Totoro and the language of old men
After 4 previous failures, I finally watched Totoro right through to the end on Saturday. The mix of fantasy and reality has always confused me. I forget which is which. This time, I managed to stop rationalising and just enjoyed the story.
My favourite scene was when the Dad and his daughters, Satsuki and Mei stood beneath the giant クスノキ KUSONOKI (camphor tree) in the centre of the local shrine. The KUSONOKI is in a small forest by the family’s new home. Mei. a 四歳の女の子 YONSAI NO ONNA NO KO (4 year old girl), has just met Totoro, the 森の主 MORI NO NUSHI (the Lord of the Forest). Totoro is a large, grey furry creature and one of the most iconic anime characters of all time.
Totoro is pictured in a iconic poster of the film alongside the caption: このへんないきものは、まだ日本にいるのです。たぶん。KONO HEN NA IKIMONO WA, MADA NIHON NI IRU NO DESU. TABUN. (Strange creatures like this still exist in Japan. Probably)
Totoro plays a heroic role in the film. He seems to symbolise the benevolence of nature. The father gives thanks to Totoro at the shrine for looking after Mei his daughter. The father says: メイがお世話になりました。 MEI GA O-SEWA NI NARIMASHITA. (Thank you for looking after Mei). This expression O-SEWA NI NARU (literally, to be looked after) is very useful. I had many occasions to say O-SEWA NI NARIMASHITA while living in Japan.
The father also says a classic ritualistic expression to the shrine god. よろしくお願いします。YOROSHIKU O-NEGAI SHIMASU (Literally, we request your goodwill / please be nice to me). It’s such an important expression in Japanese, yet it didn’t get translated in the film. It sounds too awkward in English.
The film is known as a bit of a nostalgia trip, to how Japan was in the 1950s. I think the film shows more than that though. That Japan hasn’t completely disappeared. Village life may have changed dramatically but it is not dead yet. Watching the film reminded me of rural Japan and made me want to get back there.
One of my favourite places in Japan, Takahara village in Wakayama on the World Heritage Kumano Kodo trail has an enormous camphor tree shrine at the edge of the town. just like the one in Totoro.
Last week, I talked about ‘women’s language’ used in Kiki’s Delivery Service. In Totoro, I was more aware of the language more common to old men. The main characteristic of this is the use of -かい KAI and -だい DAI as question particles at the end of the sentence.
When hearing noise in the attic, the Dad asks: リスかい RISU KAI (Is it a squirrel?), and when moving into their new home he asks his daughters: 気に入ったかい KI NI ITTA KAI. かい KAI is used if it’s a yes/no question. -だい DAI is used if it is a question with an interrogative such as what/where.
The old woman also uses this language It is not unique to men. I can’t ever remember hearing anyone under 40 say it, but an eccentric English teacher I worked with at a High School regularly used -かい KAI and -だい DAI when chatting to students. These sounds are softer than the sharp か KA question particle, and somehow feel warmer and gentler. Maybe the world needs a bit more -かい KAI and -だい DAI.