[Slate] Disasters and Man-Made Tragedies Caused by Indifference, Remember and Act

Director Makoto Shinkai's 'Suzume no Tojimari'
Reminds Us to Embrace a New Era
Japan, Having Experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake, Shows Waning Desire to Overcome Postwar System
Not Just a Local Issue... Painful Lessons Often Forgotten Domestically Too

※ This article contains many spoilers for the movie.

Natural disasters do not end in fear in an instant. They lead to social change. The darker the future outlook, the stronger the movement to find hope becomes. In Japan, which experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, this even manifested as a desire to overcome the postwar system. The Fukushima nuclear power plant accident highlighted the catastrophe by contrasting it with the 1945 atomic bombings that led to the empire’s collapse and the postwar era.

The "Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Council," established as an advisory body to the Prime Minister, emphasized overall regeneration and revival. The report stated, "The reconstruction model of the disaster-affected areas will lead the future of all Japan," and added, "The image of the Japanese economy rising like a phoenix despite aging and disasters can serve as a model for Asian countries currently undergoing aging." Professor Han Young-hye of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of International Studies explained in her book “The Great East Japan Earthquake Seen from the Field” as follows: "The desire for 'Japan’s regeneration,' which appeared in various forms even before the Great East Japan Earthquake, is reflected here. The future reconstruction process of the Great East Japan Earthquake will unfold intertwined with the construction of the 'postwar post' era."

Directed by Makoto Shinkai, Suzume no Tojimari is an animated film that reminds us of the attitude needed to move into a new era. The protagonist is Iwato Suzume, a girl living alone with her aunt in a quiet fishing village in Kyushu. One day, in a dream, she faces herself left alone in a vast ruin. Curious about the reality, she meets a young man named Munakata Sota, who is searching for doors to ruins on his way to school. In the mountain ruins they follow, an old, worn-out door stands alone. Driven by curiosity, Suzume opens it, unaware that disasters will come through the door...

Suzume, along with Sota who has turned into a baby chair, searches for doors opening across Japan. Shikoku, Kobe, Tokyo, Fukushima, Iwate?all places that suffered great damage from past earthquakes. Especially Iwate, Suzume’s hometown, still undergoing recovery with massive human and property losses. The trigger was the Great East Japan Earthquake 12 years ago. The magnitude 9.0 quake killed 15,900 people and left 2,523 missing. Additionally, 3,784 died from worsening chronic illnesses during evacuation.

At the end of her long journey, Suzume faces horrific memories: a village turned into black tsunami waves and a sea of fire. This time, it is not a fleeting dream. She opens the door herself and stares firmly. In the story’s context, it is to save Sota. Sota has turned into a baby chair?a device Suzume’s mother made before she passed away, missing one of its four legs. Suzume does not know why this happened. She has completely forgotten the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The encounter with lost memories is not a regression to the past. It is a process of accepting past hardships and healing wounds. Most people know this but turn away. Afraid of pain or injury, they look elsewhere. Once bustling hot spring towns, schools, amusement parks have become ruins this way. Director Shinkai warns through Sota that indifference and neglect can be the cause of another disaster.

"When the back door opens in a lonely place where people’s hearts have disappeared, the worms that come out through the back door are a huge force writhing beneath the Japanese archipelago. If not sealed with a sealing stone, they will come out again somewhere. Stopping that is my job."

“Mimizu” means earthworm, and “Yoseki” is a stone that blocks earthworms from coming out. The former was more often depicted as a giant catfish (Oonamazu) during the Edo period. It was believed to be the main cause of earthquakes by shaking its body underground. People held earthquake rituals and placed huge stones to press down its head and tail. The earthquake ritual is a ceremony to cleanse the land of evil spirits, praying to the land god for good energy. This likely happened when hot spring towns, schools, and amusement parks were established. However, after becoming ruins due to disasters, no one pays attention. It is unlikely that the land god protects abandoned land.

Suzume ties up the pain rooted in the wasteland in her heart, saves the city, and gains the momentum to move forward. This series of events evokes the “Iwato Kakure,” an incident from the Kojiki, the origin of Japanese festivals. The sun goddess Amaterasu, frightened by her brother Susanoo’s rampage, hides in the heavenly cave called Iwato. The world turns into darkness and various disasters occur. The gods hold a banquet in front of Iwato to lure her out. Leading the way is the goddess of arts, Ame-no-Uzume, who entices Amaterasu with dance and song, bringing light to the world. She is also called the goddess of dawn. Suzume’s surname is Iwato, and her name resembles Uzume, implying meanings such as “to calm,” “to settle,” and “to lull.”

Suzume does not catch hope alone. Not only Sota but also strangers extend helping hands. Amabe Chika, whom she meets in Shikoku, offers a room and a meal for one night, and Ninomiya Rumi, raising twins, gives her a ride to Kobe in her car. This is a changed attitude after experiencing the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The phrase most often said by Japanese parents to their children is "Meiwaku kakeruna," meaning "Don’t cause trouble (to others)." Causing trouble to others is considered a sin. As a result, there is a strong individualistic tendency to thoroughly enjoy freedom within the allowed range. People rarely interfere in others’ affairs first. Solitary deaths have become a social issue.

This fixed value system cracked through the Great East Japan Earthquake. The quake affected a wider area than usual. Even in the metropolitan area, people indirectly experienced damage through returning evacuees, planned blackouts, and radiation anxiety. Victims reported by the media fled with only their bodies, unable to take valuables. Seeing this, Japanese people deeply felt the emptiness of material happiness. They also realized the importance of family, friends, and community. They moved closer to embrace neighbors, who they previously avoided interfering with.

The change in values is indispensable for the overall regeneration and revival advocated by the Japanese government. However, voices demanding the establishment of new social systems and solutions to various social problems have quieted again. Many still suffer from population decline and aging, widening gaps between regions and classes, employment insecurity, increasing economic risks, and government fiscal pressure. These are not just local problems in Japan. Similar incidents repeatedly occur domestically, such as the April 16 Sewol ferry disaster and the October 29 Itaewon tragedy. The lessons left by disasters or human errors soon fade from people’s memories. Ignorance and arrogance that forget painful teachings lead to another mimizu. Now is the time to remember and save. The door that keeps opening no matter how many times it is closed...

"Tears alone cannot catch up with the meaning of what we have experienced / A cry that is not enough with just this body / There was a heart that trembled only when it touched your hand / How many meanings must I surpass to reach there? / It’s okay to be foolish, it’s okay to be ugly / Beyond righteousness" (From the OST of Suzume no Tojimari)."