Panelists Jeffery Angles, Brooke McCorkle, Jessica McManus Warnell, and Yuki Miyamoto will discuss environmental messages in the Godzilla films and books. Professor Amanda Kennell will moderate.

Godzilla is a perfect metaphor for what is happening now in the Anthropocene: humankind has wounded nature so seriously that nature has no choice but to fight back.
Jeffrey Angles, Interview with Toho Kingdom


Yuki Miyamoto, Professor of Religious Studies and Global Asian Studies, DePaul University
Jeffrey Angles, Professor of Japanese, Western Michigan University
Brooke McCorkle Okazaki, Assistant Professor of Music, Carleton College
Jessica McManus Warnell, the Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership, University of Notre Dame
Moderated by Amanda Kennell, Assistant Professor of Japanese, East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Notre Dame
Godzilla Fest is a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the 1954 release of the film "Godzilla" by Toho Studios in Tokyo. The giant monster, who attacked Japan after being awakened by hydrogen bomb testing, went on to become a global icon. Godzilla has starred in 38 films and has appeared in comic books, games, novelizations, advertisements, toys, and more.
The king of the monsters has also been interpreted widely as a symbol for the destructive nature of humankind—from nuclear war to climate change.
Godzilla Fest is organized by the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies at the University of Notre Dame, the St. Joseph County Public Library, and the Browning Cinema at Notre Dame's DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. More information is available at asia.nd.edu/godzilla.
In support of the Liu Institute’s growing commitment to sustainability, we will no longer be offering drinks at our public lectures and panels. We encourage audience members to bring their own water bottles or to drink from nearby water fountains. Thank you for your understanding.
Originally published at asia.nd.edu.