Other “Punks” in Late 1970s–1980s Cinema in Japan: Gender, Documentary, Ephemerality

Scholarship and criticism on the intersections of cinema and punk in late 1970s–1980s Japan are sparse, yet what exists tends to emphasize autonomous filmmaking ( jishu eiga ) and director Ishii Sōgo’s early works. This article widens the scope of analysis by examining other figures and content circulating in this context. Focusing on female performance and authorship and documentary films and images, it demonstrates diversity that media histories and curatorial efforts neglect. Taking a cross-media approach incorporating cinema, music, photography, and zines ( minikomi ), I identify a vibrant—if ephemeral—archive of images in the spaces where punk-adjacent media and lifestyles coalesce.