"I Was Born But..."

This image is a medium/closeup shot of a middle aged, mustached man who is sitting behind a desk. He is wearing a dark suit jacket, white dress shirt, and also visor reminiscent of a stereotypical casino blackjack dealer. He is smoking a cigar and appears to be examining strips of film coming from a camera which is sitting flat on the desk. Other objects on the desk include a bottle of liquor and a martini glass atop three film reel canisters. The man's face is in the center of the frame against a plain background and appears to be looking rather candidly to the viewer's left. The man and all objects appear in focus. 

I believe that this shot is truly the introduction of Mr. Iwasaki's character to the film's audience. Prior to this, we only see him briefly outside of his car and hear reference of him in dialogue. It is my opinion that this shot provides a glimpse of his relatively nonchalant office demeanor perfectly while simultaneously providing a counterexample to the importance of work ethic that Mr. Yoshii had previously attempted to instill in his children. It also immediately sets up later interaction between boss and employee in the form of Mr. Iwasaki's filming a home movie of Mr. Yoshii acting foolishly. Moreover, I think this scene can be viewed as a representation of how hard working men are often exploited at the whims of their employers, with little regard for their own personal dignity or morals.