A tsukumogami, or yokai of tools, is a type of yokai (gost, phantom, or strange manifestation of Japanese folklore) in which an object receives a consciousness and comes alive. It is said that if an object has been mistreated or even carelessly replaced by its owner, they become angry and take revenge. These tsukumogami usually cause no harm, but they do play pranks on humans.
Japanese aesthetics, and aesthetics in general, are alternately influenced by historical events. One of the most significant landmarks in the history of Japan is the dropping of the USA‘s atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of the Second World War. The event itself and its effects on human and nature have deeply influenced Japanese culture. The movie „Godzilla“ (1954) was the first film to symbolize the trauma and became the model for many other films. The mutation of the monster reflects the failed interpersonal relationship between the USA and Japan, visualizing an emotional disruption. In the decades that followed, further pop-cultural classics, such as the animated film „Akira“ and children‘s series such as „Pokemon“, „Digimon“, „Power Rangers“ were created, which also represent a phased development from mutation and transformation, to a powerful level that goes beyond human strength.
I have focused on pop cultural objects from Japan, because these too have undergone some kind of mutation and transformation over the last decades. They symbolize technology, the entertainment industry, and fashion from Japan, which have been incorporated into Western culture since the 1850s. This process has happened so thoroughly that we do not recognize the japanese origins anymore. By mutating, the objects visualize a life of their own, an urge to stand out. Due to this attention seeking nature, the nolstalgic characters of our childhood deserve to
be acknowledged and appreciated.
ありがとう
Arigatō!
