Japanese History and its Effects on Japanese Cinema
Cinema and mass media are largely impacted by the socio-political context in which they are produced. History also plays a role in how narratives develop, especially in films, which are subsequently distributed to the masses. In the immediate post-war period, Japan had a booming film industry, with many movies receiving international critical acclaim. Japan has a long and complex history because of their positions of both aggressor and victim in wars - particularly during the Second World War - which significantly influenced cinema and popular culture.
During the Second World War, there were few attempts at filmmaking due to low budgets, high unemployment and an overall weak economy. Total war meant that all available resources in Japan were devoted to the war effort. As such, the majority of feature films made during this period were about the subject of war. For example, The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya (1942) is about Japan’s execution of the Pearl Harbor attack, and utilises actual footage from the real-life event. After Japan suffered defeat in the war, it was immediately occupied by the US; US General Douglas MacArthur had to revise the constitution and demilitarize the country. He also needed to combat previous Japanese cinema, which had been propagandistic. As a result, MacArthur imported many Hollywood films that depicted the American way of life with the goal of the US becoming a model of political, social and cultural values. These films were a commercial success in Japan. Meanwhile, US forces were censoring Japanese films and closely monitoring them.
Once the Japanese people took hold of their film industry as the occupation officially ended in 1952, themes in live-action films centered around nationalism, and rebuilding family values - especially in the post-war period. In 1951, Godzilla was released. The first monster movie of its kind, Godzilla is about a giant creature that becomes aggravated by a hydrogen bomb while living in the water, undisturbed and harmless. This alludes to Japan’s experience with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This clearly demonstrates how their history influenced cinema – Godzilla resonated with audiences as it became a cathartic viewing experience for the Japanese public to deal with collective trauma and grief. Furthermore, several live-action films were set in historical periods in which samurais lived, notably The Seven Samurai. Such films attempted to reclaim nationalistic feelings of pride in a great history – feelings which were lost following Japan’s defeat in the Second World War. Cinema was used as an avenue to stir up these feelings and evoke an emotional response from audiences.
Anime, (the Japanese word for ‘animation’), has been at the forefront of Japan’s media industry and is now one of their biggest cultural exports. The themes depicted in anime are heavily influenced by Japan’s history. Anime films and series from the 1960s and 70s, (Astro Boy, UFO Robot Grendizer), reflected Japan’s complex post-war relationship with the US, with the Japanese often appearing superior. Mecha, (science fiction), emerged as a prominent genre illustrating Japan’s status as a rising technological superpower, continuing into the 1980s. This is evident in the series Patlabor and monumental film Akira. The late 1980s and 90s gave rise to anime, (Grave of the Fireflies, Barefoot Gen, Studio Ghibli films), dealing with Japan’s WW2 trauma and uncertain identity resulting from an economic decline, by depicting nostalgic themes, which influenced their pacifist identity. Such anime films concentrate on the suffering of children, and essentially depict a victims’ history with which Japanese people can collectively identify with, transferring the burden of responsibility for the war onto the military and government. Incorporating pacifism, victims’ history and hopeful optimism into anime helps the Japanese come to terms with their wartime experiences and defeat. Anime from the 2000s and 2010s express a link between tradition and modernity, (for example, Your Name), highlighting Japan’s identity as a modern nation still connected to tradition. However, nostalgic themes and the slice-of-life genre have remained in anime since the 1960s until now.
Japanese history, particularly their wartime experiences, have had profound effects on both live-action films and anime. Considering modern Japanese history, collective experiences, particularly traumatic ones, are just too difficult to ignore, so filmmakers have incorporated these themes into cinema. Popular culture supposedly reflects the socio-political context of its time and audiences’ interests. Cinema allows audiences to not only be educated but also respond to historical events. As such, it is no surprise that history still influences cinema.