My Neighbor Totoro

My Neighbor Totoro is a Japanese animation film by Hayao Miyazaki about two sisters that move into a new house and interact with the nearby “forest king” spirit or kami while waiting for their mother to return to the family from the hospital. This film is rated G, even with a quick semi-nude young girl (innocent) and a bath scene with the father and two daughters, which might get a few giggles and comments from junior high students, as this is not a culturally accepted norm in America. Beyond that one scene, the rest of the movie is utterly charming and adorable.
As to how to utilize this film in class, I would focus on the culture and religious emphasis of this movie, namely Shinto. There are plenty of scenes to describe the culture of everyday Japan, older Japan, and the like. For example, the family sleeps in one room and on the floor together. The doors of the house all slide. I would also point out the furniture in the house and have the students list what is familiar and what isn’t in their own homes. Since the movie is to take place in the 1950s, there are no cell phones, and there is only the one phone in the village, which may have been similar in other countries.
With the culture, there are many instances in which to point out differences. One example is when the older sister returns an umbrella, and the mother puts it down as nothing, while the girl continues her thanks. Another would be the common phrases used when the older sister leaves and comes home. Also, the superstitions mentioned would be good for comparing and contrasting with more familiar superstitions.
The area I would want to focus on is Shinto and how it plays a part in the movie. There is a running theme in the movie of nature working with and protecting humans, and how to be respectful of nature. There is a part of the movie where the family gives thanks to a spirit, even though only the youngest one has seen it at the time. The father is respectful of the spirits even though he does not see it, and is knowledgeable with answering his daughters’ questions, guiding them to thank the spirit. Throughout the movie there are shrines and artifacts in the countryside relating to the religion. Depending on the students, there can be more in depth discussions.