Is Totoro about Shintoism?

In fact, whether Totoro is a Shinto spirit or not is a mystery. He lives in a sacred tree on the grounds of a Shinto shrine. The girls' father even takes them there to thank Totoro for watching over Mei early in the film.

What culture is Totoro?

The animated film My Neighbor Totoro, made by the internationally acclaimed Studio Ghibli, is a cultural phenomenon in Japan. The film tells the story of two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the Japanese countryside with their father while their mother is in the hospital.

Is Spirited Away based on Shinto?

The practice of Shinto is extremely important to the Japanese people, and its influence stretches far and wide – wide enough, apparently, to become a major inspiration for Spirited Away. Miyazaki explicitly cites the religion as a major influence for his characters and settings in the film.

What is the symbolism of Totoro?

There are countering details for both interpretations of the film, but regardless of the reading, Totoro and friends are symbols of hope to two young, evolving sisters.

Is Totoro a kami?

Satsuki, the older girl in the film, calls Totoro an “obake”, which translates to ghost or monster, and he's not a recognised kami, although he lives in a sacred tree on the grounds of a Shinto shrine. For what it's worth, Miyazaki defines Totoro as a woodland creature who eats acorns.

Is Miyazaki Inspired By Shinto?

Who is God in Shinto?

Kami (Japanese: 神, [kaꜜmi]) are the deities, divinities, spirits, phenomena or "holy powers", that are venerated in the religion of Shinto. The term is often taken to exclusively mean "gods", though the concept is more involved than that.

Is Totoro God of death?

The dark side supports that Mei dies when she gets lost, and Satsuki, not being able to live with this, opens the death's door in order to reunite with her. Totoro is a Death God who came in order to take them. By the end of the film both girls are dead and, sadly, their mom will join them soon.

What is the moral of My Neighbor Totoro?

Whether Totoro is real or not, their dad is there to be a part of their world with them. Kindness is always the answer. Umbrellas=little random acts of kindness. The characters all sharing their umbrellas show kids that kindness is a great way to make new friends!

Why is the mom sick in Totoro?

Trivia (25) The film is partially autobiographical. When Hayao Miyazaki and his brothers were children, his mother suffered from spinal tuberculosis for nine years, and spent much of her time hospitalized. It is implied, yet never revealed in the film, that Satsuki and Mei's mother also suffers from tuberculosis.

What Totoro means in Japanese?

A river. A signpost. An animal. All of these things have a spirit. And when you think about it that way, it makes sense that there are so many Japanese words for different kinds of 'spirits' (although I use this term loosely).

Does Miyazaki believe in Shinto?

An animistic religion, it sees gods and spirits in everything, emphasising harmony with the natural world. "I do not believe in Shinto," Miyazaki tells me, "but I do respect it, and I feel that the animism origin of Shinto is rooted deep within me."

Which aspect of anime comes from Shinto?

Shinto motifs and themes such as kami (gods or spirits) and yokai (ghosts or demons) are particularly present in anime and manga. In Dream Saga, the Earth is destroyed and recreated whenever humans have polluted it.

What culture is Princess Mononoke?

Princess Mononoke is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (approximately 1336 to 1573 CE), but it includes fantasy elements. The story follows a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka, and his involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources.

What kind of animal is Totoro based off of?

A well-known cartoon character around the globe, Totoro, is an adorable chinchilla in Hayao Miyazaki's animated movie "My Neighbor Totoro". In the movie, Totoro is a gentle, gray and giant rat; however, in reality, the chinchilla is a furry little creature that you can hold in one palm.

What do the acorns symbolize in My Neighbor Totoro?

Sacred trees

The idea that trees are sacred and protective is reinforced when the girls plant the acorns Totoro gives them in exchange for their umbrella. They hope to grow a “beautiful forest” for their mother, but though Mei diligently cares for the garden bed, they just won't sprout.

What type of creature is Totoro?

Totoros are bipedal mammalian creatures which can move around by walking or hopping. They have rotund bodies with relatively short limbs, and a short tail. The ears are long and pointed. The hands have five clawed fingers, which allow them to hold objects such as a bag or an umbrella.

Is Totoro in Toy Story 3?

“Totoro has a cameo appearance in “Toy Story 3,” he acknowledged. “We do little homages in our films, and we thought it was a very appropriate homage to let [Miyazaki and his film company] Studio Ghibli know how much they mean to us.”

How old is Mei in Totoro?

In MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, it's 1958 Japan, and 10-year-old Satsuki (voiced by Dakota Fanning for the English-dubbed version), 4-year-old Mei (Elle Fanning), and their father (Tim Daly) move to the countryside where their mother is hospitalized with a long-term illness.

Does My Neighbor Totoro have a happy ending?

Fortunately, the girls end up adapting well and eventually make new friends. Having said that, whether the audience finds Totoro real or not, his existence in the film definitely alleviates some of the heavy stuff that Satsuki and Mei are going through.

What does Totoro teach us about?

Totoro shows Satsuki and Mei while growth and change may not always be pleasant, it does make one stronger, like a single sapling slowly giving life to a sprawling forest. And even when it is pleasant, growth and change take time, a lesson we learn in the mirroring of the girls' garden and their mother.

What did Spirited Away mean?

In Japanese folklore, spiriting away (Japanese: Kamikakushi (神隠し), lit. 'hidden by kami') refers to the mysterious disappearance or death of a person, after they had angered the gods (kami). There are numerous legends of humans being abducted to the spirit world by kami.

What the story behind Spirited Away?

Spirited Away is a manifestation of fears and anxieties as seen through the lens of its young lead female character, Chihiro. How Chihiro chooses to react to the ever-changing circumstances around her, even the most horrifying ones, defines this film's central moral.

Who created Shinto?

Shinto does not have a founder nor does it have sacred scriptures like the sutras or the Bible. Propaganda and preaching are not common either, because Shinto is deeply rooted in the Japanese people and traditions. "Shinto gods" are called kami.

What is Japan's main religion?

Shinto and Buddhism are Japan's two major religions. Shinto is as old as the Japanese culture, while Buddhism was imported from the mainland in the 6th century. Since then, the two religions have been co-existing relatively harmoniously and have even complemented each other to a certain degree.

How do you become a Shinto?