Religion and Media in Japan

Marília Rossetto Costa

REL 3042S: Religion and Media

13th November 2017

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Japan has an ancient culture that has only recently been revealed to the rest of the world.
The Japanese cartoon, called anime, is very prestigious, both by children and adults. By showing
great interest, anime has become a way of transmitting to young Japanese people the beliefs,
culture and way of thinking and acting in the country in which they live.
In the richness of fundamentals that blend elements of the Japanese religions, this essay
will be analyzing the structure of the narrative of the film Spirited Away, describing a few points
of the storyline and how it presents aspects of the indigenous Japanese religion, Shintō. The
choice of the film Spirited Away is due to its magical aspects presented by the charming,
mythical and at the same time powerful characters in a strange reality to our understanding, but
where anything can happen.
Therefore, firstly it will be discussed how religion and media in the Japanese context are
intertwined. Secondly, it will be examined the influential aspects of Japanese religions especially
Shintō in Japanese culture/society. Finally, it will be described the most relevant topics presented
in the movie Spirited Away.
Religion and Media in the Japanese Context
According to MacWilliams (2012), studying religion involves more than just looking at
religious institutions. In other words, it involves exploring how the individual in this society seek
their religious beliefs and spirituality, being not limited only to institutional forms and places, but
also ‘unexpected’ spaces such as popular culture. Thus, understanding a place’s popular culture
can help on the understanding of this place’s religion and how it is portrayed in the media.
In the case of Japanese popular culture, manga (Japanese comic book) and anime
(Japanese animation movie), represent a significant part of Japan’s cultural production (Porcu
2015). With the develop of the internet, social network, and the extensive use of images,
Japanese’s traditional institutions began to face great challenges to reach its public, especially the
young generation (Porcu 2014). Therefore, in order to cope with the progressive loss of devotees,
aging population, and the disregard of younger people, the use of manga and anime became a
successful vehicle to reach mass population (Porcu 2014). As an example, nowadays religious
institutions make use of anime and manga to expose themselves and their teachings and beliefs
to the new generation as well as the old (Porcu 2014).
Thus, it can be seen how Japanese religious groups are managing this gap between
believers and spiritual practices posed by the society, by associating their temples to the various
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changes imposed by the popular culture, and adapting to new forms to express their influences
on people, such as by the use of manga and anime (Porcu 2014).
The Influential Aspects of Shintō in Japanese Culture/Society
The main religious beliefs in Japan are Shintō, Confucianism and Buddhism, whose main
values are respectively the past, the present and the future (Campbell 1994). All of these
religions have related topics that are presented in Japanese movies (Porcu 2015). The most
prevalent religious choice of the Japanese people is the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism, which
might seem different at the first glance, but actually have a lot in common in the long run.
Furthermore, there are several themes in the religious beliefs of the citizens of Japan, which
create an outline of the fundamental basis of the religion in Japan (Earhart 2014). These
fundamentals can be widely traced in the culture of Japan and its representation in media and
include the following (Earhart 2014): a) the connection between the people, the gods, and the
natural surroundings; b) the religion inside of the household; c) the importance of pure mind and
soul, ceremonies, and talismans; d) the status of the native festivals and separate worships; e) the
extensiveness of religious beliefs in daily routine; and f) the unique connection between the
people of Japan and their faith.
In short, Shintō, which comes from the Chinese word shen, meaning the path of the gods,
is a very ancient religion, and has been an essential component in Japanese faith because of its
uniqueness and distinctiveness (Toshio, Dobbins and Gay 1981). The views’ of Shintō usually
includes traditions, as an example, its unambiguous quality of a primitive religion, including the
worship of the nature and anathemas in contradiction of kegare (impurities), but it does not have
the structure of a doctrine (Toshio, Dobbins and Gay 1981). Overall, Shintō is seen as an
indigenous religion in Japan, which maintained itself secure since primordial times to the
present-day (Toshio, Dobbins and Gay 1981). Shintō is a ceremonial religion par excellence,
these ceremonies are represented through offerings, acts of purification, prayers and symbolic
celebrations. According to Campbell (1994: 372), to live "Shintō is not to obey a certain definite
moral code, but to live with gratitude and admiration in the midst of the mystery of things [...]
the faculties remain open, clear and pure." Living this way, for Shintō, means following the
processes of nature and only by following such processes people maintain a pure heart, without
evil (Campbell 1994).
Analyzing the first religion in Japan, Shintō, whose roots seem to be in the ancient
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relationship of respect and harmony that the Orientals try to maintain with the nature, this
relationship represents exactly the creation of the myth and mythology (Oliveira 2016).
Suggesting that, in Japan, mythology is a cognitive understanding, and in the West, it is fantasy,
the fairy tale, the means by which the invisible becomes visible (Oliveira 2016). Therefore, the
relationships that develops between persons and the surrounding environment set the tone of how
the phenomena around them are interpreted (Oliveira 2016). Values and perceptions of the lived
reality are built and based on these first relationships. Thus, according to Oliveira (2016), man's
relation to nature and the way it affects him have a great influence on the way each
culture/society constructs their imaginary about reality.
Hence, one of the central points in Shintō, is the life-power, generative, and creative force
that gives vivacity to all organisms, called musubi (Boyd and Williams 2005). Chiefly, the term
musubi refers to the connecting force that promotes life itself in all nature as a whole (Boyd and
Williams 2005). According to Boyd and Williams (2005), this connectedness and creative
bonding energy in traditional Shintō is associated with diverse Kami, which is the Japanese word
for god(s) or spirits (Boyd and Williams 2005). Kami is also understood as a powerful energy
that can be experienced by people. However, in order to experience Kami one needs to have pure
heart and mind (Boyd and Williams 2005). One of the main points, is that due to pervasive
processes that occurs in daily life, persons are often unable to connect with their vital force,
clouding their interior (Boyd and Williams 2005). Thus, the heaviness of thoughts and actions
that disturbers the balance of nature, pollute people, and here explains the need to be purified
(Boyd and Williams 2005). In addition, the central focus of Shintō is on internal rather than
external relation and connectedness (Bigelow 2009). Meaning, there is no separation between the
body, the mind, and the soul, everything is linked (Bigelow 2009). It is the learning experience
of acquiring a pure heart/mind that is the central theme of the director’s film Spirited Away
(Boyd and Williams 2005).
Hence, outlining the some of the philosophy of Shintō worldview, it is possible to find
native or even primordial expression of a value of systems that still remains today as a basic
ingredient of religion and Japanese culture (Boyd and Williams 2005). Additionally, some of this
brief outline of the perspective and philosophy of the Shintō world view can provide a deeper
understanding of the general context for understanding the film and many events and characters
in it (Boyd and Nishimura 2016).
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Interpretation of Spirited Away

