Kajiwara Ikki's Rikidozan Script and Heroes of the Showa Era (1960s-70s)

Kajiwara Ikki's Rikidozan Script and Heroes of the Showa Era (1960s-70s)

Kajiwara Ikki, known for "The Star of the Giant" and "Ashita no Joe," also wrote the screenplay for a true-life movie about Rikidozan in the Showa era. In postwar Japanese society, which was in the process of emerging from occupation and growing economically, Rikidozan was not just a professional wrestler, but functioned as a symbol representing the "repressed anger" of the people. His appearance in the ring was an "agent of revenge" for the common people, who were burdened with the memory of defeat, and a pillar of illusion that made them believe that the Japanese people were still strong. Kajiwara repeatedly questioned the themes of "what is strength" and "what is justice" through a story that affirmed his violent nature while at the same time encompassing moral conflicts. This was in line with the era of high economic growth, when "success" and "struggle" were highly praised, and it resonated with the general public. The stage set of professional wrestling was a device tha
t responded to the public's desire for heroes while blurring the boundary between reality and fiction. Kajiwara's writing was not mere entertainment, but also a mirror reflecting the mental structure of the postwar Japanese people. Today, some of the scripts from that period are held as materials in the National Diet Library and the Film Archive, and are being reevaluated as objects of research as well.