Revisiting Princess Mononoke in light of Japan’s recent bear incident

Posted by PSEDEN

2026-01-21

On 2026-01-21

Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 animation Princess Mononoke It is widely considered to be great art, and the thing about great art is that it doesn’t change. Rather, as we age, it allows us to discover more of what has always been there and accumulate more life experiences, or it can be reinterpreted as the world around us changes. Bear attacks surge in Japan this year – more than double the number in 2024 – and How much of the problem is humans’ fault?now is the perfect time to return Princess Mononoke Nearly 30 years later, find out what it says about the complex relationship between people, technology and nature.

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What is God?

The main conflict is Princess Mononoke The conflict between humans and the animal gods of the surrounding forests, such as apes, wolves, and boars, is represented by the coal-mining, deforestation, and gun-making inhabitants of the Irontown settlement. However, the core of the film is not fantasy or theology and can be understood by answering a very simple question: What exactly is God?

This is not a man who cares for humans, that’s for sure. The “gods” Princess Mononoke Not wanting anything to do with humanity, for example, not helping lepers or rescuing women from a life of prostitution. These things are done by the leader of Iron Town: Mrs. Dr. Wu. Furthermore, the so-called divine forces of nature are actually very bad for forests.

When the boars make war on Irontown, they trample the woods and make them cry in agony. These “gods” fight, argue, hold grudges and act out of fear and ignorance. Just like humans. So… if Princess Mononoke’s Gods are no different from humans, so what? yes them?

They are as they say in Japanese conversation: they are us, For efficiency, the word is often translated into English as “god” or “deity,” but it means much more than that, ranging from an inanimate soul to a powerful supernatural force. Princess Mononoke, Following Shinto teachings, the film’s coexistence becomes an issue by redefining “gods” as powerful non-humans with their own agendas. practical issues rather than spiritually. In this way, the movie might actually be about how Japan should solve its bear problem.

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become one

One of the protagonists in the anime is Ashitaka, the prince of the Ezo people, an indigenous group in Japan who are being expelled by the Yamato clan who now make up the majority of Japan’s population. It would be easy to see Ashitaka as another victim of humanity’s inherently destructive expansion, represented by Yamato Tetsujin, but this interpretation would be too superficial.

The Ezo people are portrayed as being closer to nature than the Yamato people, which is true, but their villages still have strong trenches, watchtowers, and walls. those are boundary. They exist to separate human life from wildlife. The Ezo people do not equate themselves with animals. they live beside Show praise and gratitude to nature, but still trust in defenses to protect yourself.

They represent coexistence without unity. Ashitaka’s journey shows that neither humans nor gods really want bloodshed, but they don’t want fusion either. Humanity cannot give up growth, and God cannot tolerate endless invasion. The recurring question in the film, “Hey, hey, can’t we share?” is answered, clearly and painfully, “No.” No completely.There must be clear boundaries between us, but not an iron curtain.

San, the titular Princess Mononoke, a human raised by a wolf god, and Ashitaka symbolize this message. In the end, Ashitaka, who had been changed by the journey, stayed in Iron Town, while Sang stayed in the forest, but they agreed to meet but did not merge their worlds. This is not a tragedy; This is realism. This must be how Japan treats bears: they must Have your own place in this world. them must Have their domain name. but they also must Stay on their turf. If they go out, humans must Get ready to bring out the real big guns.

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Guns aren’t the problem – hate is

exist Princess Mononoke, The key to survival is technology. This is why it’s unfair to say anime condemns guns. Miyazaki actually did them a bit of pride, with the improved model being entirely Japanese-made and superior to the Chinese hand cannons Iron Town had been using so far. They were also specially made by leprosy patients, giving them a purpose and mission. Finally, they are primarily offered to women, empowering them to protect themselves in a world where female lives are easily thrown away. That’s not corruption. That’s all that’s good about progress.

Indeed, guns have something to do with turning gods into gods tartariga demonbut what really changed them was not the bullet itself, but hatred. Anger is the root of all suffering Princess Mononoke, The film explicitly denounces this while presenting guns as tools that are neither good nor evil.

So, the ultimate lesson is Princess Mononoke It’s not “don’t kill”. In fact, Ashitaka kills a lot of people throughout the movie, but only when necessary and never with any malicious intent. Japan should keep this in mind when dealing with bears. If a bear threatens human life, it should be shot. But there should be no joy in it. This should be a necessary issue and should be done calmly and with a bloodless future in mind. The problem continues, and the current local government solutions do involve guns, which may be the right choice. But this should all coexist with peaceful measures and policies to keep bears in their own woods. The details will have to be hammered out as we go along, but, “Let’s not turn this into an excuse for gun-fueled bear killing” feels like a good starting point. Thanks, Princess Mononoke!