“The Father of Survival Horror”: Shinji Mikami, Procedural Rhetoric, and the Collective/Cultural Memory of the Atomic Bombs

Shinji Mikami serves as a pivotal auteur whose directorial work functions as a sophisticated vehicle for preserving Japan’s collective memory of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By employing procedural rhetoric, his games translate the profound trauma, survivor’s guilt, and large-scale urban devastation historically associated with the Pacific War into interactive experiences. This creative framework positions survival horror not merely as a genre of entertainment, but as a vital cultural interface that allows contemporary audiences to engage with the legacy of the atomic age.

The thematic architecture of titles such as Resident Evil and The Evil Within mirrors the literary traditions established by hibakusha writers like Hayashi Kyoko and Nakazawa Keiji. Through the recurring use of the mad scientist archetype and a pervasive, deep-seated distrust of institutional power structures, these games act as allegorical remediations of historical catastrophe. These motifs are deliberate artistic choices that connect the visceral experience of digital survival to the broader, ongoing cultural trauma of Japan’s mid-twentieth-century history.

As the generation of direct survivors continues to dwindle, these video games provide a necessary, playable space for the transmission of cultural memory. By embedding the haunting imagery of urban destruction and institutional betrayal into the mechanics of gameplay, Mikami ensures that the historical weight of the atomic bombings remains a relevant component of the national consciousness. Ultimately, this body of work demonstrates that interactive media serves as a critical medium for maintaining the continuity of collective memory, ensuring that the lessons and traumas of the past remain accessible to future generations.