I think that this movie has been responsible for a significant change in my life. As a child I always had a desire to travel, particularly to Asia ;(my mother lived in Rappongi for a while and travelled all over SE Asia in her youth and would frequently relay tales of her Rollerskating across Tokyo) however just over 18 months ago although I still held a little of the desire, I had started to become a little set in my ways and the idea of travelling to such far off places seemed a little implausible.
I was in a stable job in the British Army and although I would make an annual trip to Morrocco from Gibraltar, it was organised through work and had become a little routine. I was a fan of the virgin suicides when it was released and read the book, so I was intrigued when reading a magazine on a sunlounger in Marrakech by an article on Coppola´s new film set in Tokyo.
As the cinema facilities in Southern Spain aren´t that great I didn´t see it untill buying it on DVD, and I think one of the effects it has had on me was to re awaken my awareness of the asthetic beauty in everyday life. I love the pale tones and the subtle nature of the film. Certainly when I decided to go I loved the feeling of being isolated from my western culture and being placed in something so different as to be completely new, in fact to visit Japan almost seems like a rebirth of sorts, as if you´ve escaped the mundane if only because even the mundane there is so different.
Since then I´ve also travelled through Thailand, Tibet, Malaysia and Singapore so it´s definitely infected me with the travel bug and as I´ve mentioned on the site before, I´m planning on trying to live in Japan for a while, so lots of sacrifices in saving and extra work, but then again I´d rather forego a few small comforts for something truely memorable.
It´s unfortunate I didn´t find this site untill after I´d just returned from my visit there, if only because I would have robbed all the coasters from the Hyatt sold them to you guys and made a killing (I never said I was a good Japanese surfer
).Anyway it would be interesting to hear of any changes the film has made to peoples lives, as I know it has mine.....