Culture

Inside Totoro’s Forest: The Place That Inspired Ghibli’s World

Japan is renowned for many cultural exports, but few have captured global imagination quite like its animation. At the heart of this legacy lies Studio Ghibli—an iconic name familiar to fans worldwide. With masterpieces like the Oscar-winning Spirited Away , the studio has redefined animated storytelling, proving that animation has the power not only to delight people but also to inspire and move them. Among those masterpieces is My Neighbor Totoro , a film from 1988. Set in

Places

Laksmi Wijayanti

Nov 75 min read

Inside Totoro’s Forest: The Place That Inspired Ghibli’s World

Japanese Mythological Creatures That Haunted My Childhood Curiosity

Growing up, I recall my 5-year-old self being absolutely captivated by Studio Ghibli ’s Spirited Away —a film I kept returning to, equal parts fascinated and frightened by the strange creatures roaming the mystical world Chihiro had accidentally wandered into. What were these creatures, and where did they come from? Were they gods or monsters? My fascination with the film and the questions that followed led me down many rabbit holes. It turns out that yōkai , these Japanese

Culture