- This event has passed.
Kaiju, Character Goods, Pokemon in the World of Yōkai
October 5 @ 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
MTC 211 • 2nd Floor
Kaiju, Character Goods, Pokemon in the World of Yōkai
Bill Tsutsui, Japanese History Scholar
Is Godzilla a Yokai? What about Pikachu? And is Hello Kitty even a monster?
Dr. Bill Tsutsui, renowned Japanese history scholar and Author of “Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters”, will explore how the “commercial monsters” created by Japanese corporations since WWII fit within Japan’s rich heritage of folkloric creatures and spirits. Dr. Tsutsui brings more than 30 years of teaching and education to discuss the lighthearted but important ways monsters–whether yokai or not–have impacted Japanese popular culture and globalization.