Since its release in 1988,My Neighbor Totorohas been one ofStudio Ghibli’s most cherished works, captivating children and families worldwide. Its gentle pace, whimsical characters, and hand-drawn warmth have helped it remain a cultural touchstone for decades. Yet behind its charm lies a deeper purpose that Hayao Miyazaki intended from the start.
While many assumeTotorowas born from nostalgia for postwar Japan, Miyazaki has stated otherwise. His goal wasn’t to reminisce but to inspire children to explore nature in the present.“I hoped that after watching, children might run through grass, pick acorns, or play behind a shrine,” Miyazaki explained.The film was a call to engage with the real world.
A Simple Story with Lasting Power
Two Forgotten Sketches Sparked the Idea
The story ofMy Neighbor Totorofollows sisters Satsuki and Mei as they move to a rural home and encounter Totoro, a mysterious forest spirit. The story unfolds through everyday adventures and small discoveries rather than conventional conflict. The sisters’ joy in exploring their home and surroundings mirrors the kind of curiosity Miyazaki wanted to awaken in his young audience.
Miyazaki revealed thatTotorogrew from two unrelated sketches kept in his notebook for over a decade. One showed a child waiting at a bus stop with something strange arriving beside them. The other depicted a little girl standing in her yard as a semi-transparent creature passed by. The breakthrough came when he decided “they should be sisters.”
A Character Designed to Defy Definition
Capturing the Thrill of Everyday Moments
Creating Totoro meant inventing something no one had seen before.Miyazaki originally wanted a large creature that seemed both wise and foolish, existing somewhere between real and imaginary. He told his animators never to draw its eyes focusing clearly on anything, preferring a gaze that seemed to look far away or perhaps at nothing at all.
For Miyazaki, childhood wonder comes not from grand spectacles but from small, everyday experiences. In the film, the sisters’ excitement at opening sliding doors in their new home or their fear during a nighttime storm reflects the “thrill and suspense” he felt children should experience. Such moments, he believes, nurture sensitivity and imagination.
A Response to Modern Disconnection from Nature
An Enduring Invitation to Explore
Miyazaki’s comments also reflect concern over how modern life shapes children’s experiences. “It has become rare,” he noted, “for children to play behind a shrine or peek under their own house.” In an era dominated by screens,Totorowas meant to remind children that adventure can be found just outside their doors.
Miyazaki’s vision madeMy Neighbor Totoromore than a work of animation. It is both a story and an invitation to step outside, to notice the wind in the trees, and to discover hidden corners of the world. Watching it again is not just revisiting a classic but accepting a gentle challenge from its creator to live with curiosity.
