Living on Tokyo Time

1987 "She came to America and found the three R's: Romance, Rejection, Rock 'n Roll"
6.4| 1h23m| en| More Info
Released: 14 August 1987 Released
Producted By: Farallon Films
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

When her visa expires, a young Japanese immigrant in San Francisco agrees to marry a Japanese-American boy to avoid being deported back to Japan.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Farallon Films

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

XoWizIama Excellent adaptation.
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.
texwebs UPDATE (2 March 2016)Just received email from the film's director in response to my email of Feb. 29th where I had visited production company's web site asking about film and lamenting the fact it was not available on DVD. NEWS! The director told me that "out of the blue, MGM has released the movie on DVD" and it is now available on Amazon.com! After a decade or so of wanting a DVD of this film, my wish has been answered. Thanks MGM.This is a sweet, simple, funny low budget movie that is nearly impossible to find and as far as I can tell only on VHS. I have my third VHS copy. Can't remember what happened to first one. Second one I bought cheap at a flea market and had no sound. I have seen a used copy or two for sale on eBay and Amazon.I used this film in teaching Freshman Comp II at a community college in the early 90s for several reasons, but partly due to its low key humor that includes contrasting a real Japanese (a girl) with a Japanese- American wannabe rocker who eats cold cereal rather than sushi.It's a quiet movie with no sex, cursing, drugs etc. Just some interesting characters and a cute leading actress. The lead female character narrates the film in a sweet voice.
Michael Neumann The point of contact between two cultures can be a sometimes bewildering place, affording a unique glimpse into both worlds while not necessarily allowing a clear understanding of either. In Steven Okazaki's debut dramatic feature the culture clash is less a collision than it is a comic stalemate, presenting a benign communication breakdown between two young strangers thrown together in an awkward marriage of convenience. Ken is the thoroughly Westernized (some might say lobotomized) third-generation Asian American drop-out and aspiring punk rock guitarist who reluctantly agrees to go through the motions of marriage with Kyoko, a shy Japanese visitor looking to circumvent immigration laws after her travel visa expires. As is often the case with an independent, shoestring production the script is let down by inconsistent acting, but the lack of experience (on both sides of the camera) can sometimes work in Okazaki's favor. Beneath the unpolished, student film veneer is more genuine humor and compassion than in any of the largely impersonal blockbusters released by Hollywood the same summer, and at only a fraction of the cost.
dewanevl I just saw this on the Asian network. Steven Okazaki really caught the impossibility of communicating between the two young people, with the language differences and even the two cultures. He also caught the everyday life of an Asian-American, including the very tiring familial issues that can arise.Spoiler: It was a very sad movie in that you would very much like things to work out between the two parties and you really care for them. It's obvious that Ken is a good person and so is Kyoko. But the movie ends as you expect it to end. Ken's show of anger is just perfect at the very end - exactly as it would happen in real life, still worrying about not breaking anything, even though the most important thing in his life has disappeared.
Pepper Anne This is one of those films that explore the culture clash of Eastern born people in Westernized cultures. Loving on Tokyo Time is a sad film about the inability of opposites to attract due to major cultural differences. Ken, rock n'roll fanatic, marries Kyoto, a Japanese girl, so that she can stay in the United States when her visa expires. The marriage is only expected to be temporary, that is, until Kyoto gains legal status again. But, Ken, who seems to be lost in every relationship, takes a liking to Kyoto and tries very hard to make things work out. This, despite his friend's urging that dumping Kyoto and getting rid of all commitments to girls is bad for rock n' roll except to inspire some song writing about broken hearts and all of that. But Kyoto comes from a strict traditional Japanese upbringing, and doesn't expect to be married to Ken all that long. Not only that, she is homesick and wants to return to Japan. It's sad in that this is finally someone Ken thinks he can love and be with and all that, except the one time he thinks he's found someone to feel that way about, the girl isn't expecting to stay that long. It's not that she doesn't like Ken, it's just that she's used to a whole 'nother way of life. She says, "I can't tell him the way I feel in English, and Ken can't tell me the way he feels in Japanese." It's a rather sad love story with a killer 80s techno-nintendo soundtrack.I picked up Loving on Tokyo Time because it reminded me of one of my favorite 80s films, Tokyo Pop. And, for those of you who enjoyed Loving on Tokyo Time, check out Tokyo Pop (a New York singer goes to Japan and joins a Japanese American cover band), except it's a movie with a happy ending.