Catastrophic Japan

Japan is a place where catastrophic events have occurred more frequently and done more damage over the last century and a half than they have in all but a handful of other locations on the planet. This seminar examines how massive earthquakes, destructive tsunami, the firebombing of Tokyo, the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic weapons, and large-scale exposures to toxic substances and radiation have shaped Japan’s modern history. We will explore the debates over how best to mitigate the effects of “natural” and technological hazards, and analyze the role played by popular culture in shaping the meanings assigned to catastrophes past, present and future.