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영어

In the early to mid-2000s, a phenomenon called “Showa 30s boom” occurred in Japan. “Showa 30s (1955–64)” is a historical object that evokes the beginning of “period of rapid economic growth” and the subsequent economic boom, and attention to this period can be understood as the mindset closely intertwined with the reminiscences to the old age that accompanied the change from “Showa” to “Heisei” and the nostalgia for the glory during the economic recession after the collapse of the bubble. On the other hand, for the younger generation who had never experienced that age, it provided them with the opportunity to relive the life of their parents, and it became a place to share “nostalgia” and further broadened their enjoyment. At first, it gained a good reputation through its planned exhibitions in museums and theme parks, and was introduced in various publications that noticed its popularity, which led to its success in movies and TV dramas. The best example was the movie ‘Always: Sanchome no yuhi’ released in 2005, and along with the serialization of this movie, many similar movies became popular. Judging from these descriptions, there is no doubt that “Showa 30s boom” is a “Japanese” cultural phenomenon in “Japan”. The analysis of this cultural phenomenon started in the middle of the 2000s at the height of the boom, and the debate over the “nostalgia” in modern Japan flourished. However, as the fact that “special demand from Korea” is a factor of “rapid economic growth” clearly shows, when considering “Showa 30s” relations with neighboring East Asian countries, especially South Korea, can be seen everywhere, and although it is possible to analyze the history and representations of this period from an East Asian perspective, such attempts have not been actively made. What is interesting in this sense is that the movies ‘Shin-san : Tanko machi no serenade’ (2010) and ‘Mentai piriri’ (2019) are set in Fukuoka, which is on the opposite shore of Busan across the Genkai-nada Sea, and Korean residents in Japan and Japanese born in “Korea” play an important role in each movie. Is it because of the characteristics of the region that the presence of people and goods on and off the Genkai-nada Sea increases in movies set in “Showa 30s”? Also, how was the relationship with South Korea and the people who travelled along the Genkai-nada Sea described in the “representation” of “Showa 30s” in Japan since the 2000s? Starting from this question, this paper examines the characteristics of “Showa 30s boom” seen in the movie which was produced before and after ‘Always: Sanchome no yuhi’ and the changes seen in this “genre” from the relation with Korea. Movies in the 2000s set in “Showa 30s” tended to distance themselves from the theme of “Utopia” as their regional characteristics became more prominent. Although the themes were different, movies set in “Showa 30s” were mass-produced and a certain jungle rule was established. Even if the themes handled are different, not only historical materials such as fashion, furniture, furnishings, toys, and electrical equipment, but also the taste of “downtown” and the fact that “human nature” form the basis of the story, the characteristics of “genre” in movie works were generated in the boom of “Showa 30s”. When considering movies in the 2010s such as ‘Shin...’ and ‘Mentai piriri’ as “Showa 30s” it is characteristic that the connection with Korea is often expressed in accordance with the rules of the genre. In other words, even though it depicts Japan as a “Showa 30s” it does not hide the origins of people and things, and clearly shows the connection with Korea. It is based on historical facts, but rather, it means that the time has come when there is no problem even if a story that has a strong connection with Korea enters the genre of “Showa 30s”. As the boom has calmed down and the genre has taken root, the subjects that can be dealt with have broadened and deepened. What emerges from the two movies is the record of those who lived on the fringes rather than the appearance of “Showa 30s” as a utopia, and the evidence of these people on the screen provides an entrance to new history. In this sense, in the process in which many derivatives based on the representation of “Showa 30s” were produced after ‘Always: Sanchome no yuhi’ and the regional characteristics were added independently, it can be said that a new significance was found to “representation” the period from 1955 to 1964 as “past” which can be shared by various people. From the viewpoint of Korea, this tendency was evident in movies set in Fukuoka. Such efforts are expected to continue in order to properly recognize and understand Japan in East Asia.