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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Review of Hayao Miyazaki's ‘Princess Mononoke'
It was only recently, with the advent of the rising usage of AI, that the 'Ghibli Filter' trend took the internet by storm. Amidst this, arrived the release of the recently remastered 'Princess Mononoke', which reminded the world once again that no matter how much artificial intelligence may try, it can never quite understand the emotional depth and capture the true essence that lies in each perfect hand-crafted frame made by Hayao Miyazaki and the artists at Studio Ghibli. Set in the Muromachi Period of Japan, we are quickly introduced to our protagonist, Prince Ashitaka, who, after killing an evil beast to protect his village, is laid with a curse that sets him out on a journey to find the Forest Spirit that looms in the dangerous forests of the far West. He meets several people along the way and learns about them and the way they look at the world. Miyazaki's film is an adventurous journey that does not wish to reveal everything at once as much as it takes its own time to allow you to connect to the characters and narrative at hand. In doing so, he is able to deliver a powerful message about both: The need to conserve nature as well as human nature. Relevant as ever, Miyazaki's stunning film engulfs you into a world that has characters that feel like they actually exist. There is no clear-cut villain or a hero in this film, a rare sight in the animated film genre (especially for films that cater to a younger audience). In fact, the older one grows, the more they realise that the meaning of the story only deepens. There is a justified reason behind each character's actions and beliefs. Hence, our protagonist remains conflicted on which side to pick throughout the film. He wishes to understand those around him without hatred, and to do so, he observes the world he is surrounded by. Every frame is meticulous, and the image born out of imagination feels truly authentic. Aided to this is the film's sound design and score, which authentically captures the essence of Japan over six hundred years ago. Even in times that lacked concrete buildings and electricity, deforestation was present, in order to obtain minerals from under the soil. It was a banal process that brought with it a blinding greed that saw an endless thirst for power that could never be quenched. The film's third act turns especially brutal, it is a loud cry to prevent the harm of animals and nature. Miyazaki's ability to seep in the elements of fantasy with the real creates images that are not just visually stunning but also a reminder that he is an artist whose genius can never be replicated. To celebrate his art is to celebrate the very essence of life itself. For Miyazaki, life of all kinds is important, and for life to exist, we must coexist. The writer, Rudrangsh Gupta, is a freelance filmmaker and enjoys keeping a keen eye out for moving stories that are shown with a unique lens.
Asahi Shimbun
23-06-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Osaka bonsai garden draws admirers from near and far
Michael McTeague, middle, an apprentice at Fujikawa Koka-en, the largest bonsai garden in western Japan, speaks about the global fascination with bonsai to visitors from Australia on June 4 in Ikeda, Osaka Prefecture. (Kazushige Kobayashi) IKEDA, Osaka Prefecture—One of the largest bonsai gardens in western Japan here has become a magnet for international bonsai enthusiasts after going viral online. Hundreds of exquisite tiny trees are crammed into the 500-square-meter Fujikawa Kouka-en, located in a residential area near Osaka Itami Airport. The collection includes maple trees with lush green leaves, 'shinpaku,' known for their elegantly curving, withered white branches and 'goyomatsu' with branches that hang below the pot as if clinging to a precipice. 'Unbelievable,' murmured Gabriel Tobar, 53, a first-time visitor to Japan from Chile, sighing in admiration. 'No two bonsai are alike and they are 'living art' crafted over many years,' he said. 'It is fun to imagine what these bonsai will be like 30 or 50 years from now.' Keiichi Fujikawa, 62, the owner of the garden and a bonsai artist, said that the impression that people from other countries have of bonsai differs from those in Japan. 'In Japan, bonsai has a strong image as something unattainable and a hobby enjoyed by some elderly men,' Fujikawa said. 'But people in other countries seem to regard the appearance of nature condensed in a small pot and the technique as an artform.' The city of Ikeda is in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture and borders Hyogo Prefecture to the west. According to the city government, garden tree cultivation began to flourish in the area from the late Muromachi Period (1336-1573), and by the early Edo Period (1603-1867), a wide variety of saplings and bonsai trees were being produced. Ikeda is considered by the industry to be one of the four major garden tree production centers in Japan, along with Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, Inazawa in Aichi Prefecture and Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture. Fujikawa's father opened a garden specializing in floriculture and bonsai in 1950. After graduating from a university, Fujikawa trained at a bonsai garden in another prefecture before taking over the family business from his father. Fujikawa then dedicated the whole garden to bonsai. About 15 years ago, Fujikawa welcomed a young American as his first apprentice, who then began explaining Fujikawa's works and techniques on an English website and YouTube channel. The response was overwhelming, and Fujikawa has received a steady stream of visitors and apprentices from abroad since. Fujikawa has opened a residential school for foreign apprentices and began offering hands-on classes in 2024. He currently has two young apprentices, from Canada and Japan, who are honing their skills in the garden. Fujikawa's Instagram account has about 26,000 followers, mostly foreigners. He said he will continue to disseminate bonsai culture from Ikeda. (This article was written by Yukiko Sakamoto and Kazushige Kobayashi.)
