OCCUPIED JAPAN

Genre: home movie

Year Published: 1946

Description:

This silent, color home movie offers a glimpse into post-WWII Japan through the lens of a U.S. officer stationed there in 1945-46. Col. Arthur “Art" Paul Thayer Jr. was a member of the First Cavalry Division and the Sixth Army. After the defeat of Japan he was part of the U.S. Occupation forces, led by General Douglas A. MacArthur. The footage captures a range of scenes, including parades by occupation forces, and elements of everyday life, including shots of parks, people going about their day, farmers, and fishermen. It begins with a cultural event, featuring men in red samurai armor. Thayer's wife Lucille Anne Meyer and daughter Lucille Collette "Tardy" Thayer are also shown in the film. Cultural landmarks and customs are featured throughout.

This film was donated to Periscope Film by Marian McGregor Briegel, daughter of Col. Thayer.

0:00 Men in samurai armor preparing for a ceremony, 0:46 the start of the ceremony, 1:09 a woman dressed in red performing a dance in front of a crowd, 2:11 a woman in a suburban house garden, 2:25 flowers in the garden, 2:24 three women in a public park, 2:55 a woman jumping into a pool, 3:28 U.S. Army soldiers waiting in line, 3:51 an American President Lines steamship in port, probably taking personnel back to the United States 4:05 different shots of people being photographed on the deck of the ship, 4:38 senior military personnel at an informal gathering, 5:21 men performing a synchronized dance, 6:08 men in Samurai armor, 6:47 a large group of people sitting in front of the camera, 7:11 a military band performing, 7:24 shots of a public park, 8:30 American and British graves at the Yokohama War Cemetery, 9:15 a Cadillac Series 63 Sedan on a driveway, 9:32 U.S. Army soldiers and jeeps in a parade, sign for the Judge Advocate Section of the Eighth Army headquarters 10:35 close ups of high ranking members of the military at the parade, 10:52 farmers harvesting wheat, 11:15 fishermen checking ropes at the beach, 11:55 overview of a park, 12:15 Allied troops marching during a parade, 13:33 Jeeps, halftracks, and trucks driving in the parade,