After categorizing and outlining the primary driving forces of Shintō religion for the
Japanese people, it becomes obvious that these themes are widely utilized in the movies of one
of the greatest animators and film directors of Japan Hayao Miyazaki. While almost all of his
animated works rely heavily on the presence of the divine creatures that are hiding in the day to
day life of the Japanese people, his work ‘Spirited Away’ is among the most prominent examples
of how religion is demonstrated in the modern media of Japan. Miyazaki plunges its viewers into
the dimension of ancient Shintō mythology, momentously removing them from their
contemporary anxiety spread by globalization, raveling issues that are the heart of human society
and culture, such as environmental destruction and extensive commercialism (Bigelow 2009).
The director Miyazaki, therefore, built his works based on the principles of transformation and
reinvigoration of local mythology and Shintoism (Wright and Close 2017).
As it was mentioned in the beginning of the paper, Shinto constitutes the bigger portion
of the religious convictions of the Japanese people. In the animated movie ‘Spirited Away’,
Shinto is presented as the basis of the plot, as well as the folk stories and beliefs. The bathhouse
of the spirit world can be compared to the Shinto Shrine, where the divine creatures, which are
represented as kami in the movie, can purify their minds as their souls (Earhart 2014). Therefore,
the importance of pure mind and soul, ceremonies, and talismans is one of the main points in the
plot of the movie. Furthermore, in the course of the movie, various other Shinto philosophies are
presented by Hayao Miyazaki. For example, the bathhouse of the movie ‘Spirited Away’ is under
the role of a female character, which is a direct indication of the matriarchy in ancient Japan, the
times before the general population accepted the anti-feminine predispositions of the Buddhist
faith (Boyd and Nishimura 2016).
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Another interesting reference to the spiritual beliefs of the Japanese people is the main
character of the animated movie herself. The girl with the name Chihiro came into the bathhouse
from the outside world; as the time in the Shinto Shrine passes, Chihiro starts to lose her identity
and becomes Sen, a girl who transformed from a moody and sad teenager into a strong young
woman (Boyd and Nishimura 2016). At first sight, it might seem that Chihiro-Sen simply
complies with the rules of the bathhouse and its ruler. On the other hand, while this theory is
entirely valid, Hayao Miyazaki had another point of view. The transformation of the main
character is a direct indication of the state of liminality, which is a state of being neither here nor
there (Napier 2006). The hints on the liminal nature of this movie start almost in the beginning of
the adventure of the main character, when Chihiro and her parents discover a passageway, which
leads into the darkness and into the unknown (Napier 2006). The audience continues to follow
the main character into the liminal space, as she forms novel and more strong identity, which
allows her to deal with the hardships of the bathhouse (Bigelow 2009).
Finally, the deep connection of the people, the nature, and the gods are demonstrated in
the close relationship of the main character and the kami of the river. By the end of the animated
movie, the audience and Chihiro herself learns that her spirit and the kami of the river are
connected, which means that the soul and heart of the girl is pure (Napier 2006). The moment
when Chihiro and the kami of the river learn their original names signifies the end of the journey
of the main character in the world of liminality and her return into reality with the renewed, purer
and stronger self (Napier 2006). In conclusion, after discovering the connection between the plot
of the movie ‘Spirited Away’ and the religious beliefs of Japanese people, it can be said that
Hayao Miyazaki made every effort in his power in order to convey the traditional religion of
Japan into the modern media (Napier 2006).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Japanese religion and its representation in the culture of Japan have been
closely connected with each other for years. Firstly, this essay aimed to discuss how religion and
media in the Japanese context are intertwined. It was seen that, understanding a place’s popular
culture can help on the understanding of this place’s religion and how it is portrayed in the
media. In the case of Japanese popular culture, manga and anime represent a significant great
part of the country’s culture production (Porcu 2015). With globalization and fast pace
communication, such as internet, social media, Japanese’s traditional institutions began to face
 7

