Shinto, Anime & Hayao Miyazaki by Shannon Lopez

Shinto, Anime, & Hayao Miyazaki

by Shannon Lopez

To those unfamiliar with the art form, Japanese Animation or otherwise known as “Anime” has a very unique look. Characters are often drawn with exaggerated features such as large heads, long limbs, big eyes, and colorful, usually gravity defying, hair. It’s something that once you have seen you will immediately be able to identify the differences between Japanese and Western style animation. More than just artistic taste, there is a certain style that Anime uses to address the issues of the world. Be it war, corporate greed, the rapid advances in science and technology, the supernatural, all things are acknowledged and are given dialogue through various stories and adventures. This particular article, in keeping with the theme of the spirits of nature, will address the work of one particular celebrated Japanese animator and film director, Hayao Miyazaki. His style of both visual art and storytelling serve as an excellent example of the perception of the fragile harmony that exists between the world of humanity and that of Nature.

To narrow our focus, this article shall summarize and review two of Miyazaki’s most popular and highly acclaimed works and its depiction of the relationship between mankind and nature. Following in chronological order these two shall be: My Neighbor Totoro (1988), and Princess Mononoke (1997). However, before we can address the subject of Nature through Anime it is important to first understand the historical religion and traditions of Japan and how the reverence of nature is reflected in its philosophy.

What is Shinto?

Shinto itself is very difficult to classify in terms of religion but it can best be described as both a pantheistic and polytheistic “folk religion” that developed exclusively in Japan. The name Shinto literally translates to “the way of the Kami”, the word “Kami” can be loosely translated to mean “god” or “spirit”. These gods can reside in any shape or object, be they living or inanimate and though there is a social hierarchy amongst them, even the greatest and most powerful Kami are neither omnipotent nor omnipresent. In Shinto, it is believed that everyone and everything is the result of a Kami birth, that all origins can be traced back to the first gods, and thus everything in existence possess a “Kami nature”. With that belief, it is expected that everything, including humanity, has the potential to become a full-fledged Kami. It is therefore desired that humanity lives in harmony with its surroundings as they may be living in the presence of a future deity. Also, as a result of being Kami-born it is thought that all things are in fact brethren to one another and that the same Kami blood flows equally through the veins of humans, animals, plant, rivers, mountains, etc..

Hayao Miyazaki

*WARNING* If you have not seen either of these movies: SPOILERS AHEAD!

My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

In order to be closer to their sickly mother, two young sisters named Satsuki and Mei move with their father into an old house built adjacent to an ancient forest. While exploring their new home and the surrounding woods, the youngest sister Mei comes across two strange

My Neighbor Totoro by Studio Ghibli

rabbit like creatures who lead her through a secret tunnel under a gigantic camphor tree. At the end of the tunnel, she enters a massive chamber in which she meets an enormous yet sleepy rabbit like spirit named Totoro. When she tells her father what she had seen he replies that Totoro is a protector of the forest and that he can only been seen when he wants to. Totoro and his fellow spirits, later appear to the sisters throughout the film as helpful and friendly guides, willing to play and protect the children who at times struggle to adjust to their new home as well as the absence of their mother. In the end, the mother is discharged from the hospital and is able to return home; as a result the sisters are no longer able to see Totoro as they are overjoyed that their family has once again been reunited. As part of Shintoism, many spirits can be benevolent and kind, especially to the pure of heart. Miyazaki’s portrayal of the children and the spirits of the forest is a celebration of innocents. Sastuki and Mei’s exploration of the woods with Totoro showcases the beauty of unblemished nature. In their adventures the girls observe the spirits as they plant seeds and enact rituals in order to cultivate the forest. Eager to help, the sisters join in on the festivities and aid the spirits, mimicking their movements, and watch in wonder as the forest grows before their very eyes. Peace and harmony between man and nature is shown to be not only possible but can even thrive in a modern day society so long as people are willing to open their eyes and see the world through the eyes of a child.

