Nature Vs Advancment

While exploring Meiji Mura and the Ghibli park I was struggling to find something to use for this blog post. That was until I was surrounded by the nature that was in the Ghibli park. In the park there were multiple different forest sections that for a long time during the walks through them didn't even have any decorations or attractions in them. They were just walks through nature. There was also a lot of trees and plants decorating the streets of Meiji Mura but there were also factories and industrial buildings that conflicted with this nature. In the Meiji period there was such a rush to industrialize in order to catch up with western civilization that often nature was partially sacrificed in the name of advancement. Especially near big cities. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. Technological advancement is good and often leads to more convenient and healthier lives for civilians but the Ghibli park made me look from a slightly different perspective. In the park and in Ghibli films we can see multiple examples of stories that talk about technology and nature. Princess Mononoke talks about humans being at odds with nature, attempting to conquer it in order to move forward with industrial plans. Which eventually leads to disaster. I saw in Ghibli park as well that the Mononoke village was a very peaceful area without any real technology at all. There were a few buildings with either straw or grass. Then next to it was a forest with a short trail that walked through it for anyone who wanted to enjoy the nature for a few minutes. This slow paced vibe of the village that points visitors back toward shinto beliefs was the exact opposite of the towns at Meiji Mura. 




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