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‘Torii Gates, Alcohol, and Anime’: The Japanese Need for Escapism
Let’s compare the different ways a culture can channel human wants
Many of us in the West are familiar with the image of those striking red arches that are so heavily associated with Japanese culture. What you might not know is that they’re called torii, and they’re found at the entrances of Japan’s many shrines, as they serve to mark the boundary between the regular world and the sacred.
Some shrines have hundreds of them in a row, so that you can pass underneath them and feel like you’re in a tunnel leading to a spiritual world. It’s a key part of the experience at these Shinto shrines. It’s the marker that delineates the hallowed ground therein.
This transition out of the everyday is a central part of Japanese culture in many other ways as well. One notable example is the prevalence of animated media in the country. For those who have never actually visited Japan, I can assure you the anime obsession is not overestimated. In my three months here, I don’t believe I’ve met a single person who doesn’t watch shows and movies in the genre.
But why a medium that is so removed from reality? In the West, animated films are largely reserved for children. Adults on that side of the world seem to prefer a higher degree of…