Hayao Miyazaki, Walt Disney of the Landscape
Japanese filmmaking influence on our vision of landscapes and how we perceive them.
Has it ever occurred to you while watching a movie and seeing some magnificent landscape and you felt immediately connected to it? Well, that is what could happen if you saw a movie made by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. There is something about a particular relationship a filmmaker wants to show us in his screenings, that of a human and the nature, which is differently portrayed in Western culture than in the Japanese.
Paradigm shift
In environmental design, humans and the environment are treated as separate entities while the environment is being viewed as raw material stock. This treatment of separate entities is what it’s called dual environmentalism. The question is, how do we shift into the ‘’right path’’ towards integration with nature?
In order to fully connect to nature, it’s necessary to explore the more integrated human environment relationship. This is where Japanese filmmaker so wonderfully connects these two worlds, intentionally or not, we can see it, it’s tangible.
There is a shift in Miyazaki’s work regarding the nature-human paradigm, but in Japanese culture as well, where people and nature co-exist. Human is not in charge of nature. Humans become an inseparable part of the nature. It has been like that for a very long time, it’s visible in a way Japanese gardens are designed — by using natural elements such as stones, water and plants, tranquillity and life force are represented in such an effortless manner.
So without further ado, let’s dive in to see what Mr. Miyazaki has to offer.
Interestingly done, My Neighbour Totoro presents us an idea of vanishing seasons, vanishing landscapes that gets us in a more melancholic way. We remember our childhoods and the connection with nature. (Since I was a kid it reminds me of my childhood days where I ran and strolled through dreamy woods, stinging nettles and killing my fingers while picking stubborn berries).
It’s such a powerful tool, to connect our emotions with nature, right?
Princess Mononoke
The certain approach in this particular movie gives the landscape a new and symbolic meaning of life. Why is that so?
Through animation and landscape design, Miyazaki paid his respects to Japanese mythology and culture while being inspired by real life places such as the Japanese island Yakushima.
It’s not unfamiliar how certain aspects of the cultural heritage play a major role in the value of the landscape itself, but seeing value of the landscape through a symbolic and cultural prism in the movies is something really special.
So yes, this is a topic I would like to explore even further in my writing, so bear with me friends!
What are your favourite movies in which you felt connected to nature for whatever the reason?
References:
Podcast Landscape Nerd on Castbox
Moon Rabbit Podcast
Landscape and cinema
Mumcu, S. and Yılmaz, S. (2018) “Anime Landscapes as a Tool for Analyzing the Human–Environment Relationship: Hayao Miyazaki Films,” Arts, 7(2), p. 16. doi:10.3390/arts7020016.
Hidalgo, Ana. (2014). Biophilic Design, Restorative Environments and Well-Being. 9th International Conference on Design and Emotion 2014: The Colors of Care.
Human Connection to Nature within the Built Environment: An Exploration of Office Employee Perception of Nature Connectedness
