Live from Tokyo is an upcoming documentary on Tokyo’s independent music scene, directed by Lewis Rapkin. And yes, that’s Marxy that you see pop up a few times in the trailer.

A short film called “UNITEXT u_08-1” shot in Tokyo with sounds by Alva Noto, voice by Anne-James Chaton, and directed by Carsten Nicolai. Via Max Hodges.

A selection at this year’s Cannes film festival, Map of the Sounds of Tokyo is an upcoming film directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Rinko Kikuchi (Babel). The film’s official site has a trailer up. Via Luis Mendo.

In collaboration with this year’s traveling Bicycle Film Festival, Italian manufacturer San Marco has produced a series of limited edition saddles, one for each city that hosts the event. Tokyo is covered in red. Via Cool Hunting, which includes more photos and details.

The moving city. Via CScout Japan.

Interested in learning more about how James created that short? Here’s a “making of” video.

Great little short by James Okubo, descriptively called “My Walk to Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo.” From his description:

Made in 2.5 days for a presentation.
Bodycam rig was made in a day.
Shot in a day.
Edited on the way to the meeting in the subway.

Tokyo-based journalist — and former PingMag colleague — Kevin Mcgue is working on a feature-length documentary about Japan’s live house scene called, appropriately enough, Live House. The project is set to come out this fall, and it was recently awarded a Japan Foundation grant.

“Alone in Tokyo” is a beautifully shot short film by Philip Bloom, covering some very familiar Tokyo scenery, but done in a very tasteful — and stunning — way. If your machine can handle it, I recommend watching in HD and full-screen. Via Craig.

Patrick Macias is in town for a bit — still jet-lagged — and is giving a talk, “Otaku Power: Trivia, Desire, and Transformation,” at Temple University this Friday (March 13, 18:30). More details here.

Kazuaki Kiriya’s follow-up to the visually-stunning Casshern is Goemon, and from the trailer (above), it looks like we can expect another healthy dose of celluloid eye-candy. Via Imprint Talk, which includes more details on the film.

Curious about Okuribito, the Japanese film that was nominated yesterday for an Academy Award in the “Best Foreign Film” category? Have a look at this piece on Néojaponisme.

Gary Hustwit — director of the documentary Helvetica — has a new film in the works called Objectified, covering the world of product designer. Why do I feature it here? In honor of the cameo by Naoto Fukasawa, who closes off the trailer. Via Designboom.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a trailer that better lives up to a film’s title than this one for High-Kick Girl. Via Warren Ellis.

Seeing a Japanese film in Japan is certainly an easy thing, seeing one with English subtitles, not so much. Don’t miss your chance then to go see Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata. My friend Marie organized that the film be shown at Cinemart in Roppongi with English subtitles for one week (December 13-19), with two shows daily (16:40 and 19:15). The film won the Jury Prize in the “Un Certain Regard” section of this year’s Cannes film festival. (Photo © 2008 Fortissimo Films/ TOKYO SONATA Film Partners)

Update: The screening with subs did so well that they have extended it until early January.

• December 20-26: one show at 19:15
• December 27 – January 2: 16:40 and 19:15 (two shows)