OSAKA -- Over the past year or so, Japan has figured in several popular Hollywood films.
Tom Cruise starred in "The Last Samurai," a cheesy period drama that drew rave reviews, while Bill Murray turned in arguably his finest dramatic performance in "Lost in Translation" -- an otherwise vastly overrated film set in a Tokyo that looks, and acts, like a "manga" cartoon.
These were films that make anybody familiar with Japan groan or mutter, "Typical Hollywood."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.