Research Article
Shinto, Buddhism, and Japanese Culture Elements in The Movie Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pon Poko
Abstract
This paper analyzes the Shinto, Buddhism, and Japanese cultural elements in the movie Heisei Tanuki Gassen Pon Poko (“Heisei-era Raccoon Dog War Ponpoko”), which is a movie produced by famous Studio Ghibli and released in 1994. The director of the movie chose the tanuki, which is a wild raccoon dog species, as the protagonist character to reflect the destruction of natural environments on the outskirts of Tokyo caused by human expansion. The director also included many Japanese Shinto, Buddhism, and cultural elements in this movie, making the movie both entertaining and reflecting. In this work, I will summarize the plot of the movie, explain the three endings in this movie, and conclude the director’s message.
Keywords: Studio Ghibli; Japanese culture; Shintoism; Buddhism
References
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