Godzilla in the 1954 film

With the premiere of the new Godzilla (or rather ゴジラ) movie in recent memory, and the popularity of Pacific Rim the other year, we take a look at the “giant monster” genre, that is starting to become more and more popular in western cinema. But what is a Kaiju actually?

Rodan (ラドン) from his 1956 film

The Japanese word “怪獣 (kaijû)” is translated to “giant beast” in English, but has also been defined as “strange monster”, and refers to a whole genre known as Tokusatsu (特撮). Kaiju films usually show monsters of different forms, usually attacking a major Japanese city or engaging another monster, or sometimes several other monsters, in battle.

Normally, the Kaiju monsters are based on normal animals or insects, but sometimes also on mythological creatures. However, there are also cases where inanimate objects such as traffic lights, tomatoes, and umbrellas have inspired Kaijus. In English the term Kaiju is usually used to refer to Japanese monsters in Japanese folklore, and in the Tokusatsu movies. However, the Japanese use of the word actually also include vampires, ware wolfs, and other “western” monsters/creatures as well.

Gamera, a Kaiju from Daihei Studios, and sometimes seen as a rival to Godzilla (from Toho Studios).

Kaijus have been portrayed in many different ways: as minions or side-kicks to the main antagonist, a pure force of nature, as helpers to the hero, or as heroes themselves. For example, the most famous, and widely known Kaiju is unarguably Godzilla, or Gojira (ゴジラ). Godzilla has been playing almost every role possible, and have those around him react accordingly depending on how he was presented in the film.

Other notable Kijus are Mothra, Rodan, Gamera, King Ghidorah, and Daimajin (a humanoid kaiju, or kaijin “怪人”)

Today we take a closer look at two concepts that is very Japanese. Let’s learn about Japanese “service”, and how the Japanese are split between what they want, and what is expected.

“Omotenashi”

The word ‘Omotenashi’ in Japanese comes from omote (面 “surface”) and nashi (無し “less”), which means “single-hearted”, and also mote (持て “carry”) and nashi (為し “accomplish”), which means “to achieve”. Therefore, Omotenashi has two meanings, which include offering a service without expectation of any returned favour, and the ability to actualise that idea into an action.

Interestingly, the Japanese language makes no distinction between ‘guest’ and ‘customer.’ In English, the concept of ‘service’ suggests a hierarchy between the ‘server’ and the ‘customer.’ The Japanese Omotenashi, however, is based on a non-dominant relationship between equals – between the person offering the service (the host) and the person receiving it (the guest or customer).

“Honne” vs “Tatemae”

Honne and tatemae are Japanese words that describe the contrast between a person’s true feelings and desires (本音 “honne”) and the behavior and opinions one displays in public (建前 “tatemae”, “façade”).

Honne may be contrary to what is expected by society or what is required according to one’s position and circumstances, and they are often kept hidden. Tatemae is what is expected by society and required according to one’s position and circumstances, and these may or may not match one’s Honne.

The notion of Honne and Tatemae is seen by some as a cultural necessity resulting from a large number of people living in a comparatively small island nation. Close-knit co-operation and the avoidance of conflict are considered to be of vital importance in everyday life.

Even though there might not be direct single word translations for honne and tatemae in some languages they do have two word descriptions. For example in English “private mind” and “public mind.” Some researchers suggest that the need for explicit words for Tatemae and Honne in Japanese culture is evidence that the concept is relatively new to Japan, where as the unspoken understanding in many other cultures indicates a deeper internalization of the concepts.

The conflict between Honne and Giri (“social obligations”) is one of the main topics of Japanese drama throughout the ages. For example, the main character would have to choose between carrying out his obligations to his family or his feudal lord, or pursuing a stealthy love affair.