Question 1

What personal experience inspired Hayao Miyazaki to create My Neighbor Totoro?

Accepted Answer

The film has autobiographical elements from Miyazaki's childhood, as his mother endured nine years of spinal tuberculosis and spent much time in hospitals, similar to the mother in the story.

Question 2

How did the magical creatures in the film get their name 'Totoro'?

Accepted Answer

The name comes from Mei mispronouncing 'troll' as 'Totoro' when telling her sister about seeing the forest creatures, based on a storybook reference.

Question 3

Why was My Neighbor Totoro originally released as a double feature in Japan?

Accepted Answer

It was double-featured with Grave of the Fireflies (1988) because the film was believed to be too big a financial risk as a standalone release.

Question 4

What is the connection between the sisters' names and the month of May?

Accepted Answer

Satsuki is an old Japanese word for May, while Mei is the Japanese pronunciation of the English word 'May'.

Question 5

Which major international film festivals has My Neighbor Totoro been featured in?

Accepted Answer

It has been featured at Cannes Film Festival (2020), Berlin International Film Festival (1995), San Sebastián International Film Festival (1992, 2025), and multiple others including Locarno and Chicago.

Question 6

What autobiographical connection does Hayao Miyazaki have to My Neighbor Totoro?

Accepted Answer

The film has autobiographical elements as Miyazaki's mother endured spinal tuberculosis for nine years, similar to the girls' hospitalized mother in the story. He said creating it with boys instead of girls would have been too painful.

Question 7

What is the origin of the name 'Totoro' in the film?

Accepted Answer

The name comes from Mei mispronouncing 'troll' as 'Totoro' when telling her sister about the forest creatures she saw, based on a storybook reference.

Question 8

Why was My Neighbor Totoro initially released as a double feature in Japan?

Accepted Answer

It was double-featured with Grave of the Fireflies on its original theatrical release because the film was considered too financially risky to release alone.

Question 9

Which major international film festivals has My Neighbor Totoro been featured at?

Accepted Answer

The film has been featured at Cannes Film Festival (2020), Berlin International Film Festival (1995), San Sebastián International Film Festival (1992, 2025), and Locarno International Film Festival (2017), among others.

Question 10

What is the story of My Neighbor Totoro about?

Accepted Answer

Two sisters move to the countryside with their father to be near their hospitalized mother and discover magical forest spirits called Totoros. When the younger sister runs away, the older one seeks the spirits' help to find her.

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My Neighbor Totoro

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