great challenges to reach its public, especially the young generation (Porcu 2014). Therefore, the
use of manga and anime became a successful vehicle to reach mass population (Porcu 2014).
Secondly, it was examined the influential aspects of Japanese religions especially Shintō in the
Japanese culture/society. According to the book ‘Religion in Japan: Unity and Diversity’ by
Byron Earhart (2014), Japanese religion can be best defined by a unique amalgamation of no less
than five primary branches, which are Shinto, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and folk
religion. Thus, it was pointed that the most prevalent religious choice of the Japanese people is
the fusion of Shinto and Buddhism. Additionally, it was described Shintō as an ancient religion,
and has been an essential component in Japanese faith because of its uniqueness and
distinctiveness (Toshio, Dobbins and Gay 1981). Thus, Shintō is a ceremonial religion par
excellence. Briefly, one of the central points in Shintō, is the life-power, generative, and creative
force that gives vivacity to all organisms, called musubi (Boyd and Williams 2005). This
connectedness and creative bonding energy in traditional Shintō is associated with Kami,
meaning for god(s) or spirits (Boyd and Williams 2005). Kami is also understood as a powerful
energy that can be experienced by people. Finally, it was described the most relevant topics
presented in the movie Spirited Away. For instance, the bathhouse of the spirit world was
compared to the Shinto Shrine, where the divine creatures, which are represented as kami in the
movie, can purify their minds as their souls (Earhart 2014). Another interesting reference to the
spiritual beliefs of the Japanese people is the main character of the animated movie herself. The
transformation of the main character is a direct indication of the state of liminality, which is a
state of being neither here nor there (Napier 2006). It is shown throughout the movie her spiritual
development as she forms a unique and more strong identity, which allows her to deal with the
hardships of the bathhouse (Bigelow 2009). Lastly, the deep connection of the people, the nature,
and the gods are demonstrated in the close relationship of the main character and the kami of the
river.
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<http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=955485226086876;res=IELLCC>
ISSN: 0312-2654.