Blog #8

1. Zen Buddhism is integrated in the Japanese psyche like the part in the film when Saigo would reminisced and was determined to get back to his wife and unborn child.

2. Drinking for general Kuribayashi means maintaining and deepening hedatari with Nishi. They have a common interest because they both rode horses and they  were able to talk strategy, and bond before the battle.

3. The negative effect of uchi and soto is not giving someone with common interest a chance to become uchi. Saigo kept Shimizu at a soto distance. when he first arrived. he then later in the movie worked together.

4. The negative effects were some groups were better prepared and some groups were not and the groups that were not died and were not sent back up. They didn't have a say to if they wanted to commit suicide, they wanted to keep the harmony and follow the rules.

5. The distance started to come together because both groups saw each other human side. Realized they were forced into a horrid war. they could relate during this war, they had families that missed them they wanted to go back home.

6. The connection between Letters from Iwo Jima and The last Ronin was how both film believed they had a mission at hand and to complete that mission at all costs. Magoza from the Last Ronin ended up killing himself like many soldiers did in Iwo Jima after being ordered to. both the soldiers were  devoted and loyal. Bushido is in both movies, it affected this war because the soldiers committing suicide made them lose the war and gave it a higher chance for the Americans to capture Japanese soldiers.

7. They were keeping distances from each other because they knew they were destined to die. it was really a suicide mission, but giving up and committing suicide because they were told to showed Honne to Tatemae. they were loyal and didn't say anything or come up with another plan because they wanted to maintain the face of obedience.

8. Saigo was captured and became a P.O.W. Ito ends up surrendering. Saigo didn't want to go to war in the first place and was forced, so he felt the Emperor was not worthy enough for his death. He'd rather fight till the end. while lieutenant Ito was completely devoted and loyal to the emperor and the war.

9. Honne to Tatemae and Bushido were both concepts that were thoroughly used in the film.many soldiers just blindly followed orders and kept the harmony. they did as they were told and was loyal. they kept their true feelings to themselves from fear to disagreeing to the tactics of building the island defenses.  

10. I learned that we are still the same. both the american and Japanese died on a unnecessary war. and both were dealing with the same things. missing their families, and preparing for a suicidal war. the most striking would probably have to be when the soldiers died by  killing themselves with grenades.