10.16.16
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku (東日本大震災) and tsunami left a nuclear disaster in its wake. It has been five years and Japan is trying to contain the nuclear disaster of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors. Toho’s new incarnation of Godzilla is firmly rooted in this context. The 311 motif is clearly woven into the story, imagery, and the monster. The new Godzilla is a metaphor of the 311 event. There are many scenes that evoke the awful events of that day. Here is a photo collection paralleling the scenes of Shin Godzilla with the events of 311. (Warning: Some of the pictures below are graphic and disturbing. We continue to remember the more than 19,000 lives lost that day.)
