The Japanese have a term for certain types of movies made outside the country featuring Japanese actors who play Japanese characters. It is kokujoku eiga. Eiga means "movies," and kokujoku, derived from the words for "country" and "insult," means "disgrace" or "denigration." In other words, kokujoku eiga are movies that Japanese regard as shaming their nation.

The notion, in the past, was that any Japanese actor who portrayed a Japanese in an unflattering light was guilty of dishonoring Japan. The active principle here was: Don't air dirty futons on foreign balconies.

The pioneer in this unashamed airing was Sesshu Hayakawa, the first Japanese actor to become a star in the United States. June 10 marks the 120th anniversary of Hayakawa's birth. Let's take a look at his life and times.