Ideology behind the Film Spirited Away

This research paper answers the following question: How have Shintoism, Buddhism and Christianity affected Japanese society and culture along with how they contributed to what can be observed in Japan today. Through this paper, the impact of syncretism observed throughout the three main religions on the society and culture of modern Japan will be discussed. The three religions analyzed in this

Firstly, the traditions within Shintoism were important to help the Japanese people to connect with their ancestors and the nature around them. The word ‘Shinto’ itself means way of the gods. It is as old as the Japanese culture and was the only religion in Japan until the 6th century. According to the Shinto religion, there exists a basic life force called kami. Kami are close to human beings and respond to human prayers. They can influence the course of natural forces, and human events. Shinto tradition says that there are eight million kami in Japan. Due to their deep respect and love for nature and Japan itself, many shrines were set up in places of natural beauty. Followers went to pray here to receive good fortune and samurai would often go to the shrines to pray for victory before and after battle. Shinto’s traditions involved having a clean lifestyle. They washed and bathed everyday which made most of japan a fresh

Shintoism: The Way of the Kami. Israel defines Kami as spirits that affiliate with natural objects such as the sun and the moon. In the opening of Buddha in the Land of the Kami, the narrator shares the historical background of the Kami, stating that a spiritual duo came down to Earth to stir up the sea waters, creating the archipelago of Japan. The sprits figure out reproduction and multiply, inhabiting the chain of Islands known as Japan. The narrators also mention the Kami in mountains, wind, grass and other natural entities. According to the film, spiritual rituals performed in earlier eras show continuity in Shinto shrines today. Israel explains that later, during the Asuka-Nara Period, The Yamato high courts establish a system that would monitor Shinto shrines. “The Yomato court developed a centralized

The supernatural powers and deities of Shinto are Kami. Kami are not Gods but spirits that intervene with humans that do not live in a separate dimension but in the same dimension as humans. Kami can take form of elements of nature such as rivers, mountains, storms and earthquakes but they were also the deities that created the universe as stated in their holy text. They can also be spirits that take the form of the living and the souls of humans that have demonstrated outstanding achievement (such as soldiers that gave up their lives for war, emperors and leaders) becoming Kami after their death. Kami are also the ancestors and protectors of human beings. Kami can also influence the course of nature and events of humans. They like the human

There are many aspects of this world such as culture, technology, or art that have been influenced by other things. The way that things influence each other has allowed for new possibilities and ideals to be formed. Religion is no exception; there have been many instances where religions have influenced each other and blossomed due to new ideas being presented. A good example of this the relationship between the two religions: Buddhism and Shinto. Buddhism was brought into Japan during the early 6th century from Korea, and was later institutionalized as the state religion in the late 6th century by Prince Shōtoku. The Prince was a great patron of Buddhism and by having made it the state religion, it would help Buddhism spread. However, Japan was not without its own religion—Shinto—which had been there for many years prior to the arrival of Buddhism. With Buddhism gaining traction in Japan with the help of Prince Shōtoku, what then does it mean for the Shinto religion? However, Shinto was not long forgotten, which leads to the question: how did the two religions, Buddhism and Shinto, interact with each other when Buddhism arrived in Japan? In this essay, I will discuss how both Buddhism and Shinto were closely tied to each other in Japan, and how they would influence each other in different ways that allowed them to grow into new directions.

Shinto and Buddhism are two different traditions that have flourished in Japan for hundreds of years. Generally, followers from one of the traditions tend to follow the guidance of the other as well, which makes the relationship between Shinto and Buddhism very rare in world religions. At first, when these two traditions contacted each other in ancient Japan, there was a lot of confusion, but eventually they were able to coexist. However, even though Buddhism and Shinto share similarities regarding flexibility and independence, there are more differences between them proven by Buddhism’s spread to ancient Japan, their contrasting practices and beliefs and the different outlooks on the afterlife.

The Shinto faith is based on Japanese mythology. One of the most important mythological stories in the

During the war, propaganda that was used to drive home stereotypes of each cultural group. “On the part of the Japanese , this involved singling out the emphasis placed on individualism and profit making in the Western tradition, and presenting this as proof positive that Westerners were

Since Japan's earliest days, Shinto has been the code of honor and action for the Japanese. It is also a polytheistic religion, they believe there is a God for everything.(brittanica)

The brilliant animated film Spirited Away gets it magic from its dynamic and highly interesting characters. Characters such as Chihiro and Haku get more developed as the story moves forward, however the character No-Face does not show much personality throughout the film. No-Face shows all of his emotion through expressions and slight sounds, and is a fairly emotional character. While at first his intentions were unknown, it becomes increasingly clear as the story unfolds that No-Face is a spirit who lost his identity and is looking for his purpose.

In Hayao Miyazaki’s breathtaking film, Spirited Away we are introduced to 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents who stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father turn into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku, who explains the park is a resort for the supernatural beings who need a break from the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents. Our young protagonist is shown to be a childish, easily-scared, and whiny girl. But after her experiences at the bathhouse and the Spirit World, she will mature into a capable adult. Chihiro’s growth into a capable individual is a core factor to the movement of Spirited Away’s plot.

Spirited Away (2002) produced by Studio Ghibli, it is a dramatic animation told in the point of view of a ten year old girl, Chihiro. She is forced to work in a bathhouse for exhausted spirits. She is then forced to tend to the every need of these beings. She has to escape the bathhouse and the grasp of her Master/Boss (Yubaba) and save her parents lives. Hayao Miyazaki is the writer and director of this wonderful film. The leading roles are: Chihiro (Daveigh Chase), Haku (Jason Marsden), Yubaba and Zeniba (Suzanne Pleshette), and Kamaji (David Ogden Stiers).

Shintoism is known as their first and official religion. No one really knows where the origin of Shinto came from but it impacted the development of historical Japan. A tradition that involves the Shinto shrine is after the birth of a baby, it is named after three days, then after about a month old, and the baby is brought to the Shinto shrine to officially become the member of the community. Shinto was also known as the way of the gods and those who worshipped Shintoism seldom asked about existing with the nature or who the world was formed. In Shinto, there was something known as kami, or god(s); though in some cases kami can also be translated into appearance- where it can be human, nature, or an unmovable object.

deities act “harmoniously” with one another. Nature, in turn, is a vital part of both the spiritual world and the human world; “Japanese love and reverence for nature lies at the root of Shinto”. For many other religions, this is not the case. For Western religions, the “Creator and the created, and the human and natural realms” do not relate with one another immediately. The Shinto religion can again be seen acting in a more spiritual way than any other religion. The spirituality of Shinto and its people can be expressed further:

Many religions are popular within the Japanese culture. Two of the most influential religions, Shinto and Buddhism that help shaped a lot of Japanese values are Shinto and Buddhism, played a large role in shaping Japanese values. Numerous similarities and differences run between these two religions; nonetheless, the Japanese often believe in more than one religion at the same time. This is possible due to the polytheistic nature of most popular religions in Japan. It is not hard to say that religion is a big part of Japanese culture because a lot of religious beliefs can still be seen in their everyday lives.