This article explains the conceptual background behind the video announced at the beginning. This video, “Susanō”, is inspired by the legendary figure Susanō (須佐之男命) from Japan’s Kojiki, crafted based on my extensive research. Susanō is among the most significant deities in Japanese mythology, leaving behind diverse folklore across various regions of Japan.
Since around March, I have earnestly pursued video creation in this age of AI, continually pondering how best to express my ideas with each technological update. More precisely, my top priority is exploring how thoroughly current technology can portray Japan. For this reason, I adopted the significantly upgraded Google Veo3 this time, comparing its performance with Runway Gen4 throughout the creative process.
Remarkably, it took less than two days from conception to completion. I began production on Friday evening, completed it by Saturday night, and announced it midday Sunday. Given the AI era’s ability for anyone to produce and present reasonably high-quality videos swiftly, I believe the key to thriving lies in profoundly understanding one’s individuality. In other words, beyond the globally discussed concern that AI replaces jobs, the reality I observe is that people skilled in leveraging AI are replacing those who cannot. At the core of this polarization is one fundamental element—ideas.
Before considering broader collectives such as humanity, ethnicity, nations, or society, it is crucial to first deeply understand oneself. By nurturing this profound spirituality—the “inner realm”—and simultaneously integrating external social changes and technological advancements without separating them, I express myself through non-separation (非分離). While this fundamentally shapes my perspective, readers might find it surprising that my point of reference here is actually derived from Chinese Confucian thought.
In particular, Japanese history has heavily emphasized a work called the Great Learning (“大学”), a chapter within the Book of Rites (“礼記”). Edited by Dai Sheng, a Confucian scholar of the Former Han dynasty, the Book of Rites consists of 49 chapters. Alongside the Rites of Zhou (“周礼”) and the Etiquette and Ceremonial (“儀礼”), these three works are collectively known as the Three Rites (“三礼”), historically esteemed as three major Confucian texts centralizing around the vital Confucian concept of “ritual propriety” (礼). Later, a significant Neo-Confucian movement arose during the Northern Song dynasty (960-1127), eventually shifting focus toward the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), from which emerged a profoundly influential figure for Japan—Zhu Xi (朱熹, 1130-1200).
It is important to note that within China, Zhu Xi’s teachings were not considered independently; rather, they were collectively known as Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism (程朱学), named after Zhu Xi and the Cheng brothers, Cheng Hao (程顥, 1032-1085) and Cheng Yi (程頤, 1033-1107) of the Northern Song, who had influenced Zhu Xi profoundly. However, upon arriving in Japan, this original context disappeared, and Zhu Xi’s doctrines alone were institutionalized into what became known as Zhu Xi Confucianism (朱子学). Thus, Japan was more strongly influenced by Southern Song thought rather than Northern Song doctrines.
Southern Song influence on Japan extends beyond Confucianism. For example, Japanese ink paintings (水墨画) significantly derive from Southern Song painting styles. Additionally, Zen Buddhism and its related tea-drinking culture—precursor to the tea ceremony (茶道)—also trace their origins to the Southern Song era. Zhu Xi notably advocated extracting and emphasizing the Great Learning from the broader Book of Rites, stressing particularly the concept known as “xiushen qijia zhiguo pingtianxia” (“修身斉家治国平天下,” “Cultivate oneself, regulate the family, govern the state, bring peace to the world”).
Significant controversies surrounding this concept date back to Zhu Xi’s era within China itself. Notably, a unique figure emerged who discerned the ideological biases embedded within Zhu Xi’s arbitrary interpretations of the Great Learning. Adopting a reactionary stance, he offered a new interpretation of Confucianism, becoming profoundly influential in Japan as a counterforce against the dominance of Zhu Xi-derived Zhu Xi Confucianism during the Edo period. This remarkable individual was Wang Yangming (王陽明, 1472-1529).
