Profs & Pints Philadelphia: An Evening with Japan’s Monsters

Profs and Pints Philadelphia presents: “An Evening with Japan’s Monsters,” a look at the history and evolution of strange creatures from the Land of the Rising Sun, with Frank L. Chance, scholar of East Asian Art, adjunct associate professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for East Asian Studies, and teacher of a course titled “Monsters of Japan.”

[Advance tickets: $13.50 plus processing fees. Available at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profs-and-pints-black-squirrel/philadelphia-japan-monsters .]

Japan has a long, rich history of stories about strange creatures, ranging from giant beasts to tiny beings that can be collected and kept as pets.

Gain a rich understanding of the cultural origins of monsters such as Godzilla and the Pokémon with Frank Chance, a scholar who has devoted his life to studying and teaching others about the cultures of Japan, China, and Korea.

In a talk ranging from legends that date back nearly 2,000 years to today’s television shows, movies, and video games, Dr. Chance will explore the stories and meanings of various monsters that arose in Japan.

You’ll learn how the ancient legends of such giants as the eight-headed serpent Yamata no Orochi contained hidden political messages, and how medieval Japan’s ghosts and demons were intended to scare believers into good Buddhist behavior. We’ll chart the proliferation in early modern times of stories of strange creatures such as humorous yōkai meant to entertain more than frighten.

Leaping ahead to the second half of the twentieth century, we’ll spend time with film giants such as Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan and gain an understanding of how they, too, reverberated with political overtones. You’ll learn how the master of Japanese Animation, Miyazaki Hayao, deployed monstrous creatures to convey truths about the environment and its degradation.

From our current century we’ll explore the phenomenon of Pokémon—collectible monsters that can be bought at toy shops and acquired through video games—and we’ll look at how they come with both complex narratives and hidden lessons about commerce and capitalism. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Guests are welcome to arrive any time after 5:30. Talk starts at 6:30.)

Image: A print of an Umibōzu, or monstrous sea spirt, from about 1700 (Brigham Young University / Wikimedia)