In the animated story My Neighbor Totoro, nature is shown as a living being that gives shelter, comfort, and even guidance. Yet the harsh truth of today's environmental problems makes us wonder: who will protect the forests now? Inspired by Totoro’s role in Japanese and worldwide environmental consciousness, this section invites readers to reflect on their own role in nature preservation.
The film's setting, a landscape untouched by industrialization, is consistent with the environmental philosophy of both deep ecology (Naess, 2019) and traditional ecological knowledge. As a nature spirit attuned to the land, Totoro embodies the philosophy that humans should have a reciprocal relationship with nature rather than be its masters. This is by no means unique to Japan; in Xishuangbanna, the Dai traditionally have had sustainable relations with their rainforest environment, worshipping elephants and sacred groves in a way not dissimilar from the Shinto reverence for ancient trees. But with growing commercial pressures, both Japan's forests and Xishuangbanna's ecological balance are falling under threat.
If you were Totoro, how would you protect the forest? Rather than a mythical creature, protecting the environment relies on the collective efforts of people. Totoro's world is a romanticized vision of harmony with the natural world, but real places like Xishuangbanna face environmental pressures from deforestation, tourism, and commercialization.
The Dai's respect for the rainforest, as the Shinto's for Japan's sacred forests, shows that sustainable values are inherent in cultural heritage. But as Totoro and Xishuangbanna forests become commodified into saleable symbols, the challenge will be to preserve their ecological and cultural value against economic pressure.
With Totoro acting as a link between humans and nature, we must ask: how can we make environmental care part of daily life beyond small gestures? Whether through saving nature, making new rules, or choosing eco-friendly products, the tales of Totoro and Xishuangbanna push us to rethink how we connect with the natural world.