Revering Nature: Deep Ecology and Shinto Animism in Japanese Cultural Narratives

Neha James; S. Sujaritha

Neha James Ph.D. Scholar,Department of English, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
S. Sujaritha Associate Professor,Department of English, Pondicherry University Community College, Puducherry, India

Keywords: Ecocriticism, Manga, Shinto, Animism, Deep Ecology, Agency, Interdependence, Kami

Abstract

As environmental crises intensify, literature offers alternative views on human-nature relationships. This paper analyses Mushishi (1999–2008) by Yuki Urushibara and Princess Mononoke (1997) by Hayao Miyazaki to explore ecological and spiritual worldviews in Japanese manga. Mushishi portrays coexistence with mysterious lifeforms (Mushi), while Princess Mononoke dramatises industrial expansion versus nature’s sacred forces. This study uses deep ecology and Shinto animism to reveal how both texts challenge anthropocentrism, emphasising interdependence and
environmental consciousness. By depicting nature as agentic rather than passive, these narratives function as cultural ecological texts, advocating for non-human agency and ecological ethics in contemporary discourse.