In addition to film study, the course engages students through extensive reading assignments to better acquaint themselves with many of Miyazaki’s inspirations.  They begin with readings about Shinto, Buddhism, and shinbutsu-shuˉgoˉ, the coalescence of the two religions. They also explore a number of Japanese folktales and ancient texts to glean literary, historical, and cultural context. When they watch Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), for example, students read Mushi mezuru himegimi (The Lady Who Loved Insects), a tale from the Heian period in Japan. They might also talk about how, in many ways, the protagonist reflects Nausicaa in Homer’s Odyssey. 

“Miyazaki’s works explore themes such as environmentalism, social justice, and feminism, and various challenges that the individuals face in their world. He blurs the line between good and evil and in a few of his films, he paints a pretty bleak picture of the future,” says teacher Ayako Tanaka. “But then when I look at his works and read his interviews, I get the feeling that Miyazaki created — and continues to create — these masterpieces for the youth. His films remind us that the world can be an ugly and confusing place, and his young characters have no other choice but to face it. They struggle in their journeys and for many, it’s no fairy tale ending. But somehow in their own ways, in the midst of all that chaos, they always find beauty in this world.”

For their final projects, students are tasked with creating their own fantasy worlds and stories that pay homage to Miyazaki and his work. In truly progressive fashion, they are afforded a number of options for tackling the assignment. They can create a song or dance with a complementary written component, write and illustrate their own graphic novel, conceptualize their own two-hour movie, or create a storyboard and accompanying essay.

“It’s not your typical English course,” says Edison Kao ’21. “Many of the concepts and goals are the same, but you get to approach them in new and creative ways, and with so much fascinating context. I’ve learned a lot about Japanese culture, animation, filmmaking, and the process that goes into creating a visual narrative like the ones Miyazaki creates.” For Ayako, the course is fun to teach, because it gives her the chance to share a window into her own culture with her students. She especially loves when she can expose students to the beauty of Japanese words. One of her favorites is tenshoku, which roughly translates as “to find one’s calling or vocation” — a concept she feels every day she gets to teach this course.