The Metaphysics of Nature: The Presence of Shinto Motives in the Anime of Hayao Miyazaki
Agnieszka Kamrowska
kwartalnik.filmowy@ispan.plUniversity of the National Education Commission, Krakow (Poland)
Abstract
Hayao Miyazaki, the most prominent of anime artists, is famous for films that combine elements inspired by the culture of the West with elements of Japanese tradition. One of the ways in which Japanese culture is present in Mizayaki’s films is through the presence of Shinto motives in his work. The indigenous Japanese religion of Shintö postulates faith in the forces of nature that manifest themselves through kami deities, whose nature is ever-changing and beyond human understanding. There are no canonical images of kami, which is why the director, when creating their images for the purpose of his films, could rely entirely on his imagination. Thanks to this in the films My neighbour Totoro, The princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, one can see memorable visualisations of Japanese deities and spirits, which combine mythological elements with author’s imagination. Another issue related to Shintö in these films is the metaphysical character of nature, which is the seat of the deities and thus represents the realm of the sacred.
Keywords:
anime, Hayao Miyazaki, shintō, JapanReferences
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Authors
Agnieszka Kamrowskakwartalnik.filmowy@ispan.pl
University of the National Education Commission, Krakow Poland
Kulturoznawczyni, absolwentka Instytutu Sztuk Audiowizualnych Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. Adiunkt na Wydziale Sztuki Uniwersytetu Pedagogicznego im. KEN w Krakowie. Autorka pracy doktorskiej o motywach cyberpunkowych w kinie Wschodu i Zachodu oraz wielu tekstów na temat kina azjatyckiego, anime, filmu współczesnego i kultury audiowizualnej. Redaktorka serii Autorzy kina azjatyckiego.
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