A Study of the Japanese in Hayao Miyazaki’s Films —Focusing on “Princess Mononoke”—

In this study, we aimed to examine the intergroup relationships that constitute the Japanese people as reflected in the director’s consciousness through the appearances of the men appearing in Hayao Miyazaki’s work, “Princess Mononoke”. The physical appearances of the men depicted in Hayao Miyazaki’s film “Princess Mononoke” clearly illustrate distinct group characteristics. Men from warlike groups are generally tall, have sharp eyes, well-developed cheekbones and jawbones, and, most importantly, possess light body hair, including beards. In contrast, men from peace-loving tribes and groups generally have round faces, bushy beards, and are relatively short. This reflects Hayao Miyazaki’s stereotypes about the ethnic composition of the Japanese, which can be traced back to the “dual structure model” of the Jomon and Yayoi peoples, as well as to portraits and descriptions of their appearance in ancient and medieval literature. In other words, the genetic characteristics of the Jomon people are projected onto the Ashitaka tribe, a member of the Emishi clan, while the genetic characteristics of the Yayoi people are represented in a group that engaged in war and plunder throughout ancient and medieval times. Through this, we can see that Miyazaki essential divided the ethnic groups that comprised Japan into two groups.