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This work utilizes a spatial theory approach to meditate on postwar Japanese society and cinema. It is not a history of Japanese postwar cinema, or a survey of notable directors and genres. Rather, the focus is specifically on film and its relation to the deeper tropes of Japanese society; in particular, on how the sense of nation is affirmed and/or challenged within a postwar period of remarkable change. Understanding such a structure greatly aids in analyzing the forms and meanings within the films. The question of National Cinema, then, is approached by exploring how the interaction of spatial-temporal elements affect both the social construction and filmic practices of the nation. / The first part of the dissertation features an extended analysis of Japanese society using a variety of historical, philosophical and theoretical sources, both Japanese and foreign. They provide a theoretical base and a social history that ground the critical readings of the selected films; all of which are well-known and widely available. Part two is a close textual analysis of five 1950s productions---from a range of films and genres---that are contrasted with three films from the late 1980s/early 1990s. The final chapter examines notions about National Cinema in light of the preceding film analysis.