Environmental Themes Throughout Miyazaki’s Cinema
One theme consistently depicted throughout Hayao Miyazaki’s films is the relationship between nature and humanity. Looking back at his filmography reveals the question of harmony between human technological development and the natural environment expressed in many different forms. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, released in 1984, depicts coexistence between humans and the toxic forest called the Sea of Decay, created by environmental destruction caused by human science and technology.
This film might be called the starting point for the environmental themes in Miyazaki’s later work. Nausicaä’s search for coexistence between humanity and nature through understanding nature’s true character carries a message relevant to contemporary society. Miyazaki has repeatedly spoken in interviews about coexistence between nature and humanity, showing that it is a central concern in his work.
The Conflict Between Civilization and Nature
Princess Mononoke, released in 1997, depicts the conflict between nature and civilization even more clearly. Through the struggle between a human settlement centered on an ironworks and the forest gods resisting it, the film presents the dilemma of development and conservation that remains relevant today. Its distinctive feature is that it shows both sides have their reasons, rather than presenting a simple opposition of good and evil. Lady Eboshi, leader of the ironworks, is portrayed not as a heartless destroyer of nature but as a female leader developing industry to help the socially vulnerable.
Nature, too, is not unconditionally good; it can be cruel and merciless. Through this complex structure, Miyazaki approaches the essence of real environmental problems that have no simple solutions. The influence of relics of lost advanced civilizations on contemporary society, seen in Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä, is another recurring theme in his work.
An Ambivalent View of Technology
Miyazaki’s portrayal of technology is characterized by its ambivalence. He does not reject technology itself; instead, he often portrays it beautifully. In The Wind Rises, released in 2013, he depicts the aircraft design to which protagonist Jiro Horikoshi devotes his passion with artistic beauty, while also portraying the tragedy of that technology being used for the destruction of war. In Castle in the Sky, released in 1986, the science and technology of the lost advanced civilization of Laputa are likewise portrayed as possessing overwhelming beauty and immense destructive power.
Porco, the protagonist of Porco Rosso, released in 1992, is another complex character: he engages with technology as a pilot while despairing of human society. Miyazaki focuses less on technological development itself than on the people who use it and the questions in their hearts. His consistent perspective is that technology is a double-edged sword that can create or destroy depending on the intentions of its users.
Hope and Warnings for the Next Generation
Miyazaki’s endings often mark a new starting point rather than a complete resolution. At the end of Princess Mononoke, the forest is not fully restored, and humans and nature, both wounded, are left to seek a way to live together. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind indicates that purification of the Sea of Decay will take hundreds of years, suggesting that there is no immediate solution. Such endings may reflect Miyazaki’s realistic view of environmental problems.
His films do not simply reject civilization or advocate a return to the past; they portray journeys in search of new forms of civilization that coexist with nature. Spirited Away and Ponyo, among others, depict children growing through interactions with nature and other worlds, placing hope in the next generation. Miyazaki’s films contain deep insights into environmental issues and the nature of technology within beautiful animation, which is one reason they resonate with audiences worldwide. His work has become an important cultural reference point for thinking about environmental problems.
