Picture Bride -Jacob Butler

In the opening scene, we learn Riyo's parents’ died.  She is told, “you are going far away so no one knows your past”.  Later in the film, there is a scene where Riyo and her husband, Matsuji, are sitting under a tree, and Riyo talks about her parents.  She tells Matsuji that  her parents died of “tuberculosis”.  Matsuji gets very upset and is embarrassed by the fact that this is how they died, and he didn’t know.  Traditionally, dying of tuberculosis was embarrassing and the family had to deal with the shame that goes along with dying from this disease.  However, Matsuji accepts this fact and helps build a shrine so Riyo “can honor her parents properly”.  This is a traditional practice of Shintoism.  Matsuji and Riyo also celebrate the holiday of Obon, where they light candles in honor of Riyo's parents, and for Kana and her child.  They float the candles into the stream.

“Picture Bride” is based on the concept Takaki addresses on page 47.  It was the “Picture-Bride system, or shashkin kekkon”. (Takaki 47) In this system, the two matchmakers would exchange photographs and the couples would send letters.  We see this when Matsuji sends the haiku about the waterfall.  Masuji also sends a picture of himself, which turns out to be a very old picture.  The couples wouldn’t know each other very well, so there could be surprising moments as shown when they went to the bath house, and she discovers he is 43 years old.  She says with surprise, “that’s older than my father was”.  

We see many Japanese women working in the fields.  One major difference between Japanese Americans and Chinese Americans was at the time “The U.S. government had strictly prohibited the entry of Chinese women” (Takaki 50).  Women from Japan were allowed to come to the U.S. pursuant to the Gentleman's Agreement.  This is why that Riyo was allowed to go to Hawaii and work.  Had she been Chinese, she probably wouldn’t have been allowed to marry.  

This film is similar to “Eat a Bowl of Tea”.  In this film, Ben goes to China to get married.  This part is different because Riyo and Matsuji had never actually met, but in both cases they had a matchmaker set them up.  Ben didn’t know Mei Oi very well before they got married, much like how Riyo and Matsuji didn’t know each other very well.  This is why when they met for the first time and she was asked if this was the right man, Riyo says “I don’t think so he is too old”.  

A story we read in “Bold Words” called “Seventeen Syllables” mirrors the feelings felt in part of this movie.  There is a scene where Riyo receives a haiku from Matsuji about Hawaii.  She is impressed with how beautiful Hawaii sounds.  The sentiment in this story is how the “Haikus in English… Delighted [her]”  (Yamamoto 154).  This shows the affection that is felt towards haikus in traditional Japanese culture.
    The critical race tenant that some groups have no interest in ending racism is clearly displayed in this film.  Kana asks to “move the children” but Antone says they have too much work and don’t have time.  He puts the lives of the Japanese Americans at risk.  Antone also talks down to them and threatens to whip them.  In this case, the racism is what allows him to treat the workers as if they were slaves.  He directly benefits from the way they are being discriminated against.  The workers are also segregated.  When Riyo and Matsuji get the house, Riyo is surprised by how dilapidated it is.  Matsuji replies with “you should see the workers quarters”.  The workers, who are mostly Japanese, are separated from everyone else.