Studio Ghibli and komuso.

A few friends and I were watching "The Cat Returns", which is a constant favorite in the dvd collection. While some Ghibli fans deride it for being too simplistic, I think it's quite charming. I see it as a continuation of "Whisper of the Heart"; to me, it's the story that the young girl finally writes about the Baron (to see a Ghibli filmography, go here). There's a ceremonial parade scene in Cat Returns, where the Cat King arrives to thank Haru for saving his son. In the procession, a cat stately stands there playing a flute with a basket on its head.



There's also a later scene in which a similar (or the same) cat is in the King's orchestra.



I've seen similar images in plenty of other places, and know the basket is a cultural reference; but, this particular night, not knowing what the hell it meant became irksome. So I googled "basket flute Japanese" and found this site.

Mystery solved!

To quote the site: "The origin of the shakuhachi, according to one theory, has been traced back as far as ancient Egypt and is presumed to have migrated through India and China before entering Japan in the Sixth Century. Its popularity, however, was short-lived and it wasn't until the Thirteenth Century that it was revived by the Fuke sect of Buddhism which sought to replace sutra chanting with sui zen or "blowing zen." Not until the Edo Period (1603-1867) did this instrument reach its final and most decisive phase of development. During this era, marked by the disintegration of feudal Japan, the shakuhachi was favored by swelling numbers of uprooted samurai warriors (ronin) who joined the ranks of itinerant preachers known as komuso ("Priests of Emptiness and Nothingness"). The komuso wore large baskets (tengai) over their heads to symbolize their detachment from the world. Violent clan struggles which marked the late Sixteenth Century forced some of the komuso to organize themselves into a society for self-protection. Members of the Fukeshu sought to deceive the shogun -- Japan's supreme warlord -- with forged documents giving them exclusive rights to play the shakuhachi and to solicit alms with it. In return for this privilege they agreed to spy on the activities of other ronin. Legend has it that these komuso, forbidden to carry their revered swords, redesigned the shakuhachi from the root of the bamboo making it longer and stouter for use as a club as well as an instrument for spiritual attainment."

At any rate, The Cat Returns is a fun film; it's perhaps the only anime film I prefer to watch with English dubbing, as the actors seem perfect (for instance, Peter Boyle playing Muta, or Cary Elwes playing the Baron). Charming and perhaps every little girl's dream. A visit to the Cat Kingdom? Sign me up!

And finally, Muta ever-so reminds me of Shazbutt. I miss her attitude: