Leiden University Student Repository

Zee, Sem (2024)

A Sacred Divide: Exploring Shinto Depictions and the Urban Rural Dichotomy in Shinkai Makoto’s Kimi no Na wa

Bachelor thesis | Japanstudies (BA)

The Shinto imagery and iconography in Shinkai Makoto's film Kimi no Na wa appears to be used to add to the portrayal of a furusato in order to aid the film’s aesthetical countryside town and ultimately aiming to evoke feelings of nostalgia for a “traditional” Japan. The film, which shows a definite two-split of the Japanese landscape, gives a very stereotypical view of urban Tokyo as a fast paced city, and with Itomori as the furusato poster child, playing into nationalist views of a traditional Japan as opposed to a western influenced Japan. This Thesis explores these topics as it aims to answer the question of; How are religious and spiritual beliefs of Japanese Shinto portrayed in the animated film Kimi no Na wa, how does this portrayal help shape the film’s story and how does this play a role in the discourse on the urban-rural divide in Japan?

Makoto Shinkai

Kimi no Na wa

Shinto

Urban-Rural Divide

Furusato

Author

Zee, Sem

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Supervisors

Crandol, M.E.

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en