"Ue O Muite Aruko" Sightings

A few days ago I saw the brilliant Paul Thomas Anderson movie “Inherent Vice”, and just today I watched the Richard Ayoade film “The Double”. Though both films couldn’t be any more different- The Double a film about a Dystopian Society where a Man’s life gets taken over by his doppelganger, and Inherent Vice, a period tale of a Hippie Detective working in 1970’s L.A., but they both shared one thing- a scene with “Ue O Muite Aruko” (or, as it is more famously known in the western world, Sukiyaki) by Kyu Sakamoto, playing in it!

Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin: Motto Pancakku!!

Jesse Eisenberg spying on his double

 Both scenes make sense to have it: Inherent Vice is, after all, taking place in the 70’s, and they happen to be in a Japanese Owned American food Restaurant (Motto Pancakku!!) and The Double features a society not unlike Bladerunner where Asian Music is the Sound of the Times, but hearing the song in BOTH movies one-after-each-other had me thinking: has Ue o Muite Aruko reached that status of Retro-Cool that all singles secretly hope to attain?

Heck, it’s always been a super-catchy song, hence the reason it caught on as a single in America in the first place, and it’s been covered (albeit with english lyrics added) by so many western acts over the years, it’s immersion into Pop Culture cannot be denied…Whether classified as retro-cool or uber-kitsch, seems like through films, a whole new audience is getting exposed to how great this song is!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com