StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Name: Course: Tutor: Date: Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience Introduction The immediate years following the end of the WWII (Second World War), American as well as Japanese comic book/manga artists reproduced and helped form their worlds of popular culture…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.2% of users find it useful
Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience"

Download file to see previous pages

In Japan, manga artists developed stories with sharp edges because their heroes tackled not only villains but also calamity, anguish and eventually a call for accountability. Although comic book/manga industries had different roles in their societies, post-war cartoonists on both sides spilled a great deal of ink in trying to grasp the promise and perils created by the onset of atomic age. For the Japanese, when the bomb was dropped, it marked the actual onset of the story and the horrors of Hiroshima form the dominant image of the Japanese collective memory of the war, which meant many Japanese considered themselves victims of unwarranted aggression (Szasz and Issei 729).

However, the American occupation of Japan between 1945 and 19950 saw the censorship of all references to atomic themes from Japanese writers. Nevertheless, from mid 1950s onward, voices of Japanese politicians, intellectuals, cartoonists and people affected by the bomb gradually began to emerge (Szasz and Issei 730). The post-war culture reflected a polarized perspective because the Americans considered it a triumph while the Japanese considered it a tragedy. If the atomic power produced American animals determined to bring about justice, the Japanese writers approached the theme from very distinct perspectives.

An example of radiation-powered creature rests in Japanese film Godzilla in 1954. Based on the heated atmosphere with regard to the atomic bomb, came the infamous fictional monster Godzilla where the film begins with the Godzilla attacking a fishing boat. After the monster became exposed to radiation from hydrogen bomb test, the creature emerges as a forty-five-foot monster. Godzilla acts as a powerful allegory regarding the dangers of hydrogen, which depicts their collective memory of the attack and its consequences (Szasz and Issei 744-745).

In its initial form, Godzilla was an allegory and not a direct atomic statement and because of the relative silence with regard to the moral issues involved, Barefoot Gen holds a unique position in the history of the literature (Szasz and Issei 746). The period between 1945 and 1970 witnessed few American or Japanese creative artists raise the question of responsibility for the decision of using the atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This shows that although it was few years since the end of the war, the people’s memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were fresh in the minds of Japanese citizens.

Barefoot Gen is truly extraordinary within manga, Atomic-bomb related films and atomic anime because of the way it deals with the issue. While other works dealing with the issue focus on lives of survivors in post-war period, Barefoot Gen offers a wide focus because it does not shy from the crucial issues regarding restriction on freedom of thought and freedom of speech in pre-war Japan. Barefoot Gen is one of the main Atomic-bomb related works developed in Japan to address the issue of residents were treated during that period; hence, offering collective memory of the war (Szasz and Issei 749).

Despite the gravity of the issue and the tragedies that occurred throughout the tale of Barefoot Gen, the tale is infused with life-affirming joviality, which is not a small part because of the way Gen and other children are portrayed (Szasz and Issei 750). It clear that by living their wits, children amid the post-war confusion were far energetic and resilient compared to the adult

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience Essay”, n.d.)
Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience Essay. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1491926-japanese-films-that-depict-the-japanese-atomic
(Japanese Films That Depict the Japanese Atomic Bomb Experience Essay)
Japanese Films That Depict the Japanese Atomic Bomb Experience Essay. https://studentshare.org/history/1491926-japanese-films-that-depict-the-japanese-atomic.
“Japanese Films That Depict the Japanese Atomic Bomb Experience Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1491926-japanese-films-that-depict-the-japanese-atomic.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Japanese films that depict the Japanese atomic bomb experience

Trumans Decision to Drop the Atomic Bombs on Japan

The first atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima by a B-29 war craft on august 6 1945, resulting in the destruction of the city and instant deaths of over 90,000 people.... On august 9 1945, the second atomic bomb was dropped over Nagasaki, a secondary target, to avoid poor visibility due to bad weather in Kokura, the primary target.... the japanese wanted to retain emperor Hirohito, and retain their ability to wage war, as opposed to the United States requirement that required surrender of the emperor, and denied japan its ability to participate in any form of military combat....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Paper

Why the Vietnamese Wanted to Return Home after Being in the USA

A husband who went to fight rejected their wife and kids when they came back Why did the japanese attack Pearl Harbour?... The more the japanese attackers moved closer the more they were going to be detected hence a place far away was best suited for them.... Some people in the American government were getting suspicious that the japanese would attack them, Japanese felt that were running out time and soon the USA government would discover the attack they were planning....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Film Forbidden Games

And, if the barbarism of the Final Solution and the cataclysmic destruction in Japan could happen, if human beings could imagine and create these infamies, where was God in the Universe Where was a moral center In his 1954 film Forbidden Games, Rene Clement and his screenwriters depict the effect of war's barbarity on a little girl whose parents have been killed as they were fleeing from the city.... hellip; The Holocaust and use of the Atom bomb altered mankind's perception of itself by revealing that barbarism and inhumanity had not been overcome by so-called civilized societies and that, as Matthew Arnold wrote in his poem 'Dover Beach,' human beings were still on "a darkling plain:" "ignorant armies" did in fact "clash by night....
7 Pages (1750 words) Movie Review

Was it right or wrong to use two atomic bombs on Japanese cities in 1945 Why

Was the use of an atomic bomb the only alternative to secure the surrender of Japan or could the U.... By summer of 1945, the japanese were in dire straits, militarily and economically.... Shortages of oil and food supplies had all but brought the japanese empire to it knees but its military showed no plans of quitting.... This led the American leaders to believe that an entire takeover of the japanese island was necessary for final victory....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Analysis of The Fog of War-Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara Documentary

The author analyzes the documentary The Fog of War-Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S.... McNamara, an American documentary film that was shot in 2003 directed by Errol Morris.... The documentary majorly depicts the difficult situations in making decisions on conflict.... nbsp;… In conclusion, decision making in critical events such as war and conflict is vital....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Japanese Abenomics: What We Hope to See

This essay explores the japanese new economic strategy called Abenomics set to improve the nation's economy after the 2008 financial crisis and recession that hit Japan.... The strategy focuses on a more relaxed fiscal policy for Japan and an increased depreciation of the exchange rate of the japanese Yen.... If Abe and his supporters succeed with the new policy, Japan could offer investment opportunities for the near future for the japanese people and foreign investors....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

The Role of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia

nbsp;   … A number of exhibits such as Cyberworlds, Nuclear Matters, Success and Innovation, Contemporary japanese Fashion, Australian International Design Awards, etc.... The author describes the social roles that museums perform and how far these are shaped by particular understandings of history....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

Akira Kurosawa and His Contribution to the Film Industry

It catered for the working class and as such, the industry developed as staged plays filmed for the japanese upper class.... (Walsh, 1998)It is worth noting that cinema led to the fast decline in the japanese culture.... By the 1920s, the japanese film industry was almost westernized.... However, by mid-1930s, the japanese citizens expressed resentment towards the western ideals that were 'eating' away from their culture.... Just like the Germans at the time, the japanese were politically brainwashed to uphold their culture and traditions and reject all western influences....
8 Pages (2000 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us