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Precis: " The Birth of Godzilla: Nuclear Fear and the Ideology of Japan as Victim" (1993) by Morris Low

In his 1993 article, “The Birth of Godzilla: Nuclear Fear and the Ideology of Japan as Victim”, Morris Low looks into the ideology associated with the atomic bomb and focuses on the Godzilla monster movies of the 1950s and their meaning for Japanese and Americans. His discussions can focuses on the following themes, 'fear of the nuclear and involvement of science’; 'monster mania' (particularly in cinema); 'birth of Godzilla' (social climate and involvement of science and technology); ‘Japan and USA’s perception of monster movies, particularly of Godzilla, which includes narrative editing’; ‘transformation of Godzilla into a good monster’; and ‘Godzilla as either symbol or allegory of Japanese society.’ In doing so, Low gives a detailed analysis of the various factors that brought upon, not only the popularity of Godzilla in Japan and abroad, but also of the possible social commentaries that these movies would actually represent – which is to reflect the Japanese people’s inability to directly examine and confront the memories of war and the postwar consequences. As an article for the Japanese Studies Bulletin, this piece is well-paced and easily understandable by various readers, ranging from students and researchers alike, with properly cited arguments from different scholars. Perhaps, the only thing dissatisfactory is the brief conclusion that borders on essentializing Japan as a nation with an important role to fill.

(July 9, 2019)

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