The Inner Life of Monsters: Noh, Godzilla and Japanese Culture

MTC 211 • 2nd Floor • 2:00 PM

The Inner Life of Monsters: Noh, Godzilla and Japanese Culture

Bill Tsutsui, Japanese History Scholar

Noh theater and Godzilla may seem like an unlikely combination, even though monsters, demons, and spirits appear frequently on the Noh stage.

By diving deeply into Zeami’s fifteenth century play Nue, the heroic warrior tale of Minamoto no Yoritomo slaying a monster, and the 1954 classic Gojira, this talk will explore the surprising cultural continuities between a rich and ancient theatrical tradition and a popular cinematic form seldom associated with great artistry or sophistication.

About Bill Tsutsui

Bill Tsutsui has served as Chancellor and Professor of History at Ottawa University since 2021, after more than 30 years teaching modern Japanese history and holding a variety of administrative positions at the University of Kansas, Southern Methodist University, Hendrix College, and Harvard University.  Among the eight books he has written or edited are Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters (called a “cult classic” by the New York Times) and Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization.  He continues to speak, write, and teach on the Godzilla movies, monster culture in Japan, and the environmental history of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.