Throughout its history, religion in Japan has taken on a highly diverse landscape. From Shintoism, the central feature of which is the belief in Kami, the animistic inhabitants of nature, to the more modern Mahayana Buddhism, which focused on spiritual enlightenment and reaching Nirvana, there simply isn’t just one, overarching “Japanese Religion”. That’s not to say however that these seemingly separate religions were exclusive in their themes. Concepts such as the Kami were often seen as manifestations of the Buddha through the Buddhist lens, and the primitive Dogu of the Early Jomon Religion resemble the pure beings that are referenced in Shintoism. This “blending” of religion is prominently seen in Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 film, Princess Mononoke.…show more content… The forest is painted as a magical place, full of spirits and gods. As a matter of fact, Ashitaka encounters the “Kodama”, small apparitions that inhabit the forest. These are, once again, reflections of the Kami as they metaphorically represent the divine deities that hold the forest together. It is often said in the movie that no human who has ever entered the forest has escaped it. This is in line with Miyazaki’s Kami as humans are eliminated by the forest due to their impurity, thus never returning from it. Additionally, the forest is mainly controlled by the Forest Spirit which, Miyazaki proposes, is the quintessential Kami because it provides the forest with all of its life. The original Kami are regarded as awe-inspiring divine entities as is the forest spirit. It can transform between a gigantic “nightwalker” and the mythical deer. In its deer-form, the Forest Spirit can bring life and death to the forest and has the power to cure Ashitaka of his curse. Buddhism is also referenced because the Forest Spirit could be thought of as a Bodhisattva, a being who can attain Buddhahood, but wishes to help all of those who are suffering. The fact that the Forest Spirit cured Ashitaka as well as the destroyed land goes to show its wish to help other beings reach “buddhahood”. Finally, the forest represents Miyazaki’s Nirvana. It is a place of eternal peacefulness and liberation from the violent and
