Being Japanese Canadian, I have to say that the film and Schilling’s essay hit the nail on the head with regards to Japanese attitudes towards individualism. Japan has long been an insular society with a fierce sense of uniformity. The prejudices amongst themselves are expressed with blatant hostility. I’ve been snubbed and ostracized by “pure” natives who do not accept me for being “Westernized”. The irony of the film’s success is that it stands out for being so different from mainstream Japanese cinema. Fusako Urabe’s performance is amazing.