An overview of the complexity of Japanese cinema and video art.

J. Hoberman covers, Close-Up Japan, a mini-festival of Japanese film and video at Japan Society and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Hoberman explores the dominant Japanese world view in the late 80's within the wide selection of films being shown.

This exhibition, considered by some, as the largest showing of Japanese art in the US, featured a variety of media, but was centrally focused on video, and film. In addition to screening four programs of single channel video and film, the show also displayed award winning commercials, vintage comic book illustration, and installation. Called "vernacular art video" by curator Barbara London, "Close- up Japan" illustrates the importance of video technology in Japanese culture and daily life.