Hiroshi Shimizu Works Vol. 1 - Shochiku

The first DVD box set from legendary Japanese director Hiroshi Shimizu includes remastered versions of the three films “Mr. Thank You”, “The Masseurs and a Woman”, “Ornamental Hairpin”, and “Japanese Girls at the Harbor”. Region 2, NTSC, DVD-5, 4 discs. Japanese audio with optional English subtitles. For Vol. 2, see this link.

Mr. Thank You (Arigato-san, 1936) follows the daily routine of a happy-go-lucky bus driver who says “thank you” to just about everyone he meets. Through his passengers the film addresses things like financial troubles and the condition of Korean laborers in the era.

The Masseurs and a Woman (Anma to Onna, 1938) is the story of two blind masseurs. One of the masseurs falls in love with a woman from Tokyo who hides a mysterious past.

Ornamental Hairpin (Kanzashi, 1941) is about a hot spring resort where people go to escape their troubles. In fact, they enjoy the escape so much that none of them want to leave.

Japanese Girls at the Harbor (Minato no Nihon Musume, 1933) involves two young women named Sunako and Dora who attend a Christian school in Yokohama. They vow to stay friends forever, but things change when they meet a gangster named Henry.

Available at the following retailer(s) on April 25, 2008:

• CDJapan
• YesAsia