Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animation director known for his films with Studio Ghibli. He started his career in the early 1960s and became involved with many classics of Japanese animations. His two most famous films, Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001), have attracted many audiences to their stunning individual world and given a message to those who have pushed nature away from their daily lives.
Princess Mononoke (1997) is one of Miyazaki’s darkest films, and deals with a literal war against mother nature as great spirits of the forest become cursed. Prince Ashitaka discovers that the townsfolk, under the influence of a well-intentioned leader, have been involved in deforestation in an attempt to increase their iron supply, and the god of the mountain is furious. Yet, we can’t blame the townsfolk for starting this war as they believe increasing the iron supply can increase the quality of their lives. Their leader has stopped fearing and respecting the gods, including the wildlife and cursed spirits resulting in all the spirits believing that humankind has become the enemy, making matters worse for everyone in the town.
Spirited Away (2001), on the other hand, is a coming of age story about a girl named Chihiro. She embarks on a quest to save her parents who turned into pigs after accidently ending up in an abandoned town at the end of a tunnel. Chihiro enters under the service of Yubaba, an evil witch who runs a spa where spirits come to purify themselves. At the spa, Chihiro is challenged beyond her limits. She runs into several spirits, including No-Face, all of who are beyond creepy. However, it isn’t until Chihiro relies on Haku, a spirit of the Kohaku River, that she finally breaks her contract with the evil witch and gets her parents back.
A repeating theme among these two films convey the philosophy of one of Japan’s oldest religions. Shinto, meaning “the way of the Gods,” is a religion that focuses on the never-ending divine connection between humans, spirits and the natural world. This religion has no sacred written text and is deeply rooted in both the traditional and daily life in Japan. It recognizes that nobody is perfect, and there is no absolute wrong or right. “Kami,” or Shinto gods, are sacred spirits that become creations such as prominent rocks or massive trees which the people of Japan must respect by building shrines, using the location as a place to pray, as well as being responsible for its care. We can see this philosophy of respecting nature clearly within the two films mentioned above. The war in Princess Mononoke almost destroys the forest, causing everything to die – showing that our quest for gathering resources and building cities can cause suffering to the wildlife around us. In Spirited Away, Chihiro gives up her name to the witch, Yubaba and must gain the trust of and rely on the community of spirits and beings that live in the abandoned town to complete her service. Without their help, Chihiro would have never been able to see her parents again.
Referencing to three verses in the Bible, there is a connection between what Miyazaki expresses in his films and how we should consider his message, especially with current events such as global warming and the effects of pollution among our wildlife. In Genesis 1:26 states, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” We are given the idea that we are at the top of the food chain – that everything around us in this earth is ours to take. This idea influences us to forget that the Bible also calls for us to participate in stewardship with the world. It can become disastrous if we are irresponsible with our dominion over the earth. Our actions lead to more consequences that harm the planet all because we continue to take indiscriminately what we desire. Ezekiel 34:18-19 comments on how the shepherd is responsible for his flock, yet his flock must also be aware of their actions and desires. He says, “Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture and to drink of clear water that you must muddy the rest of the water?”
Oddly enough, the story of Job – the man that had everything until God decided to test his faith by stripping away all that he loved and owned – has a verse which brings up the divine connection between God and all of his creations, including us. In Job 12:7-10, it states, “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” Job’s faith towards God was tested while many others questioned him about the existence of God. Knowing that God is the reason there is life on earth makes each living thing become divine. We should think about his creations upon the earth as a gift given to us with a responsibility that can multiply in numbers and last for future generations to experience.
The passion that Hayao Miyazaki has for respecting the earth has driven him to continue being involved in future films with Studio Ghibli, and Miyazaki has even announced opening a nature sanctuary for 2018 which was pushed back to 2020. The sanctuary will be built in Nagoya City to convey Miyazaki’s message of respecting and embracing nature, inviting us to continue serving and nourishing our earth.