Prompt 5, #3

Yoko Tawada’s The Emissary (2018) can be seen as far-fetched for the contemporary reader. There are many instances within the work that are all, but inconceivable. For instance, the borders of Japan are closed to the outside world, its inhabitants are forbidden to travel abroad, and the internet ceased to exist at the start of the work. These are two things are almost inconceivable to contemporary readers, seeing as many consider globalization always present, even without willingness to participate in it. Even though some do not have access to the internet, few can consider living without access to the internet after exposure to it. Although these are only two examples, among many, that seem far-fetched for contemporary readers, there are many striking similarities between this work and Hitomi Kamanaka’s film Little Voices from Fukushima (2015). This is not to say that what is depicted in the film is the same as what is depicted in The Emissary, however Tawada’s depiction makes one wonder if the living circumstances described could be the future for the figures in Little Voices from Fukushima. Both works encompass notions of kin, care and catastrophe (although the catastrophe is never directly acknowledged in The Emissary like in the film). Both works encompass these notions because they take place in post catastrophe environments, again the catastrophe in The Emissary is assumed because of lack of direct acknowledgement, however with things like radiation, although rarely addressed, indicate that the setting is some sort of post catastrophe environment. Besides their settings both works focus on kin caring for their youngest kin as well. Two areas where there is striking similarity between the works are the anxiety/guilt of the elder kin caretakers and the food preparation for the youngest kin.

Examples of anxiety and guilt can be found throughout both works as caretakers come to terms with the effects that their decisions and events, even those that are out of there control, start to impact their children. In Little Voices from Fukushima most of the guilt and anxiety comes from caretakers not being able to move outside of the contaminated area/returning to the contaminated area.  This anxiety and guilt isbfound within the “Haha Rangers,” a group of mothers dedicated to improving the circumstances that their children are living in. Ruri Sasaki, one of the central figures of the film and the Haha Rangers, states within the first few minutes of meeting her and her family “while we were evacuated, I felt bad about the people who stayed on…I felt tremendous guilt. And I feel guilty towards my kids by staying here” (6:25). Statements similar to this one by Ruri Sasaki occur throughout the film and are made by her or her fellow Rangers. Although there are multiple caretaker figures in The Emissary, there is only one caretaker figure that is consistently followed throughout the work, Yoshiro. Like Ruri and the Haha Rangers, Yoshiro constantly worries about the health of Mumei, his great-grandson, for whom he is the primary caretaker. Although Yoshiro does not have the same guilt as some of the Haha Rangers, since he was not given the opportunity to bring Mumei into a safer environment, he still fears his great-grandsons future like the Haha Rangers do for their own children. “Though he tried not to think the worst about Mumei’s future, he often found himself sick with worry, with high tides of misery sweeping over him day and night” (Tawada 18). Also like the Haha Rangers, his fear and anxiety is practically a constant fixture of the work and can be seen throughout.

One aspect that causes fear and anxiety throughout both works is food and eating. Although the struggles associated with food and eating vary slightly between the works.  The Haha Rangers from Little Voices from Fukushima struggle to give their children food and drink that is not (heavily) contaminated. Yoshiro in The Emissary struggles with this as well, but he has an added worry because he needs to find food that didn’t cause negative symptoms like trouble breathing (kiwi), paralysis of the tongue (lemon juice), heartburn (spinach) and dizziness (shiitake mushrooms) (Tawada 45). Where Ruri needs to measure the cesium level in the milk that her children consume, Yoshiro must prepare Mumei’s food in a specific manner because even things like drinking juice can last 15 minutes, which was no easy task for Mumei (Tawada 33). Besides the added steps in food preparation, both figures, Ruri and Yoshiro, struggle to food that was suitable for their charges. Fortunately, for Ruri farmers whose crops are not contaminated send their excess crops to her village for the families to eat. However, this is not so simple for Yoshiro and other caregivers because things like fruit, never get sent to their area (near Tokyo) and as a result they must search “with bloodshot eyes for fruit for their great-grandchildren…wander[ing] like ghosts from market to market” (Tawada 45).

These are only two of many similarities between the two works. Where Little Voices from Fukushima calls viewers’ attention to the current situation, as of 2015, inside of the contaminated area The Emissary, taking place generations after a catastrophe, presents an eerily plausible future for people like the Sasaki family and the Haha Rangers. In Tawada’s work, things done to improve their children’s health like recuperation trips to non-contaminated areas, and importing food from non-contaminated, are virtually impossible due to travel restrictions and the shipping/trade of goods. Therefore, it causes the reader to consider what can be done now in order to prevent aspects of this presented future from happening.

Sources:

Little Voices from Fukushima. Directed by Hitomi Kamanaka, BunBun Films, 7 March 2015

Yoko Tawada. The Emissary. New Directions Paperbook, 2018.