPIED JAPAN

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1948

Format: 16mm

Description: One of a series of extraordinary home movies shot in Occupied Japan immediately after WWII, this film shows scenes shot in 1948, primarily at the Yuzawa Ski Resort. The man who filmed these was a Harvard graduate ('43) and U.S. Army Intelligence Officer named Robert Ryan. Ryan may have very well worked for the OSS, although it's not clear. He definitely worked as an instructor at the U.S. Army's AFFE Intelligence School, and toured Vietnam in the early 1960s to conduct strategic vulnerability surveys. These films dates to the period July 1947-May 1951, when Ryan served in the Department of Defense in the Geographic Branch, Theater Intelligence Division, Far East Command. During this time he served in Occupied Japan and in the Korean theater. This film begins with shots of the engineer in the cab of an electric locomotive (:10). This is probably the express train from Tokyo to Echigo Yuzawa, site of the Yuzawa ski area. At (:50) a small water wheel is visible, possibly a hydro-electric power station. At (1:12) writing in the snow announces that it is February, 1948 and that we're in Yuzawa. This area is known as "yukiguni" which translates to "snow country". It remains the most convenient ski region to get to from Tokyo. Skiers are seen on the hills of the resort, which looks fairly primitive in this era, with lots of tar paper shacks. At (1:57) a train is seen arriving at the base of the ski resort. At (2:44) a fallen skier is helped by a friend. At (4:54), skiers pose for the camera. At (5:30) color footage shows a cable tow line, which was used in place of a ski lift, allowing skiers to ride up to the top of the hill. At (6:00) a Japanese man, possibly a famous skier, poses for the camera and for photographs. At (6:29) there is a ceremony of some sort -- it's unclear exactly what it represents. At (7:33) a western woman, possibly Ryan's wife, dons skis and heads to the slopes.

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