Zeynep Deniz Çavdır
2023 Fall
ARCH470 Digital Design Studio
Each early human culture had its own myths and legends about how the world was first formed. The same method was also used in Japanese mythology. Natural events have an impact on every culture. For locals, these occurrences were not always welcome. They began to investigate more mythological figures as they sought explanations for natural disasters. Kashiwa and Namazu, two gods in Japanese mythology in charge of monsoon rains and earthquakes, were important figures in the country’s history and culture. Kashima, the god of thunder, was at the beginning of the story. He ruled the world for a very long time while remaining submerged beneath the surface. Namazu, a juvenile catfish, was dispatched to Earth to put an end to all of this suffering. It grew larger and stronger over time, to the point where the earth began to shake with its tail movements and everything began to move at its every step. As a result of this earthquake, the planet fractured and new fragments formed. This means that the entire environment can be broken down into the solid, liquid, and gaseous phases. After an earthquake, the soil gradually became more powerful, and its connections to other states weakened. Solid dominated the three states until Namazu grew old and lost its powers; liquid was thrown off balance by the powerful earthquake; Kashima attempted to liquify gas and initiate monsoon rains; however, as gas approached the liquid state, it became influenced by seismic waves and began to rotate. This leads to a vicious cycle of eternal natural disasters.