Booms and Bombs- Situating Breath of the Wild within the “Jomon Boom” trend
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 12/01/2021

Within the last several years, there has been a growing public interest in the prehistoric Jomon period in Japan. This “Jomon Boom” has involved the consumption of archaeological information and visitation of archaeological sites, as well as the production of publications and goods inspired by artefacts of the period by non-specialists. Accordingly, Japanese archaeological heritage has been an inspiration for various forms of popular media and games, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo 2017) is the marked attempt integrating design elements within a video game to create a digital “pastness” within the game’s narrative and world building.

Amanda Gomes, Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, Hokkaido University