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Brilliant and touching

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

UPDATE (2 March 2016)Just received email from the film's director in response to my email of Feb. 29th where I had visited production company's web site asking about film and lamenting the fact it was not available on DVD. NEWS! The director told me that "out of the blue, MGM has released the movie on DVD" and it is now available on Amazon.com! After a decade or so of wanting a DVD of this film, my wish has been answered. Thanks MGM.This is a sweet, simple, funny low budget movie that is nearly impossible to find and as far as I can tell only on VHS. I have my third VHS copy. Can't remember what happened to first one. Second one I bought cheap at a flea market and had no sound. I have seen a used copy or two for sale on eBay and Amazon.I used this film in teaching Freshman Comp II at a community college in the early 90s for several reasons, but partly due to its low key humor that includes contrasting a real Japanese (a girl) with a Japanese- American wannabe rocker who eats cold cereal rather than sushi.It's a quiet movie with no sex, cursing, drugs etc. Just some interesting characters and a cute leading actress. The lead female character narrates the film in a sweet voice.

I rented this some years ago, the video store had only VHS at the time. Straight to video was hitting it's strides (you know, where the box covers use the same font and color schemes of successful films).I didn't know what to expect other than what was printed. First thing I thought while watching was "what the hells' wrong with the sound?"-Obviously there was no dialogue dubbing. Words echoed, so I stopped munching on whatever I had to pay closer attention-mind you there's no Shakespeare here!,just simple talk. The story is simple enough, boy meets girl etc.. What struck me as humorous and heartfelt was, the people in the movie didn't seem like caricatures written into the story,but rather non-actors plucked temporarily from their real jobs(uniforms included). All the while, you begin to sense what the filmmaker is after,then see that there are no attempts at cheap humor(people hurting their privates,using vulgarities this couldn't have hurt the marketing. There was something honest about it. I thought if they'd have a bigger budget then it would have been better, which i'm sure they considered daily,but, they went ahead and made it. This, I felt, was what independent film-making is all about.The word "Indy", is thrown around as if it's a Genre..Ha!..that's funny!

*** May contain spoilers. *** If LIVING ON TOKYO TIME were some bold experiment where real-life wanna-be actors were given film parts on the condition that they would be required to take a combination of powerful prescription anti-anxiety, anti-depression, and anti-psychotic medications (this is the classic psych ward combo that renders patients into drooling zombies) all during filming, then this movie would hold far more interest. Or, if the film production was another type of experiment where all of the actors were sleep deprived before and during filming, then TOKYO TIME could be more easily explained.As it is, this film is filled with lifeless, low-energy actors. In the scene where the new husband was sitting on the stairs talking with his sister, it appeared that he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. In almost every scene he speaks his lines sitting down with every part of his body motionless. From beginning to end, his facial expression is best described as "near sleep."Fret not about the actors speaking over each other's lines because these actors can barely finish droning out any lines of dialog. Everyone speaks with a depressing, monotone voice. No laughing. No yelling. No vigor. No one has energy enough to crack a smile. The result: complete and total boredom.And it does not help matters that the direction is simple and amateurish.Avoid this lifeless film at all costs. Better to watch GREENCARD which has a similar plot and has charm and energy. Or, for an unconventional Japanese romance story, check out THE LONG VACATION which has an ample amount of everything LIVING ON TOKYO TIME does not.

This is a realistic,comedic look at a marriage of convenience between a Japanese-American man and a Japanese woman.Director Steven Okazaki does a great job of showing the culture clash between the Japanese-born Kyoto and the born in America Ken.All the performances are uniformly good.Minako Ohashi as the Japanese emigre Kyoto,turns in a knowing performance.You feel her alienation and loneliness throughout.There are some fine supporting roles here,notably Kate Connell,and Mitzie Abe,as Ken's sister.Director Okazaki wraps everything up with an unexpected,realistic ending.