Japanese Views of Life and Death in the Film Love Letter (1995)

The Japanese film Love Letter, directed by Shunji Iwai, becomes a film that is appropriate for studying Japanese people’s values because of its aesthetic value, elaborate plot, and profound theme. In the aesthetic style, the two images of snow and cherry blossoms that the director uses are in line with the aesthetics of mono no aware and embody the concept of “cherish the beauty of the moment”; the plot is based on the death of one protagonist, and the main line is based on the memories of the other two protagonists about him, reflecting the idea of “death is a part of life” which the director wanted to express through such arrangement; the concept of “face the impermanence of life with peace of mind” is illustrated by the combination of the theme “facing death, accepting death” and the Japanese view on impermanence. This article shows how the Japanese view of life and death is combined with the film Love Letter, providing readers with a new perspective on the film and a way to understand the Japanese view of life and death.