Metro
13-06-2025
- General
- Metro
Mystery of 600-year-old Japanese mummified 'dragon' solved
The mystery of a 600-year-old mummified creature that looks like dragon has been solved. The remains are part of a collection at the Japanese royal family's Shosoin Treasure House in Nara. It's thought they were found in 1429, by the shogun, Yoshinori Ashikaga, during a visit to Nara's Todaiji temple. At the time, a monk at the temple recorded that as Ashikaga cut a piece from the Ranjataii – a rare and treasured piece of agarwood – he 'saw something in the shape of a small dragon' dried by the sun. Now a new study of the 'dragon' using X-ray technology and radiocarbon dating has found the creature to be a Japanese marten, a weasel-like mammal. The study's authors wrote: 'The two premolars are clearly visible, and this characteristic indicates that it is a species of the Martes genus.' It was likely a full-grown female, they added, measuring 40cm in length. Radiocarbon testing shows the remains date from the mid-11th to the mid-12th century – a time when the repository underwent multiple repairs. It's therefore thought the animal may have entered the building during repairs, got trapped, and died, before becoming mummified. Alternatively, it could have been brought in deliberately, since the animal is missing its forelegs, which have never been found. According to legend, after the 'dragon' was added to the treasure house collection, it would rain every time the repository was opened. The legend appeared to become eerily real when researchers from Tokyo were forced to reschedule their visit to see the creature after heavy rains caused their bullet train to be cancelled. Conservationist Mami Tsuru of the Shosoin Treasure House said she believed the 'dragon' to be the same one found by Ashikaga in the 1400s. She said: 'The age determination has significantly increased the possibility that the mummy is the sun-dried dragon-looking object recorded in the document from the Muromachi Period. 'We believe this is a good example of how Shosoin has protected not only beautiful items, but also all the items inside the repository.' More Trending Other so-called dragons in the collection were also analysed and found to be a Kobe mole, crow, and a pigeon. The study includes contributions from the National Museum of Nature and Science and the University Museum of the University of Tokyo. It was published in the 47th Bulletin of Office of the Shosoin Treasure House. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Lost world discovered beneath ice in Antarctica after 34,000,000 years MORE: 'Holy Grail' shipwreck filled with £15,000,000,000 in treasure 'found' MORE: Scientists who say there's a 'secret city' under Giza pyramid have now 'found a second one'
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Experts solve mystery of ancient ‘mummified dragon' discovered by Japanese shogun
Researchers believe they've cracked the mystery of a mummified 'rainbow dragon' that's been sitting in a Japanese treasure house for centuries. The 'dragon' has been stashed at the Shosoin Treasure House in the historic Japanese city of Nara, according to Pen News. The remains were reportedly found by Yoshinori Ashikaga, a 15th-century shogun, in 1429. Legend states that Ashikaga cut a piece from the Ranjatai, a rare and valuable piece of agarwood, at the time of the skeleton's discovery. The shogun was visiting the Todai-ji temple in Nara at the time. Shortly after, a monk at the temple claimed to have seen 'something in the shape of a small dragon' that was dried by the sun. Ashikaga took the skeleton and preserved it. 4 The remains were reportedly found by Yoshinori Ashikaga, a 15th-century shogun, in 1429. Office of the Shosoin Treasure House 4 Researchers used X-ray technology and radiocarbon dating to date the marten back to the 11th or 12th centuries. Office of the Shosoin Treasure House But was the skeleton a dragon after all? Researchers say not quite. A recently published study said the 'dragon' was actually a female Japanese marten. The fluffy, weasel-like animal is native to central and southern Japan. 'The two premolars are clearly visible, and this characteristic indicates that it is a species of the Martes genus,' the study states. 4 The skeleton was found at the Todai-ji temple in Nara in 1429. Getty Images Using x-ray technology and radiocarbon dating, researchers found that the marten dated back to the 11th or 12th centuries. The Todai-ji temple underwent heavy renovations at the time, according to Pen News. Experts believe the animal entered the building and was trapped before it died and was mummified. Pictures show the marten missing its forelegs, making it resemble a dragon. 4 Experts believe the animal entered the building and was trapped before it died and was mummified. Office of the Shosoin Treasure House Legend states that rain would descend upon the treasure house every time the skeleton's repository was opened – and during the study, researchers fought heavy downpours that made traveling from Tokyo to Nara difficult. Mami Tsuru, a conservationist at the Shosoin Treasure House, told Pen News she's certain the skeleton is the same one recorded by the Todai-ji monk. 'The age determination has significantly increased the possibility that the mummy is the sun-dried dragon-looking object recorded in the document from the Muromachi Period,' the expert said. Tsuru added, 'We believe this is a good example of how Shosoin has protected not only beautiful items, but also all the items inside the repository.'
