Praise Be to Small Ills (Namu ichibyo sokusai) (Tadanari Okamoto, 1973). Two demons each cast a spell on a different man. One man learns from illness, the other fails at life due to excessive success. Okamoto manipulates dolls in front of painted cedar boards to create the effects of ema, the traditional tablets used in shrines. Based on the story by Ryusuke Saito. (18 mins, Color, 35mm, Echo Productions)Tora's Strange Adventures (Tenma no Tora-yan) (Takeo Nakamura, Akikazu Kono, 1971). This imaginative film using dolls features the hilarious adventures of Tora, a clumsy and dull-witted apprentice at an Osaka fish restaurant. Written by Mei Kato. (17 mins, Color, 16mm, Video Tokyo)The Magic Fox (Okon joruri) (Tadanari Okamoto, 1982). This doll animation focuses on the relationship between an old woman and a fox. Set in the barren landscape of northern Japan, the film skillfully conveys the mood of local folktales through traditional joruri music. Based on the story by Akira Saneto. (25 mins, Color, 16mm, Echo Productions)The Well-Ordered Restaurant (Chumon no ooi ryoriten) (Tadanari Okamoto, 1991). Okamoto's now-classic last film, based on Kenji Miyazawa's story, was made by cell animation and demonstrates three-dimensional effects. Two hunters deep in the forest find the Wild Cat Restaurant and embark on a series of mysterious experiences. (19 mins, Color, 16mm, Echo Productions)The Demon (Oni) (Kihachiro Kawamoto, 1972). One of the best known doll animators, Kawamoto studied with Jiri Trnka of Czechoslovakia in the 1960s and then established his own artistic style. The Demon, inspired by a ghost story from the eleventh-century anthology Konjaku Monogatari, recounts the strange tale of two hunter brothers and their mother. Kawamoto ingeniously employed the kabuki and noh forms in his film. (8 mins, Color, 16mm, Kawamoto Productions)House of Flame (Kataku) (Kihachiro Kawamoto, 1979). Inspired by the noh play Motomezuka, Kawamoto tells the story of a beautiful woman who committed suicide because two men proposed to her. Narration by Tetsunojo Kanze. Music by Toru Takemitsu. (19 mins, Color, 16mm, Kawamoto Productions)Love (Ai) (Yoji Kuri, 1963). Known for his witty, satirical style, Kuri addresses the eternal theme of love and how a man and a woman can-and do-pursue each other. (5 mins, Color, 16mm, Studio Rotasu)Au Fou! (Satsujinkyo jidai) (Yoji Kuri, 1967). In this nonsensical comedy, Kuri compiled episodes parodying death and killing in various tragicomic situations. (10 mins, Color, 16mm, Studio Rotasu)Speed (Taku Furukawa, 1980). Furukawa examines the relationship between speed and human beings in a satirical style that uses video playback and fast-forward images. (6 mins, Color, 16mm, Studio Rotasu)