Smiles Of Japan

日本の今を伝え続けたトラベルボランティア


>> P.78

78|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREKAGOSHIMAWRITEABOUTWHATYOUKNOW,”THEYSAY.NOONE’SABOVEDOINGTHAT–HEMINGWAYDIDIT;SODIDTOLSTOYANDJOYCE.HELL,ATONETIMEORANOTHER,MOSTOFTHEGOODOLDBOYSCANNIBALISEDTHEIRLIVESFORART,ANDITTURNSOUTTHATSTUDIOGHIBLIFOUNDERHAYAOMIYAZAKIHASDONEITTOO.GIVENHISTYPICALSUBJECTMATTER(IFTHEREISSUCHATHING)IT’SALLTHEMOREREMARKABLE;MIYAZAKI’SMOSTSUCCESSFULWORKSCOVERPEOPLEMORPHINGINTOPIGS,GIANT,CAT-BUSRIDINGMONSTERS,ANDFORESTWISPSWREAKINGHAVOCONMANKIND.STILL,THEMASTERSOMEHOWMANAGESTOINSERTPARTSOFHISOWNLIFEINTOTHESTORIES. FOREXAMPLE,INHISOSCAR-WINNINGSPIRITEDAWAY,THEBATH-HOUSEATTHECENTREOFTHESTORYISAPPROXIMATELYBASEDONAVERYREALONSENINMATSUYAMA,EHIME.SIMILARLY,MEI,ONEOFTHECENTRALCHARACTERSINMYNEIGHBOURTOTORO,ISANHOMAGETOHISNIECE.TODAYWEDISCOVEREDANOTHERONE–ARGUABLYONEOFTHEBIGGESTCHARACTERSEVERTOAPPEARINAMIYAZAKI/GHIBLIWORK:THEFORESTINWHICHPRINCESSMONONOKEISBASED.MIYAZAKIFOUNDTHEREAL-WORLDVERSIONHEREONYAKUSHIMA,ANISLANDJUSTOFFTHESOUTHERNTIPOFKYUSHU,ANDPROMPTLYSPUNASTORYAROUNDITSDENSEGREENLANDSCAPE.THEENTIREPLOTOFHIS1997EPICISALITTLEDIFFICULTTOSURMISE,BUTESSENTIALLYIT’SABATTLEOFHUMANITYVSNATURE;GREEDVSALTRUISM;THEMANVSLONG-HAIREDFREAKYPEOPLE.THINKAVATARBUTSTEALINGBORROWINGLESSFROMOTHERFILMS,MINUSTHERUBBISHEFFECTS,PLUSALOTOFSOUL.THAT’SPRINCESSMONONOKE.THEFORESTISTHESETTINGFORTHEWHOLETHING,BUTVERYMUCHACHARACTERTOO,FILLEDWITHCREATURESANDSPIRITSANDANUMBEROFODD-LOOKINGGODS.HOWEVER,MOSTFOLKLOVETHEKODAMA(JITTERY-HEADEDTREESPIRITS)ABOVEALL.WEWENTTHELIVINGISLANDDAY76NOVEMBER29THYAKUSHIMA,KAGOSHIMAOUTINTOTHEFORESTTHISAFTERNOONWITHOUTANYREALHOPEOFFINDINGTHEM,BUTWHENWELOOKEDAROUND,WEDISCOVEREDTHATYAKUSHIMA’SFOLIAGEREALLYDOESTEEMWITHLIFE.INTHEUK,WHENYOUSEESIGNSWARNINGOFANIMALSCROSSINGTHEROAD,YOUCOMETOTHINKOFTHEMASALAZYKINDOFDISCLAIMERRATHERTHANANADVERT.SOWHEN,INTHESOUTHEASTERNPARTOFYAKUSHIMA,WESTARTEDSAWWARNINGSOFMONKEYSANDDEERCROSSING,WEDIDN’TREALLYEXPECTTOSEEANYTHING.ENTERINGAMAGICALFOREST,WESHOULDHAVEKNOWNBETTER...UNLIKEINOTHERPARTSOFJAPAN,THEMONKEYSHEREREMAINREFRESHINGLYSKITTISH–ANDTHEDEERARESOTIMIDTHEYDISAPPEARLIKEPHANTOMS.IT’SGREATTOSEEWILDLIFEINTHEIRNATURALSURROUNDS,ANDINANODDWAY,IT’SNICETOSEEMTHEMSTILLAFRAIDOFHUMANCONTACT,TOO.THEANIMALSAREJUSTAPARTOFWHATMAKESTHISPLACESPECIAL,THOUGH,ANDTHEYDON’TREALLYFEATUREMUCHINMIYAZAKI’SWORK.NO,INSTEADIT’STHETREESTHEMSELVESTHATMAKETHISPLACESOVENERATED.INTHESUMMER,YAKUSHIMASITSINABUBBLINGOCEAN,MELTINGIN40CHEAT,BUTINTHEWINTERTHEREISFREQUENTANDHEAVYSNOW.ATALLTIMESOFYEARTHEREISHIGHHUMIDITY.ALTOGETHER,THECLIMATEMAKESFORIDEALGROWINGCONDITIONS–PLANTSCOVEREVERYBITOFUNDEVELOPEDSURFACE,ANDOTHERSRIDEONTHEBACKOFTHEM.INTHEMIDDLEOFALLTHIS,GREATWATERFALLSTHUNDER,CARRYINGTHEEXCESSMOISTUREBACKOUTTOSEA.IT’SNOSURPRISEMIYAZAKISAWMAGICHERE–SODOWE.


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