NASHVILLE, Tenn. ñ While many Godzilla fans view the Japanese fantasy films as pure entertainment, a
Vanderbilt University historian believes the original movies serve as
important reflections of Japanese post-war society. Yoshikuni Igarashi,
associate professor of history and director of East Asian Studies at
Vanderbilt, is the plenary speaker for an Oct. 28-30 conference at the
University of Kansas marking the 50th birthday of Godzilla.
"Yes, the original Godzilla was `kitchy,` but had important connections to the history of Japan
where it was first produced," said Igarashi. "My basic argument is that
the Godzilla of the 1950s represents Japanese fears of the United
States as a nuclear threat. It is also reflective of Japan’s own
post-war difficulties of being a defeated country with many losses and
trauma. Cultural expressions such as Godzilla have allowed the Japanese
to express what cannot be stated in the political realm."
Igarashi points out that Godzilla’s characterization became much less
serious during the 1960s, especially in the American versions. By the
mid-60s, Japan had transformed itself tremendously as a growing
economic power and the war memories were fading, he said.
Igarashi will discuss the 1964 film Godzilla vs. The Thing, also known
as Godzilla vs. Mothra, during his talk at the University of Kansas. He
has researched how various objects that appear in this film reflect the
historical context of the time. For example, in the film a giant egg is
washed upon the Japanese shoreline from a South Pacific island.
"This is significant because in the 1960s Japan finally became powerful
enough to import items from outside its border, including some from
islands to its south, which at one time were part of its colonial
empire."
Igarashi’s talk at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 is titled "Godzilla vs. the
(Colonial) Thing." More information on the conference is available at www.g50004.net/godzilla/.
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, 615-322-NEWS
annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu