ゴジラ

“I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.”

This unverified quote was attributed to
Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto regarding the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor by forces of Imperial Japan.  Whether or not he actually said this, it encapsulates a sentiment soon shared by many in Japan.

Haven’t you ever wondered whether Godzilla  (ゴジラ) was a metaphor for America? How does that make you feel? Personally I’d rather not be a rampaging monster, even if ultimately a cleansing force sent as a purge by the Gods.

The Japanese went through a moment rather like that of diaspora Jews, who credited the Persian emperor as God’s instrument of delivery from Babylon. They became less insular and were much improved by the experience, so said the prophets. Only then did God become the God of all. This is a hard lesson to learn.

Things eventually became better for Japan after the war as a result of innate resilience, an enemy who mostly tried to bury the hatchet and become a friend, and perhaps the participating encouragement of the honored dead.