What is the Matrix? The answer is out there, Neo, and it’s got something to do with sushi recipes.

The Matrix films broke ground at the turn of the century, blowing audiences away with their intriguing characters, gripping storylines, and state-of-the-art graphics. One of the most memorable aspects of the film was the iconic code, dubbed the “Green Rain“, which was first seen in the opening sequence of the original film.

If you look closely at the code, it’s clear that it contains letters and numerals, along with what looks to be Japanese hiragana and katakana symbols, which at times appear in reversed positions.

Take a look at the code below:

Up until now, nobody had been able to crack the origin of the code, and while the Japanese characters appear to be nothing more than random gibberish, it’s finally been revealed that the Japanese connection to the code is actually incredibly strong.

The code’s creator, production designer Simon Whiteley, recently revealed that the code was made using hiragana and katakana characters which he scanned from Japanese cookbooks owned by his wife, who hails from Japan.

In a recent interview, Whitely said that he likes to tell people that “The Matrix’s code is made out of Japanese sushi recipes“.

Who knew such an iconic work of movie graphics was a series of tasty Japanese recipes with the characters mixed up and reversed? We can imagine Neo’s reaction to the news would be a blank stare to camera as he opens his mouth ever so slightly to let out a low-pitched “Whoa”.

Source: CNet via Hachima Kikou
Featured image: YouTube/Steve Reich