[Demon Slayer & Mythology] Why Was It Set in the Taisho Era? The Twilight of "Darkness" and "Lore" Hidden in Modernization

Hello! This is Osamu, your manga blogger.

When you think of the appeal of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, you probably think of the intense battles, fascinating characters, and the moving theme of family love... But one of the reasons I'm endlessly drawn to this story is its setting.

That's right, the Taisho Era.

Why was the Taisho era, a brief and tumultuous period of only 15 years, chosen? Not the Heian, Sengoku, or Edo periods?

It's the period between the "civilization and enlightenment" of the Meiji era and the Showa era, which was heading toward war.

This era, often called "Taisho Roman," seems glamorous at first glance, appearing to have no connection to the kind of "darkness" that demons inhabit.

However, when I look at this era from the perspective of my own research into things like magic, mythology, and ancient spirituality, I see that it was the perfect "twilight" era for a story about demons and the Demon Slayer Corps.

Today, I (Osamu) am going to do a deep dive into why!

"Modernization" = The Era When "Darkness" is Exterminated

First, what kind of time was the Taisho era?

It was an age when the light of "modernization" was beginning to illuminate every corner of Japan.

Western technology flowed in after the Meiji Restoration, and by the Taisho period, "electricity" lit up the cities, and "railways" (steam locomotives) transported people and goods at high speed. In towns like Asakusa, people in Western clothing came and went, and "cities that never sleep," bright even at night, began to emerge.

...Now, think about this. What are demons?

They are residents of the "darkness," who can only live at "night."

Their only weakness is "sunlight."

In other words, "modernization" was an era when the demons' own habitat (the darkness) was being physically stolen away by the "light" of human "science."

It was incredibly symbolic that in the Mugen Train arc, a steam locomotive—a symbol of modernization itself—became a demon's nest.

However, the more "electric lights" appeared in the cities, the less "darkness" there was for demons to operate in.

Muzan Kibutsuji had hidden for a thousand years. Isn't it possible that he became so active (or seemed to) in this specific era because he felt threatened and cornered by "modernization" encroaching on his "night"?

The Twilight When "Folklore" Becomes "Superstition"

Another crucial aspect: the "twilight of folklore."

"Modernization" is also the light of "science" and "rationalism."

It is a light that buries unseen "traditions" and "beliefs"—like demons, yokai, or the kind of "sorcery" and "magic" you'd find in old books—casting them aside as things of the past.

• Illness is explained not as the fault of "vengeful spirits" or "curses," but as the work of "bacteria."

• Strange occurrences in the dark of night are dismissed not as "yokai" or "demigods," but as "misidentification" or "superstition."

Even faith in the ancient gods (animism), like the kind associated with old shrines, was changing its form in the face of modernization.

The Taisho era was:

"The last possible era when people might have still believed in the existence of demons," and "The era just before such ideas were completely denied as 'superstition.'"

This is the true "twilight."

It's the final magic hour, where light (modernity) and darkness (folklore) mix, and both worlds still exist.

Why This "Twilight" is the Perfect Stage

It is precisely because the story is set in this "Taisho" borderland between "modernization" and "folklore" that Demon Slayer feels so desperate, beautiful, and sorrowful.

1. The Demon Slayer Corps = Guardians of Fading Folklore

The "Total Concentration Breathing" and "Nichirin Swords" used by the Demon Slayer Corps are the very essence of "sorcery" and "lore" that cannot be explained by science. They carry swords—weapons of an "old era"—and run through the darkness of cities where people in Western clothing walk.

You could say that as they fight to destroy the "darkness" (demons), they are also fighting a final battle to protect the "old Japanese spirit (folklore)" that is being extinguished by the "light of modernization."

2. The Demons = "Darkness" Left Behind by Modernity

On the other hand, the demons are also beings of "darkness" left behind by modernization.

No matter how much supernatural power (Blood Demon Arts) they possess, their weakness is "sunlight"—an absolute, unchanging "law of nature" that hasn't changed in a thousand years.

Terrified by the light of science (electric lights) and the light of the sun, they are the embodiment of a "curse from the past" that cannot adapt to the new age.

In Conclusion

The reason Demon Slayer was set in the Taisho era.

Wasn't it to depict the "twilight"—the very moment before both the "ancient darkness" (demons) and the "ancient lore/sorcery" (the Demon Slayer Corps) were about to be extinguished together by the new light of "modernization"?

This is why the story doesn't just end with a simple "beat the demons and happy ending." It carries a unique "sorrow" and "melancholy."

The battle of the Demon Slayer Corps was, perhaps, a final "sacred ritual"—a settling of the "curses" of the old era, using the "powers" of the old era, before the new age could begin.

Wow, you can read so much into just the time period!

Demon Slayer is truly a frightening masterpiece.

This was Osamu!