The Non-Human World in The Japanese Earthquakes: From The Mythical Cause to The Real Victims

Japan has always been prone to earthquakes, as the country is located in a zone of high seismic activity known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. The unique Japanese sense of nature, which is also part of national tradition, stands alongside the constant threat of earthquakes from ancient times to the present. This paper will analyze the occurrence of earthquakes in Japan, emphasizing the relationship between nature, non-human world and humanity, and their representations in mythology and folklore, with reference to the most recent devastating earthquake, the Fukushima disaster (2011).