= new reply since forum marked as read
I spent several months in Tokyo in '69. Medevac to Camp Zama Army Hospital. Marvelous city. Very bright, colorful and busy!
School-girls would visit the wards to practice their English. Very nice young women, very polite and friendly. Always in groups of four, for decorum's sake.
The mountain I could see from the ward window, was that Fujisan, or is my memory faltering? Quite beautiful.
I watched a lot of sumo there, of course!
Yes, Comcast charges for their Japan package, 3 stations, so it's outrageous. Oddly, the Korean stations come in free. I enjoy the K-pop shows, but their detective shows aren't nearly as good as Japanese shows. I don't have any talent for languages, so I don't speak either one. Still, you can get an idea of the plot just from the activity, and I love the sound of spoken Japanese. Can be very threatening and impressive when used in anger, but just lovely when used in normal conversation. I'll watch a Japanese movie just to listen to the language.
It's very fun when I recognize one of the few word's I know.
I didn't see any Zatoichi when I was there, but became a big fan when the translated versions were shown here. I've seen all of Kurosawa's work; dubbed, subtitled, and Japanese. I love to compare the American derivative films, especially Eastwood's early work. Shame Clint's a Republican.
When I saw Rutger Hauer's "Blind Fury" I recognized it as a rewrite of the Zatoichi episode. That was cool, kind of "insider's knowledge".
Thanks again for these posts, yuiyoshida. I don't often comment but I check every one that I see and enjoy them all.
(yeah… I looked it up!) 
