Twin Sisters of Kyoto (1963) User Reviews

Gentle story of twins separated at birth

[samyanari · 7/10 · 23 February 2002]

A beautiful girl, treated as an only child by considerate adoptive parents, is shocked to meet her identical twin at a fair. She learns that she and her twin sister were separated immediately after birth because of superstitions. Her twin had an unhappy upbringing. An earnest suitor is confused as to which of the two he should pursue.

Class and essential 'Japaneseness' are clear themes here

[laogui-04449 · 8/10 · 19 December 2023]

An abandoned baby of twins girls adopted into a higher class merchant family in first half 20th century Japan. Shima Iwashita playing both sisters, Chieko and Naeko, is stunning of course, but their characters are very understated, as you might expect. Her adoptive father is an artistic designer of fabrics, and rather unsuccessful merchant and there is a question as to whether Chieko will take on the shop. A young male obi designer and weaver is drawn to Chieko but is clearly aware of social boundaries.

Chieko meets Naeko by accident, and their relationship is revealed, but again the social difference between the two sisters is evident. The obi designer accidentally meets Naeko and assuming wrongly it is Chieko promises to design an obi for her - enough of the plot details; in time given the class considerations he pursues Naeko, and the idea of a spirit person emerges, all quite understandable.

Kyoto scenery is prominent, together with the festivals, and the tree-lined pathway in the royal gardens evokes memories for me.

This is a gentle story without conflict or drama, all in all a very pleasant film presenting something distinctly Japanese. Not everyone's taste, but it is mine!

The Old Capital

[yimaidh · 10/10 · 14 December 2023]

The novel earned Mr. Kawabata the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968, alongside "The Snow Country" and "The Sound of Mountains." The story is set in Kyoto, where the author delicately depicts the changing seasons and festivals. The main character, Chieko, is the only daughter of a kimono wholesaler, abandoned at birth. She meets her twin sister Naeko on the night of the Gion Festival, and the story revolves around their relationship...... The author's theme of "Let the Kyoto Region Remain Forever" is evident throughout the story. The novel is close to my heart as I lived in Kyoto for four years. The film adaptation was made in 1963 and received a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. In the late 1960s, five years after the film was made, I was a university student working part-time as a cameraman's assistant on a TV production team. Just at this time, Shima Iwashita, the lead actress in the film was appearing in a period drama, and I have a fond memory of working with her in the studio and of being able to talk about "The Old Capital" with her as if we were good old friends.