Japan’s Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema

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In 1954, a massive irradiated dinosaur emerged from Tokyo Bay and rained death and destruction on the Japanese capital: Godzilla. Over the course of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first, Godzilla and other monsters such as Mothra and Gamera continually plague Japan and its people. These Japanese giant monsters, known as kaiju, and their respective movies, or kaiju eiga, have gained notoriety and cult status around the world. But what do these terrifying creatures represent?

In this book, Sean Rhoads and Brooke McCorkle provide a new interpretation on this popular film genre. The authors argue that in addition to giant monsters, metropolitan mayhem, space travel, and alien invasions, across the genre kaiju eiga consistently address contemporary environmental concerns and ecological issues. By analyzing different aspects of Japanese history, society, and film, Rhoads and McCorkle demonstrate the various ways Japan’s monster cinema tackles issues ranging from nuclear power and industrial pollution to biodiversity and climate change.