Mechanisms of Memorialization

Within the class PY178 Topics in Psychology: From Pearl Harbor to Honouliuli, which explored the impact of internment camp on Japanese American citizens during WWII, we discussed the concept of memorialization, and the ways in which it shifts across cultures, physical distance, and societies. This project focused on the examination of mechanisms of memorialization of WWII in Tokyo, Japan and Honolulu, Hawai'i. Memorialization is an important aspect of cultural heritage and identity, and the ways in which a society choose to remember and commemorate its past events can reveal much about its values, beliefs, and moral. Photography is a medium and method of analysis that allows one to examine and interpret events without the use of language; it offers a still image of a moment in time that carries history and emotion. Using photography to explore this topic can aid the way in which we make sense of space and it’s impact on memorialization.

In order to investigate this, I attended a number of museums, shrines and cultural sites in Tokyo, Japan. I began my exploration of Tokyo's mechanism of memorializing WWII by heading to the Yasukuni Jinja.

The grounds on which Yasukuni Jinja resided were quite clam and quiet with minimal visitors; you could almost feel the care for the land and what was being memorialized. As I walked around the grounds, I saw a number of signs that restricted the use of cellphone cameras and cameras. Immediately, I thought of the memorials I had visited while in PY178, where there was no restriction on phone use or cameras. The sections that were closed off to photography and cell phone use appeared to be information desks and areas in which offerings were done. Making sure to respect all rules and regulations, I only photographed where allowed.

Once I had finished walking around the area surrounding the haiden, I made my way towards the Yushukan War Memorial Museum.

As I made my way upstairs, placed right before the entry to the escalators was a sign prohibiting all photography. With this in mind, I proceeded through the museum without the use of my camera.

In the remaining two floors of the museum, there was an abundance of information regarding the history of Japanese culture, society, and religion, as well as multiple exhibits dedicated to military training styles and attire. There were also quotes and calligraphy by soldiers during wartime on display.

In one of the last sections, there was a 10 minute long video explaining the history and construction of the Yasukuni Jinja. In the video, they discussed the Mitama Matsuri Festival. This festival began in 1947 and is held annually, with roughly 30,000 attendees each year. Small, votive lanterns dedicated to lost ones and their enshrined spirits are released each year; traditions such as the Bon Odori Dance, the Sacred Dance ceremony, and Anniversary of Life celebration are performed yearly as well— all of which are held in the Soul-Comforting garden outside the museum and around the haiden. They say that the lives of those who cared for their country are piled up and up and up, protecting the land of the Yamato Mitsui Koushi.

After the video had ended, I left the museum and walked back through the Soul-Comforting Garden. Having visited the museum and learned about the land and shrine, my appreciation and understanding for their existence had shifte

The following day, I went to visit the Center for Tokyo Raids and War Damage. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived and was surprised when I was met with a tiny, three story building in a quiet district of Tokyo, Koto City. The first floor contained the reception desk, a small library filled with novels and historical accounts, and a screening room. After talking to the receptionist, I learned that the entire center was restricted from being photographed. I put my camera away, and headed to the screening room, where there was a film on loop— discussing the Tokyo air raids, paintings and maps along the walls, and a few trinkets encased in glass.

From this three story building, I learned more than I possibly could have imagined. The Center for Tokyo Raids and War Damage was opened as a privately owned and run museum in 2002, based on the documentation of the Tokyo air raids in the 1980s. It is the only permanent facility specifically devoted to providing information on the Tokyo air raids. The first floor houses an overview of the history of the raids, not only those in Tokyo, but in the greater area of Japan. The second floor houses permanent exhibits centered on the Tokyo air raids— with information highlighting the realities of air raids, based on first person accounts of the raids, and their livelihoods before and after the raids.

In the following days, I visited a number of sites including but not limited to the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, the Nezu Shrine, and the Kita-Ku Central Library, which provided a basis of cultural context. When I went to explore the WWII ruins in the districts of Chiyoda, Mitaka, Higashiyamato, and Musashino, I could not find them. In each district, there were no signs or markings that denoted any of the ruin's locations. The next day, I went and looked back at the photos from Pearl Harbor, which was one of two memorials we had visited in PY178.

Through visiting memorials in both Tokyo, Japan and Honolulu, Hawai'i, I was able to draw similarities and differences in content presented at the memorials and the ways in which the content was presented. Both the Center for Tokyo Raids and War Damages and Pearl Harbor National Museum largely discussed the impact of the war-time events on the livelihoods of civilians, and all of Japan's memorials discussed further steps for preventing calamities such as the Tokyo air raids. Being unable to find the 5 ruins from the Tokyo air raids was large point of interest for me, engaging me to think about the factors that push societies to create memorials for ruins and relics and the resources needed. The restrictions on photography and cell phone use in Tokyo was one difference that I was not entirely expecting. I was prepared for the restrictions in temples and shrines, but the restrictions at the memorials and museums was new; I had been accustomed to taking photos at most of the museums I've visited within the US.

In visiting memorials regarding the same historical event from different cultural backgrounds, I was able to gain a deeper understanding for the way in which space and history interact to produce different forms of memorialization. In learning about different cultural perspectives and the ways in which they remember and commemorate important events, we can develop a greater appreciation for the diversity of human experience, simultaneously allowing a more empathetic understanding of different cultural values.