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Uvic Thesis Template Spirituality, Aesthetics, and Aware: Feeling Shinto in Miyazaki Hayao’s My Neighbour Totoro by Sherri Carbullido BA, St. Edwards University, 2008 A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of Pacific and Asian Studies Sherri Carbullido, 2013 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. ii Supervisory Committee Spirituality, Aesthetics, and Aware: Feeling Shinto in Miyazaki Hayao’s My Neighbour Totoro by Sherri Carbullido BA, St. Edwards University, 2008 Supervisory Committee Dr. Hiroko Noro, (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Co-Supervisor Dr. Timothy Iles, (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Co-Supervisor iii Abstract Supervisory Committee Dr. Hiroko Noro, (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Co-Supervisor Dr. Timothy Iles, (Department of Pacific and Asian Studies) Co-Supervisor The thesis will explore the idea of feeling Japanese spirituality of Shinto through a contemporary work of art, the animated film My Neighbour Totoro (1988). The idea of a felt spirituality revolves around Shinto’s notion of kami, divine entities whose existence becomes manifest through one’s feeling and perception to awe-inspiring things of the natural world and the aesthetic notion of aware, an immediate felt emotional response that coincides as the response/reaction when coming into contact with awe-inspiring things. This thesis conceives aware to be the meeting point in which the human and kami world converge, a Shinto concept known as shinjin-g itsu, or the meeting of the human spirit with kami. This thesis will uncover themes of Shinto spirituality through a close reading of the functionality of specific components of the film: music, setting, characters, character interactions, and symbolism. Themes such as nature, community, symbolism and the role of aesthetics within the film will be discussed to showcase the idea of a spiritual encounter. It is a spiritual encounter/meeting that is facilitated through the aesthetics and components of the film which elicits a response of aware from the viewer. Keywords Animated film, Shinto, aesthetics, aware, spirituality, kami iv Table of Contents Supervisory Committee .................................................................................................... ii Abstract ............................................................................................................................. iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................. iv List of Figures .................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ vi Dedication ........................................................................................................................ vii Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................................... 9 An Introduction to Shinto .................................................................................................9 Chapter 2 ......................................................................................................................... 27 Bigaku, Japanese Aesthetics ...........................................................................................27 Chapter 3 ......................................................................................................................... 37 An Introduction, History, and Evolution of Aware.........................................................37 Chapter 4 ......................................................................................................................... 65 Feeling Shinto in My Neighbour Totoro ........................................................................65 Film Synopsis..................................................................................................................71 Literature Review............................................................................................................72 Shinto Symbolism ...........................................................................................................80 Nature ..............................................................................................................................90 Community ...................................................................................................................100 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 119 Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 123 v List of Figures Figure 1: Shinto Symbolism - torii ................................................................................. 81 Figure 2: Shinto Symbolism - shimboku ....................................................................... 81 Figure 3: Shinto Symbolism - soot kami ....................................................................... 84 Figure 4: Shinto Symbolism - gohei .............................................................................. 84 Figure 5: Shinto Symbolism - soot kami ....................................................................... 85 Figure 6: Shinto Symbolism - torii ................................................................................. 87 Figure 7: Shinto Symbolism—shimboku and shimenawa ............................................. 90 Figure 8: Nature - Empty moment #1 ........................................................................... 93 Figure 9: Nature - Empty moment #2 ........................................................................... 93 Figure 10: Mei’s Roar ..................................................................................................... 99 Figure 11: Beauty of nature - Totoro .......................................................................... 101 Figure 12: Makoto no kokoro—Mei and Totoro .......................................................... 101 Figure 13: Community—Nature’s treasures ................................................................ 102 Figure 14: Nature’s skies .............................................................................................. 103 Figure 15: Satsuki and Totoro ..................................................................................... 107 Figure 16: Community and Totoro ............................................................................. 107 Figure 17: Catbus .......................................................................................................... 107 Figure 18: Reassurance and Totoro ............................................................................ 107 Figure 19: Satsuki’s gesture ......................................................................................... 113 Figure 20: How to use an umbrella ............................................................................. 113 Figure 21: Pink cheeks.................................................................................................. 114 Figure 22: Excitement for rain .................................................................................... 114 Figure 23: Human, kami, and nature.......................................................................... 118 Figure 24: Human spirit and the divine ...................................................................... 118 Figure 25: Nature thrives ............................................................................................. 119 vi Acknowledgments First and foremost I would like to give a very warm and deeply grateful thank you to my supervisors. To Dr. Timothy Iles—I would have been lost on this journey if it was not for your wisdom, experience, expertise, and encouragement not only as a professor but also as a colleague. It was your considerate and careful guidance that kept me afloat. Our weekly meetings allowed me to grow not only as an academic but as a person who found yet another reason to cherish all of life—the good and bad. I will cherish all the guidance and encouragement you have provided me. Not to mention the chocolate. Dr. Iles, Thank you so very much. It has been a pleasure and joy to be your student. To Dr. Hiroko Noro—thank you for your patience and understanding during those initial steps of deciding what exactly I was to write on. It was through you that I was able to meet Dr. Iles and through your persistence have him as my supervisor which assisted my understanding of Japanese aesthetics, spirituality, and film. Thank you both for everything! To my dear friends and those that I’ve met along the way—you have all taught me something in your own way. I have either learned with you or from you. These experiences and life changing moments are priceless. I hope if anything there was something you could learn from me. Thank you. To the PAAS department, to Joanne, Alice, and Leanna thanks so much for your help throughout these past two and a half years. vii Dedication To my sister
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