An Anime Steeped in History: Princess Mononoke

In a departure from our usual news articles, we present to you an academic exploration titled “Steeped in History: Princess Mononoke.” This analysis delves deep into the historical context of the beloved Studio Ghibli film. It examines how social class, race, and religion are portrayed, while also considering the impact of archaeological records and written sources on the film’s fantasy elements and pro-environmental message.

Princess Mononoke defies conventions. It seamlessly blends elements of fantasy, with its enchanting forest spirits and monsters, and historical drama, offering a rare glimpse into the lives of minorities, women, and class disparities. Director Hayao Miyazaki intertwines different aspects to give nature and the oppressed a voice rarely seen in Japanese cinema. The movie follows the journey of Ashitaka, a young Emishi warrior infected by an animal attack, as he seeks a cure from the deer-like god Shishigami. Along the way, he witnesses the destructive nature of humans and incurs the wrath of the wolf god Moro and his human companion San, also known as Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka’s attempts to mediate peace between San and the humans only result in conflict. The film artfully incorporates historical, archaeological, and mythical references. Princess Mononoke serves as Miyazaki’s interpretation of deeply-rooted Japanese myths and the country’s historical homogeneity, which shaped nationalistic ideologies. This seamless blending of history and fantasy is what makes Princess Mononoke a remarkable work of historical fantasy, shedding light on our mistreatment of the land and each other.

The Remains of the Emishi

Princess Mononoke is set in the late Muromachi period of Japan (approximately 1336 to 1573 CE), where Ashitaka’s village represents the last surviving pocket of the Emishi people. The Emishi were an ancient ethnic group that inhabited parts of Honshu, particularly the Tōhoku region, referred to as michi no oku in contemporary sources. The primary source for understanding the Emishi is the Nihon Shoki (The Chronicles of Japan), an ethnographic account compiled in 720 AD. Recent evidence suggests that the Emishi in Northern Honshu consisted of several distinct tribes, including the Ainu, non-Yamato Japanese, and people of mixed heritage who united to resist the expansion of the Yamato Empire. The Ainu people are the descendants of the Jomon people, the earliest inhabitants of the Japanese Islands.

Figure 1: Archaeological evidence of the Emishi.

Archaeological evidence of the Emishi is scarce and inconsistent. Sources claim that they occupied parts of Japan from the fifth to the seventh centuries AD. The northern half of Tohoku and the western part of Hokkaido formed a single cultural area. Ainu place names left behind in Tohoku provide evidence of their presence. It is now believed that the Emishi had ties with the Tohoku Middle Yayoi pottery culture, which gradually adopted Yayoi culture from the seventh to the eighth century. The tower depicted in the first part of Princess Mononoke is significant as it resembles a tower from a Jomon period settlement at the Sannaimaruyama Iseki archaeological site in Aomori, Northern Japan. The accidental discovery of the Sannaimaruyama archaeological site in 1992, during the construction of a baseball field, has made it an important excavation site and a well-known tourist attraction.

Figure 2: The tower from Princess Mononoke resembling a Jomon period settlement.

Ashitaka does not return to his people at the end of the film but instead chooses to stay in the town. As the gun and the sword bring about the destruction of the forest, they also bring about the end of the Emishi. The Emishi either perished or assimilated into Japanese society, losing their unique identity. Mononoke raises questions about identity and forces us to confront our own notions of it.

Iron Town

Iron Town is the central settlement where most of the film’s narrative takes place. Protected by a lake and high walls, it is a place where Lady Eboshi ruthlessly exploits nature but also provides refuge for those oppressed by the wider Yamato society, such as former prostitutes and leprosy sufferers. The town’s construction exploits the natural resources of the surrounding area, leading to a rift between its inhabitants and Moro, the wolf god. To protect themselves from the vengeful gods of the forest, Lady Eboshi chooses to create firearms. Miyazaki chose the Muromachi period as a backdrop for the film because it was a challenging era in Japanese history. Spanning from approximately 1336 to 1573, the Muromachi period saw widespread conflict, leaving many men occupied with fighting and necessitating the involvement of women in the workforce. This allowed women to assume more influential roles in society. Although Iron Town is not a direct representation of a particular historical town, recent academic research has shed light on the impacts of pre-modern energy-intensive industries, such as ironwork depicted in Princess Mononoke, on present-day biodiversity patterns. These industries significantly contributed to ecosystem deterioration, leaving a lasting impact on species distribution during the Muromachi period.