Princess Mononoke (1997)

In contrast to the tranquility of My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke depicts a bleak and violent world where the realms of humanity and spirit-kind clash in a bloody struggle for survival. The story takes place during the Muromachi period of Japan, between 1337 and 1573. After his village is attached by a colossal boar god, a young prince named Ashitaka manages to slay the corrupted spirit in defense of his people. However, the corruption of the boar god infects Ashitaka’s right arm and though the curse grants him increased strength and agility, it causes him agonizing pain and will inevitably kill him. Taking the advice from the local wise woman, he leaves his home and travels south to discover what led to the corruption of the boar god and hopefully discovers a cure for his curse.

During his journey, he finds himself in the middle of a war raging between the inhabitance of a fortified village known as Irontown and the angry gods of the nearby forest whose territory has been cut and burned to feed Irontown’s industrial forges. Ashitaka is surprised to learn that on the side of the forest gods is a young woman known as Princess Mononoke otherwise called San. Raised by a pack of wolf spirits, she has been taught to hate mankind and the destruction they bring to her forest.

San and her wolf brothers being greeted by friendly tree spirits called Kodama.

(Screenshot from Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke.)

The war between the gods of nature and mankind is brutal, with characters both good and bad perishing on both sides. Miyazaki’s theme on pollution and the destruction of nature through industrialization is however multifaceted. The main villain of the story is not mankind despite what one might think. As it turns out, the inhabitance of Irontown are outcasts of society, such as lepers and liberated brother workers. The residence of the town care for each other as family, and that they destroy the forest not out of malice, but in order to help their village survive and defend themselves against rival towns. In that regard, the defenders of the forest are not all saints. Similar to the spirits of My Neighbor Totoro who endeavored to help the spirit grow, the kami of Princess Mononoke could prove extremely violent. In one instance, in a duality of character, a clan of primate spirits who struggled to plant new trees resolved themselves to eat the flesh of humans in the hope that they might gain man’s strength and use it against them. I will not spoil the end of this spectacular film. If you have not seen it already, I highly recommend that you either rent or borrow a copy as soon as possible. The power and ferocity of nature as it fights for its survival can be vicious as it is beautiful. Harmony between humanity and nature is fragile. In both My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke we see the success as well as the struggle for both sides to coexist. Miyazaki masterfully depicts the duality of nature and its ability to help and hinder mankind. As part of the belief in Shintoism both worlds are connected and must be respected. To quote Miyazaki as he made his pitch for Princess Mononoke, he said “There cannot be a happy ending to the fight between the raging gods and humans. However, even in the middle of hatred and killings, there are things worth living for.”* He makes mention of love between both sides and we see by the end of the film that even if forgiveness is not achieved there is always hope for peace.

*Quote Taken from IMDB.com

Other recommended related works of Hayao Miyazaki:

• Spirited Away • Nausicca of the Valley of the Wind

• Ponyo

The Naiades, along with Artemis, were regarded as the divine nurses of the young, and the protectors of girls and maidens, overseeing their safe passage into adulthood. Similarly Apollon and the River-Gods (fathers of the Naiades) were the patron gods of boys and youths.

Many of the Naiades married local kings and played a prominent role in the genealogies of the royal families of myth. Others, such as the beautiful Naiad daughters of Asopos, were loved by the gods. They often gave their names to towns, cities and islands, and as such were most likely regarded as the goddess-protectors of the community's water supply, which usually consisting of a spring, stream-fed fountain, or well. The Pegaiai with their distinctive natural springs, and the Krinaiai who presided over town fountains, were the mostly commonly worshipped and individualised of the Nymphs. Those who possessed waters with some special property (or which were believed to have some special property), often had proper cults and shrines established in their honour. Examples of these include the Anigrides of Elis whose waters were believed to cure disease, and the Nymphs of Helikon and Delphoi whose waters were thought to bestow poetical and prophetic inspiration respectively. The Naiades were depicted in ancient art as beautiful, young women, either seated, standing or reclining beside their springs, and holding a hydria (water jug) or branch of lush foliage.