Imaginary Nostalgia: The Poetics and Pragmatics of Escapism in Late Modernity as Represented by Satsuki & Mei’s House on the EXPO 2005 Site

• Authors: Grajdian Maria
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The inclusion of a life-sized replica of the family house from the anime work My Neighbor Totoro (Studio Ghibli/Miyazaki Hayao, 1988) among the international pavilions on the EXPO 2005 site resulted in the creation of an absolute highlight-sightseeing attraction, running fully-booked months in advance during the EXPO; after the EXPO, the whole site eventually becoming a huge sanctuary for the preservation of nature with Mei & Satsuki’s House as a pilgrimage space in the center. Based on extensive fieldwork – over several years of interviews and participatory observation – as well as in-depth literature research, this presentation’s goal is to point out the intricate relation between nature, escapism and happiness as main parameters in the process of reconstructing the past. The past will be viewed here as a repository of emotional energy and socio-cultural role-models, beyond political and economic compulsions, transgressing the limits of time and space.

Keywords

EN

Japan; EXPO 2005; Escapism

• Publisher: Instytut Kultur Śródziemnomorskich i Orientalnych PAN
• Journal: Acta Asiatica Varsoviensia
• Year: 2016
• Issue: 29
• Pages: 59-84

Dates

published

2016-12-01

Contributors

author

Grajdian Maria

• School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences at Nagasaki University, Japan

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