Forest Spirits

What sets Princess Mononoke apart as a remarkable work of historical fantasy is its unbiased portrayal. Like the archaeological record, the movie remains neutral, allowing viewers to draw their own interpretations. The film revolves around Shintoism, which plays a significant role in Japanese culture and society. Shintoism traces its origins back to the Asuka period (538-710) when institutions for worshiping kami — spiritual entities found in nature, such as trees, rocks, waters, mountains, and natural forces — were established. Kami also include the spirits of deceased emperors and heroes. Miyazaki drew inspiration from ancient Japanese broadleaf evergreen forests, which are reimagined in Princess Mononoke as the forest through which Ashitaka and Yakul travel. In reality, the island of Yakushima, located south of Japan, boasts sprawling ancient forests with thousand-year-old Yakusugi cedars that sparked Miyazaki’s imagination.

Mononoke, the Princess of the Natural World

San, also known as Princess Mononoke, resembles a type of clay figure found in the Jomon period, a pre-agricultural era in Japan that lasted until about 80 C.E. San is wild and defies traditional notions of princesses or the submissive stereotype often associated with Japanese women. Most Jomon figurines depict females with big eyes, small waists, and wide hips, emphasizing fertility symbols.

Figure 3: San, resembling a Jomon period clay figure.

The word “mononoke” has its origins in the Heian period (11th century), where it referred to a mental illness suffered by women. Later, in The Tale of Genji, one of the world’s first novels, it was explained that mononoke are parasitic spirits of the deceased that inhabit the bodies of living women. Mononoke can be seen as the soul of another person, cursing the mentally ill individual with fury, jealousy, or hatred. Ancient Japanese people sought priests’ help to cure this affliction, as the “monster” or “Kitsune” escaped from the mentally ill person’s body, leading to complete recovery. In Princess Mononoke, San becomes possessed by her anger and hatred toward Lady Eboshi, who wantonly destroys the forest. Earlier in the film, the boar god Nago succumbs to a similar fate after being shot by a human bullet. The mention of evil mononoke in Japanese history suggests that it symbolizes humanity’s inherently destructive behavior towards nature.

What It Means to the Present Day

Through his approach to Japanese history and the seamless blending of fantasy and gods like Shishigami, Miyazaki deconstructs Japan’s national myths and challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with the natural world. Although Princess Mononoke is set in a fictional historical world inspired by Japanese history, it forces us to confront the complexities and realities of our own world. A world where indigenous peoples are threatened with extinction, and progress often comes at the expense of nature. The film’s protagonist, Ashitaka, believes in the possibility of a harmonious relationship between humans and nature. It is up to us to maintain this delicate balance in our world today. Miyazaki provides us with some answers, but ultimately, the responsibility lies with us to make the right choices.

Note: This article was based on the following sources:

• Hall, John Whitney, and Takeshi Toyoda. Japan in the Muromachi Age. Ithaca, NY: East Asia Program, Cornell University, 2001. Print.
• Denison, R., and Pallant, C. (eds.). (2018). Princess Mononoke: Understanding Studio Ghibli’s Monster Princess (Vol. 1). Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
• Kuji, Tsutomu. (1997). Mononoke hime no himitsu: rarukanaru jomon no fukei (The Secret of Princess Mononoke: the Scenery from the Far Away Jomon Era). Tokyo: Hihyo-sha.
• Olowu, K. (2013). Deconstructed Gender Norms in Princess Mononoke.
• Pan, Y. (2020). Human-Nature Relationships in East Asian Animated Films. Societies, 10(2), 35.
• Shibuya, T. ‘”Excavation Sheds Light on Jomon Life”‘, Japan Times, 10 November-16 November, vol. 37, no. 45 (1997), p. 15.
• Totsuka, E. (1990). The history of Japanese psychiatry and the rights of mental patients. Psychiatric Bulletin, 14(4), 193-200.
• Ugoretz, K.M. (2018). Drawing on Shintō?: Interpretations of the Religious and Spiritual in Miyazaki’s Anime.

Source: Otaku News

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