07/15/08
Text: Nik Mercer
We all fondly remember Hayao Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli 1988 feature-length anime, My Neighbor Totoro. It was one of the first Japanese animations that received legitimized acclaim in the States for being an inspiring tale of growing up and for being crafted in an awe-inspiring manner that put long-standing hits like Speed Racer and Transformers to shame. Unfortunately, the place that inspired Miyazaki to create the film, Sayama Forest, is being jeopardized by Tokyo developmental sprawl. The 8,750 acre area is one of the Saitami prefecture's few non-urbanized regions, and it ought to be saved not only in remembrance of Japan's greatest anime director and visionary, but also for the sake of retaining some naturalness in an otherwise mechanized society.
The Totoro Forest Project has set out to do just that. On September 6, over two-hundred international artists will come together and display their work to support and pay their dues to Miyazaki and the forest in an effort to pull in donations to support the charity organization's diligent preservation efforts. A compendium of the artists' pieces will be available for purchase on the opening day as well, and, from September 20 through December 7, all the contributions will be on display at the Cartoon Museum in San Francisco.
Help prevent more outgrowth in greater Tokyo and help preserve the largest Totoro artifact there is!
Totoro Forest Project homepage
