![]() This hospital was supposedly located in the same place as portrayed movie. The hospital in the film, shichikoku byouin 七国病院 ( しちこく ) had a real-life counterpart in Sayama, called the hachikoku byouin 八国病院 ( はちこくびょういん ). On the box behind the old lady it says "Sayama Tea." Hmm, suspicious, but not damning. This all explains why it's called "My Neighbor," right? But, the town in the film is in Sayama. The model of the house from the film is located in Sayama Kyuryo 狭山丘陵 ( さやまきゅるお ), which means "Sayama Hills," and the movie's location was inspired by Tokorozawa-city, which is next to Sayama City where the incident took place. The older sister's name "Satsuki" means "May" in Japanese and the younger sister's name "Mei" is pronounced just like the English word "May." Sayama City The first clue for this conspiracy theory is that both of the sisters' names related to "May," the month that the Sayama incident occurred in. Why do people think that this film is related to the Sayama Incident? Why do they think that Totoro represents the God of Death? Here are a few theories: The Month Of May Let's get back to the connection between the Sayama incident and My Neighbor Totoro, though. He was paroled and released from prison in 1994, but he still remains guilty and continues to seek a fair trial for the chance to clear his name. He also claimed official discrimination against Japan's burakumin 部落民 ( ぶらきみん ) a social minority in Japanese society. Although a suspect was arrested and imprisoned for 31 years, he claimed that he was arrested, wrongfully convicted, and the police failed to catch the real murderer when they had the chance. It has been said that My Neighbor Totoro is actually based on a famous murder case called "The Sayama Incident." This case occurred on in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, when a man kidnapped, raped, and killed a 16-year-old high school girl. If you keep reading, you'll see why other people think this, too. But what else? Some people out there think that the Totoros are shinigami 死神 ( しんがみ ), aka "Gods Of Death." Considering how often Hayao Miyazaki puts hidden meanings into his Ghibli films, I think it is possible. Instead, they were large, stupid, hairy, long-nosed, horned, and creepy bug-eyed creatures.īut, if Totoro is a troll, at least in the eyes of a child, what else could it be? Maybe the child didn't know better, so she called it a "troll" when it was something else. One day, though, I found out that the name "Totoro" comes from when Mei mispronounces the word トロール (tororu), the Japanese word for "troll." It seems so clear watching the movie now, but as a kid I didn't realize this because the Totoro is so cute! Of course, I was shocked and thought, "TROLL?" My image for trolls wasn't cute at all. These cuddly creatures seem to be called many names varying from "a giant furry thing" to "a rabbit like spirit." They are so cute and one of my favorite characters in all Ghibli films. They look like a mixture of several animals: fukuro 梟 ( ふくろ ) (owls), neko 猫 ( ねこ ) (cats), and tanuki 狸 ( たぬき ) (raccoon dogs). Just to be sure, I'd like to explain that Totoro is not a Japanese traditional character but rather a creation of Hayao Miyazaki. They become friends with the Totoros and have magical adventures. Then, they discover magical creatures called Totoros inhabiting the nearby forest. They move into a house in the countryside with their father to be closer to their mother, who is sick and hospitalized. The story is about two young girls, Satsuki and her little sister, Mei. Before we get into that, though, let's take a look at its fun, friendly plot! Many of you guys probably know of it already, but let me introduce it to you anyways. One of my favorite Ghibli films, 隣 ( となり )のトトロ (Tonari no Totoro / My Neighbor Totoro), has a deep and dark secret. Ready for some ghost stories? C'mere, gather around my camp fire to stay awhile and listen… "My Neighbor Totoro" So now you know that I love Ghibli films just as much as you guys, but here's my question: How many of you have ever been scared of Studio Ghibli? How many of you have heard of Totoro's urban legend and / or Ghibli's Curse? Regardless of whether or not you know about them (or believe in them), I personally have literally shuddered and trembled because of them. The animation and musical scores are always beautiful, not to mention the stories themselves! Characters like Totoro, the Little Dust Bunnies, and Kiki have always stuck with me, even to this day. Who loves Studio Ghibli? They're the studio that brought the world films like "Princess Mononoke," "My Neighbor Totoro," and "Spirited Away." I would guess that quite a few of you cried out " ME!" to your smartphones and computers in answer to this question.
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