Princess MONONOKE

There was a time, long, long ago
When people killed the Great God of the Forest.

Human face. Body of a stag.
Horns astop his head like the trunks of massive trees.
For what reason did the human take his life?

...The girl San was born a human
But she was raised by Moro the wolf
To be the Princess Mononoke, the defender of the forest.
She loathed the human who invaded their land.

The youth Ashitaka, delivered by fate
Into the midst of the last desperate battle
Between the humans and the rampaging gads,
On a journey to cleanse from his body a scar
And escape its slow curse of death.

Ashitaka and San,
Met in the midst of the carnage and chaos of battle.
What hope could there be for feeling of love
Born of a place steeped in heared and killing?

In the weaving of this epic tapestry,
Which current will prevail?
The battle between forest and human
Or the love between warrior and princess?"
-extract from the prologue of Princess MONONOKE-

This film is one of masterpieces of Hayao Miyazaki, who often called the Walt Disney of Japan. It was Studio Ghibli's 1997 release Princess Mononoke (Mononoke Hime). His works were already really famous in Japan, such as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no Tani no Nausicca; 1984) My neighbor Totoro (Tonari No Totoro; 1986) and more. Princess Mononoke was his first period drama, but he freely mixed periods and added elements that may have had their origins in Japanese history and mythology. And also there were ultimatery products of his imagination.

...Long long time ago, there was a man who saw with eyes clear and bright living in a small village. One day, he saved young girls from a monster (Tatarigami). At that time, he got curse from it. The elder told him that there were no way to clear up his curse. But she suggested him that if he went to the east, there would be some hints to clear up it. Ashitaka left the village and set out a long journey...
He met San at the river side and she cared for his mother, Moro which was a big wolf. At the time, she just left him a message, 'Go away'. In this time, he saved men who had injured. They were workers in Tatara, where making iron. And he met Eboshi at Tatara and he knew that she was made the course of his curse. Eboshi employed women as the main labor force and people worked there were respected her.
One night, an event happened. Ashitaka had a gun shot because he heped San from the people in Tatara. He died once, but he woke up from the death by giving power from Shishigami. To defend Shishigami, to kill Shishigami, Ashitaka, Eboshi, San, Moro and others made battle. Everyone had different belief.

Princess Mononoke speaks to us about the problems of environment, peace, human life and etc. Conflicts between human and nature. And two young girl and man faced these problems and confronted as the representive of nature and human. Especially Ashitaka tried to think that is there any ways which human and nature (forest and animals) were live together. But is wasn't easy problem. People needed to cut trees to make iron, in other words, it was to live.

We are facing the same problem still in present time. Many people are speaking out the conservation of nature and actions are going on. But when we think in worldwide, deforestation, desertification, population and other problems are happened now.

You would feel and think something that what can we do or how can we live together after you watched the great story of Princess Mononoke.

Can you see Kodama in your town?