Conférence sur le Japon - Mai 2026 - Inspirations et héritages de Ghibli dans la culture japonaise

Le Mans Université's Maison des Langues is offering a series of seminars devoted to the Japanese language and culture. These events invite you to discover different aspects of Japanese history, society and imagination, through the eyes of specialists.

Le Mans Université's Maison des Langues is offering a series of seminars devoted to the Japanese language and culture. These seminars invite you to discover different aspects of Japanese history, society and imagination, through the eyes of specialists.
Offered as part of the 'Japanese: language and cultures' university diploma, these seminars are designed as a time for discovery and exchange, open to anyone interested.

20th May 2026
Ghibli's inspirations and legacies in Japanese culture
"First of all, it was a practical choice: nobody wanted to produce their films. So Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, with the help of Toshio Suzuki, founded Studio Ghibli together. Since then, they have enjoyed a string of successes, from Princess Mononoke to Pompoko, from Tomb of the Fireflies to Chihiro's Journey. Their characters, such as Totoro and Porco Rosso, have become iconic, and the studio's works have left their mark on entire generations of fans around the world, as if Ghibli were a Japanese equivalent of Disney.
Much more than a brand, and more than just a dream factory, Ghibli offers above all a vision of an ideal world, based on ecology, feminism, engineering and magical beliefs."
Extract from the book summary by Alexandre MATHIS: Un monde parfait selon Ghibli.
What inspiration does the studio draw from Japanese culture and what impact does it have on it?
The speaker: Alexandre MATHIS is a member of the Playlist Society collective and writes for Revus & Corrigés.
He is the author of essays on cinema, including Un monde parfait selon Ghibli (2018), an analysis of the world of the legendary Japanese animation studio.


Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026, 6-8pm
Venue: Room 201 at the Maison de l'Université
Additional information: The seminar is also available in video (Zoom), link available on the Maison des Langues social networks
Public: Free and open to all