Japanese food culture might be ancient, but Japan's obsession with food in pop culture is relatively recent. The "gourmet boom" of the bubble-era 1980s — when Japanese had more money and leisure to dine in style, rather than simply fill their stomachs — was a big spur. The accompanying proliferation of food-themed comics, TV shows and movies still continues, with no end in sight.
Taking so-called foodie-ism to new heights is "Little Forest: Natsu/Aki (Little Forest: Summer/Autumn)," the first two parts of a four-part film directed by Junichi Mori about a young woman living alone in her family home in the fictional village of Komori (which literally translates as "Little Forest") in Tohoku.
Based on a manga by Daisuke Igarashi serialized in "Gekkan Afternoon" magazine from 2002 to 2005, the film celebrates the simple life, if "simple" means growing, preparing and cooking your own food: from rice and tomatoes to delicacies (or oddities) such as homemade Nutella and Worcestershire sauce.
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