Japan, where the entertainment film and television industry is particularly developed, has always had a special preference for disaster themed works. Due to Japan’s unique geographical environment, tsunami, earthquake, nuclear leakage and other disasters occur frequently, Japanese people are born with anxiety and crisis awareness. They repeatedly use the film to show the disaster, more is to convey the hidden meaning behind the film, it reflects the strong and distinctive “disaster consciousness” of the entire Japanese nation. The so-called ‘disaster awareness’ refers to people’s understanding of disasters at ordinary times, as well as the destruction of social and living conditions

Continue readingReading Response: William M. Tsutsui

In the reading Oh No, There Gose Tokyo, the author elaborates on the popular culture of Japan. The author proposes many ideas about the rise of Japanese pop culture, which he described as “apocalypse”. Generally, the boom of movies which depict the destruction in the postwar Japan can be attributed to a kind of faith or emotion of Japanese nation. Japan has fallen victim to many natural disasters. Japanses people has been exposed to a feeling of vulnerability. Meanwhile, since Word WarⅡ， Japanese people hasn’t overcame the pain mentally not only as a victim but also as an aggressor. Therefore

Continue readingReading Response: William M. Tsutsui

After reading the article, I am getting to know more about the relationship between Japanese history and culture. Tokyo, the apocalypses that happened most frequently, fell victim to various artificial and natural disasters in the past, both in reality and on screens. But these movies do not lead the audiences to be repressed by history; they spread positive attitudes and spirits through them. These disaster films show the tragic past that cannot be discussed in the principal strain and portray the hope after overcoming the difficulties repeatedly. In addition, it also talks about the reconstruction after the deconstruction. In reality,

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Tsutsui discusses multiple perspectives about how the regular destruction and reconstruction have marked Japanese films, series, and animation. Besides merely being influenced by the history of experiencing atomic annihilation, economic recession, and natural disasters, Tsutsui outlines a strand of optimism that reflects through “happy endings” in movies (e.g., Godzilla), or a sense of escapism and transcendence of the past (e.g., symbol of motorcycle chases in Akira and what ‘Akira’ means in Japanese: wishes of better future). It works as a psychological function that distracts people from horrors and emphasizes how the trustworthy institution and the unification of Japanese could repeatedly

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It’s interesting to find out the history of giant monster films in Japan originated from their past with natural (earthquakes, tsunamis) or man-made disasters (war); you can even see it in modern Japanese media with a reoccurring theme of an ordinary protagonist (or in this case the city) up against extra-ordinary odds (Godzilla). It’s also interesting how there’s two sides to viewing these films, some people think that these films gives us an opportunity to reflect on past destructions and normalise the terrors caused with this fantasy; while others think its insensitive as those past terrors are horrific, and shouldn’t

Continue readingReading Response: William M. Tsutsui