5 Films That Show How Buddhism Has Influenced Japanese Animation

A scene from “My Neighbor Totoro,” one of many Japanese animated films that have borrowed heavily on themes inspired by Buddhism. Photo courtesy of Studio Ghibli

After Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha Gautama more than 2,500 years ago in India, it branched off into three different sects: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.

In Japan, Zen Buddhism is mostly practiced, which falls under the school of Mahayana Buddhism. Throughout Japan, however, there is a mixture of Buddhism, Shintoism and Taoism, which are easily recognized within the culture.

Respect for nature, as well as reverence for “bodhisattvas” — those who direct their attention, their lives, to practicing the way of life of a Buddha — can even be seen in Japanese animations, teaching children and even adults.

With the Academy Awards taking place on March 27, a Bhutanese film “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” offers a Buddhist lesson in fulfillment. It is nominated for Best Picture in the foreign film category.

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With a movie about Buddhism at the forefront of so much recent attention, below are five animations — films of a different sort — and within the world of anime that have Buddhist themes and references:

1. “Buddha: The Great Departure” (2011)

First up and most obvious on the list would be the anime movie “Buddha: The Great Departure.” It was adapted from the 1972 manga drawn by Osamu Tezuka, who is known for his notable mangas “Astro Boy” and “Kimba the White Lion.”

Tezuka is also often thought of as the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney and is known in Japan as the “Father of Manga,” among other titles.

The 2011 film animates his unique interpretation of the life of Gautama Buddha. It is a fictional recounting of Siddartha during his time as a prince, when his kingdom was constantly at war with a more powerful one. Prince Siddartha’s father raises him as a warrior and tries to shield him from a world of misery. Nevertheless, Siddhartha ends up witnessing human suffering but simultaneously falling in love for the first time.

2. “Saint Oniisan”/”Saint Young Men” (2013)

For a more lighthearted and comical watch, the anime movie “Saint Oniisan,” or “Saint Young Men,” shows Jesus and Buddha coming down to the modern world on vacation and sharing an apartment in Japan. It was originally a manga drawn by Hikaru Nakamura that has sold over 16 million copies in Japan, as Nakamura’s work is well received there.

The plot follows Jesus and Buddha as they try to keep their identities a secret while enjoying human activities — from amusement parks to grocery store flash sales. They almost give themselves away though. Buddha unintentionally spouts enlightening words that make his face glow. And Jesus winds up getting mistaken for the son of a yakuza boss, or crime leader, due to His crucifixion scars. Buddha even references Tezuka Osamu’s manga, “Buddha,” in the movie, as he wants to pick up a copy to read.

This depiction of Buddhism and Christianity — portraying both religions’ founders as fun-loving roommates who are kind to each other like brothers — is a pure portrayal of the teachings both proclaimed in real life.

3. “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988)

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio that was founded in 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata, along with producer Toshio Suzuki. Miyazaki tends to include a beautiful combination of Buddhist, Shinto and Taoist themes in Studio Ghibli films so seamlessly inserted that it can sometimes go over one’s head. One instance where Buddhism is portrayed but could go unnoticed can be found in the film “My Neighbor Totoro.”

This movie follows a professor and his two young daughters, Satsuki and Mai, to the countryside as they move to a new house. Their mother is sick in the hospital, so it is thought that once she becomes well enough, moving to the home in the country will be better for her. Satsuki and her little sister, Mai, try to adjust to the countryside and end up making friends with Totoro, the giant, cuddly spirit of the forest. The forest is also protected by Jizo, a bodhisattva.

In Sanskrit, he is known as Ksitigarbha, or “Earth Womb” in Sanskrit. He is the protector of travelers, children, and women in childbirth. Jizo is shown in the film, when Satsuki politely addresses him as “Mr. Jizo” and asks to stay under the protective roof of his roadside shrine during a rainstorm with Mai.

4. “Spirited Away” (2001)

Arguably one of the more well-known Studio Ghibli films, “Spirited Away” was Japan’s highest-grossing film of all-time — holding the record for 19 years — before “Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train” replaced it.

The film changed people’s minds about the art form of animation and showed that people across the world could deeply resonate with a movie that was formed around Japanese folklore. The more blatant themes in this movie are heavily Shinto, showing the deities as interesting-looking creatures like the giant Radish Spirit or the water dragon River Spirit. Still, Buddhist influences are scattered throughout the movie.

At the start of the film, Chihiro, the 10-year-old main character moving to a new town with her parents, stands next to a dōsojin stone marker as her parents insist on exploring a creepy tunnel when they take a shortcut on their drive. The dōsojin stone markers are another form of Bodhisattva Jizo that keep out the evil spirits. They can be found at village boundaries, mountain passes and country byways.

Once Chihiro ends up in the spirit world on the other side of the tunnel, she meets Yubaba, a bathhouse witch. Rolling on the ground, following and obeying her every order, are three strange green heads known as “kashira,” modeled after traditional wooden Japanese daruma dolls. These dolls have no bodies, only heads, and are painted to depict Bodhidharma, the Buddhist monk who began the Zen Buddhist tradition of Japan. He was said to have meditated for nine years until his arms and legs dropped off.

5. “Pom Poko” (1994)

Ending this list is the silly yet dark animation “Pom Poko,” which — with raccoon dogs that can transform into believable human beings as well as giant terrifying skeletons — can feel somewhat like a fever dream when you watch it. While the film is inspired greatly by Japanese folklore that tells stories of raccoons being able to shapeshift, Isao Takahata also decided to include Buddhist elements, with a large reclining Buddha shown in the first few minutes of the movie.

The underlying theme of conservation and protecting the homes of animals in the forest — which the raccoons try to do by scaring the humans with their shapeshifting tendencies — is something highlighted in many other Studio Ghibli films as well, bringing viewers’ attention to human actions that can seriously harm flora and fauna.

This could also be tied in with the great respect for nature upheld in Japan. When one of the influential raccoons dies trying to scare the humans away, a calm-faced, golden Buddha is shown riding from heaven on a cloud with his many attendants to take his spirit home.

Brianna Jacobs is a student at The King’s College in New York City majoring in Journalism, Culture and Society. She is the social media editor at The Empire State Tribune, the independent student newspaper at King’s.