The anime "GeGeGe no Kitaro" reflects the life and spirit of the Showa era and the memory of yokai culture
Anime that Reflects the Life and Spirit of the Showa Era: Memories of "GeGeGe no Kitaro" and Yokai Culture
A sudden sense of presence in a back alley at night, in a tatami room where no one should be. During the Showa era, the sense of living alongside "invisible things" was a natural part of everyday life. "GeGeGe no Kitaro" is a work that visualizes this feeling in the form of animation and has left it as a part of culture.
The Showa era's yokai culture was not simply a hobby of the grotesque. It was a mirror that reflected the anxieties, desires, and memories deep within the human heart. In this article, I would like to explore how Showa era yokai culture and the philosophy of WABISUKE resonate with each other through "GeGeGe no Kitaro."
Kitaro Standing on the Border
Kitaro is depicted as a "liminal being" who is neither human nor monster. While he protects humans, he also belongs to the world of monsters. This ambiguity is the essence of Showa-era monster culture. A being that cannot be neatly categorized as good or evil. Scary, yet somehow nostalgic. Monsters like these gather around Kitaro.
WABISUKE values its gaze on these "boundaries." For example, Showa and Reiwa, tradition and innovation, family and society, memory and the future -- capturing the fluctuations that exist between them in a poetic and tangible way. Kitaro's existence is also a symbol of these "gaps."
The distance between yokai and daily life
The yokai that appear in "GeGeGe no Kitaro" sometimes threaten humans, and sometimes help them. Nurikabe, Ittan Momen, Konakijiji -- they are beings that stand somewhere between fear and humor. Showa-era yokai culture was based on this "balance between fear and familiarity."
This "sense of distance" is also reflected in WABISUKE's spatial design and brand expression. For example, the way the Kyoto building uses white space and the fusion of family activities and store space. Just as yokai lurk in the gaps of daily life, WABISUKE's spaces are designed to naturally infuse the memories and emotions of the users.
Shigeru Mizuki's Perspective: Yokai are Forms of Memory
Mizuki Shigeru, the original author of "GeGeGe no Kitaro," depicted yokai as "forms of memory." His yokai paintings have a sense of everyday life. The wear of sandals, the cracks in the tatami mats, the moss in the well...these things show that yokai are "beings that exist in everyday life."
WABISUKE's content creation is also an effort to explore the "shape of memory." Articles themed around Showa-era anime and family scenes are not simply nostalgic, but serve as a means to evoke the reader's own memories. Just as Shigeru Mizuki depicted "Showa-era memories" through yokai, WABISUKE also weaves "memories of everyday life" through words and space.
Yokai and the Modern World: Coexistence with the Invisible
We live in an age where rationality and efficiency are valued. However, in this age, "GeGeGe no Kitaro" asks us about the importance of "coexistence with the invisible." Yokai are also symbols of forgotten emotions and overlooked landscapes.
WABISUKE aims to restore the ability to sense these "invisible things." For example, renovating a building steeped in family memories, rediscovering the emotions contained in Showa-era anime, or designing stories that will stay in readers' hearts. These are all connected to the feeling of living with yokai.
Conclusion: Yokai are the margins of the mind
"GeGeGe no Kitaro" is a work that depicts the blank spaces of the human heart through the yokai culture of the Showa era. It is not only frightening, but also gentle, nostalgic, and poetic. The world seen through Kitaro's eyes is a place for dialogue with the "invisible" that we have almost forgotten.
WABISUKE wants to be a presence that gently brings the memory of yokai culture into modern life. For example, articles that trace family memories through Showa-era anime, architectural designs that capture the atmosphere that permeates a space, or choice of words that linger in the reader's mind. These things remain in our hearts quietly, but surely, like the roads Kitaro walks at night.
The ghosts of the Showa era still live in the gaps of our lives. It is our hope that WABISUKE's craftsmanship and stories can bring that feeling closer to you.