posts: 37

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id	title	slug	date	year	month	category	url	body_html	body_text	links_out_json
37	merry christmas	merry_christmas.html	2003-10-14	2003	10	huh?	https://www.russelldavies.com/typepad/russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2003/10/merry_christmas.html	<p>Something I noticed in Tokyo just before Christmas; I was in a department store and there was the usual musical background. In this case an electronic version of the tinkling bells of a musical box, playing all sorts of Christmas songs, the Japanese seem very big on Christmas. Then I noticed what one of the tunes actually was - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. I wondered what that was all about. Has someone just scanned a database looking for Christmas songs? Does no-one know of the films context? Or are they not worried about it. I can imagine it was a hit in Japan as Sakamoto was the composer. Maybe it's based on a traditional Japanese tune. It certainly sounded very appropriate, a perfect blend of Christmassyness and Orientalness. Hmmm. </p>	Something I noticed in Tokyo just before Christmas; I was in a department store and there was the usual musical background. In this case an electronic version of the tinkling bells of a musical box, playing all sorts of Christmas songs, the Japanese seem very big on Christmas. Then I noticed what one of the tunes actually was - Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. I wondered what that was all about. Has someone just scanned a database looking for Christmas songs? Does no-one know of the films context? Or are they not worried about it. I can imagine it was a hit in Japan as Sakamoto was the composer. Maybe it's based on a traditional Japanese tune. It certainly sounded very appropriate, a perfect blend of Christmassyness and Orientalness. Hmmm.	[]