Representing Human History

An animated work decorates the entrance to one of Japan's largest science museums,

the National Museum of Nature and Science.

From the origin of the universe to now, this epic piece depicts 13.8 billion years of history.

This ambitious tale of man and science took about two and a half years to finish.

Anime Supernova.

This time, we take a close-up look at Sakai Osamu.

Sakai aims at expressing complex historical and scientific details in easy-to-understand ways.

Science itself is mysterious.

We know everything is made of atoms,
but what does that even mean?

I want to grasp that understanding
through our senses.

Be a catalyst for curiosity.

The work is titled Navigators on the History of Earth.

13.8 billion years of history, from the Big Bang to the present day, condensed into around 30-minutes.

A variety of Sakai's past experiences came into play for this production.

First, let's find out how the creator has expressed past memories up until now.

Sakai fell in love with drawing as a child and eventually went on to study at Tama Art University.

After graduating, he joined a production company where he worked on commercials, films, and animated works.

In 2008, Sakai created a music video for children titled "PoPo Louise."

The piece is representative of Sakai's early, award-winning work.

The song is about the memories of a boy and his grandparents' dog, PoPo Louise.

Sakai used cellophane and stop-motion animation to express the boy's irreplaceable memories of the dog.

Expression that expands our memory.

I aimed for something that felt like
light spreading out.

I used cellophane to add beauty
to the light shining from behind.

And thick paper was used for contrast.

Pieces of different sizes and colors are layered upon each other to represent the boy's dimming memories.

I believe we are all made up of memories.

A collection that includes
both happy and sad memories.

We move on regardless of the environment
or how we've lived.

Moving forward
with past memories.

I'm here searching for love.

My whistle swims through the eardrum sea.

When the cactus flowers are in bloom again,

We'll meet again, let's meet again.

E Le Vu Sha Ki La Ku Pa Di Ma To ka Lei.

PoPo Loouise Popo Loouise.

Pick up the polka-dot stone.

Take this blue knife and carve a heart.

Next, let's find out how he summarizes history.

Sakai says he puts a lot of importance on research.

For example, here's an AR tourist map for a remote island.

When you point your tablet's camera at a specific location, animated images of past life pop up in the scenery on screen.

Sakai frequently visited the location to interview locals - information that was used in the animation.

The work, created in 2022, takes place in the Mogami River basin in Tohoku's Yamagata prefecture.

Lots of research went into its creation.

This area is prone to floods due to the unique topography of the Mogami River.

I talked with people who actually lived
in the flood-damaged areas.

They said there was a large flood in the early
Showa Era that swept away all of the fields.

It meant a lot to hear
their voices directly.

Throughout his research, Sakai came across an old Japanese folk tale.

A local tale about a serpent - the god of water - has been passed down since ancient times.

In the story, an older man hears about a serpent that can bring heavy rain and eventually gives up his life to protect the village.

Sakai came up with an animation of a giant snake violently moving around, using actual terrain as the backdrop.

At the end of the story, the flood-ravaged lands show signs of regrowth.

I thought about what it meant
to just continue living there.

Although the serpent destroys the land,
it also brings fertile soil.

This shows the connection
between local life and folktales,

and why these stories
have stayed the same.

Use old tales to think about the present

This is Sakai's latest work, which questions our memories of past floods and the future of climate change.

Navigators on the History of Earth

Sakai's masterpiece uses three giant screens to show History of the Universe,

History of Life, and History of Humankind.

It has been 13.8 billion years since the birth of the universe.

Sakai created a set of rules to follow as he tried to summarize all of its history.

The theme is that everything is connected.

Each one of us.
The past and the present.

I wanted to express that everybody
has their own history to tell.

Sakai thought about taking the tiny elements from the Big Bang and connecting them to our current society.

I began production with the plan
of connecting it all back to ourselves.

And to achieve that directive goal,
I created some rules.

I used the rules as guides
to put together the images.

Sakai came up with several rules to connect the universe's birth to the present day.

For example, he aimed to create commonality between dinosaurs and humans by designing them to have similar eyes.

He also linked the way the Earth moves around the sun to the motion of a pulley system - a human invention.

I can't say it with absolute certainty,
but there are things that connect us.

I wanted to give the impression
that there are connections,

through shapes, movements, or colors.

Using research and design choices like unifying shape, movement, or color, Sakai successfully created a connection.

When looking at the universe
starting from the Big Bang,

it's a miracle that Earth
and the solar system exist.

With all the variables, it feels like life
was given to us by a higher power.

I hope viewers leave
with that same feeling.

Affirm the here and now.

The work begins in the dark without any light.

13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang created the universe.

Ten billion years after the universe was born.

It was about 3.8 billion years ago that life formed on Earth.

This is the beginning of the history of life.

66 million years ago, dinosaurs went extinct.

Mammals flourished.

Eventually, our human ancestors were born, marking the start of the history of humankind.

Sakai went on to turn Navigators on the History of Earth into a picture book.

I want to reach as many people as I can.

The theme was non-verbal expression
for the animation.

But a picture book must work
as reading material, too.

I spent a long time thinking about
words and storytelling.

Since I've been successful at turning
an animation into a picture book,

I want to make an animation
from the point of a picture book next.

That doesn't necessarily mean
the words need to be memorable.

Create work
that triggers memories.