Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro has widely been celebrated as a symbol of environmental harmony, yet Totoro himself has also become a globally recognized commercial product. This raises a basic question for us: can a character with associations of nature and environmental ideals maintain its integrity while being deeply embedded in consumer culture?
Appadurai (2013) suggests that objects with important cultural or environmental meanings are always brought into capitalist markets by becoming commodities. Totoro is originally created as a nature spirit representing Shinto beliefs, we can now find Totoro on soft toys and shopping bags, both marketed as nostalgic childhood objects and symbols of environmental protection. This contrast reveals certain patterns in eco-conscious commercial approaches, where imagery related to nature gets reused for product promotion purposes, often without proper consideration of how large-scale manufacturing affects the environment itself, as Tokar (2010) has suggested.
There exists similar situations when looking at how ethnic traditions and ecological heritage get commercialized in regions like Xishuangbanna - that is to say, Dai cultural elements become both preserved and turned into tourism products. Xishuangbanna's advocacy efforts for rainforest ecosystems and elephant conservation areas often target eco-tourists seeking carefully crafted "authentic" experiences. This parallel invites reflection on whether commodification dilutes or amplifies the original environmental and cultural messages embedded in such symbols.
Even with these conflicting results, we have to admit that commercial use can in some ways help us understand the environment. Studio Ghibli has always been committed to promoting the harmonious coexistence of mankind and nature, and has told many beautiful and heart-warming stories. Illustrating how popular media can connect consumerism and environmental advocacy.