"Kaijū-Monster Invasion!"

As we could not take pictures of the kaijū in the gallery, you can enjoy this shot of one of the small, paper robots in the Morikami. Photo by TB Photography

Recently I visited the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach to enjoy the gardens and the "Kaijū-Monster Invasion!" vintage Japanese toys.  The kaijū are fictitious, creative monsters, like Godzilla.  The numerous toys were very colorful and cartoonish, in all shapes and creations (from jellyfish-looking creatures to creatures resembling an oversized brain).  Each monster had it's own story.  Little did I expect to find such artistic commentary and expression resulting from nuclear bombing and threats in the mid-20th century:

Undoubtedly, tremendous imagination enters into the conception and execution of these figures, raising the question: What do kaijū mean?  Where in the human psyche do these grotesque and outrageous creatures come from?  They've been called atomic monsters, since many, like Godzilla, are said to derive their immense potential for destruction from the irresponsible handling of nuclear materials.  Other kaijū are linked to environmental, biological, and chemical threats instead.  Perhaps kaijū might best be understood, then, as substitutes for these late 20th century perils that continue to vex us today.  Fortunately, on shows like Ultraman, they were neatly vanquished each week to convey ultimately a message of hope and optimism, that even the greatest dangers to human existence are not insurmountable.

          --from the museum gallery exhibit

Check out the kaijū creatures and the Japanese gardens and history of Morikami at http://www.morikami.org