The Irish Sun
08-05-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Mystery of 1,000-year-old ‘mummified dragon' that was discovered by samurai warrior is finally solved
THE mystery of a 1,000-year-old mummified "dragon" stashed among the treasures of the Japanese royal family has finally been solved. The remains of the 'rainbow dragon' are said to have been discovered by a legendary samurai warrior in 1429. 7 The remains of the "rainbow dragon" were discovered in 1429 Credit: Credit: Shosoin Treasure House via Pen News 7 An X-ray of the ancient remains has uncovered the mystery of the beast Credit: Credit: Shosoin Treasure House via Pen News 7 The legendary samurai Yoshinori Ashikaga Credit: Credit: Pen News Yoshinori Ashikaga uncovered the mystical beast during a visit to Nara's Todaiji temple. The samurai is said to have cut a piece from the Ranjatai – a rare and treasured piece of agarwood. Then he 'saw something in the shape of a small dragon' dried by the sun, a monk recalled. The dragon's remains have been stashed among the Japanese Royal family's treasures at the Shosoin Treasure House in Nara, Japan ever since. read more on japan Now, a new study has solved the mystery of the creature's true nature - using X-ray technology and radiocarbon dating . Close comparison with known species found that the 'dragon' was in fact a Japanese marten - a weasel-like mammal. The authors wrote: 'The two premolars are clearly visible, and this characteristic indicates that it is a species of the Martes genus.' The creature was likely a full-grown female marten, measuring 40cm in length. Most read in Tech Radiocarbon testing suggests that the remains date back to the mid-11th to the mid-12th century – a time when the treasure house faced multiple repairs. It is thought that the animal may have entered the building during repairs, got trapped, and died - becoming mummified. I own an antique weapon that's been in my family for years - Pawn Stars said a secret pocket makes it worth $8k Or it may have been brought in deliberately – since the specimen is missing its forelegs and they have never been located. The "dragon" remains have been shrouded in mystery for almost 600 years. Legend has it that after the mystical creature was added to the treasure house it would rain every time it was opened. And it seems this is still the case with researchers from Tokyo having to reschedule one of their visits due to heavy rains. 7 Another 'dragon' in the collection now identified as a type of crow Credit: Credit: Shosoin Treasure House via Pen News 7 Another 'dragon' now thought to be a pigeon Credit: Credit: Shosoin Treasure House via Pen News Conservationist Mami Tsuru of the Shosoin Treasure House confirmed she believed the 'dragon' to be the same one found by Yoshinori Ashikaga. She said: 'The age determination has significantly increased the possibility that the mummy is the sun-dried dragon-looking object recorded in the document from the Muromachi Period'. She added: 'We believe this is a good example of how Shosoin has protected not only beautiful items, but also all the items inside the repository.' Other 'dragons' in the collection were also analysed and were found to be parts of a Kobe mole, crow, and pigeon. 7 The Shosoin Treasure House in Japan Credit: Credit: Pen News 7 The findings of the X-ray investigation being presented at a conference Credit: Credit: Shosoin Treasure House via Pen News
