Tsutsui’s article gives me a broader context of Japanese monster movies. In the sense of space, it mentions the special features of the geography of Japan and the political and economic catastrophe it has undergone. Thus it explains why it is subject to nearly all kinds of natural disasters. The article highlights Tokyo, which is a relatively young city, and brings this into the reasons why constant construction and destruction have appealed to and embedded in the Japanese masses. For instance, in the 1966 TV series, Ultra Q, the city of Tokyo is destructed by giant monsters in each episode, but it will restore to its best in the next one, with the rebuilding process completely left away. Interestingly, Tsutsui refers to a kind of thought quite prevalent in Japanese thinking, Mono no Aware, and uses it to begin further analyses into the cultural roots of Japanese popular culture.
Yu Qi
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Appreciate your reflection on monster movies and the Japanese idea of Mono no Aware. Based on your reading and discussions in the tutorial, what do you think is the purpose of showing destruction on screen? How does the film medium modify or reinterpret this tradition of Mono no Aware in post-war Japan?