Terminology
Godzilla (god-zill-ah)[JPN ゴジラ]: The titular monster of Ishirō Honda’s classic 1954 Toho film. One of the most famous exports of Japan, Godzilla has starred in a multitude of films since the 1950s. While generally known as the central figure in a series of “monster fight” films, the origins of the creature are steeped in Japan’s war history.
Hibakusha (hee-bak-shah)[JPN ひばくしゃ{被爆者}]: People who were exposed to the atomic bomb. There are four official categories of hibakusha: 1. those exposed directly to the bomb, 2. those who were exposed to radiation after entering the city after the bomb, 3. those exposed to radiation though the disposal of the remains of victims, 4. those in utero of a hibakusha of the previous three categories.
Hiroshima (hero-shee-mah)[JPN ひろしま{広島} ]: Major city in south-western Japan. Spared the typical firebombings in World War II, it became the first site of the use of atomic weaponry in human history. The setting of the film Barefoot Gen.
In-Group / Out-Group Dynamic: Central to the Japanese mindset, the differentiation of people into in-groups and out-groups is the major lens through which the Japanese view themselves and others. The most basic in-group is the nuclear family. However, there are several layers of groups and they often overlap. For example, your immediate family is your in-group and your neighbor’s family is an out-group. However, you and your neighbors are an in-group in comparison to residents from another neighborhood. The company you work for is an in-group in comparison to the out-group of a rival company, etc. This dynamic affects social behavior and even language use for the Japanese.
Kobe (koh-bay)[JPN こうべ{神戸}]: Major city in south-central Japan and the sixth largest city in the country. Heavily firebombed during World War II, it is the setting of the film Grave of the Fireflies.
manga (mahn-gah)[JPN まんが{漫画}]: Japanese comic books. This can encompass anything from simple four-panel gag comics to extensive, multivolume series.
Tokyo (toh-kyoh)[JPN とうきょう{東京}]: Current capital of Japan and center of animation production.
Victim’s History: A term coined by scholar Susan Napier and defined as how “the Japanese people were seen as helpless victims of a corrupt and evil conspiracy between their government and military. This ‘victim’s history’ is partly due to the collaborative American-Japanese efforts under the Occupation to create an image of a postwar democratic Japan that would free the Japanese from an inescapable fascist and militarist past.” Noteworthy due to the tendency to focus on the tragedies perpetrated upon Japan during World War II (particularly the atomic bombings) and an avoidance of discussion of the Japanese aggression during the war (particularly incursions in to China and the Korean Peninsula).